Achieving stardom in this world can seduce ordinary people away from their core Christian beliefs. The too-often secular circles of celebrity tend to pull, tug and blind. But it may come as a surprise how powerful Christianity and Faith run through these household names.
Martin Sheen
Best known for his work in the landmark film “Apocalypse Now” and his equally famous sons, Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez, Martin is a devout Catholic. His stage name is intended to honor the theologian Fulton J. Sheen. Although Martin Sheen confesses he strayed from the Church during his Hollywood heydays, he speaks about the Gospels as radical teachings and considers himself a radical Catholic.
Carrie Underwood
The American Idol winner has had a tenuous relationship with some fans due to her strong Christian Faith. Many secular fans were taken back when she recorded hits such as “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” Some Evangelicals were uncomfortable with her support of gay rights issues. None of this has prevented the Grammy winner from posting No. 1’s on the Billboard 200.
Of her various controversies and raising children, she says, “Mike and I talk about teaching him how to approach everybody in a loving way, even if they’re not the same, and to try to say, ‘You know what? God loves them, so it should be my job to do my best to love them as well.’”
Tyler Perry
This carpenter’s son from Louisiana has not lost his faith since becoming a Hollywood sensation. Although he grew up in an abusive household and dropped out of high school, Perry earned his GED, began writing and overcame several theatrical script failures before his “I Know I’ve Been Changed” became a multi-million-dollar success. Writing opened the door to acting and he emerged as one of Hollywood’s go-to stars.
These days his net worth tops $600 million and he credits God with all success. “I think all of us have a God voice inside of us,” he said. “I hope that most of us do. It’s the little bit of consciousness that says you’re going to be ok. Keep moving! What happens a lot of times is that voice gets drowned out by people and circumstances and situations, rather than you listen to that voice. I paid attention to it all the time. I knew for me it was the voice of God saying you’re going to be OK! Keep moving!”
Denzel Washington
In the midst of the Hollywood elite, no one reportedly bears their Christian Faith as openly as superstar Denzel Washington. Having been nominated and won numerous prestigious awards such as a pair of Oscars for “Glory” and “Training Day,” the A-list actor took the Holy Spirit into his heart more than 30 years ago and holds his faith dearly.
“My father was a Pentecostal minister for 50 years,” he said. “We would say prayers for everything and end with, ‘Amen, God is love.’ I thought ‘God is love’ was like one word, ‘Godislove.’ I didn’t really realize what it meant. I’m still learning. But the fundamental message is in the Bible, which I’ve read three times from front to back… If you don’t practice love, you’re missing the point.”
Derek Carr
The younger brother of NFL No. 1 overall draft pick David Carr, Derek recently earned a $100+million contract as the franchise quarterback of the Oakland Raiders. The team has a long and infamous history of rouge fringe players and off-the-field antics. But Carr has openly brought his devout Christian Faith to the franchise since being drafted in 2014.
Teammates have flocked to his Christian leadership and that appears to have translated into a re-emergence of the organization’s success on and off the field. It’s hard to believe, but Christian Faith runs strong with the Raiders these days.
Jane Fonda
Given her atheist upbringing and radical secular creative work, Jane Fonda may be the last person one would expect to take the Lord Jesus Christ into her heart. Following her divorce from media mogul Ted Turner, she turned to Christianity in the early 2000s.
Even in giving herself over to the Holy Spirit she resisted the societal labels associated by being a Born-Again Christian. But through Bible study she came to terms with being led to God. Jane Fonda’s perspective may be a bit outside the norm, but she refuses to turn away from the Truth. “Religion and feminism are different expressions of the same impulse toward making life more just and whole,” she says.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
