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Health & Fitness

The Grammy's Evil Attempt for Ratings

Did the Grammy's allow Nicki Maiaja's performance to cross the line in good religious taste?

There is a saying in the entertainment world, “ If your career has no hope, just “DIS” the Pope!” The disrespecting of the Catholic faith and the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church has been going on for years.  Just call on the Pope if your career is faltering and the very word “Pope” will open media  to you that would on any other day not give you a glimpse. Over the years, many singers and actors have used the Catholic Church to resurrect their careers or at the very least make them the topic of the evening news or the morning twitter exchange.  

Do you believe Nicki Minaja Grammy performance should have been pulled for its disrespect of the Christian community and the Catholic faith? Tell us in the comments.

So what does Nicki Minaj, Sinead O’Conner and Madonna all have in common?  At some point of time, in their careers, they each used the Catholic Church in a demeaning manner to gain attention for their failing careers, hence the saying, “ If your career has no hope, just “DIS” the Pope!”

In 1992, during an appearance on the television program Saturday Night Live, O'Connor incited a deluge of criticism and caused some damage to her professional image when she brashly expressed negative views on Catholicism by tearing up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on the show.  Her career was never the same.

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During the 2012 Grammy Awards Show, Nicki Minaja also performed in a lewd and disrespectful manner towards the Catholic Church, as she “entertained’ the audience and television’s millions watching.  If the stage had been set up as a Jewish Holocaust, or a black slavery set glorifying slave owners, or some kind of mockery of Muhammad and Islam, there would be outrage.  Yet, it’s the Catholic Church that Minaja is mocking, and so somehow it’s allowed. Her glaring need for attention, at the show, consisted of an exorcism, levitation and a demon possessed Minaaj.  At one point, the performance showed a young altar server/boy on a prayer kneeler with a lewdly dressed dancer, with her legs spread apart, with the vulgar dancer’s knees around his face with her crotch pressed up against his folded praying hands.  Did the director of the Grammy’s miss this during the run through or did his career also need the boost in ratings?  What have we Christians become when any fellow Christian belief system is attacked and no one speaks out for personal fear of being labeled a Christian? 

Yet, this style of attention producing productions are not only used by Minaja but other female singers.   Madonna, a former Catholic, has used the Catholic Church to boost attention for her career religiously.   Her stage name shows a lack of respect for the Mother of Christ.  Madonna has invited Pope Benedict XVI to be the guest of honor at her Rome, Italy, Confessions concert on Sunday, which features the mock crucifixion of the singer. Each time she performs in Rome, she dedicates a song to the seated Pope.  Pope john Paul was honored with, Like a Virgin.  This media stunt is much tamer that her earlier cry for attention by disrespecting the leader of the world’s largest religion.  

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Why is the Catholic Church their target? Why not the Baptist or the Mormons?  What is it about the Catholic Church that draws this attention from so many “stars”? 

Many in the Christian community, not just the Catholic church are outraged that the Grammy producers would allow such blatant mockery and disrespect of The Church.

The Catholic Church is rich in tradition and rites.  You may not know what the Baptist do when they sin but, everyone knows about the Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation or confession. The very size and notability of the Catholic religion works both for and against it.  This religion was founded by Christ himself.  It is over 2000 years old.  It has withstood scandal and abuse and still continues to be the largest religion in the world. The Catholic Church educates more children than any other organization in the world. It owns more hospitals and orphanages than any other organization in the world. And they have more worshipers in the pews, on Sunday for Mass, than any other religion in the world.  They of course have a lock on the saints!  It is not easy to be a Catholic.  It takes over a year of training to join the faith.  Millions around the world, take training with it’s ending at the annual Easter Vigil.  Many convert to become Catholic and follow the way of Peter, considered the first Pope by The Church.  

Music greats and many top rated stars were treated to the satanic performer because she was given the chance to grace the stage and perform. While they were somewhat quiet in their applause, none showed their displeasure with boo’s or worse. Yet, Many Grammy attendees were heard voicing their disgust for so-called artist Nicki Minaj. Blake Shelton was heard saying, “Nicki Minaj needs to crawl back inside the fiery pit she came from…back to her father, Beelzebub.”  Nicki’s disturbing performance at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards was a blatant attack on the Catholic Church. No one is sure why she has such disdain for The Church but many actually believe she is simply evil and it reflected in every song she sings and every performance she gives.

On the other hand, many Catholics, in the industry, have drawn on their Catholic faith in a manner that has their ingrained faith in question yet, at the same time not demonizing The Church herself.  For The Church believes if you are not questioning your faith, you are not growing in your faith.  Bruce Springsteen, says his Catholic upbringing has had a profound affect on his music. “I got completely brainwashed with Catholicism as a child. Once you’re a Catholic, you’re always a Catholic . . . It’s given me a very active sense of spiritual life and made it difficult sexually, but that’s all right,” he jokes.  Many of Springsteen’s songs grapple with the teachings of The Church. Raised in Catholic schools, he was at odds with both the nuns and other students, even though much of his later music reflects a deep Catholic ethos including many rock-influenced, traditional Irish-Catholic hymns. Springsteen’s song, The River, references the purification of water which is a core Catholic teaching.  He has come to grip with his religious teaching as most Catholics do and recently donated money to another Catholic building project in his home town of Freehold, NJ.

The Church’s teachings are not only used by Catholic’s but by other musicians as well.  The Church’s teachings were scored with much success by Billy Joel, who attended Catholic Mass with childhood friends but was not a “ Cradle Catholic.” Joel’s song, Only the Good Die Young was a major hit in his career.  With lyrics stating ” Come out Virginia don’t make me wait... You know Catholic girls start much too late....Sooner or later it comes down to fate... You know only the good die young” referring to the teaching of The Church to refrain from sex until married, garnered Joel a massive hit.  

Yet, Minaja chooses to disgrace herself with her music by demonizing The Church.  It is sad to see one courting evil at such a young age.  Friends and family state she joined Satanism at the age of 14.  One hopes that those around her would offer her guidance and not a stage to perform on.

So what does the everyday Catholic who enjoys attending Mass each Sunday, who receives God’s forgiveness in confession and takes to heart Jesus’ words, “This is my body” think about another “STAR” attacking their faith?  They fall back on their founders last few words, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.”

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