Stryper’s Michael Sweet thinks there’s nothing wrong with discussing politics and religion.
Mitch Lafon recently asked the following question on X:
“Should rock stars keep their political leanings to themselves?”
Then, in a separate tweet, he shared Sweet’s response by calling it a ‘thoughtful answer.’ The frontman stated:
“I have a little bit of a different view on that. We’ve been a band that has sung about God for 40 years. Yet still people tell us we should keep religion out of our music. You have to speak/sing about what you believe in! Or what’s the point? Then you’re just going through the motions. You have to be passionate about your art. And passionate about life.”
The singer continued:
“As long as you are respectful, there’s nothing wrong with talking about politics or religion. It’s when you are disrespectful and hateful. That’s when you cross the line. To automatically say you can’t talk about politics and or religion is a bit unfair and unrealistic. Politics and religion are a big part of all of our lives. So why not be able to talk about it? Again, as long as you do so respectfully.”
Sweet Previously Spoke About Mixing Politics With Music
Sweet previously faced backlash for supporting Donald Trump. He addressed the reaction he received from his friends and talked about why he thinks music can be mixed with politics:
“I’m not a believer in you can’t mix politics with music. That’s just stupid. It’s part of your life. Talk about that. Be open about it. What are you so afraid of? And I said, ‘Yeah, I voted for Trump,’ and boy, I took a beating for that — some of my friends. Some of my friends were, like, ‘Oh, what a moron. He’s a Trumptard,’ or whatever these disrespectful words are that you can use that you’ve heard.”
He added, again mentioning the importance of being respectful towards others:
“That’s mindblowing to me, man. That’s why we have so many issues in our world. Everyone talks about peace and a better world being politically correct, and being respectful of everybody, but yet people are more disrespectful now than they’ve ever been. It’s insane.”
Stryper started their 40th anniversary tour on July 18in Mineral City, Ohio. After a short break, they will continue performing on September 11, starting in Greeneville, Tennessee.
You can see the tweet below.
Here’s how Stryper’s Michael Sweet responded to my question… thoughtful answer! pic.twitter.com/3oh232Bvik
— Mitch Lafon (@mitchlafon) July 25, 2024