I grew up surrounded by Southern Baptists and born-again Evangelicals, and I feel like I have a pretty good handle on their thought process. When pushed into a corner, when they know they’ve done something wrong, when they can’t really justify their words or actions, they always default to what I always think of as the Because Jesus Defense. Why did you do that? Because Jesus…etc. Why were you so racist? Because Jesus…etc. So it is with celebrities too. Justin Bieber canceled his tour because he reportedly wasn’t feeling it. He was burned out, he needed a break, whatever you want to call it. He can’t just say “I’m really exhausted and I don’t really give a sh-t about my fans right now.” So he goes with the Because Jesus Defense.
Justin Bieber pulled the plug on his Purpose tour because he “rededicated his life to Christ” … sources connected to Hillsong Church tell TMZ. Bieber’s decision seemed to come out of the blue, but our sources say it was squarely based on what Bieber believes is religious enlightenment. Bieber said he canceled due to exhaustion, but that’s simply not true. Plus, his remaining touring schedule was not taxing travel-wise.
We’re also told Bieber’s crew is “incredibly pissed off at him” because it has impacted their financial well-being without any warning. Bieber has been virtually joined at the hip with Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz over the last few months — including at a huge church event in Australia — but we’re told Lentz did not advocate for cancelling the tour.
I’m not sure why TMZ is treating Pastor Carl Lentz like a new part of Bieber’s entourage. That’s not the case! Pastor Carl (that’s what he prefers to be called) was the same guy who baptized Bieber in the specialized bathtub of a New York Knick in 2014. Pastor Carl is the holy man of choice for all of the young, rich and famous born-agains in LA. Pastor Carl has been part of Bieber’s entourage since at least 2014. Pastor Carl has been giving Bieber life advice, career advice and love advice this whole time, especially when Bieber is vacationing with barely-legal ladies or even carrying on torrid affairs with underage girls. And now Pastor Carl is being used as fall-guy and the big excuse for why Bieber isn’t feelin’ it. Rededicate his life to Christ… yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Here’s Born Again Biebs out and about in LA yesterday:
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.
Yeah, depriving loads of people of their livelihoods / financial stability / income on no notice is such a lovely thing to do. He’s such a good Christian. I wonder if Pastor Carl gave them muffin baskets or something.
I was coming to say the same thing. That and not honoring commitments don’t exactly strike me as the height of Christianity.
The times in my life that people have royally s****ed me over and abandoned their obligations, those people have always been the most uber-Christians, and they always used Jesus as an excuse, and they always try to turn the tables on me for being justifiably angry about their conduct by spewing that “it’s a God thing” or that they are praying for me. Ugh. I have nothing but contempt for them at this point.
I feel for all the normal people, living paycheck to paycheck, who were depending on this tour for their livelihood. Even at every venue along the way, there are concessions people, and security, and parking lot attendants that are not going to get paid for a day when they were expecting to have work. And I guarantee you that Jesus will not be out there fronting their grocery bills, or getting school supplies for their kids, or paying the rent. But I suppose Justin thinks all of that is OK, because everything that happens is in the will of an imaginary deity.
Can they sue? Is a class action coming Bieb’s way?
If he is truly sincere and wants to focus on God and do the right thing I’m thinking he has the means to pay these people what they are owed and were expecting to receive.I’m a Christian and know I’m so not perfect,but hypocrisy drives me insane.Pay these people and drop out of the Hollywood jet set lifestyle and he will earn more respect.
I’m disgusted with this jerk for invoking God and his so called ‘born again’ enlightenment.
It is, purely and simply, drugs, laziness and entitlement.he plain cannot be bothered to perform( lip-synch) anyomore. He prefers to hang out, get high and generally good off. He does not care a hoot about his ‘fans’ or anyone but his next ‘hit’! He’s an absolute disgrace and worse, he’s a Canadian…so our national disgrace.
There will be some kind of clause in the tour contract to pay roadies if the tour is cancelled. Tours get cancelled, it happens. There are protections.
Not always.
A tour the size of his would have some kind of insurance protection, otherwise the entertainment news would be loaded with stories of him being sued for cancelling shows and depriving people of their paycheck. The only other thing I can think of to prevent a lawsuit pile on is if roadies agree to get paid stop-by-stop, with the understanding they won’t be paid if the tour is cancelled. Either way, they shouldn’t be surprised, they would go in knowing their situation. And aren’t a lot of roadies union anyway? There’s got to be some kind of cancellation policy. Tours seem to get cancelled/shorten a lot these days, and if there wasn’t some sort of professional arrangement, every pop star would be getting sued.
