{"id":30260,"date":"2023-11-27T11:08:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T16:08:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=30260"},"modified":"2023-11-27T11:08:35","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T16:08:35","slug":"rock-star-warns-against-revolution-to-demolish-american-christian-civilization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2023\/11\/rock-star-warns-against-revolution-to-demolish-american-christian-civilization.html","title":{"rendered":"Rock Star Warns Against Revolution to Demolish American Christian Civilization"},"content":{"rendered":"
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J.A. Dunbar\/Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For years, John Cooper has been known as the frontman for Skillet, the popular rock band with a Christian lyrical bent. However, in recent years, Cooper has also become an outspoken commentator about the state of the church and the nation.<\/p>\n

His new book, \u201cWimpy, Weak, & Woke,\u201d examines \u201cincreasing conflicts in America\u201d and explores what he says is at the core of cultural angst: \u201ca war between gods, the living God and the god of man.\u201d Cooper told CBN Digital, \u201cI wanted to write this book about utopianism for anybody whose eyes are open, and you don\u2019t even have to be all that smart to see our world is crumbling. Western civilization is on the brink of just collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooper continued, \u201cI think every week people go, \u2018Okay, it can\u2019t get weirder than this,\u2019 and then the next week, wrong, it just got weirder.\u201d He said it\u2019s time for people to confront the fact that too many Christians have elevated winsomeness over truth, suppressing the latter to a point that has made some churches ineffective. Cooper said, \u201cThey die the death of a thousand caveats because we don\u2019t want to hurt people\u2019s feelings. And obviously, we shouldn\u2019t be gracious and loving towards people, but we have to tell people the truth. And, so, we\u2019ve become wimpy; We\u2019ve also become weak.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooper thinks worldly ideals and philosophies have infiltrated the church to the point that some feel embarrassed by and about who God is, leading to weak theological stances and woke ideologies. Ultimately, Cooper said it\u2019s about going back to God\u2019s word to determine what\u2019s genuine and what\u2019s not, regardless of what one feels or emotes. He said this is particularly true regarding assumptions about oppression and the ways in which issues like transgender players in sports are handled.<\/p>\n