On March 21, 2010, Parade (the Sunday supplement)) featured an article about Miley Cyrus, who has been the popular Hannah Montana figure on the Disney Channel for four years. The show is entertaining and contains some occasional good lessons for teens and tweens. What girl wouldn’t want to be a typical teenager with the secret identity of being a singing sensation? What boy wouldn’t want to fall for a girl who happened to be a huge success with guys all over the country wishing they could date her?
Probably, this writer should not admit having seen the program (or going to see the Hannah Montana movie), but he has grandchildren (which is all the excuse necessary). Miley does a decent job of singing and acting, but the television show is coming to an end. She can’t play the lead role forever and is ready to move on to other things. We could wish, however, that she retain a wholesome image, but who can say? We have often been disappointed before.
In fact, the outfit Miss Cyrus is wearing for the cover photo of Parade is a bit sleazy, and she has already danced around a pole (usually used by strippers) on top of an ice cream cart for the Teen Choice Awards last summer, something she says she would do a thousand times again (5). Why is it that women think they have to do something risqué in order to attract or maintain an audience? Many of her fans would grow up with her anyway; no one needs to talk filthy or dress in a slutty fashion in order to prove she has matured.
But this article is not about her career choices or even about her disappointing the many who would like to retain the image of innocence she once purveyed. It is about her religious thinking and the way she has chosen to rationalize whatever she might do. The article quotes the young lady as saying, “I know who I am now and am so content and full of purpose” (5). How remarkable for someone to be so confident—at 17!
Miley was baptized in a Southern Baptist Church, which means that she has probably never yet heard the truth regarding salvation, and unless a person has heard the full story of Jesus and salvation, she may not yet know all that she needs to hear regarding important life decisions. Like most celebrities, Miiley has set herself up as the sole arbiter of who God is and what He will accept.
Who Defines Key Words?
She says that her faith is very important her, but it soon becomes clear that she is the one making religious decisions rather than God, which is not unusual; most people do the same thing. She says, for example, that she doesn’t define her faith by going to church every Sunday. She feels it’s more of a show because of the cameras and public attention. Two important observations need to be made.
First, Jesus shed His blood for the church (not a religious denomination); therefore, it is important to Him (Acts 20:28). The writer of Hebrews taught that Christians are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb. 10:25). No exceptions are provided such as “if you are a politician” or “if you are famous.” Jesus designed the church to function as a body, with all the members interacting (1 Cor. 12:12-27). How can anyone function as a member of the church without meeting with brethren, praying with them, partaking of the Lord’s Supper with them, giving to the work of the church, singing praises to God with them, or hearing the Word preached? How can anyone fulfill the “one another” responsibilities in absentia?
Second, celebrities need to have the right to be free from the paparazzi. Our system is drastically broken in this regard and needs to be fixed. No one should be penalized for having extraordinary talents by having their privacy constantly invaded.
Not My Job
After professing to be a Christian anyway, Miley says that she hopes to help people be on the same path she’s on, “But it is not my job to tell people what they are doing wrong” (5). Hmm. Whose job is it? As an illustration, this article will tell Miley that she is wrong in some serious point, but what kind of effect will it have on her? That’s right—probably none. Even if she received it in the mail, and even if she read it, she would probably react the same way she did toward Mika Brzezinski, who publicly scolded her over the pole dance. Miley’s response was, “Get off my case, Mika. Get over it.” She later modified that to: “I’m not forcing you to watch me. I’m not forcing you to talk about me” (5).
Well, that sets forth the problem, doesn’t it? She doesn’t know Mika, and she knows this writer even less. So why should anything we say register with the young star? She might, however, listen to someone she knows or works with, which is the reason that each one of us has a responsibility to say what other people need to hear. Even the mild-mannered Glen Campbell wrote, in “Try a Little Kindness”:
And if you see your sister falling by the way,
Just stop and say you’re going the wrong way.
No one need be belligerent; expressing the truth can be done in a kind way. Jesus told people what they needed to hear—not necessarily what they wanted to hear. How many people enjoy being told that they should be humble, meek, pure in heart, and so on (Matt. 5:3-12)? Each of us comes in contact with certain people and interacts with them the way no one else can. If we do not speak up and communicate the truth, then who will reach them? When?
Ironically, it was Cain who asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” He was being flippant, but it is the case that we all must care about others—especially those who claim that Jesus is their Lord. We are to love and do good to our brethren (1 Cor. 12:25-27) and our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48). If we know to do good and do not do it, we have sinned (Matt. 5:43-48).
Modesty
Another area of conflict with the Bible concerns that of modesty; apparently she thinks the Lord put her in charge of her wardrobe decisions rather than submitting to His standards as set forth in the Scriptures. Neither the outfit on the cover nor the pole-dancing one on page 5 would meet the definition of being covered from the shoulders to the knees (the way God clothed Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:21). Miley is outspoken and defensive when it comes to her dress—whether those or the “ultra-short white shorts” she wore to the interview. The “ultra-short” description is not that of this writer’s but the interviewer, Kevin Sessums. Miley justifies it by saying that she is participating in life. On that basis what could not be defended?
She also adds this observation:
“If I wear something revealing, they go, ‘Well, that’s not Christian.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to hell because I’m wearing a pair of really short white shorts.’ Suddenly I’m a slut. That’s so old-school.”
