Really, the point I was striving to make is when Christians in particular go out of their way to make critical judgements against someone based on some superficial bias and how that type of character assassination is something God’s Word teaches us to avoid.

Thanks for your comment Matt!

On the topic of American Idol, I would suggest that there are many reasons people might vote for one contestant or another. For instance, if Danny’s mom thought Adam was the better singer, should she be compelled to vote for Adam? I don’t think anyone would endorse that. Some people simply identify with one contestant or another for many reasons including musical style, look, marketability, popularity, moral character, etc. Who are we to “judge” why a person might vote for someone?

That being said, disparaging and mocking a contestant is plainly wrong. It is, in fact, slanderous in this case, as we really do not know enough about any one contestant to accurately portray them as a person. To say I just don’t identify with his or her style is one thing. To say they are immoral or not a good role model or anything else in that vein would be presumptuous at best and potentially outright character assassination.

I think Jesus would understand that each contestant has many positive aspects and some negatives. In the bible, Jesus was hardest on those who professed to be holy and had nary a disparaging remark for “sinners”. That is good news for me, for I am a lifelong sinner in need of a saviour.