Alice Cooper's Christian Testimony

[random person]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HULrW0Zu2KE

I have always loved this dude and to hear the original the originator bad boy of shock rock showmen is a Christian and was raised in a evangelist home. Awesome!

 

[South Bound]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HULrW0Zu2KE

I have always loved this dude and to hear the original the originator bad boy of shock rock showmen is a Christian and was raised in a evangelist home. Awesome!

I guess I must have missed the "testimony" part.

Saw the whole thing and didn't hear a word about his sinfulness or realization that he needed a Savior, repentance, or receiving Christ.

Most of it seems to be about how Alice Cooper wasn't really as bad as everybody thought.

 

[random person]

Alice Cooper is Born Again

Shock rocker as born-again Christian? Alice Cooper is living proof. The guy who brought us “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell” and the anthemic “School’s Out,” and lyrics like “I love the dead before they’re cold/ Their bluing flesh for me to hold” is, in fact, a devoted Christian.

Born Vincent Furnier, Cooper grew up in the church; both his father and his grandfather were evangelists. But when he formed a band, he realized that there was a dearth of villains in the music scene. So he consciously constructed the ultimate bad-guy image, even while his early music had a very Christian message—turning away from Satan (whom Cooper describes as “the slickest car salesman you ever saw&#8221.

After years of alcoholism and rehab, Cooper straightened out his life with the help of his faith. “I’m the perfect example of the prodigal son,” Cooper said on a Christian TV show.

Cooper founded the faith-based Solid Rock organization, which gives kids a productive, creative alternative to drugs and violence. Still, the violent imagery in his stage show (guillotines and all) may seem, you know, kind of at odds with his Christianity.

But he doesn’t see it that way.

“Alice is a character,” he told the press. “And between me and the Lord, the Lord knows that.”

Musicians who found religion — some of them may surprise you! « Entertainment

 

[South Bound]

Alice Cooper is Born Again

Shock rocker as born-again Christian? Alice Cooper is living proof. The guy who brought us “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell” and the anthemic “School’s Out,” and lyrics like “I love the dead before they’re cold/ Their bluing flesh for me to hold” is, in fact, a devoted Christian.

Born Vincent Furnier, Cooper grew up in the church; both his father and his grandfather were evangelists. But when he formed a band, he realized that there was a dearth of villains in the music scene. So he consciously constructed the ultimate bad-guy image, even while his early music had a very Christian message—turning away from Satan (whom Cooper describes as “the slickest car salesman you ever saw”).

After years of alcoholism and rehab, Cooper straightened out his life with the help of his faith. “I’m the perfect example of the prodigal son,” Cooper said on a Christian TV show.

Cooper founded the faith-based Solid Rock organization, which gives kids a productive, creative alternative to drugs and violence. Still, the violent imagery in his stage show (guillotines and all) may seem, you know, kind of at odds with his Christianity.

But he doesn’t see it that way.

“Alice is a character,” he told the press. “And between me and the Lord, the Lord knows that.”

Musicians who found religion — some of them may surprise you! « Entertainment

Not sure I trust a Fox News entertainment reporter to declare someone born again. What are they basing that on? That he said "God" in a couple of interviews?

I like Alice Cooper (not his music, but I like him, personally...seems like a nice enough guy), but in all of the interviews, I've never heard him give a Biblical testimony.

 

[The Theory]

In 2002 HM Magazine did a really excellent interview with Alice Cooper. Apparently the full article is no longer online (probably scrubbed off their website when they released a book of interviews, incl. the Cooper one). But here is a link that gets the main money-quotes:

Alice Cooper Artist Profile | Biography And Discography | NewReleaseTuesday.com

And if you're interested in the full interview, it can be found in the book Rock Stars on God by Doug Van Pelt. (Or, dig up a copy of the magazine, which I think was the March/April issue.)

 

[random person]

Thanks Theory, and here is another video:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vNrvUZogjho

 

[Sammy-San]

I have always loved this dude and to hear the original the originator bad boy of shock rock showmen is a Christian and was raised in a evangelist home. Awesome!

Alice Cooper never mentions repentance, or Christ's atonement on the cross, in this video.

 

[Willing Spirit]

Alice Cooper never mentions repentance, or Christ's atonement on the cross, in this video.

