I was recently directed to an interview with Miley Cyrus in Parade. The interview reveals some thoughts on her move away from a young star branded as Hanna Montana into maturity and a more private life. More revealing is the fact that she was baptized in a Southern Baptist church in 2005 and gives some insight into how she sees her Christian faith. As a Southern Baptist, or more importantly, as a Christian I am concerned about Miley’s statements on Christianity.
I have this observation about American Christianity summed up with this statement – American Christians have freedom to their detriment.
We are free from persecution, accountability, responsibility, etc. There is a tendency to individualize Christianity to the extent that one’s Christian faith becomes like a get out of jail free card with no historical or theological context. The claim of “Jesus saved me” turns into a propositional statement void of any real meaning. The Christian faith is a living faith not one that is turned on and off at one’s convenience.
Upon reading Miley’s statements, understanding her influence and having a daughter of my own I thought about responding. I may still respond, but my friend and fellow blogger has already done so. And she has done so well. The open letter starts below.
Dear Miley,
I’m under no delusions that Miley Cyrus will ever read this, but I’m going to go ahead and call it an open letter to her all the same. Maybe someone else who needs to hear it will, and maybe it will give them something to think about:
I think it was maybe two or three years ago when I first started hearing about Hannah Montana. Not being a tween myself and not having girls who were tweens yet, Hannah Montana just wasn’t something that came across my radar. Then of course the girls heard about the show and watched it one day and that was that, they’ve liked Hannah ever since. Truth be told, I do too. The characters on the show (Hannah, Lily, Oliver, Jackson, Rico, Robbie Ray, etc.) are all fairly likeable characters and some are just plain funny in a very simple, innocent, fun way. Yes it’s true, I watch Hannah Montana with the kids. I watch most of the shows they watch to make sure what they’re watching is decent. I even know all the HSM songs, and Camp Rock songs, and do in fact think Sponge Bob and Fairly Odd Parents are two of the funniest cartoons going today. I know, it’s an occupational hazard. Go Wildcats!
Now, that’s my condensed version opinion about Hannah and the show and other kid-fare available today.
Miley Cyrus, on the other hand, is a completely different person than cutesy, likable, Hannah Montana. As adults we all know this, but as kids the lines are very blurred and that’s where the real issue is. She’s certainly not the only teen-pop-star who once did cutesy, innocent, fun, girly roles and then grew up and was no longer that cutesy little character. They all grow up, and they all do different things but the problem can be when your girls still want to follow their career, buy their music and see their movies even after they leave cutesy behind and start doing more adult type projects. Sometimes those adult type projects may not always be so wholesome and decent as the once cutesy girl was involved with. In the minds of the fans, it’s still “Hannah Montana” (or whatever character they happened to play at the time when the girls first “met” them) but in reality that’s not who or what they are at all. Sometimes, trying to explain that to a young girl who is a fan is like talking to a wall.
I thought about all this after I read Miley Cyrus’ recent interview with Parade. I’d seen it mentioned on twitter and clicked through to read it, since my girls are indeed fans of Hannah Montana. What I read left me rather disappointed. Now to some, no matter what I say in the way of observation about her statements in this interview, it’s going to come across as judgemental. The fact of the matter is however, she claims to be a Christian and the truth about what a Christian is, is not what she represented in this interview. Obviously she doesn’t realize what a true Biblical Christian is, and that’s a shame. No question about it, there are likely millions of people exactly like her who have these same kinds of ideas and think that makes them a Christian.
Read the whole thing…
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Whining about Miley Cyrus, probably not going to persuade lost people to accept Christ and probably not going to produce much edification among the body of Christ.
Who is whining? That's quite a uncharitable choice of words. You have no idea who it will or will not persuade so I'm glad you used the word “probably”. Do you think that Miley is going to persuade people to Christ? Or that her image and actions are going to edify?
I'm not whining nor angry, etc. I'm disappointed as the parent of a teen. Miley's Disney show has been a decent, clean show, but now she is essentially shunning it. She is now proudly proclaiming that she'd pole dance again along side proclaiming Christ.
Her influence in this area remains to be seen, but it is still worth speaking about.
