WHEN Christianity and the secular world meet on common ground, in the studio to praise God, controversy will arise on a grand scale or small scale. It has happened abroad and it has happened locally.When Kirk Franklyn teamed up with God's Property and Cheryl 'Salt' James of Salt and Peppa fame to do the smash gospel hit Stomp, Christendom became steeped in controversy. One side found Franklyn's hit to be a step in the right direction, since it was a way to reach non-Christians. Others condemned Franklyn for compromising the gospel. To some Christians, the act was a matter of stepping over into the secular world.
"The question we should ask is what is the purpose of it? What is the gain involved? I believe we should go to the utmost but we should not mix it. We are joining with them on the secular side," explained Reverend James Grant of the Olivet Seventh Day Adventist church, when asked what he thought about gospel and secular acts recording songs together.
Still, the saga has continued. Cece Winans earned her fair share of criticism when she teamed up with Whitney Houston to do the popular Count On Me, which went on to do fairly well.
The controversy did not end there. Kirk Franklyn's teaming up with Bono from U2, R. Kelly, Mary J. Blige, God's Property, The Family and Cristal Lewis to do Lean On Me was criticised again for compromising.
Locally, the thought of gospel acts teaming up with secular artistes has not gone idle.
Papa San recently recorded Only Jah Mercy with Shabba Ranks on his first gospel album. The song also came under some members of Christendom's scrutiny.
"Some people questioned it and some understood it. It was a song I wrote and Shabba came and did it along with me," San explained.
Local gospel deejay Goddy Goddy explained that he has gotten offers from artistes and thought about doing the recordings. While not teaming up with any non-Christian artistes while working on his upcoming album, Goddy believes that such an act may encourage that secular artiste to come to Christ.
The feeling is just also strong among secular artistes. Hawkeye, for example, welcomes the idea of doing a song with a gospel artiste. "It has to with God, so I want to be involved. God is not like man who is selfish. He is just and at the end of the day I want to give my regards to God," he said.
Singer Stevie Face also agrees with Hawkeye. "I don't have a problem. I have Christian principles and beliefs, but the church bashed me when I thought they were going to congratulate me," he said.
Still, San believes that the secular artistes should not be condemned but commended for their actions. "Shabba is a man who loves Jesus. Yuh caan look pon a man and seh wi better than him. We should help them, because I think this incident has brought him closer to Jesus," he said.
