Is Bono of U2 a Christian?

It is wonderful to hear Bono explain the difference in “karma” and “grace”, and the difference in Christ being “just a prophet” vs being the “Son of God, the Messiah”–and this is very encouraging, as the young people are watching him.

However, I have a question about the fact of his “salty” talk, in the light of James Chapter 3, verse 10 especially (there are plenty of others which refer to the fact that what comes out of one’s mouth reflects what is in one’s heart). I’m hoping so much that Bono will take this question as it is meant–a fair question from one hopeful professing Christian to another–and that he will believe that I have his best in mind, because his witness to this generation will bear much fruit, either for good or ill.

By the way, I love your music, and am excited that you are so wise as to have recognized the light of the world in a generation who denies Him.

I’ve long enjoyed the soulful music and heart wrenching lyrics of U2 but I am forced to ask Bono a question: “Have you still not found what you’re looking for?” Is that a question he is asking? He mentions Christ and his sins and the Cross. Either Christ is what you are looking for or its not. Either you find Him or your don’t. Which is it, Bono? Found or lost?

Love you all. But you guys are silly. “Salty Talk”?. Honestly. Do your hearts have no nerves? Are you the kind who debate Dostoevsky’s Christianity based upon his adhearance to your favorite criteria? I am Greek Orthodox, as orthodox as they come, but I’m getting fed up with calloused church goer. What somebody’s life transform, in another country who doesn’t know what a demonination is, and stand back and wonder. I’m humbled when I see that happen. I want to see it more often.
Bono is preaching the gospel. Can’t you tell?

and sorry for the stupid typos. maybe you shoudn’t bother reading it. (I really do know how to spell. haha.)

I find it amazing that some people can criticize other believers for their faults cos absolutely none of us is perfect. As far as language is concerned im a Born again Christian & one of my greatest struggles is with my language at times which can be foul!. Is it something i revel in? No it isnt! The apostle Paul in Scripture himself says that he ‘finds himself doing the things he shouldnt do & not doing the things he should do!’ & also that he had a ‘thorn in the side which he wished Christ would remove’.. Noone in this world is perfect & every single professing Christian no matter who they are has a habit or pattern that they would desperately love to be rid off i know i have..
Its a good job that Salvation is by grace alone & not of any good works cos if that was the case then we would all be hellbound!. I would suggest that all of us who profess to be Christians should work on getting our own walk right with God rather than focusing on the faults of others!..

Nigel

hey nigel! that was a very nice reply heheh! i got ministered by your comment!
thanks! =)

Wow! I’ve seen a lot of people who still want to doubt Bono’s faith because of a salty tongue or his song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

As far as the salty language… let’s try to remember that Bono is from and resides in Dublin, Ireland. I don’t know how much about Ireland you people know about but having Irish relatives, I can tell you that the Irish people don’t put the same taboos on profanity that we do. They use it on commercial television and without reservation. I’m not excusing it inasmuch as I am stating that the attitude towards profanity is not quite what it is in America. Bono most likely grew up hearing such language from his family, friends and neighbors.

Secondly, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Lookng For” does not denounce Bono’s faith or belief in God… it simply (and quite beautifully) displays his struggles within his faith. I don’t think anyone can honestly state that they have not struggled in their faith throughout the hardships of their life. Then again, what is faith without doubt but blind devotion? Does God want His children to be honest with Him even if it means we are coming to him with our shoulders shrugged in disbelief? I would think He would want this rather than emply praises from sycophantic fanatics.

We are so quick to judge when a celebrity or worse… a rock star… discusses his faith. Rather than looking for loopholes to disprove this, we should realize we are all lucky our every word and thought is not recorded like Bono’s are. Otherwise, who would doubt our faith?

I saw U2 featured on “They sold their souls for rock n roll” by fight the good fight and I think they owe Bono an apology. Only God can read the hearts of men, but I’m sure to meet Bono in heaven one day and U2 is still my favorite band of ALL TIME! Saved by grace, right on, VERY good news for us all…

Pretty cool. This may be the only way some will ever hear the message of Jesus, like the interviewer.

