Knapp comes out

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A rising star on the Christian music scene is returning to the public eye with a new identity after a mysterious seven-year absence spent mostly on the other side of the world.
Jennifer Knapp is not only coming out with a new album, she is also "coming out," a term the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter considers "very bizarre" as she nervously relaunches her career.
The 36-year-old Kansas native, who dated men during her college days, is braced for a backlash from religious fans who faithfully shot down whispered rumors about her sexuality over the years. On the other hand, she said in a recent interview with Reuters, "I'm definitely getting a lot more friendly winks from the girls (at her concerts) than I have in the past!"
No other singer of Knapp's renown in the Christian music genre is openly gay. In the past, the industry looked dimly on those who deviated from the straight and narrow. Radio stations and retailers quickly dropped Sandi Patty and Michael English after they admitted to (separate) extra-marital affairs during the 1990s. Amy Grant was also blacklisted when she went through a divorce later that decade. All have since been forgiven to varying degrees.
Knapp is taking a preemptive stand anyway. She has recorded a mainstream album, and is not specifically targeting Christian radio stations and retailers.
"I just wouldn't find it respectful at all to say, 'Hey, this is something that you want in your store next to your Jesus statue,'" she said. "It would just be disingenuous to try and convince someone that they needed to do that."
BORN AGAIN, AGAIN?
Still, Knapp considers herself a "person of faith" and recoils at the suggestion that she is turning her back on the church, an accusation that dogged the likes of Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin when they left gospel for pop stardom.
As a mainstream act targeting the adult album alternative niche -- alongside the likes of U2 and fellow lesbian Melissa Etheridge -- it is suggested to Knapp that she is now born again, again.
"Maybe that's what I should have called the record," she said. Instead, Knapp opted for the equally forthright "Letting Go," which will be released May 11 through Sony Music-owned independent distributor RED.
It will mark her fourth album and first release since 2001's "The Way I Am," which received a Grammy nomination for best rock gospel album.
Knapp has sold about a million albums since releasing her 1998 debut "Kansas." She toured relentlessly, and was part of the lineup of the 1999 Lilith Fair tour. She also won four Dove Awards, the gospel music industry's top honors.
But increasingly exhausted and dispirited, Knapp lived the fantasy of many working stiffs by dropping out and traveling the world. She ended up in Australia, became a citizen, and now drops the friendly appellation "mate" into the conversation. She plans to spend most of her personal time Down Under.
But Knapp's time in the wilderness was not all about shrimps on the barbie and Vegemite sandwiches. She underwent an early midlife crisis of sorts as she reexamined her faith, sexuality and career. Making music was the furthest thing from her mind.
Before Knapp met her girlfriend in the United States, she was celibate for 10 years, which she says is in line with the general expectation for unmarried members of the evangelical community.
"Anyone who has a decade of celibacy has 'complete loser' written on their back," she joked, although she still respects those who do abstain.
Knapp's new sexual identity is clearly a major talking point, but she does not view herself as a crusader in the gay community. She jealously guards her privacy and that of her girlfriend, who "doesn't want to be famous in any way whatsoever at all."
While fans will inevitably scour the songs for clues about her new love life, Knapp says she never writes songs about specific people. But she pulls no punches in the first line of the track "Inside," singing: "I know they'll bury me before they hear the whole story."
"I hope that the defiance does come across as humble," she explained. "If there's any frustration, it's trying to politely break the yoke of being asked to be something that I just can't be, and with all humility go: 'Just please be kind when you discover the truth.' It's kinda all you can do."

7thSecond wrote:

........Knapp is taking a preemptive stand anyway. She has recorded a mainstream album, and is not specifically targeting Christian radio stations and retailers.
"I just wouldn't find it respectful at all to say, 'Hey, this is something that you want in your store next to your Jesus statue,'" she said. "It would just be disingenuous to try and convince someone that they needed to do that."
......

Probably a smart idea, as her "coming out" will cause many Christians to abstain from purchasing her new album.

7thSecond wrote:

No other singer of Knapp's renown in the Christian music genre is openly gay.

Uh... how about Ray Boltz? I'd bet he's sold far more albums than Knapp.

Ray WAS well known, but his popularity had feigned in later years. But, this will be a good move for Knapp to go in a more mainstream direction. The backlash from this would ruin her career if she simply wanted to be in the Christian scene.

