Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[World Net Daily]

The prospect that America’s most-watched television program would feature a popular Christian worship song to close its fundraising special last night generated a buzz on the Internet, but some now are crying foul after the lyrics were altered to eliminate the word “Jesus.”

In the grand finale of “American Idol Gives Back,” eight “Idol” finalists performed “Shout to the Lord,” the song by Darlene Zschech of Australia’s Hillsong Church that has been sung in thousands of congregations around the world.

Zschech’s lyrics open with “My Jesus, My Savior, Lord there is none like You, All of my days, I want to praise, The wonders of Your mighty love.”

Instead of “My Jesus,” however, viewers last night heard the “American Idol” stars begin the song with “My shepherd,”

Molly Heinz, who handles publicity for “American Idol” with the Fox television network, has not responded to WND’s request for comment. However, the next night’s show, the regular weekly “results” show, featured the same song, and this time “Jesus” was not edited.

Read about it here.

[From me]

People need to get a life!  1st, they only had so much time to sing.  2nd, people hear the song, they like it and they buy the original and hear how good Hillsong is.  Then they hear the Gospel.  3rd, they sang the whole version last night. I know several Integrity Music people from my time living in Mobile.  They are great people and they are all about ministry.  Get a life people!

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

The teens aspiring to become the next “American Idol” for the 2008 season are vocal about more than just their passion for singing. Potential stars like Amy Catherine Flynn, who got a green light from judges at the Knoxville, S.C., auditions on Wednesday, are making it no secret to the public that they support sexual abstinence. When the 17-year-old Catholic High School student was asked to share something about herself, she said was the captain of the school’s dance team and a STARS (Students Teaching And Respecting Sexuality) panelist. Flynn said she goes to schools to talk about abstaining from sex, drugs and alcohol. Before she sang her rendition of “Reflections” to the judges, Flynn even gave Simon Cowell a short speech on abstinence.

If Flynn makes it pass the Hollywood semifinals, which will air next month, she would follow in the pro-abstinence footsteps of late American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, who says she wears a purity ring as symbol of her commitment to sexual abstinence before marriage.

At the Dallas auditions last Wednesday, 19-year-old Bruce Dickson also stood by his position on abstinence. Asked to share something about himself, Dickson told judges and millions of viewers that he had never kissed a girl.

“What?” Randy Jackson asked. “On purpose?”

“On purpose,” Dickson said. “On my wedding day, that will be my first kiss.”

He told judges that he wanted to “save everything for that one special woman.” But his commitment to purity was not well received.

Jackson’s advice to Dickson after judges voted him out was to “go kiss some girls.”

Ryan Seacrest, the host of the show, ended the segment with these remarks: “Maybe next year he’ll come back less a boy and more a man.” However, Dickson said he has not been dissuaded from his decision despite the ridicule he has received.

In response to Seacrest’s comments, Dickson replied, “A real man would rather wait than just do whatever with whoever,” reported Cybercast News Service.

“I respect women and don’t think of them as a sexual object, and I’m the freak?” Dickson said.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I enjoy American Idol but it always intrigues me as why people make fun of what they don’t understand.  These teens ought to be applauded when you see what happened to Jamie Lynn Spears and those who don’t respect their bodies.

What do you think?

Many of you may have missed my American Idol audition  so I have  included it here for your enjoyment.

Here is the guy who tried to steal my song: