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Even when rockers talk positively about Christ, it is not the Christ of the Bible.
The Bible warns about false christs. Even in the first century, the churches were in danger of being seduced by false christs and antichrists.
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).
“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18).
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
Rock’s christ is the Hindu christ that George Harrison sang about in “My Sweet Lord.” Many of the popular rockers have been influenced by Hinduism as we have documented in Rock Music against God.
Rock’s christ is the sinner christ of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, who is a confused, doubting, fearful man, a man who dies for his own sin and does not rise from the dead. Jesus Christ Superstar has been widely acclaimed in the pop society. It has been shown in more than 30 countries and continues to be performed decade after decade. The album topped the U.S. pop charts in 1971 and has sold millions of copies. When the movie was released in 1973, it was the eighth highest grossing movie of the year.
Rock’s christ is the New Age christ of Dolly Parton. “To me, God is that greater, higher energy ... It’s that thing in all of us that we have to draw from. I’ve always trusted God and trusted myself, which to me are intertwined” (“The Gospel according to Dolly Parton,” interview with Rick Clark, Mixonline.com, Aug. 2, 2002).
Rock’s christ is the non-judgmental christ of The Shack. Rock & rollers love the novel The Shack. It has sold more than 18 million copies and has been translated into 30 languages. It is supposedly about the triune God, yet the God-Christ in The Shack did not die for man’s sin, is neither male nor female, does not require repentance, and will not send anyone to hell. He/she puts “no obligations” on anyone. He/she is cool and loves rock & roll.
Rock’s christ is a pop psychology, positive-thinking christ. If you listen to the testimony of popular rockers who claim to “believe in Christ,” you will often hear them describe their faith in terms of positive thinking. Their faith is an eclectic thing composed of various elements borrowed from the Bible, New Age, and pop psychology. This is true of Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and countless others. Orbison turned to Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking and similar books to overcome his alcohol addiction and to find healing for cancer (Alan Clayson, Only the Lonely). Elvis constructed “a personalised religion out of what he’d read of Hinduism, Judaism, numerology, theosophy, mind control, positive thinking and Christianity” (Hungry for Heaven, p. 143).
God’s people are exhorted to walk in wisdom and not to be gullible and easily deceived. Just because someone talks about loving Jesus does not mean that they love the Jesus of Scripture.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
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