Well, I am positive that Bono is a Christian. I am a huge fan of their and a Christian myself. But, I felt the need to explain something to Brent. Their song, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, is about a search for God, or more specifically a pursuing of God. This is a very spiritual and philosophical song taken in the correct context. As Christians, we should be always pursuing our Lord. If we aren’t looking, we have lost sight of Him.

The song ” I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” really makes you think, and I think that’s Bono wanted. The thing is, we can never stop searching, we will never be done searching, there is never a point in anyone’s life when they can say “I know everything about God”. Bono blatantly states that he believes in what Christ has done for him, he has spoke in the tongues of angels, he has done so many acts of faith, but we will never have done it all, we need to keep running, keep searching, keep looking, because God gave us one life, one love, one life you got to do what you should, one life with each other, sisters, brothers, one.

Bono is a catholic or a christian. Their is a difference catholics are a bit more nominal than christians. But that is not the case a the moment. WWJD. That is the case.

Jesus wouldn’t call Chris Martin a wanker. I think he needs a reality check.

U2 has great music but they can not be lukewarm otherwise God will spit them out of his mouth.

If he truly accepted Christ,he should now take up his cross and follow him.You cant serve GOD and mammon both.Do away with the old things such as wordly music and use your
talent for Gods praises.If song lyrics are contrary to Gods word and his purpose,then
they should be done away with

Ha, Rod, you obviously haven’t listened to u2’s music, have you? If you look closely at a LOT of their songs, you can see the biblical overtones including Beautiful Day as well as Vertigo. For example, in Beautiful day there are references to “sad” situations that turn out for good. In the third and fourth lines, it describes when there was no room for Baby Jesus. Later in the song, he tells of Noah’s Flood. They don’t need to put your so called “worldly music” away because it might not be so worldly after all. Not all Christian singers are going to be Chris Tomlin–they can minister in other ways.

I salute and applaud Bono for the way he has not only survived, but touched the world and continues to do so while living his Christian life right at the gates of Hell. His brutally honesty about his walk as a christian, touches the lives of those who are tired of a form of christianity that claims once saved all is rosey. His compassion for the poor, the downtrodden, the brokenhearted is something each christian should strive for.
Bono is very much serving God in the arena of public life and rock music. Worhsip is not confined to worship services and prayer meetings but should be something which can been seen in each facet of our lives as Christians. Bono is walking the walk and talking the talk, just not in a hyper spiritual christianese. Pray for him instead of condemning him, he is doing the Lords work as best he can, an ambassador/representative for Christ. Lukewarm is not a way I would characterise the way U2 are living.

Neat to see a lot of people not being so judgmental here. Would anyone consider Dog the Bounty Hunter to not be a Christian? Jonny Cash? Is Samson in Heaven, David with his multiple wives? I broke the speed limit the other day (got a ticket too) and therefore broke “the laws of the land” am I not a Christian, all sins are equil you know. I think the best statement Bono made in defense of people questioning his Christianity is this: “That’s between me and God.”

The funniest part of that article was this: Yet many people question whether Bono is “really” a Christian, due to his notoriously bad language, liberal politics, and rock star antics (though he has been faithfully married for 23 years).

So you can’t be Irish (drink a lot and sware), a democrat, and a rock star (I admit I am not a fan of the Mcfisto skit of the ninetys). Jesus said “it is your actions that make you a Christian” right?…wait. Or was it something about grace, I can’t remember.

He has done some foolish things, he curses in a few songs, it’s recorded so that makes it worse. Not excusing it, but he is Irish, and we are Americans. A cultural difference there. But on the other hand he as done a lot more to get the gospel out there than I have. Almost every song on October is a praise song, Then there are Christian tones in Droning man and 40 on War, Wire and Pride on Unforgettable fire, Streets and Still haven’t found on Joshua Tree, Until the end of the world on Auctune Baby, Lol, then we get a little off for 2 albums, have to admit that. But we are back for the last three especially with No line on the Horizon. How many times have I heard Magnificent in the background while watching the NBA playoffs. Michael W. Smith hasn’t done that, though he will be playing the organ in one of the songs on U2s next album so that makes it all better.