Your statement is a half truth.

It's true he didn't use the word "repentance". However, repentance is indirectly implied when he says: "I'm the prodigal son for one thing. I'm the perfect example of the prodigal son." This of course is based on the biblical story of the prodigal son, which is very much a story of repentance. It's the story of a person who wanders away from the father (away from God), who lives a wasteful life of sin, but comes to their senses (has a change of mind) and returns to the father in repentance. It is also the story of a father (God) who receives the son with compassion, full acceptance, and rejoicing. This is the biblical context for Alice Cooper's comment.

Another thing to keep in mind, is the video is pretty short, only 7:46 minutes long. It's a brief interview (not a sermon) and because he doesn't refer to Christ's atonement in a brief time frame, his born again experience is to be questioned with suspicion? This seems to be a very legalistic approach.

In the video he expresses his love for Charles Stanley and his ministry, who clearly teaches people to repent and believe in the Cross of Christ (regardless of what a person may think of his other theology). So even though he doesn't directly mention these things in the brief interview, he endorses the ministry of someone who clearly teaches these things. This is pretty good evidence that he believes the same.

I can remember a time I was asked to give my own life story, in front of a church audience (albeit smaller in numbers). Such a thing is outside my comfort zone, but I did it anyway, to my own embarrassment. I told my life story and testimony for maybe 15 minutes or more, using words like "sin", "repent", and "Christ", but I don't remember making one reference to the cross or the atonement. If my memory is correct and I didn't make these references, does this make my testimony suspect? Does it mean I don't believe in the blood of Jesus? Is it reason to be suspicious of my testimony? Hardly!

The previous posts here, have made no mention of the virgin birth and resurrection, which are pretty essential to Christian belief. Does this mean, the people who wrote those posts don't believe in those things or that their Christianity is to be suspect?

 

[Sammy-San]

Your statement is a half truth.

It's true he didn't use the word "repentance". However, repentance is indirectly implied when he says: "I'm the prodigal son for one thing. I'm the perfect example of the prodigal son." This of course is based on the biblical story of the prodigal son, which is very much a story of repentance. It's the story of a person who wanders away from the father (away from God), who lives a wasteful life of sin, but comes to their senses (has a change of mind) and returns to the father in repentance. It is also the story of a father (God) who receives the son with compassion, full acceptance, and rejoicing. This is the biblical context for Alice Cooper's comment.

Another thing to keep in mind, is the video is pretty short, only 7:46 minutes long. It's a brief interview (not a sermon) and because he doesn't refer to Christ's atonement in a brief time frame, his born again experience is to be questioned with suspicion? This seems to be a very legalistic approach.

In the video he expresses his love for Charles Stanley and his ministry, who clearly teaches people to repent and believe in the Cross of Christ (regardless of what a person may think of his other theology). So even though he doesn't directly mention these things in the brief interview, he endorses the ministry of someone who clearly teaches these things. This is pretty good evidence that he believes the same.

I can remember a time I was asked to give my own life story, in front of a church audience (albeit smaller in numbers). Such a thing is outside my comfort zone, but I did it anyway, to my own embarrassment. I told my life story and testimony for maybe 15 minutes or more, using words like "sin", "repent", and "Christ", but I don't remember making one reference to the cross or the atonement. If my memory is correct and I didn't make these references, does this make my testimony suspect? Does it mean I don't believe in the blood of Jesus? Is it reason to be suspicious of my testimony? Hardly!

The previous posts here, have made no mention of the virgin birth and resurrection, which are pretty essential to Christian belief. Does this mean, the people who wrote those posts don't believe in those things or that their Christianity is to be suspect?

Here are a few reasons I doubt that Alice Cooper is a true Christian. What you said has some merit, but you're ignoring these few facts.

1-Alice Cooper has preformed on stage with a lot of very ungodly artists-Kesha (who sings songs that glorify getting drunk), and satanist Marilyn Manson, who's very anti-Christian and rips apart Bibles on stage, and says blasphemous comments against Christ.

2-I went to his concert once, and he never preached the gospel to any of his fans. I'll admit, I did the wrong thing too, and I didn't witness to anybody about Christ when I went to that concert, but I've read about Alice Cooper (who's probably had hundreds of concerts in his lifetime), and I've never heard of him trying to evangelize his fans even once or twice, at his concerts.

