The Newsboys: Popular Christian rock band co-founder is now an atheist

This is from the file, "You Can't Make This Stuff Up". Here in the little City of Lake Worth, Florida, the Newsboys became an item when a small local church, operating out of a coffee shop, declared John James of the Newsboys was going to be a guest at their recent Easter service. What wasn't made clear was John James had left the band 18 years ago. You can read all about that here.

Now the story takes a turn for the bizarre. George Perdikis, who co-founded the Newsboys published this on January 21, 2015, titled: I Co-Founded One of the Most Popular Christian Rock Bands Ever… and I’m Now An Atheist

Here are two excerpts from the post written by George Perdikis:

     In 1985, I co-founded Newsboys, one of the most successful Christian rock bands in history. You may have heard the band’s music in the film God’s Not Dead. The band’s album of the same name hit No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart.
     And I’m now an atheist.

[and later. . .]

     The Christian music scene is populated by many people who act as though they have a direct hotline to a God who supplies them with the answers to the Universe. [emphasis added] There seems to be more ego and narcissism amongst Christian musicians than their secular counterparts.
     Recently, the Newsboys were featured in the movie God’s Not Dead. The movie demonstrated the pervasive attitude of Christians. They demonized everyone while giving a pass to their own particular brand of Christianity, making themselves look like fluffy white angels with perfect, synchronized lives.
     The truth is — from someone who knows what went on then and what goes on now — the Newsboys aren’t as holy as they profess. Instead of wearing a mask of “righteousness,” they should acknowledge that they are struggling as much as everyone else.
     Now that’s a movie I’d like to see.

Here is the movie Mr. Perdikis is referring to, God's Not Dead. John James, for those who are interested, left the band in 1997 for treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse. Here is one of the most popular songs by the Newsboys from 1996 when John James was still the lead vocal for the band:

So, what does all this have to do with the City of Lake Worth, FL? Other than an interesting story not a whole lot. Lake Worth is one of the most diverse and accepting communities you'll find in the State of Florida. You'll see more COEXIST bumper stickers here, per capita, than any other city in the nation. And if you've heard Lake Worth requires a tax to operate a church, well, that's not true. More on that later.