Though I thoroughly enjoyed talking to the journalist and thought he wrote a good story, like many articles, the quotes used were only part of a larger conversation we were having over the phone and don’t represent my view as well as I had hoped.

Let me clarify
1) I completely agree with Baxter – you don’t have to be a Christian to do good and help others. We do that because there’s something deep within us as humans that makes us feel alive when we give life to others. You see it everyday. I personally think that it’s Christ who instills this in every human’s soul, regardless of their religion or background. That’s why I follow Christ and his story… of giving everything he had (even his own life) to humanity so that we could live with freedom and fullness.

2) A lot of people got hung up on the last part of my quote. What I said is that if hypothetically it came down to two singers with equal talent and a voter just couldn’t decide, human nature would probably set in and that voter would choose the person they relate to most (whether they be a Christian, a homosexual, from the same state as the contestant, etc). If we were honest, that’s kind of the sensationalism behind Idol isn’t it? We vote for someone not just because of their ability, but the whole package (how they come off as a person, what they do behind the scenes, their style, their story). HOWEVER, I HOPE Christians aren’t out there judging contestants on whether someone is a Christian or not. That’s ridiculous. Christians should vote on how talented someone is regardless of their beliefs. At its core, that’s what this contest is about.

3) My main point when being interviewed was that I thought it was awesome that Christians seem to be moving away from “copying culture” and actually starting to help create it. For far too long we’ve heard Christian bands that sound like less talented versions of mainstream bands. We’ve made the word “Christian” a genre rather than a person. A few years ago, Christians would have foolishly boycotted a “secular” show like American Idol and probably would have just come up with a safe, alternate version shown only on “Christian television.” I think it’s a small step in the right direction when Christ followers step out of the church and enter a mainstream contest like American Idol, endeavoring to impress people with their talent rather than their beliefs.

Feel free to reply here or go to my blog.

The truth is, no matter how much we like it or not, there will always be christians who strive to be good, but at times fail, and there are christians who really don’t act like Christians. It’s not sounding preachy or anything, but the whole point of the matter is Christians are still human beings, they still make mistakes. Whoever Christian claims to be PERFECT is LYING!!

also, if by chance we believed in love but have met several boyfriends or girlfriends who claimed to love us, but did not love us, left us and broke our hearts? Would we stop believing in love? Is our belief in love based on people showing Love or on Love itself? Think about it. There will always be people who misunderstand and misrepresent the concept of love, but it does not stop love from being love.

I don’t really see him pushing his beliefs on other people, as he refers to it as a personal thing. No one can really know what’s in his mind. Some people say they believe one thing but their actions don’t mirror their words.

I believe pushing your beliefs on someone entail saying “you should believe this thing i believe in”. Saying this is what i believe is just that, what i believe. No ‘you shoulds’ added to it. And the word i think you’re referring to is the Bible.

Also, i guess, whatever contestants choose to play on their videos is entirely up to them. If family is a big motivation for their singing, if the theater is, or if God is, let them be. It is entirely up to them. It is their video, and the content of that the viewers cannot control. You can control who you wanna vote for though, so i don’t see why there’s so much hype over this issue.

Lastly, I believe people don’t need to wear “name tags” for the public to see who they are. How you act towards others portray who you really are, your relationships, principles, and choices define who you are as an individual.

I think if a overtly Christian element brings in viewers, you may find more of that on shows like this, or at least more contestants with overtly Christian stories. It’s all about $$.

All the best,
Joanne

But while it was interesting to see the Idols last season sing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Shout To The Lord,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think it was really fair to those who arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Christians.

Thank you!! I totally felt the same way.

Me too. That was one of the most awkward and miserable things I’ve ever sat through. It was one of those “peek through my fingers at the horror on screen” moments. I’m a Christian, but who on earth wants to watch a bunch of people who don’t believe in it sing it? Awkward, awkward, awkward. And the fact that they had to sing it more than once? If I’d been a contestant, I think that would have been my last day on the show, to tell you the truth. I think I would have quit right then and there.

comment about knowing someone is a Christian by how they look or act just doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t always hold tru. I have a friend who is a minister (Bron Again Christian) and one that is Jewish. They both act and look the sameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦kind, loving people.

This may not be a popular opinion, but Danny gives off different vibes than Kris or Michael. Ummmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦letà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s see, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t find Michael to be a sweet person. I admit he can sing

I tried to delete this post. I was distracted and it came out all wrong. I don’t find Danny to be a sweet person. (Sorry to Michael fans.) That is just my opinion.

It is good to see your reply, Joanne. This has definitely been a hot topic and your response is appreciated. I don’t agree with all you said in the article, but at least you come across as more human.

But while it was interesting to see the Idols last season sing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Shout To The Lord,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think it was really fair to those who arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Christians.

Thank you!! I totally felt the same way.

take care.