 

[South Bound]

Here are a few reasons I doubt that Alice Cooper is a true Christian. What you said has some merit, but you're ignoring these few facts.

1-Alice Cooper has preformed on stage with a lot of very ungodly artists-Kesha (who sings songs that glorify getting drunk), and satanist Marilyn Manson, who's very anti-Christian and rips apart Bibles on stage, and says blasphemous comments against Christ.

2-I went to his concert once, and he never preached the gospel to any of his fans. I'll admit, I did the wrong thing too, and I didn't witness to anybody about Christ when I went to that concert, but I've read about Alice Cooper (who's probably had hundreds of concerts in his lifetime), and I've never heard of him trying to evangelize his fans even once or twice, at his concerts.

OK. I'll bite: How do either of those things show he isn't a true Christian?

If that's how you judge him, then I'm sure you don't believe I'm a Christian, either, as I often perform with non-Christians and don't preach the Gospel when I play.

If you actually went to his show, as you say, then you know that he portrays a character on stage and not himself.

Does every actor who doesn't break character and interrupt a play to preach to the audience also disqualified as a Christian?

1-There's nothing sinful or wrong about preforming music with non-Christians on stage.

Then why did you offer the fact that he performs with non-Christians as evidence that he isn't a Christian?

However, Marilyn Manson is more than just a "non-christian". Read goodfight ministries's article about him. He's a satanist who says blasphemous things against Christ during his concerts. He tears up Bibles on stage.

You realize that's an act, right?

Don't get me wrong, there is plenty about Manson and his antics to disagree with, but let's keep our disagreements in the realm of reality.

2-The Bible says that we should witness our faith to others. Alice Cooper has the opportunity to witness to literally millions of people, but he doesn't do it.

Fine. But how do you know he doesn't do that off stage?

I don't witness onstage either. How does that negate my witnessing off stage?

Your statement is a half truth.

It's true he didn't use the word "repentance". However, repentance is indirectly implied when he says: "I'm the prodigal son for one thing. I'm the perfect example of the prodigal son."

Actually, that doesn't imply repentance for two reasons.

The first is that, it's a common phrase, even used by the unregenerate. It rarely refers to repentance.

The second is that the point of the story was not the Prodigal's return, but the attitude of the brother.

Another thing to keep in mind, is the video is pretty short, only 7:46 minutes long. It's a brief interview (not a sermon) and because he doesn't refer to Christ's atonement in a brief time frame, his born again experience is to be questioned with suspicion? This seems to be a very legalistic approach.

Not at all. I never said he wasn't born again. I said that I don't trust secular sources to declare someone born again, and that I did not see a Biblical testimony.

In the video he expresses his love for Charles Stanley and his ministry, who clearly teaches people to repent and believe in the Cross of Christ

I was a false convert for years and I loved Charles Stanley. Still didn't make me saved.

If my memory is correct and I didn't make these references, does this make my testimony suspect?

No. It means more investigation is needed.

 

[Sammy-San]

OK. I'll bite: How do either of those things show he isn't a true Christian?

If that's how you judge him, then I'm sure you don't believe I'm a Christian, either, as I often perform with non-Christians and don't preach the Gospel when I play.

If you actually went to his show, as you say, then you know that he portrays a character on stage and not himself.

Does every actor who doesn't break character and interrupt a play to preach to the audience also disqualified as a Christian?



Actually, that doesn't imply repentance for two reasons.

The first is that, it's a common phrase, even used by the unregenerate. It rarely refers to repentance.

The second is that the point of the story was not the Prodigal's return, but the attitude of the brother.



Not at all. I never said he wasn't born again. I said that I don't trust secular sources to declare someone born again, and that I did not see a Biblical testimony.



I was a false convert for years and I loved Charles Stanley. Still didn't make me saved.



No. It means more investigation is needed.

1-There's nothing sinful or wrong about preforming music with non-Christians on stage.

However, Marilyn Manson is more than just a "non-christian". Read goodfight ministries's article about him. He's a satanist who says blasphemous things against Christ during his concerts. He tears up Bibles on stage.

