Waiting hours in the cold to go to Winter Jam has become a nearly annual experience for me, and this past Sunday marked the fourth year I went out of the last five. If you don’t know, Winter Jam is an annual tour that features 10 artists for only $10. The main selling point of the concert is that it features a Christian message in the middle of it, and all of the bands playing are self-professed Christians.

I don’t have a problem with this. I myself am a Christian, and I love music, so going to Winter Jam has just been a no-brainer for me. However, I start to get a little bit bothered when people characterize it as a Christian concert — which must have Christian music — and expect each artist to only perform songs about faith.

I don’t believe Christian music exists. Christians are people who, in the Christian faith, believe in Jesus Christ and the Christian God, and are believed to go to heaven for such beliefs. Music cannot have any beliefs — it’s not capable of thought. Bands can’t go to heaven — that’s not where dc Talk went when it died, right?

I do believe that music about faith and religion exists. Some of this music is by artists that are self-professed Christians — bands like Skillet and singers like Jeremy Camp (both on Winter Jam). But artists that aren’t too open with their faith can make music about faith and religion as well. Just listen to Coldplay, twenty one pilots, The Mowgli’s or even Lady Gaga, and you’ll see what I mean.

Here’s where the third part of my blog title comes in. The opposite of what I said is also true — artists that are self-professed Christians can make music that isn’t about faith and religion as well.

My favorite band at Winter Jam was, most definitely, Family Force 5. A five-piece band that molds punk, rock, dance, pop and hip hop music, Family Force 5 put on quite the show. After looking at some of their songs online, though, I found that some people were outraged at the fact that the band made, quite simply, a lot of party music. The most prominent argument was that a band touring on a “Christian” tour like Winter Jam and signed to a “Christian” label like Word should make music explicitly about faith and religion.

Since Christianity is a belief, not a genre, it definitely shouldn’t box any artists into certain lyrical themes — including Family Force 5. Just because the band has fun, party songs like “Chainsaw,” “Cray Button” and “BZRK” (all good music, regardless of your beliefs) that don’t mention Christianity at all doesn’t mean it can’t also release music about faith and religion.

The next time you hear about music that’s about a certain religion, or an artist who professes themselves to be a certain religion, don’t just label it or them as Christian right away. Don’t get mad at artists for not exclusively making music about faith and religion either because, at the end of the day, what their songs are about is their prerogative.  Basically, just try to enjoy music for what it is, regardless of religion — because that’s what it’s meant for.