Why Is Pop Star Miley Cyrus Rejecting Her Christian Roots?

Dear Miley Cyrus,

You’re blunt, you speak your mind and you yell about what you supposedly believe, that is, if you haven’t also outgrown believing in anything the way that you have “outgrown” the Bible. I’m a 21-year-old woman, and I grew up with Hannah Montana. There was an entire generation of girls who wore your face on their T-shirts, sang your songs and played with dolls that were made to look like you. Girls looked up to you; girls emulated you; girls supported you. When your “Can’t Be Tamed” music video premiered, the public exploded saying, “It’s too vulgar.” “She’s too young,” they protested. Even I remember trying to defend you to my parents, to stand up for you. You were just growing up. You were trying to break out of the Disney mold.

Recently, your article for Paper magazine was released, along with a set of extremely revealing photos of you. It seems that every time you want to gain more attention you wear less clothing. However, the pictures are not the most shocking part of the magazine spread. In reading the interview that you did for the magazine, I have to admit that I was shocked, extremely offended and a little bit hurt by the things that you said.

In the beginning of the interview, you talk about being an animal activist, which, as an animal lover, I can very much respect. Then, somehow the interview transitions very quickly to bashing beliefs that are very important and sacred to me and many other people around the world. Calling the story of Noah’s Ark a fairytale is not only extremely offensive, it’s also frankly untrue. Maybe instead of bashing Noah, you should be thanking him for having the courage to follow God’s lead no matter the social backlash that it caused him. Social backlash is something with which you seem to be very familiar. You should understand better than most others how difficult it can be to withstand. Maybe instead of condemning people for believing in Noah, you should be commending them for standing up for what they believe.

In the article, you are quoted saying you’re “the least judgmental person ever.” Somehow, after reading the interview preceding this quote, that feeling does not resonate true. I do feel judged by you. You called everyone who believes in the Bible immature children who still believe in Santa Claus.

I think that I need to tell you what possibly many other Christians have not told you before, and that’s that you are loved. You may no longer believe in God or the things written in the Bible, but that doesn’t make them untrue. God still loves you no matter what you say about Him. That’s the incredible thing about Him. You may have given up on Him, but He’ll never give up on you. I want to personally apologize to you for anyone who may have told you differently, but please believe me when I say that God will never stop loving you. It hurts my heart to know that you may never know what it is to truly experience that love from God which triumphs any other kind of love that you try to experience through what you call expression and love.

My prayer for you in the future is that you find the true love that can only come from turning back to the faith your parents taught you when you were young. I hope that you truly believe me when I say I will be praying for you, and I hope that other Christians will be also. I know what it is to feel empty and to find your worth in how many people know your name, but I also know what it is to find your identity and security in the words that are written in that book that you compared to fairytales. Miley, the only way that the Bible compares to a fairytale is that when you truly understand the words written within it, you can’t help but feel like a princess. That is a desire that no woman outgrows.

This article originally appeared on movieguide.org. Want to know what God’s doing in Hollywood?