June 3, 2008
George W. Bush on a Spiritual Awakening
"A lot of people in America see this as a confrontation between good and evil, including me. There was a stark change between the culture of the '50s and the '60s--boom--and I think there's change happening here. It seems to me that there's a Third Awakening."
–President George W. Bush talking about spiritual renewal in the U.S.
(Washington Post, Sept. 13, 2006)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:15 PM
Closed-Minded People Bum Out Ben Kweller
"I believe that God created the beauty of a flower blooming from a seed. I believe that science is of God. That everything is of God. People just forget. They try to separate the two. That sort of stuff bothers me. When people are closed-minded, I get bummed out."
–Musician Ben Kweller (Relevant, November/December 2006)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:13 PM
Switchfoot's Jon Foreman on Celebrity
"I see the gospel as the antithesis of what happens on stage. We have it all wrong in a lot of respects where we interview the people who are up on stage when I truly believe that what happens off stage is more important."
–Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman (Christian Music Today, Nov. 27, 2006)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:08 PM
June 2, 2008
Dan Haseltine: Christians Don't Have Crap Together
"There's such a facade that we [Christians] have all our crap together, that we don't wrestle with what other people have to wrestle with. And that's just not true."
-Jars of Clay lead singer Dan Haseltine (Argus Leader, March 8, 2007)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:20 PM
Bono: Christianity is Not a Compartment In Your Life
"I have a hard time getting my head around the cultural terms. I've never seen why there should be a separation. Much of my life, I've been asked, 'Why doesn't your music proclaim Christ?' I say it does! Does nature scream the name of Christ? Creation has its own proclamation within the majesty of it. I'd like to think our music has the same qualities to it. I always get shifty with that [label,] like there were [supposed to be] compartments in your life. When I read Scripture, there are no compartments to your life."
-U2 front man and activist Bono (CCM, Feb. 2007)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:19 PM
Flyleaf's Lacey Mosley on the 'Christian Band' Label
"When people find out what we're about, they are very respectful, as long as we're not hypocritical about it. A lot of them look for that and watch everything we do and everything we say, and, then, they ask us what's different; why we are the way we are. We tell them and are really honest about who we are. We don't act like we have it all together. We're not Jesus. We're screwed up people that have been saved by Jesus. We have a reason to try to love, and we didn't before. As soon as they see that they're like, 'Yeah, I wish I'd heard that before.'"
-Lacey Mosley, lead singer for Flyleaf (CCM, Feb. 2007)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:15 PM
February 7, 2007
Mindy Smith Stinks at Faith
"The role of spirituality is the same for everybody. I think we are all sorting it out. That's what life is about, it's about sorting out every day which can be love, sadness, joy, or it can be spirituality. I've always felt guilty if I don't do certain things. I'm not your typical church-going girl like I should be. I feel bad about that, but I can't do it. I'm committed to my spirituality and my faith, but sometimes I stink at it."
-Singer-songwriter Mindy Smith (Teen Ink, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:21 AM
July 13, 2006
Because Temporary Christian Tattoos are Cool?
"[To] show that they're cool."
-Jilene Framke of Angel Toes Inc., explaining why Christian kids should wear the company's temporary Christian tattoos. (Rocky Mountain News, July 11, 2006)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:31 AM
May 19, 2006
Ian McKellen on the Bible
"Well, I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying 'This is fiction.' I mean, walking on water, it takes an act of faith. And I have faith in this movie. Not that it's true, not that it's factual, but that it's a jolly good story. And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction, and discuss the thing after they've seen it."
-Da Vinci Code actor Ian McKellen (NBC's Today)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:09 AM
March 14, 2006
Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis on God
"It’s a secular record. It’s not a record about God, but I think it questions if there is a God and where we’ll end up if there isn’t one. I think the older I get, the more I wonder about it because it wasn’t a part of my childhood in any way.”
-Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis. (Relevant, Jan./Feb. 2006)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:49 PM
Scott Derrickson on Horror Movies
“Well there's a number of things that I find uniquely compelling about the horror genre as a Christian. I think that it's definitely the most open and appropriate for religious, theological and spiritual subject matter. A lot of horror films not only allow for that, they necessitate that. I think that horror is also the best genre for identifying and defining good and evil. Almost all horror films are in some form a commentary on good and evil.”
