“I don’t think we accept Christ, I think we accept the fact that He accepted us.” Alice Cooper
Once again, an unexpected source is spot on. In this one Alice Cooper (Vincent Damon Furnier), a declared Christian and regular church goer, states that it’s probably more accurate to say Christ accepted us rather than the more frequently used evangelical assertion, “accept Christ as your personal savior,” a phrase, incidentally, that is not found anywhere in the Scriptures.
It seems to me there is something rather arrogant about “accepting Christ,” as if He was waiting for us to acknowledge Him — that picture of having Him somewhat helplessly standing outside our door hoping we will open it. By “accepting Christ” we are giving some credibility to Him as if he needed more votes, kind of like Kevin McCarthy right now who can’t seem to gather enough votes to be speaker of the house here in American politics.
God receives nothing for our accepting Christ; we receive everything — forgiveness and eternal life which we don’t deserve by Him accepting us. Cooper is right on. We receive and embrace the fact that He accepted us. We don’t deserve it; we can’t believe it; but it is astonishingly true.
Thanks to the unexpected likes of Alice Cooper for straightening this out.
John Fischer The Catch 
Big TY brother Bob 4 posting this very cool song by Alice Cooper! I can still remember me & a lot of my buddies being in parents house basement and thinking we’re soo cool listening to this song, during our 6th grade summer break, LOL 🙂
My pleasure, Mark!
Ever since I was a kid I’ve always been drawn to the quirky, often irreverent and never-too-serious songs by performers such as Spike Jones, Stan Boreson, David Seville, Allan Sherman, Tom Lehrer, Steve Martin, Weird Al Yankovic, and others.
I’m a huge Dr. Demento fan!
After Jesus and I “got things sorted out” with one another (forty-four years ago this day), I felt I had to tune into Christian music and tune out all of that previous stuff; and I did it wholeheartedly to begin with.
Shortly afterwards, however, I felt a sense of loss (a sadness) in me that even while the top Christian musicians of the time were banging out their tunes with lots of energy, devotion, inspiration, and even joy… there was absolutely no humor to be found anywhere.
I smugly chuckled along with the lyrics of “O Buddha” by the Imperials and nervously smiled inwardly at “Secret Service Christian” by Ken Medema, but real funniness in the Christian mainstream was a barren wasteland.
(Unfortunately, there were too many televangelists and preachers at the time who embarrassingly made Christianity a laughingstock to the rest of the world – not the kind of humor that was remotely funny, except to satirists.)
Eventually, I discovered entertainers like Isaac Airfreight and Mike Warnke (under fire nowadays for past indiscretions) – and going to live concerts or performances yielded some scripted-yet-lighthearted moments – but there was no gut-busting, knee-slapping laughter in Christianity unless it was by impromptu happenstance.
Being a Christian then meant being super-SERIOUSLY committed:
“Jesus is returning real soon and we’ve billions of souls to save.”
“There’s no time for frivolity nor fun not found in the Lord.”
“Sam Kinison? He trifled with God and God got His payback.”
“It doesn’t pay to be funny.”
Billy Joel summed up the zeitgeist of that era when he sang, “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints…”
Several years into the maturation process now, I’ve regained my admiration for the lyrics and antics of some of those off-beat artists (which probably spells doom for me in some believers’ eyes) as well as the main-stream artists (those who don’t look so glum on their album covers!) who wink an eye and make us laugh through an unexpected funny little ditty.
We really need some good uproarious laughter nowadays.
So, yeah, rock on Alice Cooper!
And may we all remember the sage advice from Frank Zappa:
“Don’t Eat Yellow Snow”
Shalom, Peace… and chill (to all of us)!
🙂
My dear, fun, cleaver & intelligent brother Bob:
I was completely thrilled reading your comments! And TY for them & being who you are!
To me, there was so much there in your comments I easily knew the first time while reading them, I have to read this a few times – b/c I was so entertained, delighted & God smacked,(so to speak) – and brother the more often I read it – the more I laughed & found in your excellent comments!!
You my friend have a talent for writing!
Thanks, Mark!
Here, for you, is a classic blast from our past from Cheech and Chong’s 1974 “Wedding Album” featuring the musical musings of “Alice Bowie” (really Cheech Marin).
Enjoy “Ear Ache My Eye” (not intended for all audiences!):
🙂
I think for too long, Christians have given ourselves credit for deciding to get saved and worrying about those who haven’t. (Or worse, judging them for it) it’s time for a reality check.
No comes to Jesus unless the father draws them. Then Jesus chooses to reveal the father to them. It’s all their doing. Faith also is not our own but is a gift. We should all be thankful for 3 things: God created us and gave us life. Jesus died to save people from sin. We are now saved. We had no say in any of that. It was all God’s doing.
Amen!
Man Pastor John as it been a great week of reading the Catches and bring back some very fond memories!
See growing up back in High School me my good older buddy Ed Z and fellow Race Car builder absolutely LOVED Alice Copper music! Then we both “got saved” and we both were so bummed out to learn our Churches frowned down upon listening to that hard Rock ‘n’ Roll music…
So I am delighted to read Alice’s thoughts and fantastic point: “I don’t think we accept Christ, I think we accept the fact that He accepted us.” Alice Cooper Amen and Amen!
Plus it took me a while to agree with you Pastor John mostly from reading your very good book twice:”12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee (like me)” to stop this non-sense of what music a Christians should or should not listen to! Also, Alice Cooper who’s is I once read is from Detroit made some very cool music! And Ed & I once had a blast while working on our ’66 & ’67 small block Chevy II Nova Super Sports & jamming out listening to Alice’s album “Million Dollar Babies” and a few others…
A few years ago I read about Vincent Damon Furnier puts on his makeup to help him perform (like an Actor) as Alice Cooper and I can remember after reading that it’s a brilliant analogy!
PS Big thx to you & gorgeous Marti for blessing me this past week w/ these excellent Catches!
Also, Pastor John b/c I talk about it often my sponsor in Amway is seriously consider getting our above mentioned book Rod. Who’s a semi retied Attorney & his wife is completely retire one b/c of working part-time building an Amway Biz b/c it creates a walk-away Biz income that can be passed down or is a willable transferable asset as Pro. 13:22 A Godly man leaves an inheritance for his Children’s Children
This has reminded me of a friend of mine who was dying of cancer and trying all sorts of experimental treatments. He was in hospital a few blocks away from me, and I asked if I could pray for him. His response was that he had never felt the need to “endorse” a particular higher power. (I’ve wished, since then, that I’d had the wit to say, “Well, Jesus has already ‘endorsed’ you.”) He died a few months later: I wonder if he finally did “endorse” the Lord?
That being said, I’m not sure I totally agree with Alice’s sentiments. I realize that the notion of “accepting Christ” can sound arrogant and even judgmental, but we can’t deny that it’s all about a personal relationship that we have to choose to (here it comes) accept. Jesus says, “… whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father … ” and “Whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny ….”
He also says, “I stand at the door and knock …”, and it’s up to us to open the door. I have a vision of Jesus pounding on my friend’s door and weeping that he wouldn’t open it.
Believing on and following Jesus is a choice each of us has to make. How else do we express it, when we choose Jesus? Perhaps “receive” sounds less arrogant, but as with so many things, it’s the way you say it.