“PRAY FOR Lady Gaga who seems to be lost. Do not hate her. Pray also for all artists who have such a great influence on the lives of so many in this world.”
So enjoined the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines of the faithful as it endorsed pastoral statements by the Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life (CFCFFL) on the controversial artist.
“Pray for the youth who are easily influenced by the latest trends…that they may listen to their hearts’ deepest desires and find true happiness in Christ.”
The CEAP furthered, even as it encouraged parents to “get involved” with the activities of their children, warning:
“If you don’t raise your kid by love and communication, including setting boundaries, Mother Monster will.”
Mother Monster, but of course is Lady Gaga – oxymoronic of a name there really, ladies don’t go gaga, else, they ain’t ladies.
Urging parents to engage in open, healthy dialogues with their children, the CEAP prescribed: “Affirm anything positive. Then speak up and correct errors.”
“They need to know what the Church is saying and why. The formation of conscience is a life-long process. You cannot think for them, but you can prepare them to think for themselves, by being formed in the Christian virtues.
For kids, parents can explain things and ask questions to check comprehension. For teens, they can join youth groups in the parish, as well as outreach to get them to focus on others’ needs and not themselves,” the CEAP said.
More forthright in his caveat on Gaga was Archbishop Ramon Arguelles: “Her fans are in danger of falling into the clutches of Satan.” And forthwith called for a boycott of her concerts.
“Stop Lady Gaga!” cried a motley crowd of youth spearheaded by the Biblemode Youth Philippines, taking offense at her song “Judas” which they claimed mocked Jesus Christ and all that He lived, died, and resurrected for.
“This protest is not against Lady Gaga as a person but on her music and on how she declares distorted views about the Lord Jesus Christ… We are Christian Filipinos. She comes to our land. For us, this is something that should not be shown to the youth we have.”
So said Reuben Abante, bishop of Lighthouse Bible Baptist Church and secretary-general of Biblemode Youth Philippines.
It was the “blasphemy” in “Judas” as well as the perceived obscenity attendant to Gaga’s concerts that moved former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza to call for a concert ban too.
“We respect freedom of expression in this country. We also appreciate art and culture… but the laws should be respected,” the highly devout Catholic Atienza said, warning that the singer and the concert organizers can be punished for offending race or religion, which under the penal code carried a penalty of six months to six years in prison.
Former partylist Rep. Benny Abante, Biblemode Youth Philippines president, also warned that his group would to file a case against Lady Gaga and concert organizers if she sang “Judas” at her Manila concert.
“I am not a creature of your government, Manila.”
So declared Gaga in her Monday concert, and in open defiance to her critics, went on to sing “Judas” —
“…I am just a holy fool, oh baby, it’s so cruel
But I’m still in love with Judas, baby…
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 offense, don’t wear your condom the next time…
I wanna love you
But something’s pulling me away from you
Jesus is my virtue
And Judas is the demon I cling to, I cling to…
Oh, oh, oh
I am in love with Judas, Judas.”
The lyrics I got from the web. Having been absent from Gaga’s concert.
Read the news reports the morning after: “Up to 40,000 fans paid as much as P15,840 each to watch the US singer… fans, many of them dressed as outrageously as she was, roared their approval…
All the sound and fury from the guardians of morality failed to keep the tens of thousands of Lady Gaga fans from seeing her concert…”
No holy fools beyond repentance these tens of thousands. Maybe no Judas lovers too. Just gone gaga.
