John Cooper sounds the alarm about America’s ‘dangerous’ abyss

By Leah MarieAnn KlettAssistant Editor Saturday November 2, 2024

John Cooper, the singer and bassist of Skillet, is no stranger to using music as a platform for persuasion. But with the release of the band’s latest album, RevolutionHe is more passionate than ever and is sounding the alarm about what he sees as a pivotal moment in American history.

“America is on the brink of something very, very bad, very dangerous. I don’t think any politics can save this,” the 49-year-old artist told The Christian Post.

“The revolution is not militaristic… it is a spiritual revolution that we need. If we don’t turn to God, we will be in such a bad situation. I truly believe that with all my heart…if we do not turn to God and experience a spiritual revolution, a revolution of conversion, a revolution of love for the Kingdom of God.”

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For Cooper, the dire state of mental health among teens is a rallying cry; he cited recent findings from the U.S. surgeon general about a “loneliness crisis” among young people.

“We are seeing the highest rates of teen suicide and depression in history,” he said. “What if the church in America was so full of righteousness, peace, and joy that we were just beginning to be a beacon of light to a dark world? It would be something incredible; all of that is involved in a revolution, and that’s why I find it so moving.”

Revolution marks the eleventh studio album from Skillet, formed in 1996 in Memphis, Tennessee, and the group’s first independent venture after two years with Atlantic Records. A two-time Grammy nominated group, Skillet has sold more than 12 million albums and earned more than a dozen RIAA certifications in recognition of gold, platinum or multiplatinum status.

The album’s lead single, “Unpopular,” premiered in August and serves as a call to reject societal pressure to conform – a theme that Cooper says resonates deeply in a time when personal beliefs are under constant scrutiny.

“We don’t shy away from saying things that may bother some people. But for me, I say no, you have to be courageous in your faith,” he said. “Don’t be ashamed of Christ. And right now, being unashamed of Christ has some residual, difficult consequences. People will hate you. That’s the world we live in now. People will call you a mean person. That’s the world we live in now. But that is what it means to follow Christ.”

As Cooper calls for this faith-led “revolution,” he increasingly finds himself in the crossfire, facing criticism from both secular and Christian circles. To many outside the church, his uncompromising stance has earned him the label “alarmist” or “extreme.”

But Cooper says the criticism from his own community is all the more painful. “What really gets me is when it comes from our own side,” he said. “People say I’m ‘too extreme’ or ‘unloving’, but Jesus didn’t mince his words either. Sometimes I think the Church has confused living for Jesus with just being polite.”

One key number on Revolution“Everything that matters,” reflects this stance with lyrics that challenge listeners to consider the sacrifices required for true peace. The lyrics include the lines ‘Don’t get me wrong / I’m not a pacifist / For peace I have to pay a price / And I’ll defend what’s mine / Fight for what I love / Help me God above / All it takes is An.”

True peace, Cooper said, cannot be achieved through compromise or passivity.

“Many Christians have confused living for Jesus with being polite. And I think that is a big mistake. I won’t even go into all the times Jesus was not polite,” he said.

“I don’t like confrontation, funnily enough, because I’m a people person and I care about people very much. I think (people) have a hard time reconciling that with someone boldly coming out and saying, ‘I will stand up for the unborn. It is absolutely immoral to take the life of children in the womb.” They can’t reconcile.”

In describing the Church’s reluctance to engage in contentious social issues, Cooper addressed a sense of complacency that he believes has crept into American Christianity. He lamented that the absence of the church in certain cultural dialogues, especially on topics such as gender and education, has left a void that has been filled by secular ideology.

“Christians do not realize that these freedoms – speech, assembly, the right to raise our children – are being eroded. In 2020, churches were closed while strip clubs and casinos remained open,” Cooper recalled. “We have to see what is happening and understand what is at stake.”

Cooper is aware that his position is unusual in the Christian music scene, which he says operates in a highly polarized industry. Skillet, he noted, gets most of its revenue from mainstream rock, freeing the band from the financial pressures many other Christian artists face.

“Imagine if 100 percent of your income comes from the Christian market, and then half of those people think you’re too political. You risk your entire career if you say anything,” Cooper explained.

While he empathizes with artists who are hesitant to tackle polarizing topics, Cooper said silence is no longer an option. He cited research from the Barna group linking rising depression and suicide rates among young people to the declining presence of a Christian worldview.

The data, he said, confirms what he has been warning about for years: that a generation is growing up without a sense of purpose, and that life is a series of accidents with no ultimate meaning.

“We have no idea of ​​the demonic activity that is being let into people’s minds, through pornography and through these phones with all this incredibly hellish stuff online. We have no idea what’s going on, and then we wonder why these kids are sad and depressed and killing themselves at the highest rate ever recorded. We have to do something about it,” he said.

The themes of Revolution reflects Cooper’s belief in the restorative power of faith, with a song that begins, “The future generations are lost / Face-to-face can’t communicate / And we can’t tell the truth by faking / Lives and innocents wasted.”

With these lyrics, Cooper hopes to counter the sense of nihilism he sees in modern culture. As for what Skillet hopes to accomplish Revolutionthe album aims to stand against societal divisions and encourage listeners to “stand up for what we believe in – even when it may not be popular.”

“We have raised a generation of people in a world that tells them there is no God. That means there is no ultimate purpose for your life, they are a cosmic mistake or fill in the blank with whatever word you want. Let we say that instead of ‘an error in Darwin’s evolution,’ it’s simply ‘survival of the fittest,’ or it just happened to be that way,” Cooper said.

“We need a spiritual revolution,” he repeated. “Part of what I want them to know is: step one: you matter because God exists. He created you. He created you in His image. That means you matter. And we’ll start from there, and then we’ll build from there.”