BTW I thought Mother Teresa was nominal too.

Well the whole “salty” thing is a bit of an enigma to me. Seems like the Apostle Paul was pretty “salty.” Seems like most of the OT writers were a bit “salty” as well. God knows the heart and pretense in the way we speak has always bothered my within the Church. Seems to me that God is looking for transparency and being real way more than using the “right words.”

Bono, like the the authors of scripture speaks to the REALITY of the human condition. We are all in need and imperfect and the realization of this great need and imperfection is the fundamental starting point. Seems to me that Bono gets that point.

So I say our best works are like tampons (a more accurate translation of Paul) and realizing that is the the start of the journey to making a differance.

Wait…what do you have against tampons?

Secular music is just that! It portrays the world and the things around it! U2, I have followed before most people in the US even heard of them. I became a Christian in 1983. A kid came up to me and told me that they were a Christian Band! I was young in Christ, and thought……OK! I don’t believe that anymore! Yes, they have some good songs and I know all the lyrics to most of them! But what people on here are saying is that just because they have a spiritual sense to them, they are Christians. Why don’t they sing about Jesus! Is not the greatest commandment, Love the Lord your God with all your heart? Google “Wake Up Dead Man”…… And tell me that a Christian would sing this song! Love you all!

Bono is not only a Christian, he is a great Christian.

Yep “Wake up dead Man” was a song on the Pop album that I did not like either, it has the f-word. Like I said before he is Irish. The song sounds to me like he is crying out to God, and the dead man might be himself. He ends that album with that song and starts the next with “Beautiful Day”

Bono and the Edge, and I think one other Member of U2 was part of a spirit filled Bible study at their school during the writing of the October Album. I’d like to point out that he does mention Jesus in some of his songs. Check the lyrics out on these:

October: Tomorrow …”He’s coming back, He’s coming back, oh believe it…Jesus is coming”
War: Sunday Bloody Sunday … “Claim the victory Jesus won”
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: Yahweh

Can’t think of others off the top of my head that mention Jesus name, but here are some that are strongly implied, go check these lyrics:
Gloria
Rejoice
Tomorrow
With A Shout
Scarlet
Drowning Man
40
Pride – not so much though
Wire – Song about how bad Satin is
Where the streets have no name – About heaven , and Bono sings Live from Boston “What can I give back to God for the blessings he has poured out on me”…then talks about salvation, tough to hear over the crowd
I still haven’t found what I am looking for
When love comes to town
Until the end of the world – actually about Judas and Jesus
The wanderer
Beautiful Day
Grace
Vertigo
All because of you
Magnificent
Moment of Surrender

Christian?–Does he reflect the fruits of the Spirit–Please be fruit inspectors people, then you will find the truth about professing Christians. If Bono uses profanity without regret-what fruit is he showing?-

maybe bono should ask… ” are you a christian .”

mmm… Bono may be a Christian, but that’s what I call a “Bubble Christian”, he may know the material, but he does not believe in it, so his does not live real Christian life, people, beware, this is some kind of BAD TESTIMONY he is giving, “Salty Language”???? that’s nonsense, there is not a middle between Heaven and hell, you cannot please satan and God at the same time, then you’ll be warm, not cold or hot, but warm. And “warmness” doesn’t gets Heaven.

