Are We Born This Way Lady Gaga?
A colleague of brought to my attention this new hit “Born this Way” telling me of its haunting lyrics. I sort of shrugged it to the back of my mind. I can’t say I listen to much top 40 music, but I noticed it was the number 1 download on iTunes, so I just thought to check this one out, found a free preview on YouTube and had a listen. It had all the components of what I would have expected from a 21st century pop artist—very techno but loud with provocative lyrics. There’s of course all the pop music critic clichés about the song—the whole “been there done that,” “There’s nothing new under the sun,” or “Sounds like Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself.’ ”. But I think Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, a.k.a. Lady Gaga, produced something that is really in tune with the pulse of modern spirituality.
Lady Gaga has experienced the pain of lost love, even battles against her own personal demons, but she has her own spirituality, and speaks of God watching over her. She has even sought out New Age/Hindu guru Deepak Chopra for spiritual guidance. Her faith can be characterized as a kind of therapeutic moralistic deism, which is a self-serving feel good belief system that devotes adopt to deal with some type of hang up while keeping God pretty much ambiguous. It is simply a religion that centers upon the almighty me. In this way she is certainly in step with what some observe about spirituality among today’s youth. What if we are truly fallen from grace? What if what is ok with us falls short of the glory of God. What shall God do with us? Are we in need of a Savior?
Lady Gaga’s faith can also be characterized as a kind of postmodern relativism. It’s not about an ultimate truth, but what is true for her, which may or may not be true for someone else. She sings about being “Born This Way,” and declares, “no matter, gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track baby.” It’s about celebrating in one’s own self, rejoicing in one’s own truth, and living according to one’s own dictates. However, any claim to some absolute moral standard defining right and wrong, good and evil, truth and error, is frowned upon.
Born this way also raises some questions that I wonder whether or not Lady Gaga has considered. Why must we put up our “paws”? Are we simply of products of Darwinian evolution, mere animals with impulses to reproduce, albeit with higher brain functions to make us think something more is going on? Why is that the case? You say, “Same DNA but born this way,” but has it really been established that being “gay, straight, or bi, lesbian,” and “transgendered” is genetic? Simply because one has a genetic proclivity towards behavior X does not justify that person from exhibiting behavior X. Does it? If someone has a genetic proclivity towards alcoholism does it mean they were made that way so he can simply become an alcoholic? If everyone is right and no one is wrong, why leave out other types of sexual deviancies like pedophilia, pederasty, or beastiality? What about alternatives to monogamy, why not permit adultery, polygamy, and polyandry? Did God really make people “gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered,” and how is it you know that? “Born this Way” in a very anthem like way declares, “I'm beautiful in my way…cause God makes no mistakes;” however, Lady Gaga presents herslef posing with a tattoo, painted eyes, and a face studded with what appear to be horns (cosmetic implants???). Did God really make her that way? Or did she make herself that way?
Lady Gaga has experienced the pain of lost love, even battles against her own personal demons, but she has her own spirituality, and speaks of God watching over her. She has even sought out New Age/Hindu guru Deepak Chopra for spiritual guidance. Her faith can be characterized as a kind of therapeutic moralistic deism, which is a self-serving feel good belief system that devotes adopt to deal with some type of hang up while keeping God pretty much ambiguous. It is simply a religion that centers upon the almighty me. In this way she is certainly in step with what some observe about spirituality among today’s youth. What if we are truly fallen from grace? What if what is ok with us falls short of the glory of God. What shall God do with us? Are we in need of a Savior?
Lady Gaga’s faith can also be characterized as a kind of postmodern relativism. It’s not about an ultimate truth, but what is true for her, which may or may not be true for someone else. She sings about being “Born This Way,” and declares, “no matter, gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track baby.” It’s about celebrating in one’s own self, rejoicing in one’s own truth, and living according to one’s own dictates. However, any claim to some absolute moral standard defining right and wrong, good and evil, truth and error, is frowned upon.
Born this way also raises some questions that I wonder whether or not Lady Gaga has considered. Why must we put up our “paws”? Are we simply of products of Darwinian evolution, mere animals with impulses to reproduce, albeit with higher brain functions to make us think something more is going on? Why is that the case? You say, “Same DNA but born this way,” but has it really been established that being “gay, straight, or bi, lesbian,” and “transgendered” is genetic? Simply because one has a genetic proclivity towards behavior X does not justify that person from exhibiting behavior X. Does it? If someone has a genetic proclivity towards alcoholism does it mean they were made that way so he can simply become an alcoholic? If everyone is right and no one is wrong, why leave out other types of sexual deviancies like pedophilia, pederasty, or beastiality? What about alternatives to monogamy, why not permit adultery, polygamy, and polyandry? Did God really make people “gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered,” and how is it you know that? “Born this Way” in a very anthem like way declares, “I'm beautiful in my way…cause God makes no mistakes;” however, Lady Gaga presents herslef posing with a tattoo, painted eyes, and a face studded with what appear to be horns (cosmetic implants???). Did God really make her that way? Or did she make herself that way?
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