Rock n' Roll hall of famer Alice Cooper has warned that "TV evangelism is one of Satan's greatest weapons" and cautioned against treating the devil as if he's a "joke" or a "myth".
The 67-year-old "Poison" singer, born Vincent Damon Furnier, made his comments during an interview on The Harvest Show, an evangelical Christian program, CNS News reported.
"TV evangelism is one of Satan's greatest weapons. They put these guys on a pedestal and all of a sudden they get caught with a prostitute and every Christian I know then, is under the gun," the singer said.
"So you don't think that's kind of a set up? Yeah, I'm telling you, the Devil is very smart," Cooper warned. "He's not going to come out with the horns and the tail, he's going to come in as the slickest car salesman you ever saw. I've seen some pretty slick pastors on TV."
Cooper shot to fame during the rock 'n' roll era and was dubbed "The Godfather of Shock Rock" thanks to his grotesque music shows, including guillotining himself, frightening makeup, and ax-chopping bloodied baby dolls.
Although raised in a Christian home with a father who was a preacher, Cooper lost his faith during his rock career which reached its peak with his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
However, the singer maintains that while he wasn't a Christian at the time, many of his songs "have totally got all kinds of Christian bywords going all the way through it, because it comes out of you."
"Even when I wasn't a Christian I was saying... 'God and the Devil, don't pick the Devil, because it's a bad idea,'" he said.
But after embracing Christianity many years later, Cooper drastically changed his tune, beating his alcohol addiction and becoming a strong witness for Christ.
"So I always refer to myself as the real Prodigal Son, because I went out and the Lord let me do everything," said Cooper. "Maybe didn't let me but allowed it, and then just started reeling me back in. You know, you've seen enough. Let's bring you back to where you belong."
"When you get out there and realize you've had every car, every house, and all that, you realize that that's not the answer," he said. "There's a big nothing out there at the end of that. So, materialism doesn't mean anything. A lot of people say that there's a big God-sized hole in your heart. And when that's filled, you're really satisfied, and that's where I am right now."
Today, Cooper refers to himself as "the prophet of doom" and warns people of the reality of the devil, sin, and hell.
"Be careful! Satan is not a myth. Don't sit around pretending like Satan is just a joke," Cooper said. "I think my job is to warn about Satan."
As reported, Cooper now performs in a much tamer fashion and attends Camelback Bible Church in Paradise Valley, California, and even teaches Sunday School.
"You should see the look on people's faces. 'Alice Cooper teaching Bible class? But he's the spawn of the Devil!'" the rocker explained to The Sun UK. "Surely people get it by now ... Alice is just a character. Alice hates going to church, but I go every Sunday."
He also works works to help troubled teens; in 2006, he opened the Solid Rock Teen Center, a $3 million Christian recreation facility for young people struggling with addiction, gang activity, and abuse.
"We believe a renewed sense of self-worth and purpose provides a meaningful foundation for the youth in local communities," the organization's website reads. "Many teens today face a future without a solid foundation from broken promises and burdened hearts."
"Editor's Note: This post was originally published in September 2015 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
