Frying pan lead singer John Cooper uses his voice to strongly condemn Michael Tate’s actions.
Cooper called the allegations against the former New Boys frontman “shame and tragedy against the church” and urged others in the Christian music industry to issue “a complete condemnation of these acts.”
“I feel a burden from the Lord,” he said on the podcast, “Cooper Staff.” “The Lord didn’t let me rest. I wasn’t particularly conflicted. I don’t want to do this, but the Lord doesn’t leave it to me. I’m honestly very unhappy with comments from CCM, which seem to be awfully vested in ideas. Obviously, these things are true, but that’s not where we need to start.”
Cooper continued. “We need to completely condemn these behaviours, not people’s condemnation. We don’t condemn the people. We blame people’s conduct.
Allegations against TAIT include years of predatory behavior, viewing rape and allegations that the two attacked young men, including minors. The 59-year-old star posted his first apology, but the entry doesn’t cover the range of many accusations that have been levelled against him.
Without the unshakable accusations of Tait’s suspicious behavior, it would need to “prioritize” the greater Christian “testimony against the world is at stake” and the addition of victims of the singer’s choice.
“My focus is people who are allegedly victimized, abused and sexually assaulted by Michael Tate,” Cooper said, explaining Tate’s allegedly “very dark.”
He then argued that people and followers of the modern Christian music industry should never underestimate the harshness of their claims against TAIT.
“(We must love everything, we are all sinners, we are all lacking and we cannot make judgments,” he explained. “Yes, we are all sinners. We have time for that. …But before this there is a category that cannot be skipped.”
He believes that misunderstanding scandals like Tait’s could have a major impact on Christian witnesses.
“We are… our biggest, most passionate and most famous Christian music icon… “Have I lived a double life from the beginning?” he asked.
Grace certainly shouldn’t celebrate justice, he pointed out, but it still has an important role to play.
Cooper also spoke to those who called the allegations against Tait “open secrets” in the CCM world, describing them as “incredible.”
“I didn’t know this,” he said. “I think it’s very difficult to believe that everyone at CCM knew they were suspected of having a victim of sexual assault.”
The frying pan frontman’s comments come after Christian worship leader Cory Asbury said “everyone knew” about Tate’s alleged crime. Additionally, singer-songwriter Rhett Walker said Tait should go to “prison” if all allegations against him prove true, but he urged caution to those trying to dismantle the entire CCM industry.
“I know a lot of artists, radio voyeurs, promoters and more about sharing the gospel,” he writes.
Read Walker’s comments here.
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