08/27/2026
BETTER STOP JUDGING DOLLY PARTON!
I've come across some disturbing opinions about the faith of Dolly Parton. Of course I do not know the lady, never had a conversation with her, we've never sung a duet together. She talked a lot about faith. She was raised Pentecostal and so I am pretty sure as a child she had a "conversion experience"- sincerely stated a prayer asking Jesus Christ to forgive her sins and enter her heart. During her long life and career, she said and did a lot of things that reflected clearly about her faith. You can check it out and learn a lot. Maybe she would not have made a good Baptist or Pentecostal if measured by traditional standards? Some are of the opinion she was not a Christian and did not go to heaven. I think that is pretty careless. And I am glad the only opinion that matters does not belong to any Pharisee with a keyboard.
After being a follower of Jesus Christ for several years, I discovered that I was wrong about the trinity. Careful study of scriptures and prayer, along with serious interaction with a few people I respected, led me to a better understanding. It is an example of how maturity in the faith works. None of us know everything. We are all wrong about something and do not even know it! I am regularly learning things about myself, beliefs and behavior, that makes me slap my forehead in exasperation. Now here is the pertinent question- Does my less-than-perfect theology mean I did not have a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ while a young man in college still learning a lot of things I did not know? If that is affirmative then we are all in trouble. I'm pretty sure you are not going to pass that theology test either. And we will have to measure your behavior by the standard of perfection also. So I fear we are all going to Hell. Except... what if, instead of trying to convince God and ourselves that we are good enough to enter heaven, we connect with God through faith in what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf? That is my only hope, and Dolly's only hope. And your only hope.
Apparently Dolly Parton said and wrote some questionable things about her Christian faith, stuff that is not perfectly biblical? Well, she was not a seasoned and savvy theologian, never claimed to be. She also lived in a less than perfect manner. And even though I know almost nothing about her personal life, I will say she even sinned! None of that disqualifies a person from being a Christian and going to heaven. Here is what I think: A lot of us will be surprised who makes it to heaven and who does not. Some prim and proper folks will be missing. Some dirty rotten scoundrels, whom some of us thought not to have the chance of a snowball in H---, will make it! But most surprising may be the fact that you and I made it! Because... none of us deserve it.
