Manson Gets Biblical

By Stephen M. Silverman

03/25/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

Shock rocker Marilyn Manson won't cancel his Denver concert near Columbine High, where his lyrics were said to have inspired the 1999 blood bath at the school. But he will, he has announced, pepper his show with Bible verses. "This way," Manson, who seemed to be dripping with sarcasm, said in a statement posted on his Web site, "fans will not only hear my so-called 'violent' point of view, but we can also examine the virtues of wonderful 'Christian' stories of disease, murder, adultery, suicide and child sacrifice. Now that seems like 'entertainment' to me." The church-affiliated group Citizens for Peace and Respect had requested that Manson (whose real name is Brian Warner) cancel his June 21 Denver appearance. The group, reports the Associated Press, includes teens and victims' families of the Columbine massacre, who say Manson's music glorifies hate and violence. Protests are reportedly planned.