American Idol Contestant Chris Sligh is Questioned About His Faith
Apparently, American Idol contestant, Chris Sligh, is experiencing criticism for being a Christian who is trying to make it in the entertainment business - FROM CHRISTIANS!!! Read the article HERE. This pretty well illustrates my last post. Maybe he is a really strong Christian who does not want to spend his life in a Christian bubble. Maybe he wants to affect the world around him and be "salt and light." Anyway, read the article and tell me what you think. I think that the guy is pretty cool and he is my favorite contestant (I seriously don't watch the show or know any of the other contestants, but I happened to watch it the night that he interviewed in Birmingham - he was really funny).
Bob Jones? Are you suprised?
Posted by: Kevin Bussey | March 20, 2007 at 03:57 PM
Is he supposed to sing "How Great Thou Art" every week or something? I don't understand the criticism.
Posted by: Tim Ellsworth | March 20, 2007 at 04:23 PM
The whole public eye/accountability thing is dizzying. We place different expectations on different personalities.
How can Christian leaders make known to people (Christian and otherwise) when a public personality who confesses faith (or claims to) is acting inappropriately? Is it their/our responsibility? Does it matter if the person's faith is not at the forefront of their popularity? What should be said when Rene Russo takes off her clothes or Stephen Baldwin displays acute mental instability? How much of the collective "wrestling with our faith" should be made public and how much is, in the words of our chaplain, "a family thing"?
There's definitely a Pharisitical (is that a word?) element to the slamming of someone who hasn't even done anything wrong yet. If there are any legitimate concerns about the direction he *may* be going, sometime in the future, speak to the poor guy privately about it; don't declare it on the hilltops when it's nobody else's business.
Posted by: Beth D | March 20, 2007 at 04:31 PM
If I'm not badly mistaken, I think there are many lost people in the entertainment industry that have little or no witness of Christ. How can we reach them? Get to know them where they are. If we're supposed to stay away from sinners, then how are sinners supposed to hear the gospel? I doubt they're tuning into Christian television or going to Christian bookstores and they're certainly not attending our churches.
I don't understand why some people (so-called "Christians") just don't get it. Go for it, Chris!
Regards,
Les
Posted by: Les Puryear | March 20, 2007 at 06:30 PM
I didn't know Rene Russo claimed to be a believer.
The Bob Jones crowd would expect only hymns. They are right of right. The SBC is liberal to them even the Fundamentalist SBC'ers. My parents lived in Greenville for 15 years. Boys and girls can't even get within a few inches of each other without chaperones. Girls have to wear long skirts. My mom went with my dad to the museum a few years ago and she had on pants. They actually gave her a skirt to put over her pants.
Very legalistic!
Posted by: Kevin Bussey | March 20, 2007 at 08:01 PM
Kevin,
They sound like mean Amish.
Les
Posted by: Les Puryear | March 20, 2007 at 09:33 PM
I would like to know why every time someone says they are a Christian who is in the entertainment spotlight, Christians right away feel led to get the magnifying glass out, the check list and proceed to feel it their duty to critique.
Posted by: Debbie Kaufman | March 20, 2007 at 10:06 PM
I don't think there are many people Christian or not who give much credit to Bob Jones U. I think this story will soon die- and hopefully not because Chris gets voted off.
Posted by: Jamie Wootten | March 21, 2007 at 11:46 AM
There have been many "Christian artists" that have been criticized for doing secular music. The critics don't realize that they are indicting themselves, if they're involved in secular occupations, which has been the case in my experience.
Sad.
Posted by: Bob Cleveland | March 21, 2007 at 10:08 PM
Okay, I actually watched American Idol for the first time this season in it's entirety (throughout the whole history of the show, I have only seen last year's final two episodes and one of the audition episodes from Birmingham this year). I'm not exactly hooked on it, because it really drags in places, in my opinion, but I liked Blake Lewis and his beat boxing the best.
24 is another issue entirely.
Posted by: Alan Cross | March 22, 2007 at 12:14 PM