Getting Smacked With Reality The Hard Way

[Voyager]

I have recently been watching the American Idol show. I have to laugh at some of the contestants, but I have also shed a few tears watching some of them having to face reality the hard way.

Some of these people come in actually believing that they are the next American Idol - and they are completely talentless. Then they get crushed and devastated when faced with reality. I believe the parents of these people probably praised them with false admiration for qualities they didn't have, and the kids believed the lie. They didn't prepare their children for reality. How sad.

In a similar way, many of our former abusive pastors set us up to get sucker-punched by reality once we left their "protective covering". We were brainwashed into believing so many lies, then when we left the leader's control, we were not prepared to deal with reality. Gone were the fantasies that "everything is going to be alright". The "perfect support system" that we trusted in so deeply was now gone, and we were left empty-handed and aimless. Our "heavenly calling" and "divine purpose" were both stripped away from us, and we were left facing life on life's terms now. We couldn't believe that anything like this could have ever happened to us.

Maybe that's why I felt so sad for those rejected wanna-be American Idols who got served a hard and cold wake-up call. I have felt their pain before. I have had that same jaw-dropped look on my face before. I have had my fantasy world that took many years to build destroyed in an instant right before my eyes... just like they did.

:(

[SpinningHead]

I think AI is also a commentary on our society in general.

We're all about creating delusions of safety starting from the time kids are in competitionless little league.

Speaking for myself, I wanted to believe I was safe with other Christians as they continually led me to believe I WAS safe with them. :( They wouldn't hurt me. My husband innocently brought on so much extra pain by them because he refused to believe Christians could possibly treat each other so badly...especially when he was taking ever sermon to heart (just no one else was! :mad: ) He was in denial.

I wish we had a Simon telling us, "you're believing rubbish. sorry. But you are and now you can know this about your church leadership and move on with your life. I'm not being rude but you need to pursue what real talents you do have given by God and pursue a real relationship directly with Him and not through these people who haven't a clue was real servant-ship is. Thank you for trying out but with this church, the answer is a No. Sorry Sweetheart."

[exwitchoz]

I assume Australian Idol is every bit as bad as American Idol... (which is why Blockbuster and I have a standing date that nite...;) ) ... Anyway...

I wonder how much of the whole AI/Big Brother/Survivor/The Bachelor/(fill in the blank) thing is a result of our (and I mean as a society here) absolute fascination with celebrities - almost to the point of worship... Well in some cases I guess INCLUDING worship/adoration/the whole kit and kaboodle...

...and some not only delude themselves that life would be great/have meaning/etc - that they would have "it" (whatever "it" is) if they could be more like (Name a celebrity... ANY celebrity...) ...but beyond this some go to the point of delusion where they actually believe they ARE every bit as good as their idol... they think they ARE as good as J-Lo or Britney Spears or whoever...

As much as I HATE American/Australian Idol et al I DO think there is a place for 'Reality TV' - BUT only if it makes us examine ourselves in the cold light OF reality... rather than just tells us what we want to hear...

I think in a similar way some of us got sold a pup and bought into the lie in some of the churches we've been to... and didn't THEY have their own 'celebrities' huh? The places wouldn't have lasted 10 mins without them... Anyway... I know there's times in my past when I lost sight of Jesus and thought "Pastor Such-and-such has it all together... if only I could be like HIM..." ...and those that "moved up the ranks" I think were akin to those poor hopeless clowns on 'Idol'... they not only believe the lie but they also believe their own BS... and even tried to get others to play the game too.... :rolleyes:

I've been disenchanted with church and pastors and the whole she-bang more than once... but like reality TV there's a place for the institution even if some of the examples are found wanting to say the least... and with the same provisions/conditions... only if they make us examine ourselves in the cold light of reality... rather than just tell us what we want to hear... 'God wants you Rich' 'Name it and Claim it' and the whole big barf bag...

I charge you to preach the word, to stay with this task whether convenient or inconvenient-correcting, reproving, appealing-constantly teaching and never losing patience. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but, following their own desires, will surround themselves with teachers who tickle their ears. They will stop listening to the truth and will wander off to fables. - II Timothy 4:2-4

Well it's well after midnight here and I'm probably talking gibberish LOL... I'm off to bed... Catchyalaytah :)