-Scott Derrickson, writer and director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. (The Source for Youth Ministry, Sept. 8, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:37 PM
Sufjan Stevens on Faith
“I don’t think it’s fair to describe faith as having a role [in my life]. It kind of limits the character of faith and the relevance of faith. It’s all encompassing; it’s submitting yourself to a divine being.”
-Musician Sufjan Stevens (Relevant, Sep/Oct 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:35 PM
Bono on Living his Faith
“I try to live [my faith] rather than talk about it because there are enough secondhand-car salesmen for God. But I cannot escape my conviction that God is interested in the progress of mankind, individually and collectively.”
-U2 frontman Bono (Time, Dec 26, 2006)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:52 PM
February 6, 2006
Saved By the Bell Creator Crazy for Jesus
"When I was snorting coke up my nose, they didn't call me crazy. When I said I saw Jesus, that's when they said I was crazy."
-Peter Engel, creator of Saved by the Bell. (Gainesville Sun, Feb. 3, 2006)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:02 PM
November 2, 2005
Nickel Creek's Chris Thile on Faith
"We are tempted to distance ourselves from the things that are truly powerful and beautiful in life. Faith is certainly one of those things. Faith is huge, and so are friendships and our family relationships. ... Anything that is truly worthwhile is both powerful and dangerous at the same time. Anything that is truly beautiful and lovely can also turn twisted and ugly. But we can't hide from all of that. That's what is real."
-Nickel Creek mandolinist Chris Thile (Source: On Religion, Oct. 19, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:30 AM
Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins on the Christian Music Mafia
"I'm so sick of sugar-coated songs from the Christian perspective. One of the most comforting and inspiring lines to me is from the last chorus of 'Come Thou Fount' where it says, 'Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.' Not many un-watered-down songs make it through the filter of the Christian music industry mafia these days."
-Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins (Source: On Religion, Oct. 19, 2005, as quoted from Sean's online journal)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:22 AM | Comments (2)
July 27, 2005
Relient K's Matt Thiessen on Priorities
"It's really important to get the priorities straight early in life. Youve got to get your faith in order and what you believe in and work at it. Make sure the relationships around you are strong and healthy especially with your family and friends. Those are the big things."
-Matt Thiessen, front man for the pop-punk band Relient K, who has seen major mainstream success with their latest album, Mmhmm. (P2P Ezine)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:25 PM
June 4, 2005
Moby on Christianity
"As a Christian, I feel very shut out from a lot of contemporary Christianity. My understanding in what it means to be a Christian is to, in our own subjective way, recognize Christ as being God, and recognize our shortcomings and our failings, and try and live according to the teachings of Christ as best we can. And what I find so strange is I look at the behavior of so many Christians, and I don't see any aspect of the teachings of Christ represented there. But [I remember] the quote about taking the log out of your own eye before you can see the speck in someone else's eye, so I don't want to get in the position of judging other Christians. I fully admit that a lot of my actions and a lot of things that are still in my life are inconsistent with my beliefs as a Christian. I'm very secular."
-Moby (Source: Relevant, May/June 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:24 AM
May 18, 2005
Is Jessica Alba a Christian?
"I used to be. When I was a kid, yeah. One of the reasons why I chose not to be a born-again Christian anymore is because a lot of people gave me a lot of grief for just being a woman and made me feel ashamed for having a body because it 'tempted men.' And I didn't understand what that meant, so it was like God created this and if that's what you guys are saying then I shouldn't be ashamed for being a woman, I should embrace it. That was a hard time in my life. It was really a painful thing that I was going through."
-Actress Jessica Alba, who got her start on Dark Angel and stars in Sin City and the Fantastic Four. (Source: Access Hollywood, March 22, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:31 AM
May 9, 2005
Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria on a Higher Power
"In college I went from being a Catholic to being non-denominational to being a Christian, but now I just want to believe in a higher power. That's a good way to live."
-Eva Longoria who stars in the TV show Desperate Housewives (Rolling Stone, May 5, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:35 PM
May 5, 2005
Weezer's Rivers Cuomo on Eastern Philosophy
"I have so much appreciation for what my parents' generation did for opening up our country to Eastern philosophy and raising me like that. I feel so lucky."
-Rivers Cuomo, frontman for Weezer who's new album Make Believe comes out next week. (Rolling Stone, May 5, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:56 AM
April 27, 2005
Tori Amos on the Bible
"The idea of Beekeeper came after listening to politicians talk about the Bible and thinking about something so old being very current because people are still arguing about it. As a minister's daughter, I felt it was time that I go into the teachings that I was brought up with and maybe turn them around a little bit."