Non-appearance insurance won’t cover this. “Not feeling like it” doesn’t work for that kind of insurance coverage. If he was ill, then non-appearance would cover the costs for the cancelled shows.
It depends on the terms of the agreements, but I would think that they would still have to pay the crew/lighting company/stage/trucking companies/dancers/backup singers etc. The tour won’t be as profitable, but Justin (and those that make a percentage of his income) will eat it, not the tour employees.
This is not going to end well.
Hey, if he “rededicates his life to Christ”, takes a vow of silence, and moves to a quiet monastery, we’ll all be happy!
Oh what’s that? This is just an excuse to get drunk and high without the inconvenience of pre- scheduled events? Ah.
Nailed it GiBee!
I second the vow of silence, and moving to a monastery. Preferably one far, far, far away on an isolated mountain top.
Gotta love religion though – booze, drugs, underage girls? Well, obviously the Devil made him do it! And now all he has to do to get a clean slate is look contrite and say he’s turning to Jeebus. The ultimate take-no-responsibility get out of jail free card.
TBH though, being baptized in the specialized tub of a New York Knick is indeed an ironclad path to eternal salvation.
Does this mean he’ll shut the f*ck up and go away? Because then I will totally support this “re-dedication”.
But I suspect this will just be a way to continue with entitled douchebaggery that we’ve been watching over the last few years with the benefit of the get out of jail free card that all faux Christians use, which is basically the the thought that they can be as horrible person as they want, but it is okay because like, Jesus forgives them and stuff.
In 2014 he did the same thing. He was “turning his life around” and went on his apology tour.
there have been rumors for a while that after the tour, he was going to take a year+ off… so i’m not really surprised that he quit early. he’s wanted a break for a while now and honestly i think he should take it. it’d be good for him to get out of the spotlight.
Being dedicated to Christ and doing your job are not mutually exclusive, as far as I can tell.
But what would I know I’m buddhist. I appreciate this articles handling of the propensity of some (some!) persons to use Christ as a weird excuse for bullsh*t.
I think he might need something more from life, like religious help, therapy, etc. That said, I’m a Christian who has lived in some dark places–very dark–due to crippling anxiety in the past and I kept my job. I needed medicine and therapy and my faith, but responsibilities, you know?
I agree. Some people have a ‘magic man in the sky will fix it’ mentality. But if you’re lucky enough to have other resources, use those too. Some churches frown on therapyand medication, which leads people back to the magic man in the sky option. But I say a higher power would want you to do every reasonable thing to help yourself. People are about fear and limitations. An omnipotent higher power should not be “marketed” to people that way. That’s a trap.
OMG! He couldn’t at least until the tour is over? Jesus would still be around to rededicate with
😇😇😇😇😇😇
Hillsong is a money-making machine in Australia. They have credit card swipe facilities in the backs of the seats. In my opinion it is an absolute cult. I have heard that children of the heads of the church have spoken about how much money that church nets their parents and that it is basically a money-making scheme – like many of the mega-churches and such in the USA. ***ALLEGEDLY***
You’re bang on with your assessment.
I tried Hillsong when I lived in LA, in the last days of believing in religion. I had gone to a megachurch elsewhere as a teenager, so I thought it would be like that. But where my old church had total transparency about where money went (a yearly report detailing overhead vs. charitable donations, etc), I saw no such transparency at Hillsong. That place seriously creeped me out. My old church had been accused of being a cult, but having gone to traditional Baptist churches as a child, then that megachurch as a teen, except for the size of the place and a cooling on the fire and brimstone teaching, I didn’t detect a real difference between the two. Services followed the same pattern, tithing was optional, although there was an emphasis on community service and the church organized a lot of “service days” where you spent a day cleaning a highway or a park or sorting goods at a food pantry, that sort of thing. And the teaching was angled toward living in the world, there was no talk of cutting people out if they didn’t share your beliefs, or pestering people to convert. But at Hillsong it was $$$$$$ from the moment I walked in the door. Everything was about money, and I didn’t see any information on community service or ways to contribute that weren’t financial. Plus they want your full attention, if it isn’t compatible with Hillsong, then it shouldn’t be in your life. That scared me, so I never went back and shortly after that, gave up on religion altogether anyway, so it didn’t matter anymore. But that place is seriously creepy.
Y’know, I genuinely believe that he has serious mental health issues – which have no doubt been exploited by the people he has been surrounded with since he became famous. But I also believe that he’s an absolute egotist with no sympathy for people “beneath” him, as we’ve seen in the past in his behaviour towards workers, neighbors, animals, etcetera. He’s in serious need of counselling, not religious rehabilitation.
