Lady Gaga has apologized to fans after canceling her sold-out concert in Indonesia following serious threats from Islamic groups.
Islamic protesters holding a banner:" Go to Hell Lady Gaga"
Gaga, who is arguably one of the most prominent names in pop music today, was warned not to perform the concert by The Islamic Defenders Front who said that said the singer’s sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt youth, according to CBS News.
“We had to cancel the concert in Indonesia. I’m so very sorry to the fans & just as devastated as you if not more. You are everything to me,” Gaga tweeted on Sunday.
“I will try to put together something special for you,” she added. “My love for Indonesia has only grown. #GagaSendsLoveToJakarta and all its people.”
Although the 26-year-old has a large Indonesian fan base, a large number of concert tickets were allegedly purchased by the group who claim to have bought tickets only so that they could wreak havoc from inside of the 52,000-seat stadium in the capital, Jakarta.
The controversial singer Lady Gaga
“This is a victory for Indonesian Muslims,” said Salim Alatas, one of the leaders of the Islamic Defenders Front. “Thanks to God for protecting us from a kind of devil.”
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What are your views on this news article? What does it tell us about religion and society, especially in countries where these two notions are so intricate? Whether you like or dislike Lady Gaga, or any other artist, agree or disagree with her style and behaviour, you must know how to respond to what you find offensive. Is it the appropriate response to ban or repress what offends us? What does Jesus teach us about our conduct as Christians in regard to worldliness?
Jesus taught us to function as salt and light in society, which means that our faith affects everything that we do, but not by way of mandatory rules and regulations.
We want to be led by Jesus everyday of our lives but we cannot impose this upon the unwilling. Each person must surrender their heart to Jesus of their own free choice.
Acting as salt and light is about influencing our society by positively engaging with it. We are not of the world, but we are in the world. We must be active and influence such vital areas such as politics and the media. There is no way that we can establish the rule of God over our nation, or to compel people to surrender to the kingdom of God. Our job, above all, is to preach and to prophesy, to witness and influence others in order to bring them to Christ.
But, this cuts both ways ? and Christian teaching is very clear on this point. We cannot dictate to society, but neither can society dictate to us.
The Gospel Truth. This is the truth that we proclaim and follow. It?s truth-in-action, a life-style not a speech. God is raising us up to confront our culture with the love of Christ. Our words and actions must work together to present a bold and credible witness to Christ in the confused world of today.