Wednesday, July 8, 2009

WHAT!?




Check this story out.


So these are the questions that I keep struggling with as this whole episode comes to an end. (I hope).


1) What does this say about our culture?


2) More specifically; what does this say about our values?


3) When someone famous dies, why do they become an instant "saint" and we want to celebrate their lives? (for lack of a better term)


4) What does the rest of the world think about us when they see stuff like this?


5) How many homeless and low income families could have been fed with the money it cost the city of LA?


6) How much longer are we (mainstream Christianity) going to hold on to this rediculous idea that we are a Christian nation?


Just my quick answers as I observe the last few weeks...


1) We are SHALLOW.


2) Our value system is SO relative its scarry. Morallity and goodness are subjective and relect the shallow nature of our culture.


3) None of us want to be held accountable for our lives either... We hope people will let us off the hook too.


4) No idea, but I can imagine its not positive...


5) Let's say it cost an average of $20 a family... thats 70000 families


6) I hope we give this up sooner than later. I think the amount of damage that is done to the name of Christ when we fall short personally is about the same as when we try to claim that our nation is a Christian nation. (Or that it ever really was) Do we really want to associate Christ with this?


Have a great day!

2 comments:

Susan Sene said...

I must comment...

It has been and will be for years that famous people - ethical or not - are covered immensely by the media once they pass away. I don't know of many - if anybody - who is referring to MJ as a "saint". I've heard a lot of people say how talented he was as an entertainer - and that's true. I don't think it's wrong to celebrate his accomplishments in that area. Plus, what can you expect from a fallen world except praise for a man who was obviously lost - talent ultimately wasted because it was not ultimately giving glory to God? Only by His grace, can I call myself a child of His and not have been in the same situations as someone like MJ.

As for the amount of money spent on the funeral and memorial, I don't think they had much of a choice. It wasn't that they spent a lot of money on balloons and decorations - most was spent on security...something that must be in place because they knew a lot of his fans would flock to their city. I'm sure all those people ended up helping boost the ecomony there - restaurants, hotels, etc. Plus, perhaps some of the police officers were able to acquire some overtime to help their families. Sadly, we know that the focus of spending in many cities is not spent wisely. Yes, that money could have helped a lot of poor families. But then you run into subjectiveness of who REALLY deserves that money - just like the various number of people who are on welfare: most abuse it but some really need it. I guess what I'm sayin is, why would you expect any more from a fallen world?

Which leads me to stating how much longer we'll refer to the US as a Christian nation. I don't consider us a Christian nation. We were founded on Christian principles but have strayed very far from those. I'd assume the rest of the world would assume we're a country that spends unwisely and makes unwise decisions - and hails things which are unimportant as important and vice versa. And I'd expect no less. I don't see our country as one on a Christian pedastool. Maybe I'm in the minority. What this all says about our culure and values is that, as a nation, we are lost and in desperate need of the grace of God. But I honestly cannot expect the blind eyes to see what I have graciously been allowed to see. I can't hold the world to the same standards I have. If not for Him, I'd be in the same circumstances as they.

Not tryin to raise any hairs...I just think it's all really sad and am thankful to God for what He's done for me - and have grown weary of people bashing MJ - despite the person he turned out to be, that could have been me.

Anonymous said...

NICE BLOG.