Mental health issues seems a bit unfair to people who really have mental health issues. I don’t see anything other than spoiled brat with him.
That’s what I see too. Despicable people can have mental issues as well.
He is so full of crap. Want the fans to be forgiving for, yet again, cancelling shows and screwing them over? Say its for Jesus. How can you be mad at someone for reaching out to God? Ugh. Please just freaking go away and stop swindling kids out of money. You’re disgusting and embarrassing.
The parents were given refunds from ticket vendors. Just saying.
Concert tickets aren’t the ONLY expenses often times people purchase plane tickets, reserve rental cars,hotel,etc if they don’t live in the same city .Depending on how long before, a concert is cancelled, the expenses can be costly.
“Swindling kids out of money” is a complete 180 from parents who are able to fly their children to pop concerts. Let’s be honest, the kids will be heartbroken but the majority of parents buy the tickets, drive their kids and a friend or two to the venue, let them rock out for a few hours, let them purchase some crappy posters and t-shirts and then take them to Outback for dinner. Sucks for the kids but the main expense, the tickets, were refunded. #firstworldproblems
OK Well screw all the people who were supposed to work at the concerts he cancelled.
Yep. He is a spoiled little brat and will finish like so many of those young starlets that never figured how to deal with fame at such a young age. The key is to have people around you who will keep you grounded and will call you out on your shit. Guess that did not work out for him
Man, this Hillsong church is starting to get creepy.There are so many parallels with scientology, it’s unreal.
A very close friend of mine – formerly a senior consultant at a global development firm with a post-graduate degree from Oxford – joined Hillsong when she moved to London. Within 6 months we were seeing her less and less and she was donating a large chunk of her income and time to the church. Friends who raised this as an issue were slowly but surely cut out of her life. A year later she has quit her job and now basically does ‘social work’ for Hillsong while living off her savings.
I mean, maybe she has found spiritual fulfillment, I don’t know – but this church has 100% taken over her life and my previously smart, outgoing ambitious friend is like a completely different person within the space of a year since she joined!
I went to one of these types of churches ONCE – at the urging of a “work friend” during a particularly rough point in my life. I’m not religious but thought hey why not, it couldn’t hurt.
After the initial songs and announcements during mass they split us off into “healing groups” where they try to get to know the new people and it’s basically like a mini-therapy session. They want to know everything about you and why you’re there. They immediately tap into your weaknesses and start advocating for you to cut all negative influences out of your life, including anyone who is a non-believer – going cold turkey, they called. And they talked a LOT about money and tithing, a turn off because I was a poor student at the time. I’ve never been to rehab but that’s almost what it felt like. All under the guise of being super happy, supportive new “friends”. I can see how easy it is to get sucked in.
Anyway I got creeped out by that session and just told them I’d have to think about it. I never went back. For weeks afterwards I got calls from the youth leader and my work friend pestering me near daily about coming back. I finally told the youth leader that with work and school it was too much of a time commitment but I’d still like to attend on sundays as I enjoyed the mass part and also that I was poor. They stopped calling and my work friend, who’d always been cordial, gave me the cold shoulder. I tried approaching her a few times but it was like walking into a freezer. I eventually had to find a new job because several coworkers went to that church and the atmosphere changed.
Anyway best wishes to your friend, I’m sorry that she drifted away – that’s what they do. Hopefully she is truly happy.
Alisha you did not deserve what you had to endure ;and money, church members stalking you and then freezing you out at work is the exact opposite of God IMO.I wish you and all others who’ve endured these things the best.
This entire industry is so disgusting. At this point I hesitate to dump on Biebs because I do think he’s a product of his environment. When you’re that young and you have that many people depending on you and blowing smoke up your bum, this is what happens. Or a Britney-esque meltdown. Or drugs. Or worse. That doesn’t mean that he’s not an entitled brat but I never got the impression that he’s an assh*le. Deep down. Who knows though.
Someone commented on the Bieber post yesterday and mentioned that we know how Hollywood and the music industry operate when it comes to children and teenagers. Frankly, I’m beginning to think you should have to be 18 to start this kind of career.
Not even touching the Jesus defense.
It’s the industry, his age when he began, and a serious lack of parenting. He’s burnt out. He appears to be a jerk-but that didn’t happen out of nowhere.
Thank you Spice Cake. I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I was struggling with depression and thought that it would be a possible supportive and uplifting community, but it was very much our way or the highway there and my co-workers who’d mostly been indifferent prior, were very much “you can’t sit with us now”. I was happy to leave that job. But it was an eye opening experience. A lot of times people wonder how others can get sucked into something like that and now I understand.
