Some glimpses at the interesting ways that religion and culture meet up in America.
Theme Song for Our Times?REM announced its break-up Wednesday, and as many reflect on the group’s impactful legacy, thoughts might turn to how the popular song “Losing My Religion” has found resonance with many Christians. Herbert Pinnock at the Christian Post writes:
In looking back on REM’s imprint on music and culture over the years as a driving force in alternative rock and as the influence behind such bands as Nirvana and Radiohead, many will remember the 1991 album “Out of Time” and its hit single “Losing My Religion.”
While “Losing My Religion” offered no allusions to the practice of religion, as Urban Dictionary, the popular slang reference website, explained, the misconception by many was that the popular song actually did.
Nevertheless, for many in the Christian community, “losing my religion” has become a common trend – in light of the popular formulation being employed by Christians who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.”
Not that we’re hinting or anything….. but here is what happens when Hallmark meets religion: National Clergy Appreciation Day, in case you’re interested, is Sunday, June 9th.
Celebrity Religion Swap Religion News Service monitors the internet for interesting things religious. Yesterday they saw a portion of the interwebs set ablaze after it was announced that Ted Haggard and Gary Busey are going to go on “Celebrity Wife Swap” together. No, we are not making this up. Someone else maybe, but not us.
On Twitter, the reaction was…mixed. For some, there was surprise:
@dannyvermont – Ted Haggard will swap wives with Gary Busey on Celebrity Wife Swap. Wow. Busey, born-again Christian meets Haggard, born-again heterosexual.
For others, there was fear of Biblical proportions:
@ExMachina – The first sign of the apocalypse: Ted Haggard and Gary Busey to ‘Wife Swap’
@shippen – “No good can come of this.” Uh, yah. #signsoftheapocalypse http://ping.fm/kfJ6G
There was also a lot of confusion:
@DAVID_WALSH_ – Garey Busey on Celeb wife swap. Wait, there’s a celeb wife swap? And Gary Busey is married?
…As for folks on Google Plus, I think one comment pretty much sums it all up for us:
Chris R. Harris – Amused and horrified at the same time