“If there is no God, everything is permitted,” is a quote falsely attributed to the great Russian novelist Dostoyevsky. Nevertheless, it holds true.
But there is a God and those who hate that fact resort to mockery and derision to mock moral boundaries and make a buck in the process.
Take, for example, the singer Demi Lovato. The former Disney Channel star posed for a poster that shows the 30-year-old in a “bondage-style outfit whilst lying on a large, cushioned crucifix,” according to Fox News.
The poster — designed to promote Lovato’s new album “Holy Fvck” — has been banned Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the United Kingdom because it is “likely to cause serious offense to Christians,” according to the report.
Controversy sales. There’s no mistaking it. On one level, Lovato’s scheme may be just another cynical attempt to sell her new album. But there’s more to it.
According to the report published by the ASA, the people making a formal complaint about the poster “challenged whether the ad was likely to cause serious or widespread offense.” They also suggested it was “irresponsibly placed” where children could see it.
The ASA report stated, “We considered that the image of Ms. Lovato bound up in a bondage-style outfit whilst lying on a mattress shaped like a crucifix, in a position with her legs bound to one side which was reminiscent of Christ on the cross, together with the reference to ‘holy fvck’, which in that context was likely to be viewed as linking sexuality to the sacred symbol of the crucifix and the crucifixion, was likely to cause serious offense to Christians.”
Talk about stating the obvious.
Posing for the photo shoot makes Lovato appear as if she is in league with Satan. Who else would agree to such blasphemy? But, things are often not as they appear. Might Lovato be crying out for help?
Is mocking the crucifixion of Jesus offensive?
Yes: 100% (40 Votes)
No: 0% (0 Votes)
“Holy Fvck” is Lovato’s eighth studio album. It was released in August and deals with some dark subject matter, including drug and alcohol addiction.
One of the songs, “Skin of My Teeth,” was inspired by Lovato’s health challenges following a 2018 overdose. The incident caused multiple strokes and brain damage. Lavato claimed in a “Spout” podcast that she was sober throughout the creation of the album, something she is “so proud of,” according to CNN.
The 30-year-old singer has a long history of darkness. She detailed the horrific treatment she experienced as a child star during a no-holds-barred conversation with “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper, reported the Daily Mail.
Lovato said being “overworked” and “controlled” as a Disney child star fueled eating disorders and drug abuse. She claimed she was “barricaded” in hotels to stop her from eating and was denied treatment even after she vomited blood.
It sounds like Lovato is blaming God for what her Disney handlers did to her as a child. She is right to be angry. Who wouldn’t be, should the allegations prove to be true?
But blaming God for the actions of evil men is analogous to condemning a serial killer’s great-great-great-grandfather who happened to be a saint. Men have free will to choose to do good, evil, or — far too often — nothing at all.
Without freedom, we wouldn’t be human. We wouldn’t be made in the image of God.
Lovato chose to pose for the poster with, presumably, knowledge it was going to be distributed far and wide. She had to have known that children would likely be exposed to the corroding influence of what can only be described as either the hatred of God or the desire to be God.
Polydor Records, which operates under Universal Music Group, did not think the poster would be seen as offensive. They told the ASA that it was “acceptable to run on the proposed sites,” according to Fox. Due to the agency’s approval, the posters were displayed.
One might conclude that the mainstream entertainment industry — looking for any way to sell their product and to hell with morality — is to blame. If this is the case, Lavato may be seen as just another victim.
But it was Lovato’s choice to pose for the poster. Bad experiences and brain damage from drug overdoses do not excuse her.
There are a number of saints who suffered intellectual difficulties. St. Agatha Kim A-gi (1787-1839) was a Korean woman with intellectual disabilities that made it impossible for her to learn the Hail Mary. When asked to recite various prayers, she would say, “I only know Jesus and Mary.”
No matter how hard she tried, Kim couldn’t memorize anything and was denied baptism. But when arrested and ordered to denounce the faith under torture, Kim’s response was the same: “I only know Jesus and Mary.” She was baptized in prison shortly before her martyrdom.
With Christianity now a minority religion in Britain, it’s somewhat surprising that the ASA banned the ad. According to the ASA ruling, the ad is not to appear again “in the form complained of unless it was suitably targeted,” according to Fox News.
The only suitable audience for such a poster would be the basement of a satanic club.
There’s always a chance Lovato will come to see the light. She did claim that she heard God. She needs to pray.
We all do.