Translation: no one is buying overpriced tix for my shows.
I read that all of his concerts were completely sold out and that was one reason why it was so shocking that he just quit. I don’t know how much truth there is to that though.
I went to college with Pastor Carl for two years. He was on the basketball team and so was my boyfriend, so we partied together fairly regularly. I was honestly pretty shocked to find out recently that he’s this well-known megachurch pastor. I mean, people change for sure, but it’s just weird thinking about the guy I went to clubs with being Bieber’s Jesus leader of choice.
That does sound hard to wrap your head around! What was he like, Dorothy?
I have seem some odd photos of this pastor embracing,being affectionate with Bieber.Also I dont trust a minister who doesn’t wear underwear.Just saying
He was a pretty nice guy, but he was no saint or anything. Definitely drank and partied with the rest of us. He dated a girl on the volleyball team, and they had drama, but nothing outside the realm of typical college kid drama. I don’t ever remember him being super-religious or anything, though, so the pastor thing is kind of surprising in that respect.
It’d be refreshing if religion didn’t get dumped on as a whole just because someone who does something horrible happens to be religious. Objectivity flies out of tbe window on each and every article here about Christianity.
THIS X 1,000,000,000,000,000…..
Enough Already: I read the site fairly regularly and my take is that religion is highlighted when there’s hypocrisy involved. This sort of story is kind of a prime example: people aren’t criticizing religion itself but the using of it to duck commitments. Likewise, discussing Hillsong, which seems more concerned with raising money than supporting people.
There are a lot of great religious institutions and individuals who do great work, but featuring them on a gossip site would be pretty pointless.
+1
It’s celebitchy, not the Washington Post, you can’t really expect objectivity from a gossip blog. It’s a person’s opinion and they’re allowed to have it, as are you. Feel free to talk about how great religion has been for you, but don’t try and stop people from sharing their own negative experiences. Freedom of expression isn’t reserved for you alone.
Poohbear
Relax. Breathe.
Great argument
Does it really fly out the window?
Now, you my find it uncomfortable that some folks don’t have the same reverence for religion as yourself — but that doesn’t mean people are being unfair or biased. There was nothing untowards in this post. Kaiser was simply talking about a cultural phenomenon she experienced in the Bible Belt; people DO pull the “Jesus card” when caught between a rock and a hard place. (Heck, for any RHOC watchers out there (hangs head in shame), what did Vicki do the moment she got caught out on the fake cancer scam? She started comparing herself to Jesus….)
Besides, why must people be universally objective about religion? Many religions are stridently subjective.
I will admit, though, that I HAVE been feeling less and less generous about religion, as a whole, since Trump got elected. A lot of his supporters claim the “good Christian” label, but their choice of president suggests that the Christian-Catholic movement in America is in large part BS showmanship — a political and social prop. Because if someone really believed in the words of Jesus, then they would never have been able to pull the lever for Trump.
Yeah, yeah, not all Christians-Catholics. I get that. But I’m tired of protecting the feelings of religious people. I’m not going to go out of my way to be rude to religious folks, but I’m also not going to adhere to some antiquated notion that we must all revere cultural religious institutions. Because in the United States, they do a lot more to divide then bring together.
agreed. I personally have a hard time with most religions as they often view women as lesser. Orthodox forms of christianity, judaism, islam, none are especially lady friendly.
Odette
I don’t have a problem with the articles, only some of the comments attacking or mocking Christianity while other religions are left alone. That and an unwillingness to be less judgmental. Can you imagine the heads that would explode on CB if a commentor said “I breastfed so anyone who doesn’t breastfeed is a lazy mom.” What’s the difference between that and someone saying that religion is a collection of fairy tales for the weak and foolish? That opinion gets a lot of p,us 1’s around here.
LA Elle
I agree with you about the coverage here, which is honest and snarky, just the way I like it. I just think the comments tend to go overboard every. Single. Time. People are very careful to call out even a whiff of Islamaphobia but Christianity and Christians are often mocked and belittled in the comments.
Enough Already: I guess the one thing I don’t get is why you’re showing a lack of empathy for those who are getting tickets refunded. As someone said yesterday, some ticket services don’t always refund the convenience fee. If people booked a hotel, they may also be on the line for cancellation fees there.
I’m not a fan of Bieber (and admittedly side eye parents who allow their tweens to go to his concerts), but I do feel for people who had planned to go and are now not going because he “found Jesus” / “has unforeseen circumstances” / excuse du jour. Maybe the people are rich, maybe they aren’t: it doesn’t matter.
What I’m trying to say is I don’t quite understand you criticizing other commenters for being critical of faith while you show a lack of compassion for those inconvenienced by this cancellation.
