A rambling and rather strange interview with the raunchy pop-star Lady Gaga appeared this weekend on England’s Times Online. Columnist Caitlin Moran sets the scene for her session with Gaga (“arguably the most famous woman in the world”) by describing the decor of the star’s dressing room (“it resembles a pop-Gothic seraglio, . . . scented candles burn churchishly”).
The obviously awestruck interviewer then notes that the effect of meeting the pop diva is “one of having been ushered into the presence of a very powerful fairytale queen: possibly one who has recently killed Aslan, on the Stone Table.”
At one point, Gaga tells Moran of a recent “miracle-like experience, where I feel much more connected to God.” The reporter then asks:
You were raised a Catholic—so when you say “God,” do you mean the Catholic God, or a different, perhaps more spiritual sense of God?
“More spiritual,” Gaga says, looking like she’s biting her tongue. “I don’t want to say much . . . but I will say that religion is very confusing for everyone, and particularly me, because there’s really no religion that doesn’t hate or condemn a certain kind of people, and I totally believe in all love and forgiveness, and excluding no one.”
Would you play for the Pope, if he asked you?
“Yeah,” Gaga says. There’s a pause. Perhaps she considers her current stage show. . . .
“Well. I’d do an acoustic show for the Pope,” she amends.
May 24th, 2010 | 4:22 pm
“…there’s really no religion that doesn’t hate or condemn a certain kind of people, and I totally believe in all love and forgiveness, and excluding no one.”
Very interesting quote. thanks for sharing!
May 24th, 2010 | 4:30 pm
She’s excluding religious exclusivism. How thoughtful.
I think she’s just confused and doesn’t know quite how to think through her beliefs.
May 24th, 2010 | 4:48 pm
I think she would fit right in in The Episcopal Church. I mean, she might even be the Presiding Bishop.
May 24th, 2010 | 4:49 pm
A “more spiritual” God than the Catholic God? What am I missing? A God who is all about Love, I guess. But wait, the Pope himself wrote, “God is Love.”
I think Ms Gaga has a Linus syndrome:
“I love mankind…It’s people I can’t stand!
May 24th, 2010 | 10:00 pm
Methinks the stage name accurately reflects the degree of mental acuity.
May 25th, 2010 | 4:16 am
Hmmm, dissing Lady Gaga’s impromptu attempt at theology… Kind of like shooting fish in a barrel, no?
Poor Ms. Gaga. She’s fallen into the same trap that most of the world has. Where “love” is defined as, at best, a vapid, touchy-feely “thing”, or at worst, a corrupt apathy toward genuine justice, reason, and the well-being of your fellow man. A love that doesn’t judge… a love that has no opinion or standard… A love that just doesn’t care.
If I could, I’d recommend C S Lewis “Problem of Pain” to Lady Gaga.
“To ask that God’s love should be content with us is to ask that God should cease to be God: because He is what He is, His love must, in the nature of things, be impeded and repelled by certain stains in our present character… and because He already loves us He must labour to make us lovable.”
May 25th, 2010 | 2:39 pm
Gosh, so deep, so insightful. If her IQ were just ten points lower she would be an oyster.
May 25th, 2010 | 5:48 pm
“…do you mean the Catholic God…”
We have our own God now? Are the Protestants aware of this? How about the Jews? Muslims? Animists?
Since I’m Catholic, are my prayers heard by both Catholic God and non-Catholic God(s), or only by Catholic God? If the former, will non-Catholic God(s) pretend not listen, or will non-Catholic God(s) try to smite me or something? If the latter, if one converts, does that person have to do a kind of “catching up” session with their new God? What if non-Catholic God(s) tries to muscle in on the prayers of Catholic God, or vice-versa?
Geez, Lady Gaga is right. This religion stuff sure is confusing….
May 26th, 2010 | 12:17 am
It’s hard to disagree with any comments made above regarding Lady Gaga’s theology, vapid was a word used by someone that seemed most apt, but what is the purpose of this derision? She is a young woman who sounds like many who sit in my undergraduate classes, unfortunately, but who is both aware of the reality of God and who claims to have had an experience of God. These are good starting points not for self-righteous dismissal by us, but for the extension of genuine Christian love, somehow, someway. I take it that we would all agree she, too, is created by God and loved by God – although obviously she is much stupider than us. So how do these comments create an environment for her to return to the truth of the Christian teaching? Or is it just much more fun to be spiritual snobs?
May 26th, 2010 | 8:26 am
John, my comment was the charitable version. There is little or no chance of her ever even inadvertently stumbling onto the truth. Surely you have advanced the meaning of invincible ignorance to your students?
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