Who's Ray Boltz?
(remember I've only been listening to Christian music for the last 5 or 6 years)

Bolz had a big hit years ago called 'Thank you". Pretty much any church you walked into someone was singing it

There is a more in depth interview with Jennifer at christianitytoday.com

Disappointing to say the least. I can listen to a singer who doesn't claim to be a believer and is gay. But I have zero interest in a believer who is gay. Hopefully God can reach her with the message of how wrong this choice is.

Would it be different if she was admitting to being an alcoholic or drug abuser? What about if she were a glutton? Why is it that the church only says that homosexuals can't be Christians, but we cover most everything else up and step around it?

I don't think we need to send her a message saying we think it's okay, but our reception of her could be what helps to lead her back to the right path.

I like doing music, but I am so glad that my life is not under the scrutiny that we put professional Christian performers under.

I agree, we need to kick alcoholics, drug abusers, gluttons and gossips out of the church too. [/sarcasm]

But seriously, I think there is a difference in sinning on occasion (such as can happen with gossip, gluttony etc.) and just deciding that you are going to live day to day with your sin as if it is ok. If someone drinks themselves stoopid on a regular basis it seems apparent that they have embraced their sin regardless of God's command. If they sin on occasion, and hate that it happens, and pray that God helps them over-come that sin, then that is a completely different issue than just deciding to embrace your sin and make the claim "that's just who I am".

I think that is why homosexuality seems like such an "easy target" for the church. But the sin of homosexuality can be just as condeming as gluttony, drukeness, lying, adultry, or spousal/child abuse. I believe the church needs to stand up and condemn those sins as well.

I agree that we need to stand up and tell the truth, but we act sometimes like the homosexual is the only sinner that cannot come to God. Why do we not use the same standard on everyone? I pulled gluttony because that is as much of a lifestyle as the homosexual. I'm a big guy because I eat way too much. But, we sweep one under the rug because it isn't the "in" sin to condemn.

I agree, homosexuality is always the easy target, because there are so few christians who say they're gay. So it's easy to pick on them, but greedy.... no one mentions that - as we watch people die in Africa on our wide screen plasma TV's with surround sound and all in HD, and we sit their eating half a bar of chocolate and then throwing the rest away.

I believe that's one of the reasons the church has got a bad name. At church on Sunday that very topic came up, and he said the Bible says you need to be filled with love for one another and to say things in love. So if I am talking to someone about homosexuality being wrong then I need to do it with abounding love and not being judgmental. That is the reason he steers clear off putting his name down on the 'get the gays out' campaign.

If I can say to a homosexual (in love, and tactfully) that I believe they are wrong, then I should make sure I also say to a greedy man (in love, and tactfully) that they are doing wrong aswell, and also to a lustful man.... and which men among us isn't lustful at some time!

If a gay becomes a Christian and reads the Bible he'll soon enough get to the point where it says that it's wrong. I think he could figure it out for himself. So personally I reckon the subject is best left alone.

Fundy

alldatndensum wrote:

Would it be different if she was admitting to being an alcoholic or drug abuser? What about if she were a glutton? Why is it that the church only says that homosexuals can't be Christians, but we cover most everything else up and step around it?

I don't think we need to send her a message saying we think it's okay, but our reception of her could be what helps to lead her back to the right path.

I like doing music, but I am so glad that my life is not under the scrutiny that we put professional Christian performers under.

Staybrite stole a little of my thunder. The difference between an alcoholic and a drug user who come forward and a homosexual who comes forward is that, at least in my experience, the alcoholic or drug user are hoping to get help and change. The homosexual comes out to be "free" and live their sinful lifestyle. They deny the scriptures by asserting that God is perfectly fine with that lifestyle. There's a pretty substantial difference there, don't you think?

Gluttony too...most fat people I know, including myself, hate that we live this way and want desperately to be different. We aren't out there telling the world that gluttony is just fine with God.

I agree that homosexuals get more scorn from the church than most others; however, they also bear responsibility because they are among the select few who live in sin, but call it righteous.

Quote :

Gluttony too...most fat people I know, including
myself, hate that we live this way and want desperately to be different.
We aren't out there telling the world that gluttony is just fine with
God.

As someone who is a glutton himself, I see this differently. We may hate that we live this way, but it's only because of how we look. I rarely feel guilty eating a second plateful of anything or about eating too many pieces of chocolate. In a sense, we ARE telling the world that it's okay. We've even started calling it "a disease" so we can tell everyone that we're the victims and it isn't our fault.

I see no difference, really. Either way, the homosexuals are justifying their position by claiming they were born that way. We claim to have a disease. Both are justifications.

