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Marilyn Manson stood on stage, screaming something about Jesus. And it wasn't very nice.

To Skillet's John Cooper, who was in the audience, it was downright offensive. "Man, you're just rippin' us off!" John said out loud at the Manson concert.

Since Skillet's music is often compared to Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, John, Skillet's lead singer, decided to learn more about these groups. He found that the hype about Manson's message wasn't exaggerated; it was very anti-Christ.

As he watched the audience cheer at Manson's rants, he saw just how powerfully music can impact students—for good or for bad. John knew his band could have that kind of impact too, but with a message of hope.

His experience at that concert led to the song "Rippin' Me Off" on Skillet's recent album, Alien Youth.

John says he's excited about the opportunity to reach teens who like Manson's style of music.

"I feel like if we had played at that Manson show, we could've won people to the Lord," John says. "Those teens needed to hear that Jesus died for them, how passionate he is about them, and how much he loves them."

Skillet also promotes radical Christianity by calling listeners to the "alien youth" lifestyle.

"Normally you hear that we're aliens in this world and we don't belong here," says John, referring to verses like Ephesians 2:19 and 1 Peter 2:11. "The twist on our title is that we are aliens and we do belong here. We're not from here, but we're taking over the earth for the human race."

So, what does it mean to be an alien youth?

It's not just talk—it's a way of life. That's why Skillet created a Bible study to carry out the message of their music. This study covers the five essentials of becoming an alien youth: birth of a new nature, Holy Spirit living, worship, transforming your mind, and living the alien youth lifestyle. (For more, check on www.alienyouth.com.)

John says these essentials call Christian teens to make a difference on this planet.

"Honestly, what I think keeps teens from being radical for Christ is that we've not seen very many people do it," John says. "A large percentage of Christian youth are ready for a revolution."

Skillet will soon tour with the Acquire the Fire conferences.
Check the schedule at www.teenmania.com/atf.

Read more from 'Bands & Artists'

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