Miley Cyrus and the culture of judgmentalism
Do you judge celebrities and public personalities? What does it mean to you to “render judgment” on a pop star or role model gone astray?
There’s an interesting article at Plugged In about teen pop star Miley Cyrus’ all-too-predictable transition from squeaky-clean Christian role model to hyper-sexualized music video vixen. But the article isn’t just lamenting the moral failings of a celebrity; it talks about the culture of brutal moral judgment in which these dramas play out.
We live, the article argues, in a culture that publicly professes to be non-judgmental. (I’m sure you’ve seen the usually fruitless back-and-forths between Christians condemning some type of inappropriate behavior and others condemning the Christian for “judging.”) But pop culture society is no better at living up to this standard than Christians are… as seen in the viciously judgmental reactions to Cyrus’ latest escapades:
We’re supposed to be living in a kinder, gentler, less judgmental time: My ideals and beliefs aren’t better or worse than yours, we’re told, just different. “Hey, it’s great if that thing works for you,” we’re apt to say, “but don’t tell me how to run my life. Don’t get up in my business. Don’t judge me!”
Here’s the honest truth, though: For all the tolerance we supposedly show, we judge one another more frequently and more harshly than ever.
We post demeaning comments on YouTube or Facebook. We call radio shows, lambasting politicians or banks or businesses. We scream about BP’s malfeasance, snicker as Lindsay Lohan skulks off to jail and write lengthy diatribes on why Google or Apple or Perez Hilton or McDonald’s Happy Meals portend societal devolution. Tolerance? Hardly. We live in an age of outrage and apology, where each secret and slight is posted on Huffington and mocked on Fark, where every person who makes the slightest misstep is beaten and kicked for the pleasure of the 24-hour news cycle.
We’re all up in each other’s business now. We can’t seem to help ourselves. And few people today have been judged as frequently or as rigorously as Miss Miley Cyrus.
The articles goes on to cite some of the often brutal criticism of Cyrus, both from professional critics and the internet-using hoi polloi. In the face of that evidence, it’s hard to deny that our culture, whatever its ideals about non-judgmentalism might be, does plenty of judging.
This raises some interesting questions about the place of judgment in our culture—and in the Christian life. As a Christian, do you judge people? If so, is your judgment different than the hate and vitriol that our culture heaps on its objects of scorn?
Here are a few specific questions to ponder:
1. How do you understand the Biblical command to not judge others? Is it possible or appropriate to judge a person or action, or does our own sin render us unworthy to judge?
2. What, if anything, is different about Biblical judgment compared to societal judgment? Is there a difference in motive or desired outcome?
3. In the case of Biblical judgment, who is the judgment for? When you judge somebody, are you calling them to repentance? Warning other Christians (or yourself) to steer clear? Both?
4. What, if anything, would you say to Cyrus if you had the chance to address her in person?
I do not know any of the people mentioned at all, but concerning judgement I think we should remember what the Bible says: God Himself is judge. And, do not judge, and you never might be judged. Do not condemn, and you never might be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. But I would say, we all have to judge one thing, that if One died for all, then all died, and He died for all so that the ones who live may no longer live to themselves but to the One who died for them and who was raised. For the love of Christ constrains us, so that we may hold to the truth in love, having been laid hold of by Him. Just as God will judge each one with a righteous judgement, so we should judge according to His standard, but not out of strife or jealousy but out of love towards repentance. Prove all things; hold fast the good things. We cannot compromise with evil or sin, but have compassion on all, for our Father is kind to the unthankful and evil. The Lord’s mercy be upon us all.
I agree with David about letting God be the judge especially since he quoted that Scripture. There is also the verse that says, “Abstain from all appearance of evil”. In addition, God has put judges in place to judge between earthly matters. That being said, as Christians we are to lead a life that gives the devil no room to criticize our behavior. We are to be a light in this dark world, we are to be the salt of the earth. We, as Christians, need to step it up and be who God created us to be. Letting the ways of the world into our lives is not victorious living. Who would then want to follow Christ?
