The Wraith: Shangri-La

I admit, when Derek listened to ICP, I would laugh at some of the lyrics, but say, "Oh man... this is some messed up stuff. How can anyone hate people so much?" Then Derek began pointing out that ICP was religious, and proving it with some of their lyrics. I'm not an overly religious person, but I began understand exactly what was going on.... ICP attracted those 10s of thousands of fans that could be considered "bad"... the druggies, the murderers, etc...and were slowly gaining their trust, but at the same time, hinting about God.

I slowly became more interested in ICP. I realized they weren't serious about all the murdering and violence. They were just out there having a good time joking about this stuff... and it's ok to joke! (Hell, I joke about hating black people sometimes, but I am involved in a group on campus that promotes black awareness!) In a way, ICP was joking about this stuff with the juggalos the way you might call your gay friend a "fag". He knows you're just playing around, but if anyone else heard you say it, they would think it was purely hurtful. It's the same if you joke about murdering and violence with people who murder and are violent. You are, in a way, pointing out their faults in a joking way.

So ICP spends the past 10 years showing people that what they do is ridiculous, but gaining popularity, and then in the end they say... "HEY! HERE'S GOD!" Perfect!

They reached out to the crowd that needed God the most! You just don't see that kind of dedication among other Christians. You know, Christians go on mission trips and build churches and "spread the word," but they are building churches for people who already believe in God. ICP dedicated the past 10 years of their life showing God to the very people that needed Him the most.

There is just one thing you can say about The Wraith: Shangri-La and their plan to help the juggalos and jugalettes find God....

Perfect!

I just want to say one thing before i go into what i think about ICP.

First of all ICP is not a religious group. They, themselves, may be Christians but they are not a Christian group. And there is

no way that you can compare there so called "dedication" to the dedication of other Christians going on missions. When a

church is built its purpose is to bring more people into it and to spread The Word. Other Christians don't talk around the

real subject at hand, God. They will tell you straight out whats up.

Now, back to ICP....I think that what they did was good, but I would like to have seen this unveiling 6th Joker Card be something

with only positive songs. I mean they cuss like 15 times in the song that is telling us how religious they are.

I liked how they approached the subject of getting people closer to God by getting them hooked on this Shangri-La and then

the people were like oh we can feel the carnival and we can't wait to get to Shangri-La and then ICP said well Shangri-La

is heaven and this feeling you get is God.

I do hope that if this CD and this group changed anyones thoughts about life and about God that they won't base their beliefs

off of this band. I hope that maybe this CD could just be the start but then the person would move on to the Bible and go to

church.

Guys get over this, your dwelling on the fact of rather a band loves God or not. It's not even about God it's about a personal relationship with jesus Christ. Thats the end goal. Come on, ICP sucks and they always have. If these guys are "christians" I would not want to havg out with them. New topic of discusion, this crap is getting old! P.S. if you want to hear real good "christian music, I got it, not everything is watered down crap that people assosiate with the christian music sence.

Man that sucks derek!! You tried calling me a dork for watching wizard of oz twice in a row and then you decide to wait outside of best buy for like 45 minutes to buy a cd. What a jerk!I would put more, but I have to go watch the wizard of oz.

The word Christian actually means "little Christ" this is a term that is to be reserved for those people who are attempting to be more Christ-like... the whole idea of being a Christian is to become more like Christ and to live as much like him as we can... its not a free ticket to heaven... I don't want to seem like a jerk but Derek, you better start reading Acts, Romans, or any of the other books of the new testament... over 50% of the new testament is written as to help believers learn to apply thier faith. But you are right, God does forgive, but that doesn't give us the right to abuse Him. The Bible makes is abundantly clear that if you consider yourself a Christian that you DO NEED to act like Christ. God requires more of us then just being saved.

Derek,

Keep in mind through all of this we are friends and this is about a band but more importantly I respect your opinions and I take these disscusions seriously. I want to comment on your comment on my Blogger. Alright I want to start with the fact that you went to the dictionary to find religious. I didn't know that Webster claimed he was a christian. The fact of the matter is that the Greek word (Greek is the language that the bible was first written)christian means little Christ. not what webster intended it to be. Alright now first thing about ICP saying that they have or show a belief in God. Thats easy man, I mean people who worship Saten believe in God. Second ICP taught the world that it's ok to swear, talk about rape, killing, murder, and all other sins in a serious way even though they were supposedly "making fun" of all of this there songs were seriously harsh and the lyrics were down right dis-respectful to the Lord. Your getting words mixed up here. Christian and religious are two different things. Being a Christian is being the person that God wants you to be. Being a religious person is marked by things you do, not by who you are. In james it says that you believe in one God and even the Demons in hell know there is a God and Shutter. What you said is true but it's unclear of the point your trying to get across. God does not accept the evil things we do in life but he accepts us as humans. Hate the sin but not the sinner. The ultimate Goal is to live the way that God wants us to, not continue on in your sinnful nature. For example if ICP was truly born again believers when they first started, than they wouldn't have spent 9 years or what not writting Cd's that constantly stick to their old ways. Becomeing a christian demands change in your life, but if your life does not change over time then there was no true commitment in the Lord. Me and josh aren't perfect we are just concerned. Love you Lots buddy. Praying For you.

