For half my life I served faithfully at a small chapel and a parish in our place, I am a sacristan. I actually wanted to become a priest but life has it's ways of making things different and maybe even God blessed my chosen path, only He knows. I heard, correct me if I'm wrong, that Lady Gaga was once a choir member. She was even asked by Larry King about her religious view/s... check this link for the clip
Now, would a religious person do what she's doing? Exactly, NO... but really, YES. NO, no one has the same kind and level of faith as the other, only the Lord knows how much our love shows. YES we are the same in the sense that we all have our religious freedom to express guided by the norms that carried us through our life, YES because we are all unique and we are all worshiping depending on our humanity. I personally do not know her so I can't vouch for her. But what I've learned and deeply engraved into my soul is that no person on earth has the right to lay judgment to anyone regarding how that someone live his/her life for it is only God has the power to separate the sheep from the goat.
Everybody has their own interpretation of everything. For example, if somebody voluntarily help, other's perceived that as noble act while some see it as a capricious show. I recently read the Lyrics of the song JUDAS.. here is the lyrics if you don't mind:
Ohohohoh I’m in love with Judas
Ohohohoh I’m in love with Judas
Judas! Judaas Judas! Judaas Judas! Judaas Judas! GAGA
When he comes to me I am ready I’ll wash his feet with my hair if he needs Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain Even after three times he betrays me
I’ll bring him down, bring him down, down A king with no crown, king with no crown
[Chorus] I’m just a Holy Fool, oh baby he’s so cruel But I’m still in love with Judas, baby I’m just a Holy Fool, oh baby he’s so cruel But I’m still in love with Judas, baby
Ohohohoh I’m in love with Judas
Ohohohoh I’m in love with Judas
Judas! Judaas Judas! Judaas Judas! Judaas Judas! GAGA
I couldn’t love a man so purely Even prophets forgave his crooked way I’ve learned love is like a brick you can Build a house or sink a dead body
I’ll bring him down, bring him down, down A king with no crown, king with no crown
[Chorus] I’m just a Holy Fool, oh baby he’s so cruel But I’m still in love with Judas, baby I’m just a Holy Fool, oh baby he’s so cruel But I’m still in love with Judas, baby
Ohohohoh I’m in love with Judas
Ohohohoh I’m in love with Judas
[Bridge] Ew In the most Biblical sense, I am beyond repentance Fame hooker, prostitute wench, vomits her mind But in the cultural sense I just speak in future tense Judas, kiss me if offenced, Or wear an ear condom next time
I wanna love you, But something’s pulling me away from you Jesus is my virtue, Judas is the demon I cling to I cling to
[Chorus] I’m just a Holy Fool, oh baby he’s so cruel But I’m still in love with Judas, baby I’m just a Holy Fool, oh baby he’s so cruel But I’m still in love with Judas, baby
Ohohohoh I’m in love with Judas
Ohohohoh I’m in love with Judas
Judas! Judaas Judas! Judaas Judas! Judaas Judas! GAGA
And even watched it's music video for reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wagn8Wrmzuc&ob=av2e
As much as I want to type down my interpretation to every line, I would just narrow it to this conclusions. Again, this is my own perception of the song and I wish it may somewhat be similar to what Lady Gaga means.
1) It is a song written by a man who is a self confess sinner as to how much she loves Judas (an attachment to being a man committing sin/ an act of betrayal towards God's love).
2) It is a song that shows the first element of penance: admitting the sinful act. And Seeking for patience and forgiveness from the Lord.
3) In the music video, there is a character with a crown of thorns, Lady gaga, and the so-called Judas, were all together inside the bath tub with water. For me the act that lady Gaga is more like clamoring for the affection of the man with a crown of thorns while Judas is like mocking her from behind is an act that we as humans were seeking God's forgiveness and understanding that we cannot guarantee that we will never sin again, thus we are human (for men are weak and seeking for redemption is what makes us human). The water symbolizes the purification of man with God's sanctifying grace.
4) We are all have goodness in our hearts thus "Jesus is my virtue", but weak which makes us "Judas is the demon I cling to".
5) The song is an inner struggle of a man seeking for salvation and the demon that lurks in our daily living.
The concert is done and the protesters act does not stop her from performing. It only gave her free marketing and promotions. It works for her while it makes the Catholic Church negative and outdated. The problem that every religious sector is facing is the consequences of the act done by a sub-group within the Church that was being used as a leverage by the people outside the institution on defining the totality of the whole sector. For years, decades and maybe centuries, I think, Catholics forgot how to be a real Catholic. Catholics do not blame, we educate. Catholics does not persecute, we understand and forgive. Catholics are open minded and free, we accept people regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, and even everybody's uniqueness. Catholics do not hate, we do not blame, we only love.
We forgot our duty is not to persecute but to understand. By understanding we could see what really is right and what exactly is wrong. We cannot judge a person on how she dresses up, how she speaks, and what she believes. If something is quite different and you're not at ease with it, it is our obligation know the reason why that is different, not to degrade or humiliate a person for their uniqueness. I bet nobody wanted to be labelled as evil or bad influence. She is different, our kids adore her, so far she doesn't even commit any criminal act nor say degrading messages. She is outrageously dressed, so what?! We can explain it to the kids that "she looks sexy 'no? But would you like for people to see your butt cheek?" I do not know and I would like to see if any kids would like to do that. We can always explain what we deemed negative to our kids with no negative intonations. It is even our obligations to know the people our kids idolized, I bet many didn't do their homework and just jump in to the bandwagon. Hay... I sounded like her defendant but hey, if you are in the same position as her, being criticized and hated, you also deserved to be justly treated.
Catholics needs to understand because we all know that there are somethings that other's did not understood about our faith. We should not forget that Catholic the UNIVERSAL Church under one God. We do not discriminate, unity in diversity. Universal is bound to change, we grow and we change as times passes by as guided by the teachings of our Lord. For his Words does not suit only in His time, not only in our time but up to the end of time. And with that, I would never give up my faith to Him because I go to Church not because of the person who is presiding the mass but for the Lord who loves us, who asks only an hour of visit once in a week. And I will continue believing in His word "Whatever you do to my brothers (and sisters), you do it unto me.
To anyone who was offended by this blog, I would like to seek apology for expressing what I think of being Catholic by using the "GAGA experience". For those who were offended due to the acts of some various "catholic members" prior to the concert, I would like to seek your understanding for they were doing what they think is right. And to those catholic groups that just prayed for her instead of protesting, AMEN! She needs it, like you and me.
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