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Lady Gaga

Last fall, Dan and I went to a Lady Gaga concert, just to see what all the hype was about.  It was an eye-opener, let me tell you, but in the most positive way.  She calls her fans (and she has a massive, loyal following, let me tell you) Little Monsters.

She recently tweeted a photo of her new tattoo, honoring all her followers.

By “Little Monsters” she means (and this is my own translation from her website) that we’re all projections of who we really are.  We hide behind the masks we wear.  And even though that’s the case, she wants to be the devoted jester who lets us know how valued we are.  It sounds a little religious, if you want my opinion.  Who else plays that role in a lot of people’s lives?  For many people, Jesus is their most avid, enthusiastic cheerleader.  [In fact there’s enough religious imagery in Lady Gaga’s concert to make you wonder….]

Dan and I left the concert, remarking that despite the blatant lyrics and sexual innuendos, it’s what church should be like.  Not that we should all resort to groveling or hip-grinding while we’re singing hymns.  It’s simply a wish that we could all be so loving and accepting of others.  I haven’t found that to be a universal theme in the churches I’ve attended (and I say this, knowing that out there, somewhere, are churches that are doing this).

Notice I use the word acceptance and not tolerance. Tolerance is a dirty word when it comes to relationships.  You tolerate medication; you don’t tolerate people. You accept them for where they’re at.  End of story.  You cannot change anyone else’s journey.  Only he or she can do that.

Lada Gaga is known for her support of those in the LGBT community, and this alone causes enough ruckus among other people, let’s say, who voted for Prop 8.  In her most recent anthem, “Born This Way,” which I’ve included for you below, Lady Gaga goes one step further and invokes the name of “H-I-M,” referring to either God or Jesus who “[doesn’t] make any mistakes.”  Of course, this is causing a slight buzz among bloggers who count it their responsibility to rid the world of evil.  Cathy Lynn Grossman’s USA Today article “Born Which Way? What’s Lady Gaga Saying About God?” does an excellent, concise compilation of the disparate thoughts out there.

Is Lady Gaga advocating Jesus’s love for everyone, or is she saying anything goes?

Here are the lyrics:

It doesn’t matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M,
Just put your paws up
‘Cause you were born this way, baby.

My mama told me when I was young
We’re all born superstars.
She rolled my hair, put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir.

“There’s nothin’ wrong with lovin’ who you are,”
She said, “‘Cause He made you perfect, babe.”
“So hold your head up, girl and you you’ll go far,
Listen to me when I say.”

I’m beautiful in my way,
‘Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way.

Don’t hide yourself in regret,
Just love yourself and you’re set,
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way
(Born this way)

Ooo, there ain’t no other way
Baby, I was born this way
Baby, I was born this way
(Born this way)
Ooo, there ain’t other way
Baby, I was born this way
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way

Don’t be a drag, just be a queen
Don’t be a drag, just be a queen
Don’t be a drag, just be a queen
Don’t be!

Give yourself prudence and love your friends
Subway kid, rejoice the truth
In the religion of the insecure
I must be myself, respect my youth

A different lover is not a sin
Believe capital H-I-M (hey, hey, hey)
I love my life, I love this record and
Mi amore vole fe yah

I’m beautiful in my way,
‘Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way.

Don’t hide yourself in regret,
Just love yourself and you’re set
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way.

Ooo, there ain’t no other way
Baby, I was born this way
Baby, I was born this way
(Born this way )
Ooo, there ain’t other way
Baby, I was born way
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way

(Queen ,
Don’t be, Queen )

Don’t be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you’re broke or evergreen
You’re black, white, beige, chola descent
You’re Lebanese, you’re orient
Whether life’s disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
‘Cause baby, you were born this way

No matter gay, straight or bi
lesbian, transgendered life
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born to survive
No matter black, white, or beige
chola or orient made
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born to be brave

I’m beautiful in my way
‘Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way

Don’t hide yourself in regret,
Just love yourself and you’re set
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way, yeah!

Ooo, there ain’t no other way
Baby, I was born this way
Baby, I was born this way
(Born this way )
Ooo, there ain’t other way
Baby, I was born this way
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way

I was born this way, hey!
I was born this way, hey!
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way, hey!

I was born this way, hey!
I was born this way, hey!
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way, hey!

I, for one, think that people of all types have equal access to God, if there is a God, and I applaud Lady Gaga for saying so.

What do you think?  Are you spiritually appalled?  Or do you agree with her message but not the way she’s doing it?  Do tell.

[Post image: Lady Gaga]

15 Comments


  1. Sylvia
    Mar 02, 2011

    I, for one, think that people of all types have equal access to God, if there is a God, and I applaud Lady Gaga for saying so.

    I totally agree. If there is a god then who are we to judge others for anything they think, feel, say or do? If there is a god, my hope is for a god that loves everyone.