-Singer/song-writer Tori Amos talking about her most recent album. (Spin, April 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:38 AM
April 26, 2005
Ben Lee on Experiencing God
"Religion always felt like it was a set of rules you had to follow, but spirituality seemed like it was about experiencing feelings. And if all those people in religious texts had these life-changing experiences with God, I didn't just want to read about itI wanted to live it myself. I wanted to be in the book."
-Indie rocker Ben Lee (Seventeen, May 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:37 AM
April 25, 2005
Meagan Good on Spirituality
"Spirituality is very important to me, and I want to reflect that in my work."
-Actress Meagan Good who starred in You Got Served. (Rolling Stone, April 7, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:51 PM
March 9, 2005
Former Korn Guitarist Brian Welch on the Bible
"This is the book of life right here. It's not about religion, it's not about this church, it's not about me. It's about the book of life and everybody needs to be taught this. It's crazy, it's gonna do stuff like this, like change a guy in a rock band."
-Brian "Head" Welch, former Korn guitarist, taking a Bible from his back pocket while sharing his new-found faith at Valley Bible Fellowship church in Bakersfield, Calif. (Source: MTV, Feb. 28, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 2:17 PM | Comments (2)
March 8, 2005
Chauntelle Dupree of Eisley on God
"We have people tell us things like, 'Your songs just move me emotionally to tears, and I don't know what it is, there's something about you guys that's so different.' And we hope that that's God, you know, something from God ... I mean we're created in his image; talent to write songs or play music or whatever--those are just gifts; everyone has them really; we just want to be reflections ... you know, pass whatever unique thing God's given us to people everywhere."
-Chauntelle Dupree of Eisley, who recently released their debut album, Room Noises. (Source: Relevant Magazine, March/April 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:53 PM
February 12, 2005
Good Charlotte's Joel Madden on God
Each day, Id read and think a lot. I also started thinking about God again for the first time in years. My mom is a devout Christian, but I used to be like, Forget about what God wants, Ill do what I want. Yet once I thought about what I really wanted, I realized it was to get close to God. And I knew that I had to stop the things I was doing because God wanted me to respect myself.
-Joel Madden of Good Charlotte who released their latest CD, The Chronicles of Life and Death last fall. (Source: Seventeen, March 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:32 AM | Comments (29)
Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst on God
You dont want it to be a completely cold reality. You want life to make sense. I believe in God. I just dont know if its a personal thing, where its a God who gives a shit about me. But it has to go beyond this.
-Conor Oberst, frontman for Bright Eyes, who just released their latest CD, I'm Wide Awake It's Morning. (Source: Rolling Stone, January 27, 2005)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:29 AM | Comments (9)
December 15, 2004
Kanye West on Contradiction
"It's definitely a contradiction. Contradiction is part of who everybody is. I am a real person, and I make my mistakes and I laugh and I cry and I smile and I hate and I love. One song is, I love God, and the next song is, Can you come over? That's how I feel. Sometimes you're in church, and you're looking at the girl's dress right next to you."
-Kanye West responding to a question about the contradiction between his song "Jesus Walks" and the profanity and sexual content on the rest of his College Dropout album. (Source: Time, December 13, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:41 AM | Comments (2)
November 14, 2004
Bono on Cathedrals and Alleyways
"There's cathedrals and the alleyway in our music. I think the alleyway is usually on the way to the cathedral, where you can hear your own footsteps and you're slightly nervous and looking over your shoulder and wondering if there's somebody following you. And then you get there and you realize there was somebody following you: It's God."
-Bono, lead singer for U2, who release their 11th studio album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, on November 23. (Source: New York Times [via @U2], November 14, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:26 PM
November 4, 2004
Amber Tamblyn on God
"One of my good friends is Christian, goes to church every Sunday, very religious. Im fine with that and I will never judge her. And one of my other friends could not believe in God if he came down and tapped her on the shoulder. Shes a biologista student at UCLAand I dont judge her either, because I really believe that God is a personal opinion, and only that. Its a matter of how you use God in your own life and I dont think its anything really beyond that. And thats where the core strength comes from."
-Amber Tamblyn, who plays Joan on Joan of Arcadia (Source: Beliefnet, November 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:55 AM | Comments (2)
October 14, 2004
Hilary Duff on Church
"When I was younger, we were very much churchgoers. Now that things have gotten a little bit busier and I have gotten a little bit older, I don't necessarily think that you have to go to church to be a believer. I travel so much and I work so hard, but I have faith in that kind of thing and I pray all the time and I believe in God."