Twenty years ago, one of the girls who attended a Christian school showed up for Sunday night worship dressed in particularly sleazy apparel. One of the young men from the school (perhaps not too kindly) commented on her clothes. After worship, her offended father sought out the young man and said, “I hear that you called my daughter a prostitute.” He replied, “No, I just said she looked like one.” Then he walked away. Her parents should have overruled their daughter’s poor judgment; how sad that a young Christian man had to do it for them.
Miss Cyrus may only be 17, but she is old enough to know that the way a woman dresses says something about her. She probably has also heard at some point that women are to “adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation”; they should also adorn themselves, “as women professing godliness, with good works” (1 Tim. 2:9-10). Exposing the flesh glorifies the flesh; modest apparel glorifies God.
Covering oneself is definitely old school, and that old school was operated by God when He showed Adam and Eve that fig leaves were not sufficient. Has something changed since then? Furthermore, which commandments of God are we allowed to ignore and still go to heaven? Can we ignore the ones about dress? How about those that forbid alcohol (Pr. 23: 31)? Is that what will be next? “Yeah, like I’m going to hell because I have a few drinks.” When can we expect to hear, “Yeah, like I’m going to hell because I use a few foul words in a movie”? What sin could not be justified on this basis?
Besides violating the express commands of the Scriptures, equally dangerous is the attitude that sets self up as a higher authority than the Word—not to mention the God Who revealed His principles to us. The One Who created heaven and earth (and knows what is in us) had perfect wisdom and judgment. Who are we to question Him? Dare we insist that we can violate His will whenever we feel like it and that He must accept our rationale?
The “Others-Are-Worse” defense
Another fallacy in Miley’s mind is at least her parents do not need to wonder where she is at 3:00 A.M. She also invited the readers to “go check what 90% of the high schoolers are really up to” (5). Isn’t that like being on death row and concluding that, since you only killed two people, that the serial killer is a lot worse person? James said that anyone who stumbles in one point is guilty of all (2:10). The standard is not ours to set—but to recognize.
We can always find someone worse than ourselves to make us feel comfortable. For that reason God set Jesus forth as our example—so that we will have Someone to look up to and a high standard to follow. If we judge ourselves by ourselves, we will always come out looking good.
Miley says that she cannot live on the basis of what other people are going to say, which is true in a certain context, but not the one that serves as the basis for this article. People can be a good sounding board—if they are grounded in the truth, but ultimately the matter comes down to what God thinks—not what someone thinks He thinks—but what He has revealed on the subject. Our prayer is that Miley and all others would think carefully about God’s revelation.
The Indispensable Cross
Marvin L. Weir
The Bible clearly states: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). Man cannot atone for his own sins (Titus 3:5); thus, only the death of the perfect Lamb of God could appease a just God. All people eventually sin (Rom. 3:23) and become separated from God (Isa. 59:1-2). Without the grace of God and the reality of the cross, one is hopelessly lost as “the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23).
When people today make fun of the Lord’s church and His doctrine, they are making mockery of the cross. Christ’s death on the cross made it possible for Him to purchase His church (Acts 20:28). The cross proclaims that the Lord is indeed the head of His church (Eph. 1:22-23) and the savior of His body (Eph. 5:23). So many today take a light-hearted approach toward sacred matters, but the apostle Paul boldly declares: “For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). The cross of Christ is no laughing matter, for the blood of sacrificed animals could not redeem man from his sins (Heb. 10:4). Neither could man’s shed blood atone for his sins (Rom. 5:6-9). Thus, the cross is indispensable if man is to be redeemed from his sins and have an eternal hope.
The cross of Christ and only the cross of Christ can provide true unity and peace. So many in the world today claim to desire peace while strife, jealousy, and envy eats away at their soul. The Jews and the Arabs have been at war for centuries while declaring all along that they would like for their nations to be at peace. The Bible has the answer, and it is centered in the cross of Christ. Paul says that
in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in the flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace; and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh: for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father” (Eph. 2:13-18).
It is never good for people to rebel against the cross and in so doing become an enemy of Christ (Phil. 3:18). There will never be peace among men who refuse to accept the truths of the cross. All spiritual blessings are accessible only through it (Eph. 1:3). The cross will forever testify of the love of God and the love of Christ for all mankind.
The cross of Christ should motivate the alien sinner to obey the glorious gospel. The hopeless condition of man is seen in the statement Paul made to the church at Rome.
For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: for peradventure for the good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him” (Rom. 5:6-9).
One who is lost outside of Christ should be grateful for the opportunity to obey the gospel (Rom. 1:16; Heb. 5:8-9) and be saved.
The Christian should be grateful that the cross of Christ motivates him to faithfully serve in the Kingdom. The apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian brethren in saying, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14-15). If one is truly thankful for Christ’s death on the cross, he will possess a servant spirit (John 13:1ff). This means the Lord’s church will always be placed ahead of earthly matters. One will also be content to “deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow” (Luke 9:23) the Lord. A Christian who understands the significance of the cross of Christ will strive to live in such a way that he can say when death approaches,
“For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
One will never grow weary in his love for the Lord or in “well-doing” (Gal. 6:9) who truly realizes and appreciates the great love behind the indispensable sacrifice that occurred on Calvary’s cross.
[Editor’s note: The original article is from November, 1999.]