Church Pop is a mostly educational, mostly cringe website owned by EWTN and aimed at young people.
Now that anger has reduced but I still think it needs some criticism. So today, we will look at this article, pinpoint some criticism, and suggest some improvements.
Introduction
The article starts with a fairly decent reflection on fame, except when Tynan says this:
"Knowing so much about their lives might be a boon for us because it allows us to know exactly what
we need to pray for to help them."
The reason I disagree with this statement is that the reason why so many celebrities are scandalous is precisely this ability to know all about their lives.
For example, Miley Cyrus would not be able to scandalize me aside from public statements and songs, but since she has an entire army of professional gossipers, any sin she commits is paraded across the world instead of staying in her private life.
Also, it should be possible to pray for them without feeding from the constant detractory sludge of celebrity gossip.
The Celebs
Tynan mentions five celebs and the saints he prays to for their betterment.
First is Trump and Elon, paired with St. Peter and St. Paul. Then it's Rihanna, paired with St. Norbert. Mr. Beast was placed with St. Augustine, and actor Tom Felton was placed with St. Matthew.
There is also, the basketball player named Caitlyn Clark, but we will not talk about her.
There is nothing wrong with praying for these people, albeit I think it would be better to pray for all celebs without being specific. The problem comes with what Tynan reasons about their faults and problems.
Trump and Elon: Friendship is Magic?
Trump and Elon wield great power and privilege. The day of judgement will fall upon them with unmeasurable wrath. Yet Tynan thinks they need prayers because they fought with each other! See for yourself:
"In the past week or so, however, the relationship between Musk and the president has become a bit… well… rocky. The two have had one of, if not the most public, fallouts of all time. But don’t think this is the first time two prominent figures on the same side of history have clashed!
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, two of Christ’s closest friends, also had a seemingly critical feud between them. The two saints, while sharing the same ultimate mission, had vastly different approaches to evangelism. In a particularly fiery encounter, Saint Paul scolds Saint Peter for making salvation seem like an act of the people and not the mercy of God. In Galatians 2:11, Paul writes, “And when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.”
Trump is actively funding a genocide in the middle east, betrayed his fan base and lied about coronavirus. Elon grifts people with electric cars. And yet, Tynan treats them with the maturity of a cartoon for toddlers.
Rihanna and Tom Felton: A Worldly Petition from Selfish Fans
For Rihanna, Tynan felt equally short. For him the problem with Rihanna is not a separation from God or causing scandal with raunchy outfits, but the simple fact that she has pretty much given up her musical career.
He writes "Unfortunately for fans, she hasn’t released a new album since 2016. A few movie tracks and features here and there, but nothing from studio to table for nearly 10 years.
This could be because of her success in the makeup industry with her brand Fenty Beauty, but it is a shame for listeners everywhere that she hasn’t bothered to grab a pen and paper and jot down some lyrics."
I am sorry, but Rihanna is actually better off like this. The music industry is demonic; whether is the songs themselves or the people who move around those circles, you see things everywhere that you shouldn't see. I think make up is a waste of time, but if it keeps Rihanna away from the industry it is better for all of us even if the company is scandalous in other ways.
On the other hand, Tynan comparing this musical apathy with the conversion of St. Norbert is absurd. Rihanna surely needs conversion, but I think we know she will not get it in pop music.
Tom Felton and St. Matthew received similar treatment. I am blissfully unaware of what has been going on with his life, but he doesn't seem to suffer from illnesses or be a particularly obvious source of scandal.
However, Tynan thinks we need to pray for him because he hasn't been able to have a successful career outside of playing the Harry Potter character Draco Malfoy.
"In 2022, he released his book “Beyond the Wand,” -Tynan informs us - recounting his years on the set, and has recently announced he will revise his role in the Broadway play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Many fans have echoed the sentiments of another actor from the series, Miriam Margolyes, who encouraged “Harry Potter Adults” to grow up and move on. If there is anyone who can give Felton help on this path, it is surely Saint Matthew the Apostle."