The sad thing that is going on in America is that Americans,American Family,Youth,Parents – are under attack. Drugs are destroying the American youth – Some youth will have a hard time to get the well balanced Christian perspective of L. Lohan’s life in Hollywood.
Yes, we are commanded to not judge others but we need to judge what goes on around us. We need to see what’s really happening in America spiritually and the manifestations of spiritual warfare in daily events.
The M. Cyrus’s, L. Lohan’s – will always have more options, more security to fall back on but the fans will not. And why is it happening mostly to economically challenge American families?
The upper class Americans always has the advantage.
We need to judge everything, recognize the evil, love what is good.
just my 2 cents, I am no better than others perhaps worse than some.
The church could not produce the righteous anger of the American people today. It has to take a Mormon like Glenn Beck to orchestrate and be anointed to do it. It is American revival where the church is late in its apperance and not a leader.
1.i don’t realy know about judge but we can judge other but judge only only reality not spiritual.reality judge is only let them to repent but when real judge come we are finish.
2.Biblical judgment compared to societal judgment are very different because biblical judgement are about where you are go if you die.and societal judgement just in body.{don be afraid who can kill your body but afaraid who can kill your soul}
3.we can use thing or word to judge but remember word are better than action because world are exist a moment only.using god word to judge.
4.if i have a chance i would say don’t love thing in world but rather love god.if you gone you can’t bring anything out of this world.
I start by saying punishment and the level of punishment maybe a deterrant,
two eventual outcomes one man,s law ,two gods law the later is the deterrant and the former is as how mankind has evolved to punish for breaking the rules that we are governed by . Putting this aside for a moment we all will be judged by gods law and as some might say crimes do not go unpunished in this life . We have a great conflict of interest by cultural and religious systems of belief , christianity offers a solution to sin in repentance and forgiveness by mercy ,this can lead people to recognise there sins and by better recognising sin lead us from being sinfull. The culmination of our sin in our life invariably will lead to a inevitable final judgement . Do we sit in judgement yes it is almost unavoidable we maybe led or even asked to judge and we may not even realise this . Should we judge if we are asked not to sit in judgement then we have a responsibility not to moreover people in all practicality are appointed and the appointed people in mans law we are familiar with , we do also recognise that as previously stated no one escapes the final judgement , the real danger is we do not get the right outcome this maybe because we use the wrong measure , do we judge people by our own standards we must do but is that right who sets the standards .Moses was given gods laws for man to live by and before the commandments we given unto the people gods laws had been broken , sins had been committed .We have got to constantly remind ourselves if we except god and christ our saviour that we live by the rules that god has given us , the culmination of mans laws govern society for its ills , we maybe unknowingly or unwittingly led into sinning and sitting in judgement and therefore committting a far greater sin we have become judgemental . The danger as outlined is people are alikened to sheep and we tend to follow the is a greater danger still that we are creating an unlawfull society as a consequence , is it time to bring out the instigators those people who have misled us and led us collectively to break mans and gods laws the latter judgement cannot be challenged its our belief and is the detterant that we need to keep good order in a spiritual sense and also in our everyday lives were we are governed by law and this in turn is to create good order , gods intention is that we continue to live beyond death after recieving our place and put in that order , that order should exist in our live,s in our heart and soul and be our spiritual sense of well being that fortify,s us from being led or indeed leading others to judge people .
Thank you for this topic, been having struggles with this for a few days now. I am praying for repentance.
I am just a 4-month old Christian who is very on-fire…reading the Bible, praying and meditating on the word, doing the purple book, quit all vices and have submitted myself to the authorities of my parents, preparing for discipleship, praying for open doors everyday.
