catholicsphere

12,000 singers auditioned for the Christian version of “American Idol” titled “GIFTED”.

But, I’m hearing that they are looking for 18-24 year olds only … kind of a small demographic. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the management company behind this is the same one that manages Britney Spears and N’Sync. From that, looks like they were planning on getting this going back in 2004 … but might have run into legal complications with the producers of “American Idol”.

So, why a Christian “American Idol”? I read someone asking, “Why not just go on ‘American Idol’ and promote your faith?” From Selena Marie, who was a contestant on Total Living Network’s “Inspiration Sensation”, comes the comment that Fox had told the winner of “Inspiration Sensation” (also a contestant on “Idol”) that she could not promote her faith on the show.

Do we embrace the “mainstream” or set ourselves to be “countercultural”? Since this will be on Trinity Broadcast Network … its predominantly viewed by those who are already Christian. Perhaps it will get a viewership by others who aren’t Christian. Yet, there seems to be a trend toward making the Christian message more palatable to the unchurched. But, what seems to come of that may be more dangerous to Christians, when the lines between pop culture and Christian culture become too blurred.

These folks observe the world and essentially say that it’s appealing and thus grab onto it. The danger in that is it points Christians to the world, and finds worldly means of making the Gospel appealing; instead of allowing the message of the Gospel to appeal to the world. What happens when the non-Christian comes in because of some false appeal, and discovers the “bait and switch” (if he/she is presented that at all)?

While I don’t find anything sinful in things like “Inspiration Sensation” or “Gifted”, it has all the makings for something else that dangerously glamourizes what appeals to the “world”.