Manson lectures on philosophy

Shock rocker Marilyn Manson has a philosophical side. With an MTV film crew in tow, Manson surprised students in an art and society class at Philadelphia's Temple University with an hour-long guest lecture.

He opened the class with a question: could he share a bottle of red absinthe with the students?

But the liqueur stayed on the desk as Manson - wearing an all-black suit with chrome-tipped platform shoes, dark lipstick and sunglasses - responded to questions about art, politics and religion.

"I'm not someone who doesn't respect religion, but I don't care for the way religion is used to manipulate people," the 35-year-old said. "We create our own gods. We create our own devils."

MTV's college network, mtvU, filmed Manson's classroom appearance for a segment of the Stand In series.