"J. LO AND SHAKIRA'S SUPER bOWL "PERFORMANCE' AND OUR CULTURE'S MIXED MESSAGES" - John Stonestreet, Breakpoint.org, 02/4/20; https://www.breakpoint.org/j-lo-and-shakiras-super-bowl-performance-and-our-cultures-mixed-messages/ [AS I SEE IT: When I first saw excerpts from this past Sunday's performance, I remember thinking that I had heard somewhere in the past that J.Lo was a Christian. And sure enough, there was a film clip that showed her praying with her daughter before they both cheered and rushed onto the stage. I didn't hear what they prayed but I cannot imagine that if they were praying to our holy God, He was in any way pleased with what they were about to do. It reminds me of how so many Christians use prayer as a way to spiritualize their sin rather than seeking the guidance of God before they engage in sinful behavior. Their actions only make a mockery of prayer and make God a co-conspirator in their acts of sin. Shame on them! And shame on any Christian who approves of such sexualization of using prayer in such ways. - Stan]
I wish all of our kids were as confused by seeing something like that, but unfortunately, sexuality packaged as music and performance is an all-too-familiar part of our culture. After Beyonce’s version in 2013, Campos-Duffy snarkily commented, “I half-expected a stripper pole to pop out of the platform…” Well this past Sunday, that’s exactly what happened. A stripper pole.
Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime performance, featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, was by far the raciest halftime since Beyonce. For the last several years, there’s been a notable de-sensualization of not only Super Bowl halftimes but also Super Bowl commercials. Even Lady Gaga was comparatively modest in her 2017 performance. It’s almost as if the NFL and its network producers got the message from Campos-Duffy and millions of moms who complained about the visual assault on their children and families.
Well, until Sunday, that is, when the Super Bowl became yet another chapter in the ongoing sexualization of American culture, of women, and of kids. In the midst of our culture’s ubiquitous calls to protect kids and women from abuse and harassment, especially in this #MeToo era, we pretend that as long as we call it “art” or “female empowerment,” that this sort of overt sexualization will magically have none of the consequences we now complain about.
From the beginning, the sexual revolution has promised women that aggressively flaunting skin and sexuality was empowerment, and that divorcing sex from marriage and procreation would be a means to freedom. In reality, it was men who got what they wanted: sexual pleasure without the burden of commitment or requirement of chivalry.
For a brief moment a few years ago, it was almost as if that lie had been exposed. More and more women bravely came forward revealing how they’d been treated horrifically as “sexual objects” and such. But if Sunday’s performance is any indication, we have not learned our lesson.
It’s not only women who are victims of these bad ideas. Years ago, British Prime Minister David Cameron appointed a special adviser on the commercialization and sexualization of childhood because, “Our children are growing up in a very sexualized world.” That was an understatement even then. A far-more accurate description is that this is an out-of-control social experiment, and the guinea pigs are primarily our children. In addition to the predatory, hardcore pornography that haunts their devices and online lives, experimental theories about gender and sexuality haunt their education, and, as we saw Sunday, stripper poles and outfits haunt their so-called “art” and “entertainment.”
Of course, J.Lo and Shakira were a throw-back to a couple decades ago, more for the Xers and Millennials than for the Gen Z’ers. Even so, remember that this performance was on prime-time network television. And check out the lyrics of Billie Ellish or Roddy Ricch, or Lizzo to see if anything has changed.
As my friend Tom Gilson wrote years ago on BreakPoint.org, ethics require that subjects of social experimentation give informed consent. But in our culture, adults force young people, who have no say in the matter, to go along with their fantasies, theories, and so-called expressions of empowerment and freedom. It’s child abuse.
Just as with Beyonce back in 2013, there will be progressive voices, even so-called Christian ones, that will celebrate Sunday’s performance as “empowering women and Latinas” (particularly the child-in-cages part). But using sexuality for power is a triumph for men, not for women, and certainly not for children—it only leads to their objectification and victimization.
After all, I doubt there were very many wives watching their husbands watch, or moms trying to keep their children from watching, Sunday’s performance who felt empowered in any way.
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
"Watching Beyonce’s halftime show with kids raised eyebrows, questions" - Rachel Campos-Duffy | Today | February 5, 2013; https://www.today.com/moms/watching-beyonces-halftime-show-kids-raised-eyebrows-questions-1B8242498
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PRAYER MATTERS:
"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against
the disorder of the world. - Karl Barth
the disorder of the world. - Karl Barth
"Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer."- Stan
World-Wide Prayer Requests:
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Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/
Secret believers in North Korea Winters can be very difficult in North Korea. Food is often scarce— especially this winter following the recent drought. However, even in the midst of this difficulty, Christians often share a portion of their rice with their neighbors—a practice called “holy rice.” One underground leader says, “It’s a great way to build trust and, after trust has been built, to talk about the gospel.” Right now, Open Doors is helping 60,000 Christians with food relief to strengthen the church and empower believers.
February 5 - Pray that government leaders would see the truth of the gospel and to allow for religious freedom within the country.
*Representative name or photo used to protect identity
*Representative name or photo used to protect identity
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