  2. Elissa
    Mar 02, 2011

    Sylvia,

    I’ll do a blog post on this as soon as I read it, but supposedly Rob Bell has a new book out, touting just that (called Love Wins). It’s causing a furor in the religious world, and it hasn’t even come out yet. I think next week. More later.


  3. kristi
    Mar 03, 2011

    we watched her on dateline one night, and i can’t figure out whether she’s just a young brilliant marketer or whether she really believes what she is saying. i have no doubt that she is helping other people feel better about themselves. i just wonder whether it’s coming from an authentic place. it’s so hard to tell.


    • Elissa
      Mar 03, 2011

      Hmmm, yes, I don’t know if we can truly tell if a person is authentic or not. I think that would take living with her from day-to-day, to see if she lives what she preaches. But her message is good, and you should have seen the throngs of dressed-up, costumed fans at her concert. They obviously believe her message…and appreciate that someone loves them for who they are.


  4. Hannah
    Mar 03, 2011

    I’m incredibly excited about the message of Lady Gaga of radical love and acceptance. But I’m sad that it hasn’t come from a group of people who’s only mission was “to be known by your love.” As a Christian, I am ashamed that we have failed that mission so utterly. But I have hope. Prophets like Lady Gaga can call us on our lack of love and help us move us forward. So, I say, bravo. And I hope she inspires more to stand up and speak out their messages of radical love.


  5. f451
    Mar 03, 2011

    everyone DOES have access to God
    God DOES love everyone

    and a person in turn for his/her love for God will keep his commandments.
    Now you’ll have to decide if God approves of her message. Does it glorify him? Does her lifestyle glorify him? To answer that question we need to find out who God is, who He says He is, and if He’s laid down any guidelines how to live this life. If not, God should be left out of it.

    and that is my humble opinion 🙂


    • Elissa
      Mar 03, 2011

      Yes, everyone has access to God, but not everyone has felt loved by God, mainly because His followers haven’t been very loving or reflective of what His message is…that’s why this message is important. Also, I’m not sure what Lady Gaga believes, but IF she believes in God, then God is relevant, I think.

      One last thing to think about…David was a “man of God” in the Bible. I wouldn’t have wanted to know him or his family. He (and his family members) did some atrocious, scary things. But yet he was a man of God. So. I’m wondering if our standards are too narrow for how God works. Something to think about. For those of you who don’t believe in God, then this conversation is a moot point. You’d rather be talking about whether or not her message is clear and good instead…


      • f451
        Mar 03, 2011

        When someone hasn’t felt loved by God I think it comes from a lack of understanding who God is. As far as David is concerened he was human like us. I mean if you were to judge God by how I lived most my life, then you would have nothing to do with God.

        If we’re not talking about God and Gaga’s lyrics, then the only thing we can compare the lyrics to is each one of our moral “compass” or foundation if you will. Which by the way will differ from person to person when God is not in the equation. You will generally do what’s right in your own mind and that will give way to a full spectrum of behaviour.

        If you do indeed want to throw God in the conversation then find out who He is. I bet most people have formed their own ideas about God from friends or family or media or movies without actually sitting down and doing some heavy reading.

        I was one of those. I lived my life however I wanted and however I pleased and as long as I wasn’t hurting anyone I was fine. But my conscience caught up with me and I would wonder if there was a “truth” out there. I would wonder where I would go when I die. I would wonder if I stood before God what would he say to me? And who the hell is God anyways? And so I started reading. And with reading came understanding. And what was this “prayer” thing? So I threw up child like prayers not knowing if they were sufficient or if anyone or anything could heae me. But I started to understand.

        From reading about Buddism and Hinduism to Mormonism and even yoga and meditation I found that God gave the only message I was looking for. Redemption. And hope. And an actual guideline to how to live life.

        So when I hear Lady Gaga’s lyrics, I read and hear them with a critical mind. Yes God loves us, but don’t mistake that love for condoning all of our lifestyles. Appeal to your conscience not your intellect. I feel we are a bunch of children running around The Lord of the Flies, doing whatever we want, saying whatever we want, but there will be a time of accountability.

        God doesn’t promise us a life of happiness. He promises almost the opposite. I hear so many people say “I tried God and it didn’t work out” or “I tried Christianity and it didn’t help me”. That’s not the point of Chrisianity. God gives us hope and eternal security. And that hope carries me through difficult times.

        So….going back to Lady Gaga I think she has completely misused God in her lyrics in the name of love.


        • Elissa
          Mar 03, 2011

          So, I can’t argue this very well, because I think it comes down to a lifestyle issue. Am I saying that right? You disagree with the LGBT lifestyle? And in that case, we’re at a stalemate.

          I guess what I’m saying is that no matter WHAT you do, WHO you are, HOW you act, the message of Jesus is that he loves you. I’m not sure I can speak to Jesus’s thoughts on homosexuality, since he doesn’t mention the topic at all. It’s other scribes and such who do.

