I'd been going with that "shrooms" theory for years. Seems weird to find out now that it may have been just a rumor.
I can't speak for anyone; I've never had a hard time admitting that I like--no, LOVE--Creed's music. I'll speak up for them to this day, without an ounce of shame. Creed was four accomplished musicians that made great music while it lasted; other factors overshadowed that aspect somewhere. And plus, there's a very high chance that I'd either be crazed or deceased if I hadn't found what I found in Creed's music, so what right do I have to be ashamed of them?
I still get the "Christian band" thing. The point is, religious/spiritual imagery in the lyrical content does not a Christian band make. If that's the case, then Alter Bridge could be a Christian band as well, not to mention a few other blatantly non-religious bands. I believe that falsehood stemmed more from Stapp's personal stuff than anything the band as a whole conveyed.