2-The Bible says that we should witness our faith to others. Alice Cooper has the opportunity to witness to literally millions of people, but he doesn't do it.

 

[The Theory]

Luckily, none of this actually matters since none of you are in charge of salvation.

 

[South Bound]

Luckily, none of this actually matters since none of you are in charge of salvation.

Nobody is claiming to be "in charge" of his salvation. I'm not even saying that he's not a Christian. I'm just saying that I'd like to see a little more evidence before I accept a secular source's declaration that he's a Christian.

You can't have it both ways. You can't say, on the one hand, that he's a brother in Christ and then, on the other, say that he shouldn't be held to the standards the Bible says a brother in Christ should be held to.

 

[Sammy-San]

OK. I'll bite: How do either of those things show he isn't a true Christian?

If that's how you judge him, then I'm sure you don't believe I'm a Christian, either, as I often perform with non-Christians and don't preach the Gospel when I play.

If you actually went to his show, as you say, then you know that he portrays a character on stage and not himself.

Does every actor who doesn't break character and interrupt a play to preach to the audience also disqualified as a Christian?



Then why did you offer the fact that he performs with non-Christians as evidence that he isn't a Christian?



You realize that's an act, right?

Don't get me wrong, there is plenty about Manson and his antics to disagree with, but let's keep our disagreements in the realm of reality.



Fine. But how do you know he doesn't do that off stage?

I don't witness onstage either. How does that negate my witnessing off stage?



Actually, that doesn't imply repentance for two reasons.

The first is that, it's a common phrase, even used by the unregenerate. It rarely refers to repentance.

The second is that the point of the story was not the Prodigal's return, but the attitude of the brother.



Not at all. I never said he wasn't born again. I said that I don't trust secular sources to declare someone born again, and that I did not see a Biblical testimony.



I was a false convert for years and I loved Charles Stanley. Still didn't make me saved.



No. It means more investigation is needed.

What's your definition of a false convert? And why would a false convert like Charles Stanley and other Christian preachers?

 

[South Bound]

What's your definition of a false convert?

Here you go:

True and False Conversion - The Way of the Master - Living Waters Publications

In my case, I was born and raised in the South and, as a result, was raised in that Christian culture that is so common in the South. I went to church, knew all the words to the hymns, knew all the Bible stories, knew when to say "Amen!", I was baptized! I was confirmed! I sang in the choir, was an acolyte for a while, and was generally in church any time the doors were open. Heck, my grandparents founded our church! How could I possibly not be a Christian?

I must have "asked Jesus into my heart" a thousand times. But the problem was that I didn't know the Gospel. Everything I did was external and was a misguided attempt on my part at piety.

As a result, despite all outward appearance, I was just as lost as I ever was.

It wasn't until I was in my early twenties that I heard the Gospel and, under the conviction and regeneration of the Holy Spirit, repented of my sin, received Christ's atonement on my behalf, and submitted to His Lordship.

 

[KNOWLEDGE BOMB]

Someone said: If that's how you judge him, then I'm sure you don't believe I'm a Christian, either, as I often perform with non-Christians and don't preach the Gospel when I play.



KNOWLEDGE BOMB replies:

your band is a far cry in it's ability to command respect on stage when it compares to Alice... And his ability to speak on Christ and the fans responce to that/him

 

[KNOWLEDGE BOMB]

It's easy for anyone to say anything doesn't make it true
and didn't Paul use to hunt down Christians and when he found Christ he changed 180 yet Alice continues just as he was...

 

[KNOWLEDGE BOMB]

Supersam said

1-There's nothing sinful or wrong about preforming music with non-Christians on stage.



KNOWLEDGE BOMB replies:

what's light have to do with darkness?

 

[South Bound]

your band is a far cry in it's ability to command respect on stage when it compares to Alice

First of all, I think I'll just let the insult slide.

Second, is the issue the "respect" I "command" on stage or is it about Christians performing with non-Christians?

... And his ability to speak on Christ and the fans responce to that/him

But why must he be an evangelist? Why can't he just be a performer?

Incidentally, I like the way I'm just "someone" now.

 

[random person]

Read 1 Corinth. 5:9-11, 13.

Emphasis on verses 10 & 13