          Thanks for contributing to the conversation…


  6. Angie Cox
    Mar 06, 2011

    I have a couple of thoughts on this topic. First, “….Tolerance is a dirty word when it comes to relationships. You tolerate medication; you don’t tolerate people. You accept them for where they’re at. End of story….” That is so incredibly, heart-nailing-ly true. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard this statement. It’s almost like having a sword plunged into a heart that thinks it is softening by becoming more “tolerant”. Good stuff.

    Second, I don’t know what I think about the “God makes no mistakes” mantra anymore. I think about the “girl” I met in massage school who is an hermaphrodite. She has boobs and a full beard. Then there’s the amazing young man I was fortunate enough to teach in PE class when he was 7. He has only stubs for arms and legs. There’s the 14 year old who was decapitated in an icy car wreck as her vehicle slid under a bus on the way to school 30+ years ago. We of course blamed that on Satan and not God. Oh yes, religion tells us that just like the trials of Job, God “allows” things to happen. Guess he couldn’t be bothered to answer that young mama’s prayer for a normal, healthy baby, because the world needed the amazing character and courage this kid would bring to his world. Whatever…..

    I think we have been duped into being judgmental, prejudice, bigots in the name of a deity that answers prayer about 50% of the time. Those are the same odds as flipping a coin. Life just happens, day in and day out. We create our own reality, and the sooner we realize we are all connected on a “consciousness” level, the sooner we’ll stop attacking the extended parts of ourselves as though we are stage 4 cancer.

    I am so glad you are back in the virtual world. I have missed you greatly.


    • Elissa
      Mar 06, 2011

      Thank you, Angie, for adding this…I’ve felt that way a long time (with regard to all the “tolerance” programs out there. It never made sense to me!

      And I think we have such a narrow, judgmental view of how people are supposed to be…I don’t think I would include anyone in that “mistake” category. Yes, they may have disabilities or handicaps, but they’re rich in other ways. All this to say that if we could treat EVERYONE as a precious being, and truly see each other this way, our world would radically change. That’s what I want!


  7. f451
    Mar 09, 2011

    Angie said:

    “I think we have been duped into being judgmental, prejudice, bigots in the name of a deity that answers prayer about 50% of the time. Those are the same odds as flipping a coin. Life just happens, day in and day out. We create our own reality, and the sooner we realize we are all connected on a “consciousness” level, the sooner we’ll stop attacking the extended parts of ourselves as though we are stage 4 cancer. ”

    I owuldn’t want to have anyhting to do with Christianity if this is what they are. The hypocrisy in the “Church” today is staggering. Jesus’ message has been diluted and forgotten replaced with “What can Christianity do for you!!??”

    If we go back to Jesus’ message we will understand the true gospel. True chrisianity is love. And just because a christian decides to live a life guided by the moral foundation of the Bible, does not mean we hate or judge other people. Those feelings other people sense might be a conviction of their own conscience.


  8. f451
    Mar 09, 2011

    …and as far as prayer goes, don’t be fooled that God will listen to your prayers. As a person repenting, God will hear every time. Other than that, if you are NOT abiding in Christ, your prayers are worthless. I say this to myself as well, it is very important to examine your heart before you come into the throne room of grace.


  9. Elissa
    Mar 09, 2011

    I love this forum for discussion. Please remember that true discussion is not about convincing others you’re right. It’s to ask more questions of the other person, to understand what he or she is saying. It’s really about listening, to learn where others are coming from.

    F451, It saddens me that you say, “Other than that, if you are NOT abiding in Christ, your prayers are worthless.” So you’re saying that God will not hear someone at all, if he or she is not living in Christ? So, how does God hear someone who is searching for him (and not there yet)?


  10. f451
    Mar 10, 2011

    Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek Me and find me when you seek with me with all your heart.”
    The first step is seeking. Wanting to understand who God is.
    God promises that if you truly put the effort in finding out who He is, He will reveal himself to you.

    A great book on prayer that will change anyone’s prayer life (including mine) is Charles Spurgeons book “The Power of Prayer in a Believers Life.”

    As I said God will hear anyones prayer for repentence, understanding, and wisdom. Any other prayer to God and if you are truly not abiding in Him you might as well be talking to a wall.

    As far as questions….I just want to sum questions up by how Tim Challies put it and if theres anything you read that I type here let it be this:

    Questions matter. They can help you to grow deeper in your knowledge of the truth and your love for God—especially when you’re dealing with the harder doctrines of the Christian faith. But questions can also be used to obscure the truth. They can be used to lead away just as easily as they can be used to lead toward. Ask Eve.

    Christians need to question and test every doctrine against Scripture. But once we see that a doctrine is Biblical, the questioning is over and conviction must begin. Far from exalting a lifetime of continual questioning, the Scripture warns about “always learning and never being able to arrive at the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7)

    Don’t be sad at my opinion because I didn’t originate it. God did.
    I might not fit into your target audience since instead of asking questions, I already have the answers. For me. I think you are speaking to people who are still looking.

    Your blog has encouraged me to think deeply and it has caused me to cling to my “parachute” tighter than ever. 🙂

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