One thing I’M NOT CRITICIZING BONO, we all have mistakes, and God took us all from different places, different situations, awful situations, but He is mercyful, lovely, and glorious to take us from there, and put us in the highest of highest!!! Bono is not bad, what he does is bad, that’s my point ^^

And one more thing, for every Christian and not Christian , STOP CRITICIZING AND START PRAYING! criticizing doesn’t help, praying saves.
God bless you all!!!
seeeyaaaaa =D

I just went to a U2 Concert last week. I wasn’t familiar with their music but my husband wanted to go and I had heard that Bono and the Edge were christians and were excited to see how they would profess their faith. I was a little disappointed. They had 60,000 people doing anything they asked…clapping, sitting, standing, whatever. I don’t quite understand why he didn’t take 5 minutes to introduce his audience to his Savior. I’m pretty sure there were unbelievers in the audience that didn’t know that he professed Christ as his Savior. His songs need to be translated better if he is leaving his testimony to be deciphered through them. I no doubt believe Bono is a good person and does good things. I’m not here to judge his Christianity. I just think Jesus needs to be the celebrity not Bono.

I’m not christian, and I’m tired of everyone trying to get me to believe in it.
People can believe in whatever they want, if it makes them happy, then why question it?
I think jesus would want us to live the way it makes us happy, not to live under the rule of religion if that makes you unhappy.

Hello…
It’s interesting to read everyone’s thoughts. I was just thinking how I feel that

I grew up just a few miles from Bono and I think everyone here needs to understand why he does not shove his Christianity in the faces of his fans. Growing up in a country where Christians murder other Christians, shoot them, knee cap them, blow their heads off, cut them to pieces, all in the name of their particular Christian sect, that leaves a mark that you cannot forget. Bono understands that the most un Christian thing to do is to force people to hear a message they are not ready to hear or promote one interpretion of scripture over another. Christ never preached a message of division, yet Ireland has been divided and torn apart by religion for centuries.

What I respect about Bono and U2 is that they infuse their beliefs into their music is a subtle way that makes you thing about your life. They are not trying to convert people, they are shouting out praise to their God. The symbols are there in every single song, even Dead Man. The ironic thing is that most Christians completely miss it!

Bono is no saint however, and he has no excuses for the language he chooses to use. I grew up in the same place and era and heard that same language, and I am no longer a religiously active Christian, but I do not use that language.

hi again, I just want to make some points clear, first I’m sorry if my English isn’t that good, I’m not a native speaker, but well. I think some people here are a bit confused about religion and Christianity; you must remember that essential difference between those two words. Religion is like a title, like a doctor, engineer, counter, when you graduate from college or university, and get that title, you are that, no matter if you work on that, or you are retired, or simply don’t want to work, Christianity is different, if you want to be Christian you have to BE Christian because a half Christian is not useful to God, is true, when you accept Jesus Christ in your heart as your one and only Savior, you have salvation on your side, and you are no longer creation, but you are son, and God turns to be more than the strict, powerful, almighty God, but also the tender and lovely Father everyone needs, but still!!! if salvation is on our side, why does satan keeps bothering us?? because we can also get lost, and loose salvation, but salvation is a gift from Jesus Christ to us and we can easily accept it, but you have to love God, and live as if He is your God, because if you don’t love Him, you don’t obey Him, yes is awful.. but He is good and if you ask for forgiveness and believe in His forgiveness, no matter what you have done, He’ll forgive you, when Jesus Christ died on that Cross, He died for more than your actual sins, He died for your past, present and future, and He died also for the killers, thugs, rapists, even for satanists, because THERE IS NO SIN BIGGER THAN HIS LOVE, remember that ^^.

mmm now, about Bono, mmm Sunshine says a good point, the thing is that when you do something you must always ask Him first if God likes that, and always try to live every day of your life for His Glory, I’m not judging but I believe that Bono instead of talking about Him, he makes himself more famous, and the Word says that what you talk is what is in your heart, and if you talk so much abouts yourself, is because you are first in your life, while God must be the one having that place, but the problem is that Bono is doing something really dangerous :S, he is giving a bad testimony.. and he talks about it like if its ok, it is dangerous because if people start getting away from God because they want to be like him, he will get punish :S that is what the word says, it says that their blood will ask for revenge, and revenge will be taken from the hands that were guilty of that, yeah maybe is not exactly like that, but that’s the way it says in Spanish and I’m not sure how to say it in English.

well everyone, it was a pleasure to talk about this ^^. God bless you all!! =D
seeeyaaaaa!!!