Steve Lumbley of Apostasy Watch is dead-on-target with his commentary quoted below concerning the way our culture, and often the Christian community itself, so often erects idols out of celebrities such as the late Michael Jackson:

The beatification had begun. A maudlin media mush-fest was in full swing. Worshipful crowds were gathering all over the country to wallow in grief stricken adulation for their fallen idol. Michael Jackson’s body had barely enough time to assume room temperature when the internet rumors began to appear on the Christian blogs and websites… Someone who knew someone who knew someone reported that gospel recording artists Sandra and Andrae Crouch had prayed with Michael to receive Jesus shortly before he died…

Singers, actors, politicians, celebrities, all our idols go to heaven. It doesn’t matter how they lived their lives. They can lie and steal. They can commit adultery and fornication. They can live debauched lives of drunkenness, drug addiction and revelry. They can reject the God of the bible and promote damnable lies as the truth all the while engaging in good deeds designed to make you think they are really deep down ‘good’ persons. In the end none of that matters.

They are our substitute saviors… (Online source)

You can read Lumbley’s commentary in its entirety by clicking right here.

See also: 

Michael Jackson, Jesus, and Purpose Driven Myth