Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash
Who doesn’t admire Dolly Parton? She’s a genuine, kind-hearted person who’s got a knack for writing catchy songs. You don’t have to be a country music fan to appreciate her. In a business where egos reign, Dolly remains humble. When they nominated Dolly for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she initially rejected it because she didn’t feel she measured up.
When someone asked Dolly what she wanted for her 77th birthday, she said she didn’t need to receive anything but wanted to give. Her spirit of giving kindness and goodwill is just another reason to love her. And, of course, her way of giving was to write a song. This new song will be another bestseller. The bad news is what it says about God.
I’m sure Dolly means well, but she’s not a theologian. The God she sings about in this song is the version of God that has given many children nightmares, and it’s the picture of God that has caused many people to walk away from Christianity. This misrepresentation of God currently has many people in various stages of deconstruction of their religious beliefs.
I hate to say anything negative about a wonderful person like Dolly Parton, but warped theology kills.
I’ll tell you what I think, and then I’m interested in hearing your thoughts.
So let’s unpack the lies in this song.
“Last night I had a dream about God…He was in such dismay.”
If we believe in God (and I won’t judge you if you don’t) and God is dismayed, there is little hope for the world. The Bible gives us multiple messages—many conflicting. Dolly seems to be drawing from the Old Testament. Many Christians deal with the cognitive dissonance between the two testaments by focusing on Jesus and what he says about God. Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow—that the Father knows what we need.
This reminds me of a favorite quote:
There is no panic in Heaven! God has no problems, only plans. -Corrie Ten Boom.
“Consequences will be dire”
I hate the threat in those words. It feels like a bully coming over to settle the score.
Consequences are always dire when people refuse to treat others with love, but it’s the reaping of human behavior—not God that we should fear.
“I am still the boss here”
I believe God is in charge of the outcomes, but freedom has been given to all people with mixed results. Some plant kindness and love, while others plant hate and fear. Each person reaps what they sow. God doesn’t step in and control people because humans learn from their mistakes.
“You know I put you in this world, and I can take you out”
This is the voice of an angry, authoritarian parent. Many parents have said such things to their children—but are such sayings God-like? Not if we compare them to the teachings and example of Jesus, who, when his disciples asked if they should call down fire from heaven, told them they didn’t know what spirit they were from.
The concept that God would take us out because we failed to obey presents the picture of a punitive and vengeful God. This is not the God we find in Jesus.
“Don't make me have to come down there”
What? Wait a minute, but God already came down here.
God came down here—in the form of Jesus.
God in the form of Jesus didn’t whip anyone into shape; even when he used a rope whip to drive the animals from the temple, he did it in such a way that the children flocked to him afterward.
God did come down here—in the flesh, and he bore our temptations and sorrows. God came down here and showed us what love looks like, and then we killed him.
“You've always been my cross to bear”
It’s interesting how she used the word “cross.” When God (in the form of Jesus) came down here, he used his power to love and allowed those who didn’t understand his mission to kill him on a cross. But God (through Jesus) handled our mistakes with forgiveness and love.
The God we find in Jesus is not a resentful, irritated parent—but a doting, adoring parent—one willing to come and live in our neighborhood.
God, through Jesus, came to bear our sorrows and made the ultimate sacrifice by risking his life to show us God’s love.
“I gave you a book, you didn’t read it”
Most teachers know an arbitrary command won’t help a student learn. Sometimes reading a book—even the so-called “good book” doesn’t teach the truth about God’s love. Misinterpretations and mistranslations abound. Sadly, Dolly’s new song is the result of many misinterpretations.
“Clean up this mess and put on something decent to wear.”
It’s not what we wear that’s the problem. Christians have long made rules about how people—especially women should dress. And sadly, Dolly herself has been judged in that category by the purity culture.
Jesus taught us that people look at outward appearances, but God looks at our hearts.
“Now, I don’t want to punish you, but if it has to be, this is gonna hurt you more than it hurts me”
I’m not convinced it hurts us more than God. The ultimate pain is not punishment but a broken heart. Jesus wept over the people in Jerusalem. God’s love is much bigger and more than we can imagine, and so must be God’s pain.
The bridge is the most toxic part of the song—
Politics, earthquakes, erratic weather
Pandemics, war, and hate, still, you’d rather
Turn a deaf ear, a blind eye; I am wondering whether
I should take my Bible belt and whip you into shape
This is another side of Dolly I’ve never seen. It’s a jumble of traditionally taught lies about God’s character.
Those beaten with a belt in childhood realize how toxic this song is. Belting might elicit compliance for a time, but it eventually ruins the relationship. There can be no love response where people are threatened with fear.
Some Christians teach God sends disasters to kill people who disobey, but that’s not what Jesus taught. Yes, the Bible speaks of a flood and other disasters, which we can take literally or observe which Bible writer said this and why. The Bible writers sometimes disagreed, so the only safe example of God’s character is Jesus. Even while hanging on the cross, Jesus forgave those who murdered him.
At first glance, it seems like “Bible Belt” is a witty play on words because Dolly sings country, and the south is called the Bible Belt. BUT soooo much abuse has been done in the Bible Belt region in the name of God that the only response to these lyrics is to cringe.
When she wrote these words, Dolly failed to consider the Bible Belt’s long and varied legacy of abuse to women, children, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, refugees, and immigrants.
This song represents the tide of religious Christian fundamentalists who terrorize those not like them. The violence used on others in the name of God due to intolerance is growing in the U.S. I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes the new anthem for a bloody crusade against all who disagree with fundamentalist Christians.
Dolly claims God came to her in a dream and gave her this message. I don’t believe it was God she heard from. Dolly’s “god” is a religious terrorist who says, “Obey me, or I’ll kill you.”
Her picture of God clashes with the character of the Father that Jesus revealed. Jesus claims that he and the Father are one—if we’ve seen him, we’ve seen the Father.
This song shows that Dolly’s songwriting skills are as witty and sharp as ever, but it also reveals how little she knows about God. Her belief system seems to be based on the traditional lies taught about God for generations. These lies about God have driven many people to leave Christianity. And who can blame them?
Gone are the days when people had to rely on the word of their pastor or elder for biblical truth. Today anyone can get online and do personal research to decide if certain teachings align with Jesus.
I love Dolly, but I do NOT love the God she sings about in this song. I don’t believe this God exists. The God I know looks exactly like Jesus.
Peace and freedom,
Cherilyn
Little Red Survivor Tips is always free. It’s just my thoughts about surviving at the intersection of family, narcissistic and religious abuse, and current events.
I also wrote a book Chasing Eden, about my strange childhood.
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Jesus came to show us what God is like...because He *is* God!
He showed me a God I can love!