And I agree with your other comment about not wanting church on your tv show. I’m happy these contestants are there because they’re talented, not because they’re Christians. Sure, I’m glad to see them do well, but trust me, if I was just voting for the ones who used the name of Jesus or listed Bible verses on their MySpace, I’d have to vote for Tatiana – and that was most definitely NOT happening!

Another reporter asked me if I thought Idol should do a night of Christian music and I told him absolutely not. It wouldn’t be fair to the contestants or the viewers. Idol isn’t a religious show. If a contestant wants to sing a Christian song – David Cook doing a Switchfoot tune, for example – he should be able to. But while it was interesting to see the Idols last season sing “Shout To The Lord,” I don’t think it was really fair to those who aren’t Christians.

Joanne

I totally understand why some of you are offended and apologize if those comments in the article came across as judgmental. They certainly weren’t intended to offend, and in a longer discussion I think you’d see that some of the assumptions about me based on those few sentences aren’t necessarily true.

Anyway, yes, I cover Christian music for Beliefnet, so my job, in addition to covering typical CCM stuff, is to find hot mainstream stories and see how they relate to Christian music. Early on this season on Idol, I noticed a TON of worship leaders on the show, so I started following those contestants. When we got to the top 13, other people noticed that there seemed to be a lot of Christian contestants. (The Associated Press is doing a story this week, in addition to the MTV story.)

I was in NO way advocating that Christians should vote for the Christian contestants. That’s stupid. But I did explain to the reporter that I’m sure that happens. If there’s one thing I understand, it’s the Christian consumer, and if you read my blog, you’ll find that I am a frequent critic of the commercialization of the church. (I mean, someone actually came out with a faith-based energy drink. I want to barf when I see that kind of stuff.)

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I have been trying to read as many of the comments as I can, and I appreciate both the negative (and few positive, LOL) thoughts. I’m not surprised; I have non-Christians who hate me, and Christians who pray for me because they think I’m not a Christian. I actually get feedback from Christian readers who say I shouldn’t even be watching American Idol, LOL. So I’m sure that that article upset people on both sides of the “faith fence.”

If I can answer any questions, please don’t hesitate to head over to my blog and leave a comment on this post:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/gospelsoundcheck/2009/03/mtv-features-gospel-soundcheck.html

Thanks for taking time to read Gil’s article at MTV and for having a thoughtful and honest discussion about faith!

All the best,
Joanne

This may not be a popular opinion, but Danny gives off different vibes than Kris or Michael. Ummm…let’s see, I don’t find Michael to be a sweet person. I admit he can sing.

Anyway, I wanted to express an alternative point of view that I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see expressed here. I have done so, and others can agree with it, consider it, dismiss it, or have whatever other reaction that they wish. But, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not going to continue to go around and around about it.

I think what’s setting people off right now, is not your “alternate point of view” but your questioning their motives. And, actually, questioning your fellow posters’ motives and/or putting words in their mouths, is against the guidelines. Please make note of that.

While there were a couple of people who made it clear that they didn’t care for religion all that much, there were also many self-identified Christians who didn’t care for her statements either. So, there’s your theory, right out the window.

Wow. Talk about making assumptions! Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re questioning the motives of people that you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know.

Pot Kettle Black?

I could go back and copy-and-paste select quotes from this thread which expressly indicate that the persons making them already have some pretty strong, negative feelings toward people associated with this woman’s particular faith background. It’s a pretty logical step then to conclude that these feelings could at least partly shade their perception of what she said. And some of the posts I’m referring to actually say as much, if only saying so indirectly.

Anyway, I wanted to express an alternative point of view that I didn’t see expressed here. I have done so, and others can agree with it, consider it, dismiss it, or have whatever other reaction that they wish. But, I’m not going to continue to go around and around about it.

To me, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fairly apparent that if you interpret her statement as worded to mean that, there is at least a possibility that you have some some preconceptions about individuals who come from her background that align with that interpretationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.

Wow. Talk about making assumptions! You’re questioning the motives of people that you don’t know.

Pot Kettle Black?

I posted above why I’m not happy with AI this year and that really doesn’t have anything to do with Ms. Brokaw and her offensive remark. Actually, what I get from her blogs is that she has noticed the same thing I have. But she is thrilled and I am not.

and so it goes……..but, hey, it’s been interesting discussing this with you!

And, fwiw, I think the term “gaydar” is fairly offensive too. It plays into a whole host of stereotypes.

But, noctem, notwithstanding that we appear to disagree on the larger point here, I do appreciate that you recognized that the God-dar might be viewed as offensive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  both for the alleged fact of it, as well as the substantive claim. It IS offensive to suggest that kind acts toward others are among the exclusive values of Christians, all of them. No group can be fairly stereotyped, good or bad, so long as theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re made up of people. And, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the point, at least to me.

Why is “God-dar” any more offensive than “gaydar”? I’m not offended by gaydar, and the persons of homosexual orientation that I have known in my life have been quite clear that it does exist. (I suppose you could be offended by the word God-dar used in this case to apply to a sense possessed by a given subset of Christians, but that was just my personal wordplay on “gaydar”)

Also, if you read my post directly above this, I explain that I don’t believe she means to say that magnanimity is the singular domain of Christians. Looking at the article, I’m fairly confident that I can pinpoint exactly where the possible misreading is taking place. But, rather than getting into that detail, what is more striking to me is the fact that a definite element of pre-inclination to read her comments this way is present here.

