My Respect For Bob Geldof Is Increasing

Not that I had much to begin with. To tell the truth, I don’t hold activist pop stars in especially high esteem–besides the basic dignity they need to be shown as human beings, of course.

But as I hear more about Geldof’s leadership of the upcoming Live8 event, I find myself holding him in significantly higher regard.

He may have been the frontman of the Boomtown Rats, but his behavior of late has been anything but rat-like.

Celebs doing charity work to puff their own reputations (free publicity!) are a dime a dozen, but Geldof has been going against the PC tide to try to do something special here.

Like what?

Well, how ’bout:

INVITING POPE BENEDICT TO TAKE PART.

CREDITING PRESIDENT BUSH FOR ALL THE HELP HE’S GIVEN AFRICA, AND NOW

INSISTING ON NO BUSH-BASHING, GLOBAL WARMING-RANTING, OR IRAQ WAR-POUTING ON STAGE FROM THE ARTISTS.

All these are decisions that have attracted criticism from within the pop music community.

He’s not playing the usual self-serving celeb game. He’s acting like he’s . . . y’know . . . actually trying to help the folks in Africa by making sure that th concert stays on message and has the braodest appeal possible.

If only more pop stars weren’t such tantrum-prone children.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live." View all posts by Jimmy Akin