Famed Rock Star Opens Up About His Faith, Career: 'I Believe That Jesus Was...the Son of God

"It's very annoying following this person of Christ around, because He's very demanding of your life."

Bono, U2's lead singer, made headlines this week after excerpts were released from his fascinating radio interview with Focus on the Family (FOF), a Christian organization. Today, the group made available the entire exchange, offering it on the FOF website. From discussing his passion for helping the poor to detailing an intense faith in Jesus Christ, the famed musician offered up a candid -- and surprising -- interview.

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Speaking on-air with FOF President Jim Daly, Bono offered a lens into both his personal and professional lives. Perhaps the most interesting tidbits were his statements about Jesus Christ and the gospel -- favorable comments that are rarely uttered by A-list entertainers.

The Edge and Bono attend the Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark celebration of its 1,000 performance on Broadway at Foxwoods Theatre on May 29, 2013 in New York City. Credit: Getty Images for Spider-Man Tur

"So often those that struggle with accepting Jesus Christ as their savior … it's the idea that he's the Messiah. ... how did you respond to that?," Daly asked the singer.

Bono's faith-fueled response to this question is certainly intriguing, as he noted the Biblical mandates that ask adherents to exercise a deep faith in the Almighty.

"Jesus isn't lettin' you off the hook. The Scriptures don't let you off the hook so easily," he said. "When people say, you know, 'Good teacher,' 'prophet,' 'really nice guy' ... this is not how Jesus thought of Himself"

From there, he noted that this dynamic presents a challenge: One must either embrace that Christ was either the Son of God, as he claimed, or a total and "utter nut case." Deciding between the two is necessary, Bono maintains, based on what we know of Jesus' character.

"I believe that Jesus was, you know, the Son of God," the singer added. "And I understand that ... we need to be really, really respectful to people who find that ridiculous and ... preposterous" (around the 14:00 mark in the video).

Listen to the entire interview (and read more about its contents below the video):

In a lighthearted portion of the discussion about the challenges associated with being a Christian, Bono also said, through laughter, that, "It's very annoying following this person of Christ around, because He's very demanding of your life."

Daly, of course, admitted that it is, indeed, tough to keep in-line with the faith. These are only a few of the elements discussed.

During the exchange, Bono also detailed his mother's death when he was a teenager and spoke about both his wife and some of the the elements associated with fatherhood. Later, he detailed his activism in fighting against HIV/AIDS and poverty, among other issues.

(H/T: Christianity Today)

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