-Hilary Duff, who plays a character involved with church in her latest movie, Raise Your Voice.(Source: National Review, October, 8 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:51 AM
September 27, 2004
Switchfoot's Jon Foreman: I'm Not a Religious Salesman
"My faith, I mean, that's such a personal aspect that a lot of times, of course it's going to come out through the song. But at the same time, I'm not a religious salesman. I feel like God doesn't really need a salesman, and what these songs are are simply my interactions with this life and learning. I guess the bottom line is the songs are really honest, you know what I mean. That faith is going to come through. If the listener is looking for it, that's definitely a part of it."
-Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman, talking about the subtle references to faith in their The Beautiful Letdown album. Other Switchfoot albums include Learning to Breathe, New Way To Be Human, The Legend of Chin and The Early Years: 1997-2000, which collects their first three albums. The Live in San Diego DVD is also available. (Source: Asbury Park Press, September 24, 2004)
Other Switchfoot Quotables:
Tim Foreman on Christian Music
Jon Foreman on the Music Biz
Jon Foreman on "Dare You To Move"
Jon Foreman Owes U2
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:01 AM | Comments (6)
September 24, 2004
Lenny Kravitz is a Work in Progress
"I was going through a depression. But you know, you work it out, you deal with it, you figure out and I'm here now and I'm great. ... This album is about getting through all that. Feeling spiritually reborn, musically reborn, mentally reborn, just getting through. ... People are people. It doesn't matter what you've got or what position you're in, we all have issues in life, spiritual battles ... all kinds of things that need to be nurtured. ... I'm a perfectionist and very hard on myself -- constantly standing outside of myself and looking and critiquing and judging, and sometimes you've gotta just ease up. That's the part about learning to love yourself. We're all a work in progress."
-Rocker Lenny Kravitz talking about his new album Baptism. (Source: CNN.com, September 23, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:24 AM
September 21, 2004
M. Night Shyamalan on Faith
"It's something somewhat blurred in the line between believing in magic and believing in something spiritual. That idea of faith is really cool... . And it's a nice thing to keep saying, 'OK, I'm going to tell you another parable about faith.'"
-M. Night Shyamalan, writer and director of Sixth Sense and Signs. (Source: The Christian Science Monitor, July 28, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:34 PM
Henry Garza of Los Lonely Boys on "Heaven"
I got down on my knees and started crying and started praying, and the good Lord told me to start writing it down.
-Los Lonely Boys guitarist Henry Garza talking about the inspiration for their hit song Heaven, from their self-titled album. (Source: Rolling Stone, September 2, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:09 PM
September 6, 2004
Ellen DeGeneres on God's House
"There's a coffee table with two magazines -- Teen People and Guns & Ammo. And there are pictures of Jesus everywhere. A picture of Jesus on a pony. A picture of Jesus with a T-shirt that says, 'My parents created the universe and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.'"
-Ellen Degeneres, who was recently cast as God in a remake of the 1977 George Burns film Oh, God!. (Source: Time, September 6, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:15 AM
September 5, 2004
Pamela Anderson on Giving
"If I refuse one of them I'd be like, 'Oh my God. What if that was Jesus?'"
-Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson explaining why she always gives money to the poor. (Source: Contactmusic.com, August 29, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:43 PM | Comments (1)
September 1, 2004
Kanye West's "Jesus Walks"
"'Jesus Walks' talks about how you can rap about anything, but if you talk about Jesus, [radio and club DJs] won't play it. It talks about my relationship with him, [how I'm] trying to live a secular life but still have God in my life. I feel like I'm expressing a lot which the regular person is going through."
-Kanye West talking about his surprise hit "Jesus Walks" from the album College Dropout. (Soucre: MTV.com, July 19, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:51 PM
P. Diddy on Kanye West's "Jesus Walks"
"I think that a lot of times when you're talking about God or Jesus, people get intimidated. The way Kanye did it, he made the record so hot that they can't front on it. It wasn't about the lyrical content; it was undeniable. Then, because [the record] was blessed to be a hit, you're forced to deal with the power of God and the record is going to touch you. You can't escape it. 'Best Friend' was definitely one of the first records, but to be honest, 'Jesus Walks' is just a hotter record. It's a rap record about Jesus [that] young men and women can understand, instead of you pushing it down their throats. You hit them with that heat and they understood it."
