Posted on 02/02/2024 7:31:17 AM PST by Morgana
In the summer of 2011, Senior Pastor and Founder Brian Smith launched the First Heavy Metal Church of Christ. Branded with hard rock and metal messaging and ethos, it’s clear he’s targeting a very particular audience:
According to the church website, “(We are a) bible-based church for those that would probably never step foot into a traditional church building because of snooty self-righteous, judgmental, legalistic so-called “Christians”… You know, the kind that tells you that you will go to Hell for drinking a beer, but yet Jesus turned water into wine! The kind that tells you that you will burn in Hell for smoking a cigarette because it is “harming the temple” while they are 150 pounds overweight and double-fisting McDonalds every day… Please do not blame God for these imposters… They are NOT accurately representing Jesus plain and simple.”
Like many themed churches before it, there is a focus on us-vs-them mentality, along with a distinct lack of maturity and learnedness, exemplified by the casual cussing and crass humor that permeates the content and the sermons (which are based on heavy metal song titles and bands and are really bad) Worship is eclectic, but usually involves a metal band doing hard rock or metal worship.
Smith, who is part of a secular metal band, Saint Hellion, describes himself as a “Rebel Evangelist for Christ” and a “rocker” through and through. He says “I’m not your stereotypical preacher. That is not my call. I am inked up, bald and prefer an Iron Maiden tee shirt over a dress shirt any day!”
His church leans into the ‘metal’ image. Visiting the church site for the first time gets you this message:
Their Facebook page is, in a word, grotesque. Along with posting pictures of tattoos and status updates like this, it is interspersed with crude, coarse, and frankly disgusting content.
Furthermore, it regularly features pictures of nude men and women, including a series of senior citizen nuns in skimpy bikinis for no discernible purpose other than to shock and titillate.
Sadly, this ‘church’ is growing, and recently announced church plants in New Jersey and Paintsville.
What a shame.
IMAGES ON LIKE but you are better off not seeing them.
You’re right.
It was pretty memorable, and typical of the Christian entertainers back in the day. I’ve heard stories of bands that lived in a van and people’s basement just so they could tour and play music to minister to others. The Jesus Revolution was just that.
Many of those musicians left the music business and went into full time ministry. Steve Camp, Dana Key, Dave Hope (Kansas) to name a few.
The original members of Petra met in Bible college. Many of their songs were strong, masculine and basically three minute sermons set to music. Most of the “worship” music today is effeminate yodeling Jesus is my boyfriend garbage.
Let’s not even get started on the supposed Christian musicians who believe that trans is normal. It’s a mental illness that needs to be treated that way. Darn. I got started.
My future of broader earthly horizons is probably behind me. In terms of earthly things, my horizons are narrowing, via the entropy of chronological age.
In terms of heavenly things, however, my horizons are definitely expanding.
The things of earth are growing strangely dim.
I assume you probably understand that the Rebellion I was referencing is the rebellion by Lucifer against God — the Rebellion that inspired Original Sin, the Rebellion of Antichrist.
I wasn’t referencing rebellion against tyranny or falsehood against which we all should rebel.
But again, there’s all kinds of rebellion. Where’s the line? You say metal is about rebellion, but it’s not Lucifer rebellion. It’s generally rebellion against a society they think is pushing them down. They feel like people don’t want them to “be heard” so they crank it up to 11.
Here’s another possible rebellion for these guys: rebelling against the soulless pablum that took over Christian music in the 90s.
There’s tons of not Lucifer style rebellion in Christian history, and in heavy metal. No good reason not to put them together.
I see this as a rebellion of men against feminized “Jesus is my boyfriend” churches, and a seeking of a more masculine expression of faith.
When Jesus saw the money changers desecrating His Father’s temple, he drove them out with a whip.
“(We are a) F@&#%ing bible-based church for those that would F&$#@ing probably never step foot into a traditional church building because of F$#@&ing snooty self-righteous, judgmental, legalistic so-called “Christians”
THIS sounds pretty “judgmental” to me.. by someone who likes to “make their OWN rules..”.
Christianity is submitting to The God of all creation. Doing it “your way” defeats the whole purpose.
Many people are overweight being religious has noting to do with it bad habits do.
Uh - yeah - I understood perfectly what you meant.
You said: “ Sacred music can come in many forms and still remain sacred. Metal is not one of those forms. The genre is rebellious, bottom line. Rebellion is what the devil does, not the disciples of Jesus Christ.”
You’re wrong. I demonstrated that metal can be just as uplifting.
Yeah, I’m wrong; you’re right. That video made me want to join the Crusade to liberate Jerusalem and make it safe for all the Christian pilgrims.
I mean, why do you have to say I’m wrong??? Judas Priest!!!!
[[The Jesus Revolution was just that.]]
Yep- it really was a special point in time for evangelism- back before all the nonsense of today- before all the hatred and increased racism that obama and ilk perpetrated- etc- Sure, there were hippies protesting wars and such- but none of the real angry and violent wokeness of today
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