Christian Celebrities

Christian celebrities are a real inspiration to me. I think that it is really wonderful that there are many Christian celebrities in Hollywood and in the spotlight. Many are not in the mainstream, but they are still doing many things for God.

The celebrity that has touched my heart is Brian Littrell. He is an ex-Backstreet Boy. So, his band was not Christian, but he has turned down the opportunity to be on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine. The boys appeared in a very sexual fashion on the cover. Brian refused to be a part of this photo shoot. Time and again I have pondered Brian; something told me he was saved. I felt a certain connection to the artist- especially when I found that Brian has a heart problem. I remember hearing about surgery in the 90s. Brian now emerged into the Christian music industry with his talented vocals. He also founded Brian Littrell’s Healthy Heart Club for Kids. My favorite Backstreet Boy was the Christian I suspected he was. J

Another celebrity I adore is Kirsten Storms. All through middle and high school, I loved the movie Zenon: Girl of the 21^st Century. Kirsten Storms is a Christian; she was featured in Brio magazine in the late 90s.

Stacie Orrico is another interesting pop star. Switching over from the Christian music industry to the mainstream in hopes of ministering to nonbelievers, Stacie believed in making a difference to others. Interesting enough, fans bashed Stacie. They said she was a crossover, she was a hypocrite, and that she dressed immodestly. Reports of Stacie at Ashlee Simpson’s birthday party caused a ruckus on the message board as well. Stacie obviously stood her ground because she still released her second record bearing a mainstream label; making a total of 3 CDs. Stacie is an inspiring artist with a lot of talent to do a lot of good in the world. It makes me wonder though why her CD was not promoted more.

Other artists that have been inspiring are Martina McBride and Randy Travis. Both are awesome and talented singers.

Kirk Cameron of Growing Pains, Full House, and the Left Behind movies. It is truly inspiring how a celebrity can stay true to God while holding an acting career. Kirk was an atheist, but is now a Christian. He has several ministries, one of which is a camp for sick children and their families.

It is so wonderful how these celebrities are using their talents for good, instead of hiding behind a rock. I would love to see more Christian celebrities out there doing the work of God. There are countless Christian bands and singers, but they are hiding under a Christian music label and the world does not know what they are doing to make a difference.

Nudity in Manga

Where is the point where a person draws the line with nudity?

This has been a question among many anime/manga fans on the Christian Forums. But the question should be, “What is the context of the situation that the person losing clothes is in?” I believe that it is important to be able to discern whether or not something is appropriate based on the context of the situation.

Elfen Lied is one anime with a lot of nudity in it. The whole beginning of the first episode shows the main character, Lucy completely nude. She walks around a lab filled with men and women with white coats on, who aimed guns at her. Everywhere she walked, people just fell dead. Lucy is an alien, a violent alien captured by a science lab. She was naked because she had been chained to a wall, with no clothes worn.

Later, Lucy escapes the lab. She falls beneath a cliff, landing on a beach where she is rescued by two college students. Lucy is given a home, but she is no longer Lucy. She is a child-like alien known as Nyuu because it is the only thing she can say. Now, the series takes a new turn with the nudity, showing “Nyuu” in various states where she forgets or is trying to put on pants or a shirt.

Another example of “innocent” nudity is Chobits. This is series is a human-like computer who malfunctions. A college boy finds the computer, “Chii” and tries to revive her. It is about the love they start to feel for each other and how Chii learns simple things a computer should know. She learns to dress, how to speak and “shop”.

Like “Nyuu”, “Chii” must learn everything too. She cannot think for herself, because she does not even know how to think. Her feelings confuse her, and she must learn what they mean. The “nudity” in Chobits is there to remind the audience watching that Chii is a human computer that does not know that she should be wearing clothes. When her “master” goes to finds a shirt for her, Chii just sits there with a rather confused look on her face.

Of course, not all animes are innocent and bear confused characters that lack common sense. Other episodes of Chobits include wacky scenes where Chii is sent to buy panties.

In Midori no Hibi (Midori Days), Midori wakes up as the right hand of her crush- literally. Midori’s crush gets the bright idea to go to her house and try to merge her with her real body in hopes of Midori returning to normal. He lifts the covers to find her body naked. He puts “Midori” (what looks like his hand) on her body, but of course Midori’s mother walks into the room. I ask myself the question, “Why was Midori naked?”

Even though a show is not generally bad, there will be quirks and parts to dislike from it. I have come to the conclusion that anime is like that. I am not justifying nudity; I am merely saying that in come cases “innocent” ideas can be presented from it if it is done in the right way. The majority of it is just there for the sake of being there.

New Kind of Bible: Manga

As a Christian I am unsure of how I feel about a manga Bible. This was interesting to me as I was reading the manga and anime section of the Christian forums. I had completely never heard of this, but in Japan and Korea, manga is the big thing. Maybe it would spark an interest to some about the Lord.

My worry about this is the accuracy. It is Today’s New International Version, which makes me not want to read it. My denomination uses the New Kings James version of the Bible. Although I do have a magazine Bible that is the New Century Version, But the NKJV is the most accurate version of the Bible.

Different types of Bibles are sweeping the nation. People still want the book bounded original Bibles, but there is something new and exciting about reading a comic or a magazine that intrigues young people.