New 'Born This Way' Album Banned by Lebanon as 'Offensive to Christianity'
Music sensation Lady Gaga’s latest album Born This Way has been banned in Lebanon for being “offensive to Christianity.”
Despite the CD topping album charts in 21 countries, Lebanon has determined that the album contents were sufficiently offensive to impose the ban.
Thousands of copies of the album were shipped to the Middle Eastern country this week, but were intercepted and immediately impounded by authorities. The General Secretary Department has reportedly said the albums have been impounded on grounds of taste.
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Religious groups across the U.S. have already condemned Lady Gaga’s single “Judas” for its offensive lyrics and the use of religious imagery in the music video. That single was also banned from radio stations in Lebanon earlier this year in April.
Born This Way was released last month, and broke digital sales records in the U.S.
When Lady Gaga’s single “Born This Way” was released earlier this year, it was being heralded as the anthem for homosexuals struggling to be at peace with their sexuality.
However, Focus on the Family’s gender and homosexuality analyst Jeff Johnston explained at that time how the song takes away any hope of meaningful transformation and betterment.
“‘Born This Way’ makes you seem stuck,” said Johnston.
The gender expert focused on a line where Lady Gaga proclaims, “There’s nothin’ wrong with lovin’ who you are ‘cause He made you perfect, babe. So hold your head up, girl and you you’ll go far, listen to me when I say ‘I’m beautiful in my way, ‘cause God makes no mistakes. I’m on the right track, baby I was born this way.”
Johnston said the line is “bad theology.”
The Bible teaches that since Adam’s fall from grace, all humanity is born in sin. To believe that there are no mistakes, means there is no chance to reform a fallen nature. Johnston said this is hard news for a Christian struggling with same-sex attraction.
“When I was a young adult, this message would have taken away any sense of hope,” said Johnston.
As a youth struggling with his sexuality, Johnston said he found relief in church, where congregants loved him and God gave him the grace to overcome same-sex attraction.
People were made in the image of God and created without sin, Johnston said. But because of the Fall, humans are affected by sin in every area of life, including emotionally, physically and sexually.
"Thankfully, Christianity allows for transformation and freedom from sin," said Johnston.
Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson, has previously noted that Lady Gaga wrote the song “Born This Way” in just 10 minutes. He concluded, “We shouldn’t expect too much nuance and thoughtfulness from someone best-known for wearing meat as a dress and making an obscene gesture at a Mets game.”
