Jesus Idol

American Idol” controversies continue, from a gay stripper to Jesus.\nI’m uneasy about “American Idol’s” recent singing-for-Christ theme nights. Two weeks ago, one contestant sang Dolly Parton’s “Travelin’ Thru” with the lyrics, “We’ve all been crucified and they nailed Jesus to the tree, and when I’m born again you’re going to see a change in me ... Oh, sweet Jesus, if you’re out there, won’t you keep me close to you.” This one barely registered on my radar. After all, it’s country music, and Christian references are common in the genre.\nHowever, the next night of “Idol’s” featured performances made me raise an eyebrow. The Clark Brothers sang a countrified version of “This Little Light of Mine” followed by Dolly Parton’s performance of her newest single, “Jesus and Gravity.” The first song was merely annoying. I couldn’t take Dolly’s song seriously because the lyrics were too ridiculous for me to care. I shrugged off “American Idol for Christ, Part One.”\nBut last week during their fundraising event, “Idol Gives Back,” I found it much more difficult to ignore the Christian evangelism in “American Idol for Christ, Part Two.” First, Mariah Carey sang, “He said he’d never forsake you or leave you alone. Trust him ... Carry me home. Jesus!” Then for the grand finale, several Idol finalists sang a popular gospel song “Shout to the Lord.” The lyrics begin with “My Jesus, my savior, Lord there is none like you. All of my days, I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love.”\nSome Christian viewers were outraged because the performance replaced the word “Jesus” with “shepherd.” One wrote indignantly, “I realized that while ‘Idol’ may be giving back, ‘Idol’ producers also took away.” As if the word change somehow altered the meaning of the song. How many “shepherds” do you hear praised as “savior” and “lord?” Not to worry, Christian zealots – all eight finalists gave an encore performance the following night, and they put Jesus back into the lyrics.\nI do not wish to silence expression of faith, nor am I questioning the artists’ right to sing what they will. However, I am strongly questioning the judgment of “American Idol” producers.\nThe producers put the “Idol” contestants in an uncomfortable and unfair position. A non-Christian performer isn’t going to sit out for the performance and become “the ‘Idol’ who refused to sing about Jesus.” They are pressured into singing the praises of a mythical figure they might not embrace.\nThe producers also alienate viewers and institutionalize one faith over all others. When “Idol” demands that all contestants sing together for a benefit performance, then those voices no longer represent individual expression but instead become an institutionalized voice of the show – a voice that should not be evangelizing to a diverse audience of American viewers with a broad range of faith traditions.\nHopefully, “Idol” producers will keep Jesus off the stage this week. Let him watch from home and wish the gay stripper hadn’t been voted off.