And as my next leap of faith, I started reading the gospel of Matthew. Everything is going well, for the first time I discovered how Jesus lived. I was seeking God, and He reveals himself to me. I’ve said in prayers, I will follow Jesus.
But it was until I faced the test. The test that makes me evaluate the real condition of my life. If my life have been truly changed by Jesus. And unfortunately after judging my fellow Christian, a guy whom is special to me, my grade… was a failing one.
1. I’ve never taken this command seriously. Growing up as the eldest to my two brothers I am a Pro in judging. Being a strong woman, I am a Pro in dishing out complains to men. And it is a shame on me that my action of judging that guy reveals a how I am turning into a squeaky clean Christian. Even if I got hurt somehow by the way the guy reacted to my message that he shouldn’t like Usher songs and should disciple his non-Christian friends instead, I am still thankful that God is revealing the things in me that does not please Him. I am not worthy to judge because I am a sinner too for not loving others as myself.
2.Biblical judgment is based on God’s own words. It’s motive is to protect us and to draw us nearer to Him. Societal judgment is laced with Pride and anger. Its motive is to bring a spirit down.
3. When I judged the guy, I am really praying for repentance. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to speak with love and even told him that he gives me a headache. I was tempted and was deceived.
4.Instead of giving a message to Cyrus, I just want to address the brother I have hurt.
EJ, I am sorry for judging you. I have promised to just pray for you, but my lack of faith made me arrogant and have said things that are not in line with his teachings. Bear with me as I mature in the Lord.I have forgiven you too for everything you have said, and I pray that He give me a sign of His forgiveness for me. I will bear in mind that we are only accountable to God. I just pray that we may know God more.
Our relationships as fellow believers is a testimony to an unbelieving world.
I am aiming to pass this test (of changed lives) until the end, with flying colors.
I think the right way to deal with that is just to pray that God touch them and put conviction in their heart. and that He give them revelation. we cont judge no one specially not people from the world. now if its a brother in Christ and you see that they are doing something incorrect or sinful its good to let them know in a way that is non argumental and certainly not judgemental
I’m a musician all my life, played all kind of music, classic,jazz,pop, rock,blues,culture, now i’m playing gospel, so, what am i trying to prove? nothing,just a musician, judge not what the person is doing in their profession, but judge what he/she do not believe in.as for me i always give thanks to Him who bless me with this capablities!
It’s hard enough living among the unbelievers, we as Believers is to rebuke each other gently. Miley is put in a position that not too many Christians have. I pray she redeems her greatness to glorify God alone, the she reject unhealthy comparisons to others, serving the outcast in joy. Accepting her life and doing her best. We should all take every opportunity to redeem our ambitions. REDEEM your ambitions to Glorify God through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray she becomes the Righteousness of God. Forgiven and Loved!
I don’t think as Christians we should condemn people, but I do think we are called to judge not just people, but the spirit of what we encounter on a daily basis. Everyone always hides behind “judge not, lest ye be judged,” but that is one iota of scripture among over 31,000 verses! 1 corinthians 2:15 says: “The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” We are given discernment from the Lord; in this particular verse, and in the context of this scripture, “discernment” and “judge” all have the same root word being synonymous with scrutinze. So we are to scrutinize all things. Verse 14 says that the natural man, the one who does not have the Spirit of God, is not able to scrutinize or discern such matters. Addiitionally, we are not to condemn, because ,as Romans chapter 2 tells us, when we pass that kind of judgement on others and are guilty of the same thing, we condemn ourselves; it’s as if we look in a mirror and berate ourselves. The world does not judge in the same way that a believer is called to judge. Societal judging is the defense of norms and social values; it’s a preventative for anomie. Biblical judging is the spiritual appraisal of some; -one, -thing. As believers, we do not have to defend the morals spelled out in the Bible. Rather, we should live them, and lead lives that are a lifestyle of worship. It is not our personal responsibility to defend the name of God. For one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord! So, I would tell Miley to remeber the faith that she has professed.