If Knapp's new records speaks to me, I'll buy it. If I don't like the musical direction, or if the lyrics don't mean something to me on a personal level, THEN I'll skip it.

Gary, I have an other song of Ray Bolz "Shepherd Boy and it brought the tears on my face when I listened to that songs years ago.

alldatndensum wrote:

As someone who is a glutton himself, I see this differently. We may hate that we live this way, but it's only because of how we look. I rarely feel guilty eating a second plateful of anything or about eating too many pieces of chocolate. In a sense, we ARE telling the world that it's okay. We've even started calling it "a disease" so we can tell everyone that we're the victims and it isn't our fault.

I see no difference, really. Either way, the homosexuals are justifying their position by claiming they were born that way. We claim to have a disease. Both are justifications.

I'll have to respectfully disagree. I've done OA in the past, so I'm familiar with the "disease" designation, and I've not always liked it. But even in that context, the person claiming to be a victim of such a disease is trying to recover from it, are they not? The homosexuals are not. They are openly saying that their conduct is righteous before God. The glutton isn't doing that. They're trying to change their behavior. I really see a world of difference there. One is repentant, the other is not.

As for gluttony in general, if we were healthy physically, then how do you define gluttony? If a guy can eat two donuts and have no problem with it, why is that gluttonous?

Interesting discussion!

Fundy wrote:

If a gay becomes a Christian and reads the Bible he'll soon enough get to the point where it says that it's wrong. I think he could figure it out for himself. So personally I reckon the subject is best left alone.

I don't disagree with you (at least for the the most part). And if a Christ followers comes to read the words of Jesus he/she will see that homosexuality (along with a host of sinful indulgences) are indeed seperating them from God.
I too would like to leave the subject alone (primarily because it seems to automatically drive a wedge between Christians and homosexuals) but when the Episcopalian church has openly gay bishops it seems that large groups of "Christians" have decided that this portion of the bible does not apply to their "brand of Christianity". Do we (as bible believing Christians), just leave it alone? Or do we stand up and say it isn't biblical?

BTW my wife's favorite cousin is openly gay. We love her very much, and I enjoy great conversations with her and her partner at family functions. Neither of them profess to be Christians, and I must confess that I would not use the bible's condemnation of homosexuality as a starting point to share the gospel with either one of them. I don't find them any different from any other sinner (myself included). The only difference between myself and them is that I have been given salvation from Jesus (by the grace of God).

I don't hate Jennifer Knapp for her decision, but I have to say that I support FOJ's decision to not buy any of her records.

Follower of Jesus wrote:

Staybrite stole a little of my thunder.

Sorry about that.

Quote :

As for gluttony in general, if we were healthy
physically, then how do you define gluttony? If a guy can eat two donuts
and have no problem with it, why is that gluttonous?

But to truly be a glutton, you would have to be more than just someone who ate one too many donuts. We're talking about people who make it a lifestyle and they are seriously overweight due to it. It's a damaging lifestyle, but we justify it. Just because I have not died from a heart attack does not mean that I am truly healthy. On the contrary...it just might not have shown up yet.

I think I'm just gonna have to agree to disagree here. I think we find too many ways to beat up homosexuals rather than find ways to converse and possibly help them move on from their sin. I also think it's the church's "pet sin" that we stick our noses up at if anyone commits because it makes us feel better by being so holy for not being like that. Hogwash!

Fundy wrote:

If a gay becomes a Christian and reads the Bible he'll soon enough get to the point where it says that it's wrong. I think he could figure it out for himself.

Unless they are of the type that feels we need to "rethink" the Bible. In my research on this, I was appalled to discover the amount of pro-homosexual "Christians" and their defense of their orientation. I'm totally amazed how blinded they are. I suspect the same can be said for many sins though, as the gluttony discussion has brought up.

It is becoming more commonplace. More Christians are accepting homosexuality, lust, etc. as being fine in the Christian lifestyle. It's probably all to do with political correctness and wanting to appear to be open to all. And I think it will all get 'worse' before it gets better. That's why I beileve it's important to focus on your own walk, and live your life how you believe God want you to be.

So we should love Jennifer for who she is (one of God's creation), but be prayerfully concerned for her lifestyle (not being judgmental as, like Staybrite correctly stated, we are all sinners - saved by Grace!).

Fundy

Quote :

...............I think we find too many ways to beat up homosexuals rather than find ways to converse and possibly help them move on from their sin. I also think it's the church's "pet sin" that we stick our noses up at if anyone commits because it makes us feel better by being so holy for not being like that. Hogwash!

Nail on the head!

Fundy