The only song where ICP talks about rape is the song "under the moon" where he says, "Somebody tried to rape you and now I'll make him pay."

Also, they don't talk about the things that you listed in a "serious" way. They talk about it all jokingly... ya know, like clowns. They don't kill people, they don't think killing people. In fact one of their lyrics on their newest CD says, "nine times out of ten, I wish he'd take me instead of some of these poor children we see."

out of every thing jordan just said the only thing you can defend is rape? get some groud to stand on.

A Horrible Christian, josh lee

I talked to jordan about this (not on my site)... therefore it would be quite redundant to rewrite what was already settled.

Also... I don't even know who you are, why do my opinions matter to you?

Hey I've been down with the clowns for about three or four years now.

It's so funny to see all these Christians judging each other. "I'm holier than you are!" "No, *I* am! Read yer Bible, sucka!" It is all PRIDE and VANITY I tell you. Judge not, lest ye be judged, remember. What the fuck makes any of us worthy of an informed, end-all, be-all interpretation of the Holy Word of God?

It's even more humorous listening to them attacking ICPs lyrics, when there are things in the Bible that are even more violent and ugly, and the people who wrote the Bible *really mean it*!

See, I don't understand all these people who take the ICP seriously. Of course it's satire! Fat white guys dressed as clowns rapping about murderin' and slaughterin'!?!

And the shows are the most fun too. I've never felt such positive energy at a concert. The only fight I ever saw was at a show in Albuquerque (!) where some gangsta biotch kid was trying to grab J's boot, and he jumped on him and started hitting him with the microphone. It was hella funny, and there's a moral to the story: Don't fuck wid the juggala...

Personally speaking, as far as spirituality goes, I concur with the Bill Hicks God-paradigm: We are all perfect beings of light, and God loves each and every one of us, and there is NOTHING any of us can do to change that. (incidentally, there is no devil, because nothing can oppose God's will.)

Thank you and Goodnite!

Write me if you like.

ps my handle was Lotus way back before the ICP thought the Lotus was cool, back before the internet! (well, there was, but you have to be .gov or .edu to get there...)

Id just like to say to those of you trying to dis on ICP that they talk about the GOOD and the BAD things of the world.. They are just telling you whats going on.. what sick as mother fuckers are in the world. They tell you exactly how it is and alot of their shit is just funny.. Most people only heard a couple of songs and never actually got to hear every thing they got.. I my self have heard everything. I got every song ever made by any one affilated with psychopathic etc... ICP is by far amazing. They come up with some of the most twiztid sickest wackest shit you can find and its all Fresh. Everyone judges on First Apperance and shit like that.. Not whats really inside and whats really on their mind. Now as for ICP and GOD they atleast talk about GOD. And it doesnt matter how many cuss words are in a song. What the fuck does cuss words mean? Just some shit someone made up. It has no meaning.. no disrespect to GOD unless you say Fuck you GOD. Which I feel sorry for anyone that says that. God gave you your life and everything in it. Even if life dont seem to be going that great you atleast are breathing and walking around. Anyone who says the world isnt beautiful is fucken retarted and must have a shallow mind. So in other words be thankful for what you got. Also some people think the world isnt fair, i dont have the looks im ugly no one likes me. Thats all bull shit this world is big enough to find someone to be your friend no matter how fucken ugly or stinky you are. I dont even know if any of this made sense but thats cool. Later

-AvidBudSmoke

This searously blew big donkey dick!

Hey, I just wanted to say that i totally agree with what Dereks saying...now i just started listening to ICP recently i just bought the 6th Joker Card and i'd have to say that along with The Great Milenko this is some of ICP's best work and after reading this i started to really listen to the music and what messages they are sending to everyone, listening beyond even and knowing that God is here, and after realizing this it has had a huge impact on the way i think about things.

*FOREVER DOWN WITH THE CLOWN*

this manuel person sounds pretty cool. the wizard of oz rules

manuel and i talked about the wizard of oz for like an hour that night, about all the weird stuff that happens when you play it with the pink floyd cd. we researched the stuff online forever... and then i think he watched it like 3 times cause it was on some marathon or something.

and "k" loves the wizard of oz.... holy cow. i was at her apartment last week, there is a framed wizard of oz poster hanging in the main room of the place. then there is this shelving system with TONS of oz and dorothy stuff on it. and her boyfriend loves spiderman, so that stuff is everywhere too.

weird, what was the point of me saying all that?

i just wanna say that icp and psycopathic records is the mother fucken shit!!! much clown love to all my fellow ninjas and ningettes. stay true, stay happy, and stay blazed.