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Church of BeyBY SARAH MORROW ON MAY 16, 2014
In Christianity, it is believed that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary and lived among humans will someday return for the second coming. While on Earth, Jesus performed astounding miracles and transformations using magical abilities he inherited from God. If he truly wanted to, he could return as anyone right? He could be your next door neighbor, a bus driver, your teacher, or even Morgan Freeman (wouldn't that be ironic?). So why not Beyonce?
Beyonce Knowles Carter, originally the lead singer of the 1990’s R&B group Destiny’s Child, has been a pop sensation since she was a teenager, and her career has continued to grow ever since. She has won 17 Grammy Awards, sold over 118 million records and become a symbol of empowerment to women everywhere with her chart topping, “modern-day feminist” themed songs. She was even listed as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2014, right next to Pope Francis and Vladimir Putin. Pop culture already portrays celebrities as god-like beings and teaches us to worship them. Is there a huge difference between praising Beyonce at a concert and praising her at Sunday mass? One group in Atlanta, Georgia doesn't think so. “The National Church of Bey,” founded by Pauline Andrews also known as “Minister Diva,” was created to praise the pop singer and practice the religion of “Beyism.” Beyism was created by Andrews and her friends after they drank Moscatos and smoked marijuana while listening to a Beyonce album and had a spiritual reaction to her lyrics. I have listened to and loved Beyonce ever since I was a child and I think she is an amazing performer, but I would not go as far as to say she was a deity. I mean, have you heard the songs “Blow” and “Rocket”? They are not very appropriate for singing in a church choir. The Church of Bey has adapted many contemporary church practices to fit the Beyonce theme. For example, the Church of Bey’s Bible is called the “Beyble” (which is not yet available to the public) and instead of saying Amen at the end of prayer they yell “Surfbort”. This new church has been popping up all over the Internet on christian, comedic and news websites. They even have their own Tumblr account. Most posts seem very intense and involve staying dedicated to the “Divine Diva/Mother Bey”. I would personally love to sing Beyonce songs on Sunday instead of hymns, but not at the cost of joining a cult. Acting as her own manager, releasing a surprise visual album, raising a child, and taking care of her husband all while being on tour would make anyone seem supernatural, but it doesn't mean we need to jump to the conclusion that she’s a god. Although I find this new church and their practices a little out there, I still believe Beyonce is an incredible woman to look up to and deserves our praise in the form of respect, not reverence. HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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