Parents of singer Katy Perry plea to pray for her instead of judging her.
Katy Perry is back in the spotlight with her Rio Olympics theme song, “Rise.” After the song was released this summer, her parents, deeply religious Christians, spoke at a packed church in Yorba Linda, California. They have urged her critics to pray for her, instead of judging.
Katy Perry’s Parents Want You to Pray for Her[/tweetthis]
Perry, whose real name is Katy Hudson, still maintains a strong relationship with her parents, Keith and Mary, who are both ministers. In the past, the couple has been known for their own criticism of their daughter, particularly after she shot to fame on the back of the success of her breakthrough single, “I Kissed a Girl.” They were particularly incensed by their daughter’s public questioning of her own faith, but since then have reconciled with her views, and have learned to accept her as she is. They frequently attend her award shows, even with some people questioning how they can be so accepting of their daughter’s sometimes lust-filled lyrics.
However, they say that they still pray regularly for her to return to her faith, and urge others to do the same. Speaking to the Church of Grace at Yorba Linda, California, Keith reportedly said "I want you to pray for my daughter. Don't judge her, pray for her. She's going to be singing ‘Rise’ for the Olympics this year. We're very proud of it and her." When asked whether or not he condones his daughter’s music and its themes, he replied, "If you are a parent who agrees with everything your son or daughter does, stand up, we'll shoot you, get rid of you now because you been walking in a lie."
When asked about her beliefs by Marie Claire in 2013, Perry indicated that she is something of an agnostic. "I'm not Buddhist, I'm not Hindu, I'm not Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God. I pray all the time — for self-control, for humility," she said. "There's a lot of gratitude in it. Just saying 'thank you' sometimes is better than asking for things.”