-P. Diddy talking about the success of Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" in relation to his 1999 song "Best Friend," about his relationship with God. (Soucre: MTV.com, July 19, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:42 PM
P. Diddy on God in Hip-hop
"I always relate hip-hop to our old Negro spirituals. They were sung in the cotton fields to help us get by, to help us not kill ourselves by going crazy [under] the worst oppression in the world. The music, the soulfulness, the spiritualness expressed in song helped us to get through another day. That's the same impact hip-hop has had on this generation. People could try to undermine it, but it's honestly the truth. Hip-hop has helped us make it through our life in the inner cities."
-P. Diddy talking about the emerging spirituality prevalent in hip-hop today. (Soucre: MTV.com, July 19, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:40 PM | Comments (1)
August 25, 2004
Mindy Smith on Jesus
"I have a hard time understanding why people get so offended by somebody singing about Jesus -- they dont get offended by singing about Buddha or whatever moves that individual. People really get offended by that and I think that's really sad. But it's OK, I understand, there's been a lot of problems with the history of the church and people have a lot of angst towards it, I understand, totally. I can't really let it get to me because I know in my heart I have other things to sing about."
-Mindy Smith, who recently released her debut album, One Moment More. (Source: NPR's Morning Edition, January 29, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:24 PM | Comments (1)
Mindy Smith on Faith
"I don't believe in the word religion or anything like that, but I do have faith and it has saved me. I think everybody has a faith, everybody has some kind of spirituality, whether they're Buddhist or whatever. ... I think we all come to our conclusions in life based on where life has brought us."
-Mindy Smith, who recently released her debut album, One Moment More. (Source: NPR's Morning Edition, January 29, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:21 PM
Mindy Smith on Struggle
"My father's a minister and I was brought up in that mentality to hold on to it, because sometimes it's the only thing that's going to save you. That's my thought on it. I think there are times where I fall away, more so than not, I'm not very consistent, like most people, but when I have the struggle I tend to put a prayer out there like everybody else does. A lot of times my songs wind up being the vehicle to do that."
-Mindy Smith, who recently released her debut album, One Moment More. (Source: NPR's Morning Edition, January 29, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:19 PM
August 9, 2004
Scott Stapp on The Passion of the Christ
"It put my life in perspective. When I think I have it bad, or when I'm feeling down or complaining or trying to place blame on certain things, I think about what Christ did for me and what he endured, [and] it puts things in the right order. What have I got to complain about? What I need to do is buck up and deal with this. When I saw that sacrifice and commitment, I wondered if I could learn how to love just a tenth of what that sacrifice symbolized, it would help me grow as a person. The movie basically made me re-evaluate myself, and how I can be a better person. How can I give and show people compassion and caring and love better than I do now?"
-Former Creed lead singer Scott Stapp talking about The Passion of the Christ and his contribution to the 'inspired by' soundtrack. (Source: MTV.com, August 6, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:35 AM
June 16, 2004
Dallas Willard on the Broken Church
"The greatest challenge the church faces today is to be authentic disciples of Jesus. ... That's one reason why the statistics on Christians generally don't differ from the statistics on non-Christians. We're not living a different life."
-Dallas Willard, author of The Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart. (Source: RelevantMagazine.com, June 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:02 AM
June 3, 2004
Thrice's Riley Breckenridge on Belief
"We're definitely not a Christian band. We've never been into being preachy, never been into spreading any kind of word. It just came from [lead singer Dustin Kensrue] singing about issues that he was having--a lot of those were faith-based. Some people are turned off by that. Then there are a lot of people who are like, not even from a Christian standpoint, [and they say,] 'Dustin's lyrics have helped me start exploring why I'm here, what I'm doing here, justifying my existence and stuff.' I think that's a good thing. I'm not a Christian, and I'm not exactly sure what I believe in. But I do believe in looking for answers and being open to a lot of different things."
-Thrice drummer Riley Breckenridge (Source: Relevant Magazine, May/June 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:35 AM | Comments (3)
Social Distortion's John Maurer on Jesus
"The work of Christ to me is very important. I strive to be Christ-like, you know ... in my walk and like I said, just striving and working on being Christ-like."
