Scrolling down your 'for you page' on Tiktok, you're likely to hear "Mary on a Cross," a song by the Swedish metal band Ghost. While the song is incredibly well-received by most due to its juxtaposition of beauty and sex against Christian imagery and dramatic instrumentals, it has also brought a familiar discussion back into the public consciousness: Christian references in pop culture and the media.
This discussion, however, is nothing brand new. Within the past few decades, the debate over whether or these references are wrongful due to their association with Christianity has exploded.
Looking back to 1989, Madonna's "Like a Prayer" referenced Christian imagery in conjunction with sexual messages. She was immediately the center of controversy. This was only made worse through the adjoining music video, which featured burning crosses and stigmata, a phenomenon in which the sufferer experiences wounds appearing on the hands, head and feet, identical to the wounds suffered by Jesus when he was crucified.
While the controversy of religious imagery in pop culture dates back to the '80s, the debacle has exploded once again on social media as many Christian and non-Christian social media users are calling attention to it.
Back in 2018, Ariana Grande released "God is a Woman," which quickly became the center of controversy. While many absolutely loved the song, others were not too happy with the sexual content juxtaposed with the Christian imagery of the song. Many church leaders began to call her out on social media, expressing their anger at the singer and making claims of blasphemy.
But, it isn't just church leaders calling attention to the discussion. All across social media, countless users on either side of the debate have shared their thoughts.
A great example of this was in August 2022, when TikTok star Addison Rae posted a photo of herself modeling a bikini from the brand "Praying," which featured the words' Father' and 'Son' on the top and 'Holy Spirit' on the bottom. As a result, she quickly became the center of controversy, with users expressing anger at the 21-year-old.
"She should be held responsible for the disrespect. Even if she didn't know (which I don't believe) her PR team def did," one commenter stated. This was just one comment lost in a sea of others expressing disdain towards Rae. However, some others defended her, with one commenter stating, "ppl are getting mad for nothing." The general consensus for those on the side of Rae is that it was being made into a bigger deal than it actually was.
This also seems to be the consensus for one side of the discussion. Some believe Christian references in pop culture aren't that big of a deal, while others believe it is blatantly disrespectful to the religion. Whether or not either side is right or wrong is still up for debate.
