@Ancient_Scribe@xanga - Absolutely. The whole world is God's, including those areas where He seems to be absent, like secular music. He seems absent only because we have abandoned the field. But He's not. He's there, too.

In fact, I like the secular label switch is good because, frankly, Christians need the competition to drive them to be better at their art. We haven't done so well lately.

I feel the same way I do when a Christian works for a secular newspaper, or a secular auto maker, or a secular coffee shop, or a secular government.  What does it matter?

I think they're reaching out. I don't think that they're selling out unless after recording a secular album they forget about the Christian aspect of their of music and drop that part of who they are. If they continue to present and act as Christians then to me there's no problem.

I say good for them.  To be honest, I don't listen to a whole lot of Christian music because so many times, the quality just isn't there.  I really dislike the Compatibility charts I've seen in Christian magazines and bookstores--if you like Artist A in the secular world, then check out Artist B in the Christian world.  And, many times, Artist B is copying Artist A and it's awful.  I love Switchfoot.  Their music targets the human heart and the human condition.  I think sometimes that Christian labels aren't looking for talent but a genre that will translate from the secular to the Christian.  I think of the Christian boy bands that came out in the late 90s during the Nsync/Backstreet Reign of Terror.  It was awful!  

you know, if you're singing worship/Christian songs, and spreading a Christian message, and you're signed with... idunno, let's say Dove, chances are you are going to get played on the Christian stations only, which exist in less than half of America.  If Warner Brothers Records comes along and says "We'll give you 100 times what Dove is paying, book you concerts all over the world, and get your music played on all kinds of rock stations," where is the down side?  If they want you to "tone down the Jesus thing," I can see the problem, and yes, odds are they will only push your least-blatantly Christian single in order to sell the record, but let's recap what's really happened here:

You were using your gifts to honor the Lord.
He increased your ministry.
He also rewarded you monetarily for your faithful service.
So long as you keep trying to honor Him, there just isn't a downside to this scenario.

If I'm pastoring a church, and I write a book and it gets distributed to the local Lifeways, etc, that's fine.  If Moodypress or Zondervan wants to do a republish, without changing any of it, and they want to give me more money for it, that is G-d blessing me.  Some pastors even stop taking a salary if their book royalties are sufficient...  Just because you are offered more money does not mean you are selling out.  Selling out is when you are offered more money IF you're willing to change, and you do so.

Why has this question come up over and over again only for musicians?  Why doesn't the Christian community ask it of every profession?  I work in a secular school district.  Why isn't anyone asking me why I don't just go work for a Christian school?  It's ridiculous.  Making music and recording and selling it is a BUSINESS as well as a ministry, which is the case for all of us.  Most Christians work in a secular environment and are called to also be an example of Christ and a light in darkness.  Period.  This question has been around for 25 years and we are still asking it?  If God has given someone the gift of music, use it to make a living and hopefully the work you do will bring glory to Christ.  Leave the musicians alone.  God bless you for pursing your music career.  So many musicians have had a finger pointed at them from their own church, been discouraged and quit.  A lot of talent wasted, I know because I live with someone who could have had that career and let condemnation win and gave up.  I hope you get signed on a multimillion dollar deal and take Jesus with you wherever you go.  Don't let ANYONE discourage you!

@MCTCanadian@xanga - I don't find Coldplay to be 'Christian'.  Rather, the extreme hopelessnes in their lyrics bother me more than just a little

@Evowookiee@xanga - If you look at the lyrics Viva La Vida, and songs like Fix you, you can see them to be Christian. There are other hints of Martin to be Christian. Such as him naming his daughter "apple" and his son Moses.

Their new CD gives so many nodes to how Christianity is today.

i think you have to look at the people in the band. switchfoot, for example, is reaching out. they actually went indie a while ago, but you can tell that those band members are genuine about Christ and have all the right priorities.

I think it's a great opportunity for them to spread their message to a wider audience.  It would be ignorant to judge them if the message in their remains the same way they started out, and a lot of Christian companies, I agree wtih franksabunch...they wouldn't quit their jobs if their boss wasn't Christian...would they?

If a Christian musician was presented the choice to be signed to a major label, I think the person would also have a choice to be signed to a Christian label. Music is another output of expression, but finding a publisher is a choice.

Switchfoot started to become a little frustrated when they were constantly considered a Christian band because they felt that it was limiting them to who they were trying to target or reach out to.They began to cut ties with the Christian music industry, (although Jon Foreman is on his solo project, and that is a Christian project of his).

Whatever a listener considers "selling out" is subjective. If these guys still consider their music a kind of ministry still, that's their choice. For Switchfoot's early albums, some of the well-known songs provided a sense that there is something bigger out there in life than what is currently present. Which is a gateway to many things and thoughts.

For a lot of these bands and artists that we can name, still keep their practice in faith important and a priority. Whatever their relation is with God is not our eyes to see. Whether is it a Christian, Humanistic, or just for the love of music as their reasons to do what they're doing, it is their choice. I think the only people that can consider "selling out" is the musicians themselves.

@Theophilus166@xanga - Well said. Very well said.