It’s analagous to the way we respond to the statements of elected officials we don’t like. If I don’t care for President Obama or former President Bush, then I’m going to listen to the things they say very skeptically and scrutinize their words critically. And if there’s a negative spin that can be applied to their statements, then I’m likely to accept that as my intepretation of what they said.

noctem seizure – hhhmmmmmmmmmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦..I think you are way off base and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think her intent was distorted at all. Seems Ms. Brokaw thinks that MTV did a fine job according to her blog at Beliefnet.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Check out Kaufmanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s article; he did a great jobà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the link

http://blog.beliefnet.com//gospelsoundcheck/2009/03/mtv-features-gospel-soundcheck.html

I doubt she’s perused this thread to see how her comments were received in certain quarters. But, if you want to clear this up it’s a simple matter to go post a question on her blog and ask her if she believes that Christians are the only people who are generous with their time and would help others even if it wasn’t to their advantage.

To me, it’s fairly apparent that if you interpret her statement as worded to mean that, there is at least a possibility that you have some some preconceptions about individuals who come from her background that align with that interpretation….

I think we all have had whatever experiences we have, both in life and in religion, and we’ve suffered or those we care about have suffered at the hands of whatever we have, and sometimes that includes matters of religion or those offering/selling it. And, sometimes those offering/selling it have suffered too. Then we read an article like the one above, including the quotes (with or without adequate context) and we take away what we do. Among the possibilities, we’re neutral (remote, I know lol), we’re offended, we’re defensive. Whatever.

But, noctem, notwithstanding that we appear to disagree on the larger point here, I do appreciate that you recognized that the God-dar might be viewed as offensive — both for the alleged fact of it, as well as the substantive claim. It IS offensive to suggest that kind acts toward others are among the exclusive values of Christians, all of them. No group can be fairly stereotyped, good or bad, so long as they’re made up of people. And, that’s the point, at least to me.

“Check out Kaufman’s article; he did a great job……….”

here’s the link

http://blog.beliefnet.com//gospelsoundcheck/2009/03/mtv-features-gospel-soundcheck.html

I could go on and on about the many elements at play here that could have caused the intent of her meaning to become distorted or lost, but to me there’s a much more salient observation to be made. And that is many people who were upset by what they think the woman is saying are predisposed to think that “someone like her” would say something like that.

Now I don’t particularly care if contestants are religous or not religous – I just care about how they sing. If they are active or work/sing in their church and it’s a part of their life, I don’t mind that being mentioned in their background videos as it has been done in previous years. But this season, it seems to have gone further than that, especially with Gokey’s shameless, calculating use of a personal tragedy toget noticed and bring his message of whatever it is that he is trying to sell to the multitudes. And American Idol seems all too happy to help him in his little ‘mission’. When I want religon, I go to a church; when I want to hear some music and singing, I watch American Idol. I don’t like mixing the two. So if the show continues down this path and becomes Christian Idol instead of American Idol, I’m done watching it.

Now there’s an idea……..Christian Idol. Not for me, but it seems there’s a market out there for it. Somenoe should pitch it to Simon.

I think Chikezie may have said something more overt than any of those 3, and it was veeeerrrrry nonspecific.

I watched Season 7 – Top Twelve (Beatles) this afternoon. This was when AI showed the baby pictures and spoke with the parents. Chikezie does mention his faith. His (Nigerian) Mom went further and also said they played religious music and love songs in the home.

It is wonderful that AI had him on two tours with other Idols.

Does Adam attend any church? I ask only because of all this debate.

“Even if contestants don’t come out and say it, we can all spot someone [who is Christian]. The more that there are contestants that we can connect with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  who we can say, ‘That person is like me’ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  the more it will probably help drive viewership this year,” Brokaw said, pointing to a moment on Tuesday’s performance show when the judges praised Allen for helping other contestants work on their songs, which Brokaw said brought a knowing nod from Christians who know of his church background.

This is just one offensive paragraph from that article and I believe the “meaning and context” of the italicized verbiage is clear. What many in this thread have said is that this woman has articulated a not-so-subtle us versus them mentality that they find obnoxious and presumptuous (me included). Just as there are many non-”Christians” who are kind, generous and helpful and would have done what Kris did in a heartbeat, there are also many “Christians” who although they espouse a certain belief (talk the talk) fail to live up to those same ideals in their own lives (walk the walk). There are plenty of both kinds in each camp. Ms. Brokaw and her fellow “Christians,” whoever they may be, haven’t cornered the market on kindness and generosity.

By the way, I put the word “Christian” in quotes because, as mj pointed out upthread, this woman seems to represent a branch (twig?) of Christianity that would probably exclude most of the mainstream Christians posting here.