Alice Cooper

[shawnpfan2010]

So Vincent Furnier aka Alice Cooper claims to be a christian, but hasn't changed his music or stage show to reflect his beliefs. My question is, if he truly has repented and is a christian, should he start doing christian music and change his show or should he still be Alice Cooper and continue doing what he does? I know the Bible says in Matthew 7:19 "You shall know them by their fruit". I haven't been to a concert of his, but does he give an alter call at the end of his concerts, do the people leave with an uplifted spirit?

I am not judging him just asking an honest question.

Your thoughts?

[p-freak]

As if giving an altar call is a necessary thing if you are a Christian artist... I don't believe he would have to change his style / performance, unless it was really out of place. I don't know enough about his stage performances to say anything about that.

I don't know much about Cooper. I've read a couple of interviews with him about his conversion a couple of years ago, but I haven't followed him closely. Maybe God has called him to continue his music in this way.

[shawnpfan2010]

I guess not every "christian" band or group considers themselves a ministry. I'm sure that a lot of them only do it to make money and have hit songs and not to minister to people. Most "christian" songs don't even have a real God centered message anymore. I am just an old school guy I guess, in that, if you call yourself a christin band or group, you should try to lead people to the Lord, not just put on a great stage show and make everyone feel warm and fuzzy when they leave.

[brent]

So Vincent Furnier aka Alice Cooper claims to be a christian, but hasn't changed his music or stage show to reflect his beliefs. My question is, if he truly has repented and is a christian, should he start doing christian music and change his show or should he still be Alice Cooper and continue doing what he does? I know the Bible says in Matthew 7:19 "You shall know them by their fruit". I haven't been to a concert of his, but does he give an alter call at the end of his concerts, do the people leave with an uplifted spirit?

I am not judging him just asking an honest question.

Your thoughts?

1. First of all, lets set this foundational truth: Alice Cooper is an act, a stage name, and a costume, etc. What people see of him on stage is no different than what people see of an actor or actress in a movie, broadway theater show. Characters are portrayed and stories are told, without a requirement that the actor, actress or musician providing an endorsement of the actions portrayed. I submit that there are more people going to church, acting like Christians, and not really giving a complete endorsement to the part. There are Christian movies with bad characters in them. Does this mean that the people playing the bad character are in fellowship with the devil and not with God? I think not. They are portraying a role.

2. You can't necessarily judge a believer by his/her job or income. Christianity does not require him to change his job, anymore than it means you are be required to change yours, just because it is what you did before you accepted salvation in Christ.

3. A job is not an indication of a believer's fruit. I can name plenty of preachers and evangelists having samesex relations, taking money that is not theirs, preaching false doctrine. They are more dangerous than Alice Cooper. They are saying that they have and live the truth...for a living no less. Alice keeps it separate.

4. Fruit may be evident to people in Vinny's life. We are not in his life, and have no idea how he was vs. how he is. We are in no place to speculate or judge.

5. Why is it that playing Christian music for money at a concert is considered the "fruit" of his faith? Maybe he does sing praise to God...in church...for free...as a true offering to Christ? Isn't that good enough?

6. If John Schlitt quit singing, would slam him for not sticking with it, and would question whether he is in God's will, just like they questioned Petra and God's will. But God would still be honored and worshiped by John at church, in his car, etc. Same thing. John does his show with his content, Alice does his. Both worship on their own, in their own ways. Alice portrays a fictional character that dies, John is non-fiction "character" who almost died, but lived. Both have their purpose and entertainment value.

[executioner]

I know he has professed to be a Christian, but he does continue to tour and make secular music. Is this something that is really that bad? He is complete entertainment and he has even said its just totally done in fun, so I'm ok with it. BTW I'm not really a fan; I think the only song I can name of his is "Poison" which I kind of liked back in the day.

[srlwizfan]

Brent or anyone who wants to answer:

I have been trying to work through my ideas about christian and secular music:

1. should i be concerned with the lifestyle of the person singing the song or with the content of the song?

2. If the content of the song does not violate Philipians 4:8 (think on these things...) but the singers lifestyle does violate scripture should i listen to that song? or buy it?

3. where do you go to research christian artists to see if the stage life is the same as the private life?

Thanks for any help!
Scott

[brent]

My 2 cents...

I think you have to stop with the message. The Apostle Paul addressed motives. There were things he didn't like, but he said (basically), "So what? As long as the gospel of Christ is preached, the Truth is presented. How it is done is secondary, who delivers it is secondary, and the motives are secondary."

You can't just stop with the person singing. What about the musicians, engineers, producers, road crew, techs, management, etc? What about the retailers and the personnel in their supply chain? Do all of them have to believe in the content? If you include one, you have to include all of them, because all of them play a part.

In the infancy of CCM, most of the music was made in secular studios, with secular engineers and producers. Darrell Harris once warned me that there could be coke and such in use at a Christian session. If that bothered me, I should not get involved. Now we have barely-Christian people involved throughout the industry. We have Point of Grace with their biggest hit written by a Buddhist. There are some Christians in the secular industry making very good music, with biblical truth. People don't recognize the tunes as biblical, but they are. There are secular musicians and artists singing in gospel, CCM, etc as a vocation and not a calling. Where do you draw the line? It would be impossible to meet everyone and make an assessment. Heck some of these people that are legit end up falling away...

That said, personally, I find it necessary to hear through music, to the person's heart. Some people just ooze God. Some do not. The music tends to "sell" as legit to me, when I sense God is in them and they are doing something they believe in. Of course, I can be fooled occasionally. In the case of Joe English...I was a sucka'. But for the most part, I can kind of sniff things out now.

[cndfogie]

For the record Alice HAS recorded music with a Biblical message. Research his lyrical content. His show is just that a show. ENTERTAINMENT. You go to the movies to be entertained. You go see Alice to be ENTERTAINED. Get off your high horse

[rexreed]

I'm not expecting a biblical message when I hear "School's Out."

[executioner]

He is a Christian, but his entertainment side has stayed the same. He has written a blog in HM Mag a few times as like a guest writer.

[COLOSSUS]

I saw Alice in concert last September. Its a secular show and I'm sure he doesn't expect it to be any different. As Brent said Alice is just a character. I started listening to Alice around the time he done Brutal Planet and the follow up Dragontown. Both these albums have religious themes and overtones in the songs. That's why I thought I give them a listen.