If "moving on" means involving himself even further with Hollywood, then you might as well wish he becomes a narco. You see, Hollywood is corrupt, and Tom Felton is better off with a dead career.
Not to forget, of course, that Harry Potter is a wiccan/alchemist fantasy series were school directors hire demons to "protect" students.
Also, notice that Tynan is comparing religious conversion with commercial success. Such a superficial mentality leads the writer to make a blasphemous comparison, in what could otherwise be a petition for someone else's well being.
Mr Beast: Judged Unbecomingly
The next celebrity we have is Mr. Beast also known as Jimmy Donaldson, a successful you tuber famous for giving money to people and organizing Wipeout-style challenges.
Recently Mr. Beast has been losing popularity because many of his ex-employees have accused him of mistreatment and exploitation.
However, Tynan says nothing about it and instead suggests those competitions are evil. See for yourself:
"Mr. Beast is a YouTuber with more followers than any other creator on the platform. When he posts a video claiming to test whether someone can survive one hundred days trapped in a room to win $500,000, he means it. His success has taken him far enough to launch his own TV series called Beast Games.
Mr. Beast is estimated to have a net worth of around one billion dollars, but along his journey to success, many have raised concerns about the ethical implications of his videos. Putting people into psychological experiments that can only really be labelled as voluntary torture has become his primary mode of income."
Forgive me if I am wrong, but while the contest of the challenges might be questionable, people have not demanded him for this. They demand him because he sells rotten food, or because he didn't pay them, or because he forced them to work for 24 hours, or because he disrespects women.
Furthermore, a brief resume of these alleged infractions would be better than attempting to judge his intentions.
Tynan writes: "Considering the immense wealth he has already amassed, it seems clear that he is continuing these experiments for the thrill of dehumanizing his lab rats...
One story that stands out is Saint Augustine stealing pears in his youth. He recounts how his desire to steal pears from someone’s tree was not driven by need or hunger, but the sheer desire to steal, which he looks back on as a profound moral failing.
Saint Augustine wasn’t hungry, and Mr Beast isn’t starving for viewer engagement. The only reason Mr. Beast continues his callous trials is for the love of a wicked game."
But I disagree. He might be motivated solely by greed, as fame and money slowly corrupt his soul. He might even genuinely believe that his videos are somehow useful for society.
Tynan seems to believe Mr. Beast is a psychopath secretly enjoying the suffering of his workers, a sadistic miscreant hungry for the taste of pain. By narrating the story of St. Augustine with the pears he implies that Mr. Donaldson has a further level of malice into his actions.
None of this theorizing is necessary if you just want to say some prayers for an exploitative youtube corporate. The interior doesn't matter: if he mistreats his employees he needs punishment. It doesn't matter if he does it directly to insult Jesus or just for money.
Conclusion
Overall, the article suffers from a striking level of superficiality. Praying for someone because they don't want to write lyrics or because they fought with their friends lacks the seriousness necessary for prayer.
Celebrities are ridden with scandal and sins, but they also suffer quite a lot. Wouldn't it be better to pray for Justin Bieber who was abused and is now justifying a genocide? Or for Kanye West who is clearly insane?
Church Pop themselves seem to be aware that his blog post was not very good, because at the end we find this note:
"Of course, these prayer proposals are less inclined towards true conversion and may have been (slightly) based on this author’s opinion. These recommendations are certainly things for which you can pray. Prayers for the conversion of souls are probably more likely to be answered. Whether for these celebrities or others, for these specific intentions or anything else, the best piece of advice is to follow the guidance given in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.
Our recommendation to Tynan is that he researches his topics more deeply, so that the writing is more informative and less opinionated. And to Church Pop, to drop the superficiality that will likely repel people rather than attract them.
On the other hand, let us pray for all celebrities, that they might repent and stop causing scandal. Let us also pray for the people involved in this article, and for all sinners.
