What Protestant/Evangelical tradition is represented in the Casting Crowns song "What the World Needs"?

Question

I hadn't the song "What this World Needs" before today, although it's 10 years old - guessing it didn't get much air play on the Christian Radios.

I'm wondering if it has something to do with this part where a bunch of children speak in montage/cut-up PSA format:

People aren't confused by the Gospel.

They're confused by us.

Jesus is the only way to God, but we are not the only way to Jesus.

This world doesn't need my tie, my hoodie, my denomination or my interpretation of the Bible.

They just need Jesus.

We can be passionate about what we believe, but we can't strap ourselves to the Gospel, because we are slowing it down.

Jesus is going to save the world, but maybe the best thing we can do is just get out of the way.

Casting Crowns - What this World Needs / Copied from Metro Lyrics

What part of Christianity believes this and why? As a Catholic, I find these statements to be the antithesis of my religion and almost fighting words. Don't most Christians want to "be Jesus for others" or at the very least "bring Jesus" to others? This sort of Christianity seems to me to be passive or even nihilistic and I'm wondering further if this is a real way of looking at Christianity and the Bible or if it's a fad.

Answer 1

I neither know nor do I care as to which denomination of Evangelical Protestantism these young people belong to. The partial quote you gave does not represent Protestant Christianity, and is merely a reflection of their own, personal views. However, I wholeheartedly agree with the first part of the song:

“What this world needs is not another one-hit wonder with an axe to grind, another two-bit politician peddling lies, another three-ring circus society What this world needs is not another sign-waving super- that thinks he's better than you, another ear-pleasing candy man afraid of the truth, another prophet in an Armani suite What this world needs is a savior who will rescue, a spirit who will lead, a father who will love them in their time of need ; A savior who will rescue, a spirit who will lead, a father who will love, that's what this world needs (Chorus) What this world needs is for us to care more about the inside than the outside. Have we become so blind that we can't see? God's gotta change your heart before he changes a shirt What this world needs is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance, blending in so well that people can't see the difference, and it's the difference that sets the world free”

The two lines I disagree with are these: “we can't strap ourselves to the gospel 'cause we're slowing it down; Jesus is going to save the world but maybe the best thing we can do is just get out of the way.” That’s a load of trite rubbish, and a distortion of the need to evangelise the gospel to all.

Please do not think for one moment that these sentiments are representative of Protestants – evangelical or not! Personally, I much prefer the good old-fashioned hymns, especially those written by Charles Wesley. They actually contain biblical truth (as perceived by Protestants, anyway). Can’t be doing with all this happy-clappy, stand up and wave your hands in the air stuff accompanied to music so loud you can’t even hear yourself think. I don’t consider that to be worship. But then, what do I know, given I was born shortly after the end of the Second World War? Bah, humbug!

Source: Casting Crowns-What This World Needs (2007) – Genre: Christian/Gospel - Songwriters: Hector Alonzo Cervantes / John Mark Hall – Album: The Altar and the Door - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Casting+Crowns+song+What+the+world+needs&oq=Casting+Crowns+song+What+the+world+needs&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.8209j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8