I'm going to start this by saying I'm a Christian. This isn't an atheist reviewing a terrible Christian song; it's a Christian reviewing a terrible Christian song. Good, we have that out of the way.
Unless you live under a rock, you know of the movies "God's Not Dead" and "God's Not Dead 2." I am not going into those movies as that is for another article for another day. I want to focus on the band behind the movies: "Newsboys." They have a song that went with "God's Not Dead" called, say it with me, "God's Not Dead." Likewise, they have a song for "God's Not Dead 2," which came out on April Fool's Day entitled "Guilty." I have been nice enough as to spare you the headache and the tears from listening to the song and reading the comments in the comment section. I'm going line by line and tell you the flaws with this song, regardless of how it fits with the movie.
1. "When did it become breaking a rule to say Your name out loud in school?"
It has never been against the rule to say Jesus in school. Students and teachers are allowed to say the name Jesus at school. That's not a thing.
2. "...when Your name's the only one who sets us free."
Fair. No problems here.
3. "When did it become incorrect to speak the truth about life and death when Your life gave us all eternity?"
The keyword here is incorrect. If this is in a biology class during the Evolution section and you're bringing this up in defense of Creation, then you are incorrect. Evolution has been tested over and over again. Biologists are coming up with the same answers. Evolution is the best explanation of life today. If you're in a history class talking about Christian history, then you're not incorrect. When was this question asked and who asked it?
4. "Even if it gets me convicted, I'll be on my knees with my hands lifted."
Whoa!!! Did we just jump from the classroom to the courtroom? Who's convicting you? What crime did you commit? I can assure you that in the good ole US of A, your crime was not because you are Christian.
5. "If serving You is against the law of man, if living out my faith in You is banned, then I'll stand right before the jury."
It's not against the "law of man" to be Christian. You are not "banned" from living out your faith in Jesus, so unless you committed some other crime, you won't be standing in front of a jury.
6. "If saying what I believe is out of line, if I'm judged because I'm gonna live my life to show the world the love that fills me, then I want to be guilty."
Well, 99 percent of the time, saying what you believe is out of line. Unless you're running up to Adam and Steve's wedding throwing stones because the Bible says they aren't worthy of life or any other extreme example, you've said what you believe and it wasn't "out of line." Everyone is judged for how they live their life, whether they are Christian or not. Move on.
7. "I'll rise up and honor You. I'll testify to all the good You do because Your grace and Your mercy have overtaken me."
OK.
8. "Then I want to be guilty by association. Guilty of being a voice proclaiming Your ways, Your truth, Your life, I'll pay the price to be Your light.."
Jesus paid the ultimate price by dying on the cross for your sins, you know this. You are not doing Jesus any favors by having a false sense of guilt for your faith.
9. "Oh I want to be guilty."
Guilty of what? Guilty of doing what preachers do every Sunday? Guilty of spreading your faith with the people who consented to it? Even if you spread your faith to someone who hasn't consented to it, they aren't going to take you to court for it.
Overall, Newsboys are playing the victimized, persecuted Christian card. It's Christians like Newsboys who are driving people away from the church. It's the comments on the music video that are driving people away for the church. In the United States, Christians are not persecuted. Christians in places like Saudi Arabia or Iraq are persecuted. Those Christians are losing their lives to organizations like ISIS. We all condemn those actions, Muslims and Atheists included. Newsboys, if you want to play the victimized, persecuted Christian card, go do a benefit concert for the Christians in those countries. Don't do it in a country that is over 70 percent Christian.
