Stryper, Criticism of Christian Metal Music.

[Sojourner]

In the late 1980s I became aware of a Heavy Metal rock band called Stryper. It is said that they were largely the first Christian metal band to gain acceptance from the secular community and opened for Bon Jovi and others at different times. They shot up the charts, sold millions of records and did pretty well. Eventually they went their own ways and did different things. 

 

Stryper and Christian Heavy Metal music were and are heavily criticized by several Christian Pastors and others who believe that Metal music unlike other types of music is of the Devil and causes listeners to become influenced by Satan and so forth. I have never paid a great deal of heed to these people as my view is that what they are preaching is Christianity veneered over Animism. 

 

So it was a surprise to me to discover that they are back together and have released another album which clearly is some pretty high quality metal music for modern times. 

 

I would like to share the link to YouTube for their new song "Sympathy". Would love to hear your thoughts on Stryper and Christian Metal Music, be they good, bad or indifferent. If you are opposed to the idea of Christian Metal Music, I would like to challenge you to give the lyrics a go and give me your feedback accordingly? 

 

[JoeMo]

I listened to the song and couldn't understand a word of it. I looked up the lyrics; and didn't see a lot of God in them; but I saw nothing satanic in them, either.  I looked up some lyrics of other new Stryper songs; and they definitely had a spiritual overtone.

 

I'm not a huge fan of metal; although I am a big fan of many genres of rock rock music. I also don't believe that any music is intrinsically evil; it's only evil lyrics that make it so.  There are many different kinds of music in churches today.  If people get closer to God through Christian heavy metal music, they should go for it.  I love groups like Skillet, Flyleaf, Disciple, Toby Mac, etc; but I don't think I want to hear it as worship music before a sermon.  There is a place for hard music in Christianity.  Why should the devil have all the good music?  For me personally, I prefer "softer" contemporary praise music like Hillsong, Jesus Culture, Chris Tomlin, etc for worship music at a Sabbath/Sunday service.  But I would go to a Stryper or Lenny Kravitz concert for the entertainment.  Seen Toby Mac and Skillet in rock venues; and they were awesome!

[joeb]

I don't see how Christianity and heavy metal have anything in common.  I've listened to a little bit of Stryper, just to see what the hullabaloo was all about, and could see nothing that would draw anyone to Christ.   What I've seen of their concerts is the same.  Their concert antics, dress styles,  and their music is meant to draw attention to themselves, not to Christ.  

 

This comes from someone who spent a couple of decades in the rock-and-roll culture and lifestyle so it's not like I'm new to any of it.  

[JoeMo]

See the following link to hear about one heavy rock superstar's conversion.  While you're there, check out the trailer for the "Holy Ghost" movie.

 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/09/17/from-drugs-partying-and-despair-to-finding-gods-unearthly-forgiveness-metal-superstar-reveals-path-to-christianity/

[M. T. Cross]

I knew kids that got into Christianity because of Stryper. Actually a lot more of them than kids that became Satanists because of Slayer.

 

Joe, Brian Welch's story kind of goes two ways. He left Korn because of his faith. Korn are quite noted for being pretty hard core atheists etc. Yet they wanted him back because they loved him, felt like he was their brother and were more than happy to respect his faith. Say's a lot for the atheists I think.

[LifeHiscost]

I listened to the song and couldn't understand a word of it. I looked up the lyrics; and didn't see a lot of God in them; but I saw nothing satanic in them, either.  I looked up some lyrics of other new Stryper songs; and they definitely had a spiritual overtone.

 

I'm not a huge fan of metal; although I am a big fan of many genres of rock rock music. I also don't believe that any music is intrinsically evil; it's only evil lyrics that make it so.  There are many different kinds of music in churches today.  If people get closer to God through Christian heavy metal music, they should go for it.  I love groups like Skillet, Flyleaf, Disciple, Toby Mac, etc; but I don't think I want to hear it as worship music before a sermon.  There is a place for hard music in Christianity.  Why should the devil have all the good music?  For me personally, I prefer "softer" contemporary praise music like Hillsong, Jesus Culture, Chris Tomlin, etc for worship music at a Sabbath/Sunday service.  But I would go to a Stryper or Lenny Kravitz concert for the entertainment.  Seen Toby Mac and Skillet in rock venues; and they were awesome!

If you ever get a chance to listen to Christian Berdahl you may find his sermons on music highly enlightening. You can draw him up on Google and/or Facebook.

 

God is Love! Jesus saves!

[JoeMo]

Hey MT! Great to see you back!

Brian was actually here last week with Jake Hamilton and James Shaffer (who is also a believer). Their testimony is pretty much like you said - mutual respect for all people regardless of beliefs or issues - something that many atheists have practiced forever.  That is why Brian reunited with Korn - no judgement; just mutual love and good music.  Sometimes an itinerant preacer named Todd White travels with Korn and actually gets groups of people in line for the concert to listen to him preach and pray with Him.

 

Jesus is no sissy; He has no problems reaching out to anyone and everyone; regardless of social status or personal issues.  Some of His best friends while He was on earth were fringe people.