-Social Distortion bassist John Maurer (Source: Relevant Magazine, May/June 2004 and Rock Stars on God)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:28 AM
Nickelback's Chad Kroeger on Jesus
"I believe in Jesus Christ, but I also believe in a lot of different things ... I'm more like -- if you're a good person and you got a good soul, there is life beyond earth, and I don't think they just have to go through Jesus Christ."
-Nickelback vocalist/guitarist Chad Kroeger (Source: Relevant Magazine, May/June 2004 and Rock Stars on God)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:26 AM | Comments (8)
Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello on Christians
"Maybe I would have a more positive view of religion if I was impressed by the behavior of those who preach it, not meaning preachers, but anyone from the heads of government to the people I know in the school who confessed to be Christians. Some of those Christians were the biggest (expletive) who mistreated their fellow man in the worst ways. Religion is so tied up with political manipulation that it is hard to see if there could be a nugget of spirituality in there that can genuinely influence your life. It's hard to find."
-Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello (Source: Relevant Magazine, May/June 2004 and Rock Stars on God)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:23 AM
Chris Rice on Religious Paraphernalia
"One of the biggest blind spots we have in the church is that we've got so many resources and even so much entertainment and religious paraphernalia focused on ourselves. All of that can get built up into an imaginary wall that separates us from our culture. We've gotten real comfortable behind that wall. But, ultimately, it can't be about being comfortable and being around people who are like us."
-Chris Rice, whose best of collection, Short Term Memories releases next week. (Source: CCM, June 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:41 AM
Third Day's Mark Lee on Imagination
"It's so easy within the confines of the church, to take the imagination and throw that out in the place of the 'facts.' And any sense of story, any sense of mystery, gets stifled by folks who feel that literalism is the only approach to the Scriptures. If you really look at the way Christ lived and taught -- through the parables, for one example -- you see how he entrusted these truths, at times actually hid them, in stories so people could discover them on their own, which is powerful."
-Mark Lee, guitarist for Third Day who just released Wire. (Source: CCM, June 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:28 AM
Third Day's David Carr on Religious Fluff
"The church is really in need of that kind of reality. We get together, and we have Bible studies and study groups; and it's all good stuff. But if the purpose is just to increase our knowledge of biblical history and not to get to the heart of what God is trying to say to us through these characters and stories, it's all just religion to me. That doesn't really connect with me, and I don't think it really connects with most people. Same thing goes for our music. If the goal is not to really connect to people's real lives, then I think it's just religious fluff."
-David Carr, drummer for Third Day who just released Wire. (Source: CCM, June 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:23 AM
Joe Rogness on the Church
"I love the church, but we need to meet people where they're at, love 'em and build trust with them. Jesus hung out with the prostitutes and the tax collectors and sinners. It's about more than just putting up a sign that says 'Easter service here.' In the church we spend a lot of time talking to each other about each other. We need to get outside of that."
-Minneapolis singer Joe Rogness (Source: CCM, June 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:15 AM
May 21, 2004
Bart Millard on Pain
"Even with all the right Sunday school answers, sometimes the best thing you can do is be brutally honest and say, 'This hurts a whole lot and really ticks me off.' God is big enough to handle it."
-Bart Millard, lead singer and primary songwriter for MercyMe, the chart-topping Christian band behind the hit song "I Can Only Imagine." In the span of a few months before the release of their latest album, Undone, the band dealt with the death of nine people in some way connected to the band. (Source: CCM, May 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:51 AM | Comments (2)
Kevin Smith Thanks God
"It pisses the wife off a bit, but God always gets thanked first."
-Kevin Smith, director of Dogma, a film soundly bashed by evangelicals for being blasphemous. (Source: People, April 5, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:36 AM
Patricia Heaton on Jesus
"I think Jesus is a scary subject. God you can make into anything you want. But confronted [with Jesus] you have to say, 'I believe that or I don't.' It's very powerful."
-Actress Patricia Heaton, star of Everybody Loves Raymond. (Source: People, April 5, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:27 AM
May 13, 2004
Madeleine L'Engle on Faith
"I dare you to believe in God. I dare you to think [our existence] wasnt an accident."
-Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time. (Source: Newsweek, May 7, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:24 AM
Madeleine L'Engle on God
"I sometimes think God is a shit--and he wouldn't be worth it otherwise. He's much more interesting when he's a shit."
-Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, speaking her mind because she's 85 years old and can say things like that. (Source: Newsweek, May 7, 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:21 AM
March 29, 2004
Solange Knowles on Spirituality
"Definitely the one thing that keeps my whole family grounded is our spirituality. Jesus is the center of my life. I know a lot of times people in this industry are scared to talk about it because their fans may not be Christians, but I'm not ashamed of my spirituality. I have values because of it, and I have certain moral boundaries that I won't cross."
-Solange Knowles, little sister of the more famous Beyonce. (Source: Guidepost for Teens, April/May 2004)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:27 PM | Comments (9)
December 10, 2003
P.O.D.'s Sonny Sandoval on Rock Bottom
"When I reached than moment of being at rock bottom, I prayed to God. ... That was the point where I said to myself, 'Enough messing around, enough goofing off and getting into trouble. There's more to life than just little old me. I need to do something that means something and find something real.' "
-Sonny Sandoval, lead singer for P.O.D. Recent P.O.D. albums include Payable on Death, Satellite, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, The Warriors EP, Brown and Snuff the Punk. The Still Payin' Dues DVD is also available. Payable On Death. (Source: MTV.com, November 24, 2003)
Other P.O.D. Quotables:
Wuv on Positive Music
Sonny Sandoval on Marcos Curiel
Sonny Sandoval on Success
Sonny Sandoval on Sharing Faith
Jason Truby on Shaping Lives
Traa Daniels on Being Inspiring
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:47 AM | Comments (17)
December 7, 2003
Christopher Reeve on Religion
"Abe Lincoln put it very simply in 1860: 'When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.'"
-Christopher Reeve (Source: Esquire, January 2004, as quoted on Beliefnet)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:19 PM
Jack Nicholson on Religion
"I resist all established beliefs. My religion basically is to be immediate, to live in the now. It's an old clich, I know, but it's mine. I envy people of faith. I'm incapable of believing in anything supernatural. So far, at least. Not that I wouldn't like to. I mean, I want to believe. I do pray. I pray to something ... up there. I have a God sense. It's not religious so much as superstitious. It's part of being human, I guess ... Do unto others: How much deeper into religion do we really need to go?"
-Jack Nicholson (Source: Esquire, January 2004, as quoted on Beliefnet)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:18 PM
Jack Black on Jesus
"I think Jesus would be a big f---in' letdown. You'd find out he's just a dude. He might be a really boring hang. He might be like a really kick-ass rabbi. You'd want to know the answer to everything, and he'd say, 'How should I know? I'm just Jesus.' Plus, you don't know how to speak the ancient Aramaic. I say, let's go back to see someone who for sure kicked ass. Let's go f---in' chat it up with Plato."
-Jack Black, star of the recent movie School of Rock, on whether or not he'd like to meet Jesus. (Source: Esquire, January 2004, as quoted on Beliefnet)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:15 PM | Comments (1)
October 29, 2003
P.O.D.'s Sonny Sandoval on Sharing Faith
"I don't meet other bands and they say, 'I hear you're a born again Christian.' They just want to hang out and see what kind of person you are. That's when they start to say, 'These guys are different. They do believe in something that's real.'"
-Sonny Sandoval, lead singer of P.O.D. Recent P.O.D. albums include Payable on Death, Satellite, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, The Warriors EP, Brown and Snuff the Punk. The Still Payin' Dues DVD is also available. (Source: Relevant, November/December 2003)
Other P.O.D. Quotables:
Sonny Sandoval on Rock Bottom
Wuv on Positive Music
Sonny Sandoval on Marcos Curiel
Sonny Sandoval on Success
Jason Truby on Shaping Lives
Traa Daniels on Being Inspiring
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:42 PM
Secondhand Lions Writer/Director on the Human Condition
"I think I'm trying to find, I don't know, maybe God or universal truth. I think movies and all of literature are the one thing that helps us communicate the human condition, and it makes us feel less alone."
-Tim McCanlies, writer and director of Secondhand Lions, starring Haley Joel Osment, Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. (Source: Relevant, November/December 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 3:33 PM
October 19, 2003
Beyonce Knowles on Hypocrisy
"God is okay with me being sexy. ... God is the main person in my life and I wouldn't do anything to offend him. People say it's hypocritical to wear sexy clothes and then sing about God -- but it's not like that at all. I obviously wouldn't wear hot pants in normal life or if I was going to church. ... I have a personal relationship with God and I don't see any problem with what I wear or how I dance on stage. Anything that I feel uncomfortable doing, I wouldn't do."
