This past weekend the American Music Awards aired on ABC and included the usual cast of those caught up in the hedonistic lifestyle. I didn’t watch, due partly to lack of interest and due wholly to a lack of any semblance of morality on those shows, but the clips shown on the news were quite shocking and despite complaints that are pouring in, I don’t think the outcry is at all sufficient. These types of shows normally have several points of controversy which speaks to the old adage of ‘any publicity is good publicity’, but what happened this time reaches a whole new level. The controversy is swirling around American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert, who is openly gay, and who used his performance on stage to kiss one of his male band members and to simulate a sexual act on stage as well. What’s shocking to me is not the fact that this happened, as I’ll explain in a moment, but that it was actually allowed to air because this showed a lack of accountability by ABC and all those involved with the broadcast.
Immediately following his performance, Lambert offered the following response to Access Hollywood, “If I offended some people… well it’s apples and oranges. I’m not an artist that does things for every single person. I believe in artistic freedom and expression. I believing in honoring the lyrics of the song and those lyrics aren’t really for everybody either. I wish people could open their minds and enjoy things. It’s all for a laugh. Shock rock is fun.”
Artistic freedom and expression, honoring the songs lyrics, open your minds and enjoy, all for a laugh, and shock rock is fun. How sad. In all seriousness I will be praying for Mr. Lambert because he’s completely lost. After seeing the news clips on the performance, one passage immediately came to mind and it’s so applicable to today’s world. Romans 1:18-28 ESV:
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
This is a pretty intense passage, one that I won’t discuss in detail at this time, but I just wanted to point out a few of the verses in context. Verse 21, “21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened,” verse 24, “24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,” and verses 26-27, “26For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
Let those passages sink in for a minute and then think about all that’s going on in our world, particularly in the United States. Look at the direction we’re heading towards and what we’ve become already. Is a God-less society really that far off? This performance at the AMA’s is just a microcosm of the depravity that’s taking place and not only have we migrated to condoning it, but we now glorify it on primetime television for every home, Christian and non-Christian, to see. Is this really an American Idol? My question is this Christian, are you part of the world or apart from the world? What’s it going to take to wake us up and realize that unless we repent of our sins and turn back to God we are destined for His wrath? This isn’t a game.
“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14
“For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him” Romans 1:21a ESV
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