I used to listen to rock to cheer me up. Screaming music was one of the only things that could lift me out of depression. Even though I'm not always sad anymore, I'm very protective of the music I listen to. My music has helped me more than you'll ever know, and more than I'd like to remember.
I absolutely hate it when people mock my music taste. Someone once told me that rock beat is satanic and that any help metal has given me is evil and fake. Just think about this: someone who's not a Christian catches you as you're falling off a bridge to save your life. Don't you have the responsibility to thank them? Or should you have pushed their hand away and let yourself die?
God has given us so much. One of the first things He gives everyone is them self. Your family may abandon you; your house might burn down; your pets could die. But as long as you're alive, you have yourself. And it's your responsibility to take care of yourself. Your body is a temple of The Lord and made in His image. God loves you, and you should love yourself and do what's best for you. What's best isn't lying around feeling depressed; what's best is you being thankful to God for His gifts and you using them to His honor. If music made by Atheists helps you get up and do this better than Christian music, listen to it.
Black Veil Brides and Fall Out Boy make me happy. They give me hope and make me more thankful to God for His gift of music than most Christian artists. Is that a sin? I really don't think so.
Now that I'm not emo anymore and I'm happy more than 50% of the time, music has a different role in my life. It's not as much about making me happy, but instead, keeping me happy. A smile creeps onto my face when I hear a song from American Beauty/ American Psycho. When I hear older songs that got me through tough times, I bittersweetly remember what I was like. It's sad to recall all that pain, but it's so good to see how much better I am now and that I'm finally okay.
What was the original purpose of rock music, anyway? Nowadays, there are so many broken people that rockers make it their primary concer to fix them. I think that's great, but as someone who is now fixed, I can appreciate the more rebellious intent of classic rock.
In the movie School of Rock, the theme of rock is stated as "sticking it to the man." Doing what you love, no matter the obstacles and opposition. This should be our motto. Don't care what other people think. It's your life. Live it.
