Enough, Christians.

This week I've seen several of my Christian friends post controversial and condemning articles to their Facebook wall, apparently in hopes of instructing or admonishing (or pissing off?) the masses. As a Christian myself, to them I say:

ENOUGH. 

Your tactic isn't doing anyone any good. 


For proof, I'd like to show you the following evidence:

These are the articles that were shared.

The first is an article about Lena Dunham's story, and the recent controversy surrounding it.

The second is Katie Couric interviewing a transgender girl about her life and being named as one of Time Magazine's Top 25 Most Influential Teens.

First, let me direct your attention to the Lena Dunham article.

I've taken a screen shot of a portion the post, which was valiantly posted with no personal comments on the article. If you, like most social media savvy folks out there, view likes and favorites as a sign of social media approval, you're already tracking with my argument. This post has only two likes. That means that of all of this person's Facebook friends (the average amount is 338 according to Pew Research), both Christian and people of other beliefs, only two people approved of this friend's message. In case you're curious, that is less than 1%.

Next, I've posted a screenshot of the Katie Couric interview. This Facebook friend posted the loving comment, "What one generation tolerates, the next embraces. Sad to see this lack of parenting and search for 'happiness' tolerated, even celebrated." 

Do you know this girl's parents personally? I think that you're going awfully far out on a very unsteady limb by making that statement. When I watched the interview, I saw very involved parents, seeking to love and care for and understand their child.

Again, you'll see that less than 1% of this person's Facebook friends liked this post. I also love that the people commenting are experts in transgender psychology and surgery. That is fascinating.

Why, Facebook friends, do we feel that the anonymity of the internet allows us to say whatever we want?

We simply cannot continue to publicize our views on social media, and them expect non-Christians to look up to our example of faith and morality. We cannot continue to spew bigotry online and profess unconditional love in person. We cannot tell the Lena Dunhams of the world that their lifestyle makes us want to "stick my head in a food processor" (no kidding, read the blog), and then tell them that Jesus loves them and wants to know them and accepts them.

Enough, Christians.

Instead of spitting lifeless vile, let's hold our tongues (literally if you have to) and stop this garbage that we apparently think is making a difference. We say that we can't stand street corner condemnation preachers, yet our Facebook posts are doing the exact. same. thing.

Speak words of love. Speak words of encouragement. Speak humble words. Speak words of apology.

Or, don't speak. 

I think the biggest epidemic Christianity is facing right now is Christians. We are chasing people -- good, fun, adventurous, caring, loving, searching people -- away. We are driving wedges between ourselves and our neighbors. If there's one thing I know for sure, its that

Jesus did not drive wedges. 

Jesus united people, and loved people, and met people where they were. And, oddly enough, he chose to distance himself from the religious extremists. 

I don't expect that by reading this post you will change your minds about controversial issues like the ones above, but I do hope that you will re-evaluate your social media presence, and ask yourself if you are speaking living words, or words of death. Enough with the wedges.

Unless their potato wedges, and we're sharing them with people that are different than us, engaging them in respectful and loving conversation, and trying to understand the heart of who they are. Those are the kinds of wedges that Jesus likes. 

Beyoncé

I am Beyoncé super-fan. That is far from a secret. Rarely a day goes by where I don't listen to a Beyoncé song. Heck, I'm probably one of the few people I know that makes sure to put the "é" on the end of her name.

Her Grammy performance wasn't subtle or family friendly, and neither is her latest album, BEYONCÉ, which she released with no publicity or warning.  

I will admit that I bought the album as soon as I knew about it. I will also admit that I watched it all the way through, from the beginning, in one sitting. I will also also admit that it was surprising how sexually driven the album was. 

At first, I was really confused: Why does an artist as accomplished as Beyoncé need to use her sexuality to drive sales and promote her music? Why did she have to take her music in a new, more sensual and explicit direction?

The answer: She didn't have to. She wanted to. 

I think there is a huge difference there. 

She isn't another Disney star turning to shock tactics to keep her career alive. 

In Flawless, a song that she uses to establish her dominance as a woman in the hip-hop/r&b world and remind women that their worth doesn't lay in how they look at work that day, she includes a quote from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian writer who uses her works to fight for the equality of women. 

We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, "You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful, otherwise, you will threaten the man." Because I am female I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now, marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support, but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don't teach boys the same? We teach girls to see each other as competitors, not for jobs or accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political and ecomenic equality of the sexes. 

By opening the Grammys the way she did, and by portraying herself in her album the way she did, she did just that: she leveled herself in social status with the men in her profession. 

Look at the men who we compare in skill, talent and experience with Beyoncé:

* Jay-Z (Her husband) - "Shorty like Pepsi, me, I'm the coke man. Body like a Coke bottle, I crush it like a coke can." Venus vs. Mars, 2009

* Justin Timberlake - "Now, can we discuss how fast you just got undress. Girl, if this sex is a contest, then you're coming first." - Cabaret, 2013

* Eminem - Do I even need to put anything here?

Their lyrics and music have had blatant sexual themes for years, but an internet firestorm didn't bash them for their art. In all fairness, Beyoncé has had her share of sexually-charged songs, too. 

But the way that I see her most recent ventures, I see her taking control of her own sexuality, and not letting male artists define for her what it should be. 

On another note, I find it comical that, like most public figures in the spotlight, people stop at the surface. We see the three minutes of television that feature them, and we make immediate judgements. It happens every day to politicians, news anchors, and athletes, too (Richard Sherman, anyone?). 

Most people who commented that they were "disturbed" or "weirded-out" haven't experience the total visual-album experience. They don't know that Beyonce's opening song, Pretty Hurts, is a song about the dangers of pursuing perfection and the damage caused by a fixation on aesthetic beauty. 

"We try to fix something, but we can't fix what we can't see. Its the soul that needs the surgery. Perfection is the disease of a nation."

They don't know that towards the end of the CD, Heaven, she sings about losing a dear friend too soon and the strength it took to let her go. Or that Jealous, her If I Was a Boy-style song, talks honestly about how easy it is to distrust someone, even the person you're married to. Or that her last song, Blue, is about the infatuation she feels each time her daughter speaks her name.

I honestly think that Beyoncé's intentions with this album were these:

1. To express a side of her that the music industry and fans hadn't let her express yet

2. To explore honestly all sides of herself in an industry that is shrouded in mystery and concealment

3. To level the playing field between male and female artists, especially in regards to lyrical content

4. To let go of some narratives that have haunted her for too long

Ultimately, I think that it is important to also remember that Beyoncé is a professional. She gets paid to do her job. And, I think that if I ran into her on the street tomorrow, she probably wouldn't be wearing a one-piece swimsuit with slits in the butt.  She would be dressed in jeans and a sweater, and I would be on the ground, probably dead from heart failure. 

- Seth 

Have you seen the visual album yet? What do you think Beyoncés intentions were? Do you think she sends a clear message, or mixed signals?