-Beyonce Knowles from Destiny's Child. (Source: Asian News International, October 15, 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:11 PM
Beyonce Knowles on Church
"Church is my sanctuary, the place I go to let go. Every time I go to church, I feel like I'm baptized, I can start over. I go to church and cry from happiness, sadness, and feel rejuvenated. Whatever's wrong in my life, I am relaxed and at peace when I can feel God. I know everything is okay when I am connected with God."
-Beyonce Knowles from Destiny's Child. (Source: TeenHollywood.com, August 10, 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:06 PM
October 15, 2003
Beyonce Knowles on Being a Lady
"I have standards. There are things I will not do ... I always carry myself like a lady. I don't feel like I ever do anything raunchy ... It's entertainment and I believe God is OK with that."
-Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child, explaining how she draws the line on lesbian kissing (see Britney Spears and Madonna at the 2003 MTV VMAs) but has God's blessing to strut around in hot pants. (Source: Sky News, October 15, 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:46 PM
October 7, 2003
Claudio Sanchez writes his own Bible
"I personally don't have any kind of religion. My mother is a Christian, and I always kind of think that the Bible is just a story--no offense to you or anyone. Honestly, that's what I feel the Bible is, and if it is, then maybe I can make one up, too. It's a book about the things that happened before we are now. At the same time, I know that this is not real. I'm not thinking that my thoughts are correct and that's what people are to believe. They're ridiculous, so maybe the Bible is."
-Coheed & Cambria's singer/guitarist Claudio Sanchez about his quadrilogy of albums that he sees as his own version of the Bible. It involves Adam and Eve-like characters who must sacrifice their children to save the universe. (Source: Alternative Press, November 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:40 AM | Comments (94)
Kobe Bryant on Faith
"My escape is faith. Sometimes it doesn't seem like there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You pray, you have faith. The next thing you know, the light is brighter than ever."
-Basketball player Kobe Bryant, when asked if basketball would be his escape from the media circus surrounding his criminal case for allegedly raping a 19-year-old woman. (Source: Sportsline.com, October 6, 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:20 AM
September 23, 2003
Robert Randolph on Making a Difference
"A lot of people who grow up in church don't take those teachings with them when they go outside. We can help somebody else get through rough times just through what we've been taught about God. Especially being a young African-American musician, I see so many of my own brothers and sisters not trying to deliver a good message in a world today. All these people have all these talents and have nothing good to say about life. If I don't sell a million records, but if we help people move toward being a better person in life and lean more toward believing in God, that will mean a lot."
-Robert Randolph, who along with his Family Band are crossing over in reverse, from mainstream to Christian music. Their latest album, Unchained, came out last month. (Source: CCM, September 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:11 PM
Shaun Groves on Not Having it Together
"It's about being torn between -- I hate to say this because it sounds so churchy -- the old [human] nature and the new [godly] nature. I just prefer to say the midnight and the dawn. I want people to understand that it's OK. Let's not be in denial of that anymore because we are destroying people's faith by saying you've got to have it all together. That denies the whole story of the gospel. Christ came to give me eternal life and abundant life now, but what abundant life looks like may not be what you think. It could be a war every day of your life."
-Shaun Groves, who recently released his second album, Twilight. (Source: CCM, September 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 1:03 PM
September 22, 2003
MxPx's Mike Herrera on Respect
"We're not here to preach. We respect people for what they believe. Most bands in the music scene we're in are anti-religion and I understand that. But some people actually hate us. Grow up!"
-Mike Herrera, of MxPx, responding in 2000 to criticism about the band's Christian beliefs. MxPx just released their latest album, Before Everything and After. (Source: ReALMagazine.com, July 4, 2000)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:11 PM
R. Kelly on God
"My mama always told me that the higher you go, you're going to pay a price. And you've got to believe that God's got your back."
-R. Kelly, who faces trial later this year on 21 counts of child pornography. If convicted, Kelly could face a lifetime of jail as the most infamous sex offender in the U.S. (Source: Blender, October 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:06 PM
Katy Rose on Catholicism
"Catholicism is complete and utter bullsh*t, and if that offends people, oh well."
-Katy Rose, angst-ridden teen rocker of the Avril Lavigne variety, whose album Because I Can releases in January 2004. (Source: Blender, October 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:47 AM
September 16, 2003
Smallville Producer on the Christ Story
"It's the Christ story for an American audience, with a lot of action."
-"Smallville" producer Alfred Gough (Source: USA Today, September 14, 2003)
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:14 PM