Sinner's Creed, Scott Stapp

The lead singer of Creed, a recovering addict, a story of redemption.... I came to know of this group when I was in my early twenties working for an insurance agency in Oklahoma with a boy younger than I who idealized this addict and his demonized music. Every day for 2 years I was forced to listen to his self-destructive lyrics and rebellious words as they played through the speakers of my co-workers computer. Every day I spoke to this co-worker about the redemptive grace of God and silently prayed that his computer would crash - except that that would put the two of us greatly behind in creating the forms needed by the various insurance people in the 2 buildings. So when I had the opportunity of reading this I was eager...then as I read it I found myself wondering when the true confession would come. Not only was I familiar with his prior music, I also was familiar with his Christian music. I am also intimately familiar with the demonic spirit of addiction and the devastation left in the wake of such spirits. Being the only one in my family not to dabble in drugs and alcohol it was a little hard to swallow this book. I felt that Scott Stapp did a lot blame shifting. I respect the fact that he has recovered from his addiction and that he is making an effort to leave this life behind him. However, I felt this book was almost a way to make him feel better about himself rather than giving glory to God or offering hope to those in the same circumstance. There comes a time in a sinner's life where we all must just suck it up and take responsibility for our own decisions. We must just look at our life and say - Yep - it sucked, I had a bad child hood, I had no dad, I had a terrible family, or I was abused, let down, beat up, forsaken....BUT I still had the choice. I did not feel that at any time Stapp took full responsibility for his own actions as being just that - "HIS" actions, "HIS" choices. He seemed to always point to other people or circumstances. I would also STRONGLY caution parents about this book as it is graphic in the sordid details of his life. There is little left to the imagination. I am sure that this is to appear to be transparent and to further point to the fact that he has come a long way from the muck and mire of addiction and demonic life styles that he was involved in. Thanks tyndale for this review copy.