It’s called giving the shirt off one’s back, not charging $200 for it.
Last week I wrote, “Has Kanye West Transitioned Into A White Evangelical Pastor?” One week later, the answer is undeniable: yes. There is a lot to unpack regarding the Kanye circus this week; however, what might be the most appalling is his profiting off of his brand new “born-again Christian-ness.” Kanye has a huge platform and we would be fools not to call out the danger that can come from it.
The Big Boy Interview
In an interview with Big Boy, Kanye went after the Hip Hop industry, “They rap about f*cking b*tches and buying foreign cars and doing things that are illegal, and then you talk prison reform.” Yes, the same Kanye who made millions off of objectifying women with lyrics like “Whip that, bitch out/ Tits out, oh shit/ My dick out, can she suck it right now?/ Fuck, can she fuck right now?/ I done asked twice now/ Can you bring your price down?” and “You’re such a fucking hoe, I love it‘” By the way “I Love It” came out just a year ago. So last year it was okay to profit off of misogyny?
During the same interview, Kanye also made ludicrous and downright white supremacist claims that Black Americans are brainwashed into voting for the Democratic party. West said, “Black people in America have been brainwashed into voting for the Democrats, believing that they’re victims. But we’re not victims; we can vote Republican. We can do whatever we want.”
The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah said it best this week: “You’re saying that 70, 80, 90 percent of black people who are voting Democrat are brainwashed? You’re saying you’re the only person that’s enlightened? And all these black people are just stupidly following [the Democrats]… What is more likely? The fact that these people are brainwashed or the fact that in America, you vote for the system that gives you the best chance? You only have two choices, and if you are a black person, you go: Well, I’m gonna vote for the choice that gives me the best chance of success.”
Kanye also “confused” the Plan B pill with abortion, which has been a dangerous anti-abortion talking point that confuses and stigmatizes. He also blamed Democrats for brainwashing black women into killing babies. The irony here is that Kanye West thinks so poorly of black women that he believes they are brainwashed and can’t decide who to vote for or what to do with their bodies without the Democratic party telling them what to do. This is the same guy who only recently rapped: “For all the girls that got dick from Kanye West/ If you see ’em in the streets give ’em Kanye’s bests/ Why? They mad they ain’t famous.”
Kanye is everything Jesus told us not to be
What is most dangerous about Kanye is his use of religion to manipulate people into giving him money and power. Much like Jim Baker, Jerry Falwell, and his son, Kanye, is using Jesus’s name to make a buck. Kanye manipulates Jesus’s teachings and religious scripture to tell people how to think and how to vote to benefit himself and those who he has aligned himself with. Jesus would not be cool with Kanye’s constant showmanship like him insisting he is God or the greatest musician of all time. Nor would Jesus like his continuous degrading of people who disagree with him. Especially Kanye’s consistent degrading of black women. Jesus would also be appalled that Kanye was selling a $260 sweatshirt with his face on it.
We have seen over and over again; powerful men hide behind religion to manipulate, to violate, and to denigrate. Whether it was the Catholic Church covering up child sex abuse or Jim Bakker among many other televangelists defrauding his parishioners, it is dangerous using religion — just look at Scientology — to manipulate vulnerable people into giving you money and siding with you. And it’s all about the money for Kanye.
Disagree? I bring you this week’s James Corden interview, where he said, “Last year, I made $115 million and still ended up $35 million in debt. This year, I look up, and I just got $68 million returned to me on my tax returns.” West when on to say, “People say, ‘Oh, don’t talk about these numbers. No, people need to hear that someone that had been put into debt by the system talk about these kind of numbers now that they’re in service to Christ.”
When Corden asked, “So you think your awakening — your spiritual awakening — is part of-” West responded, “My success. “Absolutely. [God’s] showing off. He’s just showing out. Yeezy worth $3 billion. It’s the No. 1 Google search brand in the world.”
So to Kanye, its all about wealth. Kanye is in the 1% and would make sense why he choose to support a racist, xenophobic, homophobic, and anti-semitic president who himself wanted a tax cut. The Jesus that Kanye is subscribing to seems to be one white evangelicals support and not the one who said: “I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me, I was naked, and you gave me clothing, I was sick, and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (Matt. 25: 34–35). Or the one who said, “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” (Luke 14:13).
And Kanye missed it when Jesus said: “He said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.” (Matt 19:24). I guess heaven is not where Kanye is trying to go.
Even the Golden Rule, which is the principle of treating others as you want to be treated, is lost on Kanye, who only wants a tax cut for himself and his family, so he doesn’t have to pay for his fair share. You want affordable health care? Well Kanye wants more money so he can build more houses. Want better public education? Sorry Kanye would rather use it to send his kids to private school. Want real criminal justice reform? Sorry, Kanye would rather have a tax cut and elect a president who turned back Obama era criminal justice reform.
“I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist”
During a fiery exchange during last year’s Florida gubernatorial debate, Andrew Gillum said of his opponent Ron DeSantis, “I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s racists.” Gillum, who would be Governor of Florida if it wasn’t for racists voter suppression tactics, is right. So let’s look at who are some of “Jesus is King” and Kanye’s most prominent supporters to fully understand the man that Kanye West has been reborn into:
Kanye West is cracking the culture code.@kanyewest’s new album #JesusIsKing is the epitome of fearless creativity and “dangerous, unapproved” ideas.
Leftists always try to silence those who are speaking truth. They’re waging a war on our family and culture.
Kanye is a pioneer pic.twitter.com/EmPgLqgGZJ
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 29, 2019
Satan is the best friend Kanye has ever had, as he will keep him in business all these years!
— The Church Of Satan (@ChurchofSatan) October 25, 2019
Closed on Sunday —
“Raise our sons, train them in the faith
Through temptations, make sure they're wide awake
Follow Jesus, listen and obey
No more livin' for the culture, we nobody's slave”— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 25, 2019
Kanye West just released a Christian album and Donald Trump is President. What a time to be alive
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) October 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/PamelaGeller/status/1187812377514926081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1187812377514926081&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthegrapevine.theroot.com%2Fajax%2Finset%2Fiframe%3Fid%3Dtwitter-1187812377514926081%26autosize%3D1
If these people are applauding the work you do, perhaps you are just like them. Maybe you are worse because you are providing them tools to further manipulate and spread more false information to those who are most vulnerable. That is not what spirituality or religion is suppose to be about.
Kanye is no friend of the vulnerable. He is no friend of Jesus.
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