Jamie Lynn Spears

Have you noticed that sometimes even Christians are willing to go along with the crowd if it sounds close to the right thing to do?  I've been thinking about this for a while now, and it is something that really bothers me.  What brought this on?  The gossip media splashed Jamie Lynne Spears all over every tabloid in America.  I can't stand tabloids, and I don't like gossip magazines of all sorts even if they aren't really considered to be tabloids, but that isn't really what this blog is about.

I don't know much about Jamie Lynne Spears, but I think that anyone who can read knows who her sister is.  Her mother has become quite famous as the mother of two superstar daughters.  Can you imagine having to parent high-profile, imperfect (just like the rest of us) teenage daughters in the spotlight of Hollywood and all the world?  I make enough parenting mistakes as it is.  I definitely wouldn't want the world to see every one of them on their television or at the check-out counter at Wal-mart.

I'm not here to judge Lynne Spears because I don't see myself as a better parent than she is.  Do I think she made mistakes?  Sure, but, as I said, so have I.  Do I know what those mistakes were?  Nope.  It's gossip, America, just gossip.  My hope as a parent is that the positive things I say and model for my children will have a more lasting impact on them and their future choices than the times I have fallen short.

So, get to the point, right?  Here's the big point.  The evangelical Christian community is clearly staunch in its stance on life.  We believe that life is God's to give and God's to take in any and all circumstances, or at least most of us do.  There are Christians and other pro-life advocates who march on Washington annually every January.  They look for opportunities to throw themselves into the media to help get their message out.  I'm not saying that these are bad things as that is not what this is about.  I'm just drawing a picture for you because of what many of these same people are now doing to the Spears family.

Many people, Christian and non-Christian alike, immediately started attacking Lynne Spears and her parenting skills upon the news that her 16 year old daughter, Jamie Lynne who stars on Nickelodeon's Zoey 101, is pregnant.  I don't know if she handled the info correctly.  I do know there are a lot of rumors because I can see them while I'm standing in the check-out aisle at any store.  Do I think that Jamie Lynne should continue to be a role model for young girls?  Hmm...well, that is definitely a topic for another blog.

Here's what I don't get.  Shouldn't someone stand up and commend Lynne Spears for supporting her daughter's decision to have her baby?  Are we really naive enough that we think that hundreds of other teen stars haven't faced this exact dilemma and chosen to end their babies' lives?  Obviously, Lynne has done something right , probably more than most parents who live in the limelight, because what her daughter is doing could very possibly end her career.  It will change her life forever.  Any parent knows that your life is never the same once a baby enters the picture, and while she will probably have extra help from a nanny, she's still taking responsibility for her actions.  She is going to have her baby.  She's not going to abort it like most Hollywood teens.  Who taught her to take that kind of responsibility?  My guess is that it came from her mother. 

So, in my humble opinion, Lynne Spears must have done something right.  Taking responsibility for a mistake this huge is not something that we see happen in the media very often.  She should be proud of herself and of her daughter's mature choice in this situation. 

And those pro-life Christians that I mentioned?  Yep, I'm one of them.  Those of you who know me know that I am and have been since I understood what abortion was.  BUT...instead of looking for opportunities to bash Hollywood and the main-stream media, try noticing the opportunity that is staring you in the face.  A good thing just happened in Hollywood.  A baby's life was saved for all of America to see.