The two don’t have anything to do with one another. And your opinion about my level of sympathy is just that, opinion. I feel sympathy for the fact that thousands of tweens out there will be weeping because the show was cancelled. It seems silly to adults but for extremely hormonal/emotional teens their feelings are real and valid. Bieber is important to them and they will be devastated. But I don’t give a huge darn about the money. The overwhelming majority will be issued refunds so no biggie in my book. What is more crucial, I think, is that Bieber may be doing what he thinks is necessary to avoid a breakdown, meltdown, binge or self-harm attempt. Even a spoileddouchebag’s life is worth more than a suburban parent’s processing fee at Ticket Master.
i don’t know her
And we’re always told to go sit in the corner and be quiet about it lol as if we shouldn’t have opinions about something that is so important in our lives.
But nobody is telling you to go sit in a corner. You can voice your opinion all you want. Just understand that not everyone is going to agree with you. And those that don’t agree with you may also voice dissenting views.
Odette
I should point out that my observations are not indicative of this post alone but dozens like it. I have zero problems with opinions. I simply said I am so tired of how religion is dumped on here by commenters. I don’t expect it to change nor am I interested in safe spaces – it just feels exhausted sometimes, especially when other religions are not mocked. Can you imagine the cosmic explosion on CB if someone made derisive comments about Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism etc?? It simply wouldn’t be tolerated.
Only when Christianity is used as a way of justifying bigoted behavior. Or a wall to shield yourself from criticism.
Bridget,
Then attack the fake Christian, not Christianity. You seem knowledgeable and respectful but many commentors have a derisive, snide attitude towards religion here. Of course different opinions are important but that also means I can express my opinions as well. I don’t want to silence anyone but I wish more people understood that tolerance applies to all religions.
So unprofessional. Baby Biebs has f*cked over a lot of people who work the venues/stadiums he was going to appear at. Exhaustion is a bullshit excuse. He’s a lazy, ungrateful prick.
Can we just revoke his visa now and ship em back to Canada?!?
I find it appalling that a “source close to Hillsong” is supposedly blabbing to TMZ. Especially since TMZ pretty much blackmailed Justin with that n-word tape for several years. I mean, if true Hillsong has already failed him.
My experience with Evangelicals is that they for some reason live more “sin” driven lives than non-religious types. I’m pretty boring compared to the affairs (gay and straight), theft, gossiping, and out of control materialism of Evangelicals I actually know. Non-stop drama. Meanwhile I’m at home binge watching Netflix.
Sure Jan. I’m not religious but it’s disrespectful to people who are genuine in their dedication to faith when the Justin Boobs of the world use Jesus as an excuse. Not that he cares.
People who use religion as if it’s an all-purpose eraser make me sick.
Completely agree. Also, the image of my wholesale club size container of Magic Erasers with Jesus’s face on the container instead of Mr. Clean came to mind, lol.
I still think he has a duty to finish out the tour. As i mentioned yesterday, not only does this put the crew out of work, but the fans who likely wont receive refunds on airfare/hotels etc.
Secondly, unless he’s planning on becoming a priest, or going to undeveloped countries to do missionary work, then you can still do your job AND be religious. Its not like its one or the other.
If he’s truly turned over a new leaf, then good for him. But i’ll believe it when I see it.
Oh no. So now on top of everything he is going to be sanctimonious.
So I don’t know much about JB, or Hillsong, or any of it. But I do remember reading a horrifying interview with his mother, who said she initially didn’t want Justin to work with an agent because she didn’t want him to be around Jews. From that, I’m guessing he was raised with a particularly ugly and tribal form of religion. It’s disappointing but not surprising that it’s now his comfort zone.
No, I do not. If you read my comment you will see I said “from that, I’m guessing.” Words matter.
I remember it, something along the kines of praying to God for an answer if she should “entrust my son to this jew” or something along the line.
Those are my thoughts as well. His industry has a way of eating people up and he clearly can’t handle it as well as some. If he says he needs to stop right now, he needs to stop and that’s it.
Just have your breakdown already. I’m calling BS.
I’m calling BS, plus lots o’ drugs
Ah yes the “Because Jesus” defence.
To borrow a quote from Frasier, “a credible partner who doesn’t take a cut!”
Did he have a “Jesus made me do it” out clause in his tour contract or something? Why even bring this up?
I dug through about 20 old Bieber posts but could not find my over/under on when he’d cancel this tour dang. I called it though – knew there was no way he’d finish it.
I was skimming and thought it said “religious entitlement.” Lolz!
He should dedicate his life to being less of a douche.