American Idol

Another season has come and gone on American Idol with all its accompanying fanfare. Now let me be upfront with all 0 of my readers and admit that I have never watched a single episode of American Idol. However, it is impossible to visit the plethora of media sources in our great land and not be inundated with Idol chatter. One aspect of this chatter caught my eye and has caused me more than a little consternation. That is the focus on the evangelical vote and it's effect on the shows final outcome. I have even witnessed 'christians' express concern that the media would blame them and their supposed homophobic ideology for the 'gay' contestants demise (I have no clue if this is true or if there was even a gay contestant on the Idol stage). All the while the 'christian boy' is the beneficiary of evangelicalism's homophobia. At least this is the way the 'christians' feared the media reaction would go down. Yet more persecution for the American Church to endure simply because we happen to enjoy our American Idol. Can we not get our fix of worldliness in peace? Why must we endure such contradiction of sinners? Can we not vote for our little 'christian boy' without being persecuted? After all our little 'christian boy' is a worship leader at a church in Arkansas so he must be letting his light shine before men that they may see his talent and glorify him as America's newest idol. Right?
I sometimes feel like Rip Van Winkle and wonder how long I've been asleep. How did it come to this in evangelical circles? It is hard for me to believe that people who claim the name of Christ spend so much of their energy on things such as this. Could it be that all the men, women, and children who have been martyred for Christ laid down their lives so the evangelical world could vote a 'christian boy' as the American Idol? Is this what Christianity has come to in the USA? When we begin to equate a negative response to how we voted in relation to a TV show with persecution we have truly Americanized Christianity. What an insult to all those who came before us who endured persecution for the gospel's sake. Then again persecution for our American Idol vote is our cross to bear and the American way of letting our light shine, and what shines brighter than the American Idol? God save us from ourselves.

Chris Connally
Romans 8:28