The Right Stuff?

I wish I could remember the details now, but the gist of the story told to me several years ago by a colleague in ministry was that some contention arose in local politics around the Scranton, PA area, and an observer commented on a candidate for office by exclaiming, “She’s splitting the Polka vote!”

So normally, aficionados of polka music can be depended upon as a demographic in polling results? One can only wonder about the profile of the typical polka voter and what candidates must do in order to elicit his or her support.

Of course, Christian voters often are the target of candidates who contort their statements and opinions to be palatable to people of some derivative of faith. A vote to be taken tonight apparently has implications along these lines. Christians are divided, and one churchgoer on the seemingly less popular side of the issue urges other believers to “remember how some folks didn't like Jesus ‘cause he was different and a rabble rouser and stuff.”

And stuff?

The vote in question that will have the whole nation’s riveted attention is for the winner of the American Idol singing competition. I have to tell you I am completely oblivious to the television show and the developments on it up to this point, but reports – even from CNN -- indicate that Christians are weighing in on this one in particular because contestant Kris Allen is connected somehow to a music ministry in an Arkansas church while his opponent in the finals, Adam Lambert, is the subject of speculation regarding his sexuality.

That must fit somewhere into the category of “stuff” referred to earlier.

A person named Rudy Garza suggested on a blog that "The conservative Christians will rally around Kris and he will pull it out.” “Christians for Adam” fired back with the comparison between Jesus and their favorite.

The divided state of the Body of Christ even is evident in something like American Idol. The two finalists, thankfully, aren’t playing up the religious angle in the vote.

"I hope that having the Christian vote does not help with anything. I hope it has to do with the talent and the performance that you give. It's not about religion and all that kind of stuff," Allen told E! online. Lambert concurred, also choosing to focus on the talent portion of the competition.

I guess what scares me is that so many of the people voting on this thing are youngsters with highly developed digital dexterity. If flooding the phone lines to vote because one of the contestants might be gay is a defining issue for their faith, and given the passion with which they devote themselves to a contrived money machine celebrating the excesses of our culture, what is in store for their spiritual health and for that of our country?