Piracy Defunds Evangelism? ‘LA Times’ Looks At Filesharing Of Christian Music
The Los Angeles Times has a lengthy article on the illegal downloading of artists that fall under the wide rubric of “Christian music,” and the conflict that’s arisen between “Thou shalt not steal” and spreading the Lord’s word via filesharing. It’s a fascinating snapshot of the knots that get tied when the impulses behind commerce and evangelizing butt heads, and it doubles as a reminder that Christian-identified artists like Underoath and Jeremy Camp–even after the sales bite of downloads–are selling an arkload of records:
Christian music sales, both on CD and via paid download, over the first six months of 2006 were 11% higher than during the same period in 2005. That double-digit surge stands in stark contrast to the rest of the music industry, which experienced a 4% decline during the same time period. And no other genre has a 2006 sales jump anywhere near the level of the Christian sector.
Pirating Songs Of Praise [Los Angeles Times]