Stalking folks' blogs and commenting negatively on everything they post probably won't either
Stalking folks' blogs and commenting negatively on everything they post probably won't either
Hey Wes,
Lots of people are not persuaded or edified by the Gospel. Does it follow that we should not preach it?
Oh one more thing. Please get over yourself.
Chris
Wes can always be counted on to troll in and make a disparaging comment against someone who is attempting to explain or defend the Christian faith. Thanks Wes.
Is pole dancing in and of itself wrong? Martha Stewart doesn't seem to think so (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xKo6ENm5iY)
Seriously, though. We spout negative messages like this all the time and we wonder why our image is almost wholly negative. Is that what Jesus said we should be known for? Correcting adolescent teenage girls' theological views?
Was the video or the comment about pole dancing relevant in some way that I missed?
Seriously, though, Wes. You spout negative messages frequently.
Yes we should be correcting adolescent teenage girls' theological views. Whom else do you think will do so Wes?
“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deut. 11.18-19)
You need to examine yourself Wes. Seriously.
I apologize for not taking into account your lack of a sense of humor CL. Please feel free to ignore that section.
In regards to the rest of your comment as well as the one you left for me below all I have to say is: Really?
“Yes we should be correcting adolescent teenage girls' theological views. Whom else do you think will do so Wes?”
Well, their parents for one thing. The verse you cited, along with the one Jewish kids learned several chapters before it in Deut 6:4 (the shema) seems to indicate that it is the parents primary responsibility to teach their children. I believe Billy Ray has and is doing that quite effectively with Miley all things considered (her comments in the Parade article seem to bear this out as well).
Oh, you might argue that it is our responsibility to help parents raise their children as part of a community of believers. But the key word there is “help”. I can tell you from experience (and speaking for my wife as well), when I meet random strangers who feel they know how to raise my children better than I it takes a fair amount of self-control not to punch them in the face. Like I said above, you have to earn the right to comment, critique, or “help”. You need to demonstrate more than a passing interest in me, my children, and my family. Same goes for Miley. Mark admitted he hadn't followed Miley and only recently started looking into her after recieving a tweet regarding her interview in Parade.
I actually have followed Miley Cyrus somewhat (mostly because of my niece I swear!) and I have to say that such critique of her is really unwarranted. It reminds me of how Christians get all upset every Christmas over stores who won't tell them “Merry Christmas”. Cry me a river.
Come on, we have much better things to do and discuss than an adolescent teenage girl.
I'm done here.
heres the thing, im a miley fan, i think she has a great talent, but I am concerned for her soul, she is of age, and accountable for her sins, as Christians, it is our job to reach out to the youth and tell them the truth of Jesus………you cant live any way you want to and expect to make it to heaven.
I am not sure how my sense of humor or lack thereof is relevant to my question asking about the relevance of the video or corresponding comment but I will go ahead and ignore it.
I am not sure how “Really?” addresses any of my concerns here either.
Parents should certainly be indoctrinating their daughters as should the community of believers. Miley’s comments did not evidence that she has understood or practiced the Christian doctrine she learned from her parents (assuming that she did learn it from her parents).
“I can tell you from experience (and speaking for my wife as well), when I meet random strangers who feel they know how to raise my children better than I it takes a fair amount of self-control not to punch them in the face.”
Perhaps you should examine yourself with respect to this as well for a number of reasons.
“You need to demonstrate more than a passing interest in me, my children, and my family. Same goes for Miley.”
Aside from not really being relevant since Miley is a public figure who made the false and concerning comments that she did; this has nothing to do with your original comment which was, “Whining about Miley Cyrus, probably not going to persuade lost people to accept Christ and probably not going to produce much edification among the body of Christ.” I addressed that comment. You responded with a hollow, “Really?” I am not overly interested in your ad hoc justifications elsewhere.
“I have to say that such critique of her is really unwarranted.”
It is warranted by Scripture, truth, and love. I am telling you man, you need to check yourself. Your comments really concern me.
“Come on, we have much better things to do and discuss than an adolescent teenage girl.”
And yet you are here.
we have much better things to do and discuss than an adolescent teenage girl.
Oh, is that why you came here and spent the time you spent correcting the rest of us? How noble!
May God help her and bless her.
Miley is such a beautiful girl, very talented. God loves her but she should learn more
about God and read the gospells so that she can be a real Christian.
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