 The many faces of Lady Gaga designed for shock, art, and attention. |
 Preparing to launch ashes into space. |
She’s appeared in a dress made of raw meat and more recently entirely in the buff at a concert in France. Her passions are gay rights and poking fun at religion. She’s sung of having sex with Judas. She calls her fans monsters and is determined to displace both Madonna and Katy Perry as the top pop female icon. Lady Gaga (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) has been a little spacey to say the least. Now she literally wants to go into space. She claims that in 2015 she’ll be aboard a Virgin Galactic spaceship (for real, no kidding) and will sing from the outer edges of the stratosphere. The gravity-less concert will be live-streamed to earth as the ultimate publicity gimmick.
She won’t be alone out there. Celestis, a Houston-based aerospace company, is now launching cremated remains into space. Apparently dumping the burned ashes of Aunt Ethel in ocean water or on a mountain peak isn’t exotic enough for some. Celestis has actually shuttled more than 1,000 bodily remains into space for $995. They put a few grams of ashes in a capsule the size of a watch battery and shoot it into space with a rocket. The container is then parachuted down and returned to the family to be kept as a memorial. For $5,000 they will put the ashes in orbit. Deep space orbit to fly around the sun costs $12,000. Their web site declares, “From the stars we are born, to the stars we will return. Celestis makes it possible to honor the dream and memory of your departed loved one by launching a symbolic portion of cremated remains into Earth orbit, onto the lunar surface or into deep space. Join us at our launch events, and help bring the dream of spaceflight to reality by including a portion of your loved one’s ashes aboard our next satellite.” Perhaps Celestis and Gaga could join forces? They might call it a “grateful dead” concert.
A new atheist effort with a web site called findingdoubt.com boasts, “Have you found doubt as your personal Lord and Savior?” Members pledge to infiltrate churches and fake being saved, even speaking in tongues. Their aim is to “bow the knee to the rule of rationality.” It’s sick, and it’s sad, but it’s also to be expected. Doubt isn’t evil. Thomas had it, but one touch of the nail-scarred hand of Christ dispelled his unbelief (John 20:27). While others mock Jesus, reach out and touch Him, and in His presence all your doubts will be dispelled.
