Skillet's John Cooper says it's time for Christians to "declare war" on the deconstruction movement and teach the younger generation about the "basic principles" of the faith, saying the church has done a poor job of discipleship.
Cooper did not mention anyone by name but said his comments were referencing those who "used to be Christians" but now "reject true Christianity." Several prominent singers and authors in recent years have said they've left Christianity.
The deconstruction movement, according to the popular website GotQuestions.org, involves the process of "questioning, doubting, and ultimately rejecting aspects of Christian faith."
Cooper made the comments during an appearance in Des Moines, Iowa, for Winter Jam, a Christian concert tour.
The deconstruction movement, Cooper said, has "divorced" Jesus from the Bible.
"There is no such thing as divorcing Jesus Christ from the Bible. That is not a thing," Cooper said, addressing the young people in the audience. "I don't hate those deconstructed Christians. I pray for their repentance. But listen, they have divorced themselves from God, and they want to take as many of you people as they can. And it is time for us and your generation to declare war on this idolatrous deconstruction Christian movement."
God's Word, Cooper added, "never changes."
"And He offers us hope in a time of a pandemic, and a time of people losing their jobs, losing their hope, falling back into drug addiction and alcohol addiction and sexual immorality. Jesus offers hope. Jesus sets the captives free because of the cross."
Cooper wrote a book, Awake and Alive to Truth, that examines such modern worldviews as post-modernism and relativism in view of Scripture.
"I wrote this book, specifically, because we have a generation of young people who have not been taught the basic principles of the Word of God," he said. "It is not their fault. We did not do our jobs properly. We need to do our jobs better."
Related:
Skillet's John Cooper: Society 'Is Lying' to Young People – 'You Are Not OK,' but Jesus Offers Hope
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Ethan Miller/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
