no more

are we making idols?

I think I found this site on Angel's blog...very cutting edge. Very Relevant. This probably is one of the good sites I've seen with articles written by ordinary christian people like you and me who are neither theologians or ministers and stabs the point right down where it is. By the way, its a good magazine/site for artistes and those in the industry. =) Thanks Angel for putting up the link on your blog!!!

And please do refer back to the original article, and read everything! I know of people who are selective readers... no offense to anyone but to fully understand this, I would advice that you'll read everything and ponder about it!

Relevant Magazine http://www.relevantmagazine.com/

Full text of the original article title "Christian Idol" at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/article.php?sid=5435

The writer discuss about how christians have this culture that artist who are christians has to be the perfect example in some sense (my intepretation of the article).

Extracts :
I wanted somebody who could be displayed among the world so that they could know that all Christians aren’t judgmental, they aren’t self absorbed and egotistical and they don’t all listen to terrible music. I wanted a human version of God himself, displayed for all the nations to see. They become our very own Christian poster boy/girl.

Extracts :
Idolatry in its purest form is putting something other than God in a place where only God belongs. This includes my favorite pastor, speaker, musician, actor/actress or anyone else you feel is worthy to be elevated. I was first awakened to this by a Christian actor (who has been put on this elevated level by many people) was speaking. He simply said: “My fame is dead.” This world is way too big for me or anyone else to really make a name for ourselves. Our fame echoes for about five minutes after we die and it is over. The name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, echoes th
roughout all of eternity. Instead of working to elevate a man to His place, how about we leverage our lives for a name that will echo into all of eternity?

Full text of the original article title "Christian Idol" can be found at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/article.php?sid=5435

Copyright 2005, Relevant Media Group, Inc.
Disclaimer : I am no way of affliated or associated with the writer or the publishers of this article and posting this particular portions of the article for discussion purposes. Should this infringe copyrights, please contact me at jean dot tan [at] gmail.com and I will remove the extracts immediately. Thanks!

The following are my thoughts and reflections :

Well even though the article's setting is pertaining to the western world culture, the underlying issues are not uncommon to the Asia.

Although it isnt wrong that even artistes are blessed with gifts to execrise too and to let the Good News of the Gospel to be preached like any christians, it doesnt mean that when a artist who happens to be a christian has to be doing christian things to show the world that they are christians. Nor making these artistes who happen to be a christian by faith should make them a medium of conduit of God's Word by proxy in some sense. Or because they are christians who are artistes as well, as a reader comments "[We hope for those labled "Christian " to be elevated to celebrity status so that our own faith will gain credibility in the eyes of the world...however, when our idols fall into temptation ( as they almost always do) , our faith is discredited ]"

And when they do things that is not so christian, they get criticisms. When they dont do things that are not so christian, they get it as well.

And so we have the term Christian Artistes. Nothing wrong - there's a genre call Christian Artistes in music. However, it does depends where you are standing. There's a lot of instances especially artistes in the music industry. For example when some bands are found out to be christians, they make it a point to let people know they are christians but they are not a christian band. And a couple more out there as well. And what follows after that are possibility a group of faith defending people bashing these artistes. (wah what a hard life being one!)

Put it this way - being an artiste is their job. And possiblity passion, while some has a calling to be in the line that they are. We should never presume any particular person should they be an artiste, a writer or minister to be moulded or elevated into the status of being the one followed. That's somewhat like fame. Like any other humans with a job, they are still real humans like you and I. There is only ONE person we should be following the example of!

While representing God's love and truth to the world, its also necessary to direct people to the one and only God - and let not fame swallow up for the moment of self fulling glory.

Preach the infalliable truth - the Word of God.

Hope I'm getting this right and covered everything. Views are welcomed. =)

posted by gloomy @ 1:23 PM