Skillet’s John Cooper Responds to Criticism New Chart-Topping Christmas Song Is ‘Demonic’

Well, I had to look it up and watch it and all I can say is that I liked it

I had to read your article. I remember back during the great "satanic Panic" how everything was supposedly "Satanic" Many people, especially clergy, made absolute fools of themselves with these accusations. Reading these comments, clearly their offspring is at work, carrying on the same mindless unimaginative "Oh this is Satanic" baloney that very few (fortunately) actually believe and for which none have any evidence at all.

I watched the music video a few nights ago and my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, blessed me with that awesome rendition of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."

Must be a problem with the music:

Skillet Lyrics​

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Jesse free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny Tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

God is with us
He's with us now
O come, o come Emmanuel
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

God is with us
He's with us now
Oh, our God is Emmanuel

Servus said:

Must be a problem with the music:

Skillet Lyrics​

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Jesse free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny Tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

God is with us
He's with us now
O come, o come Emmanuel
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

God is with us
He's with us now
Oh, our God is Emmanuel

Click to expand...

That is the "concern". The first couple of minutes of the song are very true musically to the traditional version. Then the song moves into a very heavy breakdown, with the last 2 segments you show being sung in a heavy style. It then shifts back to more traditional music and finishes with "
O come, o come Emmanuel. He's with us now".

It makes sense what they are doing musically. The song points back to a time when the Israelites were enslaved and in anguish in many ways. The song reflects the reality that we do call out to God in anguish and as believers ultimately put our faith in God and his grace. The song musically reflect the hope, then the anguish and ultimately resolves with that knowledge that God is with us. Their version of the song is clearly not meant to be performed that way in churches, but they are already performing it in concerts with audiences of diverse faith beliefs.

To me the criticism is really preferences and some who feel like their preferences are somehow God ordained while other peoples are not. I'm not a fan of current Skillet; I think their best years are way behind them and the current rendition is pretty boring. However, you can't make a real case that they are not theologically Nicene Christians, and unlike many they openly take their music into the secular world. I've seen them playing at a festival in front of over 50,000 people put the prophies of Christ from Isaiah on the screen behind them as they sing a song about Salvation. I've seen their open Christianity playing to secular audiences, and I'm certain it has caused many people to both investigate Christ and to know that it's not just what they see portrayed in the media.