MysticalChick said:

Lovejunky said:

Totally Agree...

however the evidence that he Embraced God Consciuosness in a broader sense, one that includes Jesus, and other understandings is impossible to Ignore.

Traditional Christains believe that the Thrid eye is at its best Occultist and at its worst Demonic

Prince was making a HUGE public Statment by embracing the idea of the Third Eye as a Gateway to GOd Consciousness

Not only did he embrace it...in the end His Public IMAGE was ALL About it !

anyone who cant see that is "Whacky" !

Yes, to all this. He was quite open about his metaphysical leanings in the later years and given JWs teachings about it (Woo is bad! Like, going to hell bad!), this showed that he had stepped into another level of his understanding about his belief system.

I am inclined to say that he just broadened his perspective to be more INclusive rather than EXclusive.

This is along the lines I was thinking the last two years of his life...

gingerwildwood said:

ETA punctuation

Lovejunky said:

The Definition of being a Christian these days is very murky..

Actually, according to scripture it is not murky at all. Jesus Christ said he was the way, the truth and the life. Jesus Christ said that the way was narrow and no one came to god the father except thru him(Christ). Anyone familiar with the christian bible would know that Jesus does not leave room for for other gods and idolAtry. He did leave plenty of room for questions, certainly. Christ did many Q&As in the bible but he never faltered on the basic tenets: only 1 god, and only 1 way to get to/fellowship with him. what you reference is Jesus giving us examples of how we ought to live. 2 separate issues.

-- The comment I made about Prince never refering to himself as a christian was meant to say I'm only going by what I know and not assuming other things. I didn't know him, I'm not taking anything for granted.

-- I'd like to add that most people who have a true encounter with Jesus christ are happy to tell you. The way he was happy to proclaim that he was a JW. Why not just say Christian if he was one? Like Denise did, like Dez did and Sheila and Micheal B and so many other associates of his. Prince called himself a JW. Why didn't he say I'm a follower of Christ i.e. Christian? His language made it clear he thought there was a difference.

-- and you're correct that many christians lack compassion but that speaks more to there humanity than it does their belief/ profession of faith in Christ. There are plenty of muslims who miss prayer sometimes- they are still followers of the koran. Plenty of catholics miss confession or mass- they are still catholics. i grew up with 2 morman families that DID NOT advocate for or practice polygamy but they were still mormans and would tell you so if you asked. Practicing a belief system/faith is just that a practice- it is perfected over time(i believe Prince said as much in the2014 RS interview). That means people will fall short and fuck-up alongthe way. It's to be expected,no?

[Edited 4/1/17 20:04pm]

Even dating back to the 70s, P wore a cross which is as much a "christian" symbol as the Star of David is emblemic of Judaism. That pre-dates his becoming JW.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that P never came out and declared that he was heterosexual, but all signs point to that. He may have figured folks were less dense and would figure out the obvious in both cases, but...I can only measure my own mileage when it pertains to density or the lack thereof.

For all that I hear "christian" objection to P's religious affiliation what I don't see is a rejection of P's art based on it possibly coming from someone who some assert was a womanizer, immoral and possibly had "demonic" belief leanings that would directly confict with thier "christian" based belief system and therefore would presumably be an unacceptable role model and influence on someone who professes to be a practicing "christian".

This would lead me to question the motives of and ask those so tenderly concerned with P's religious beliefs and/or adherence or lack thereof to doctrine he publicly embraced and acknowledged...Hypocritical much?

P has left this mortal coil and gained his rewards, whatever they may be.

What does it matter what he believed? Unless folks are looking to either follow in his high heeled footsteps...or reject the path(s) he trod?

Why not simply accept that he found a measure of spiritual fulfillment...and then seek your own, wherever you may find it?

[Edited 4/1/17 20:41pm]

MysticalChick said:

Lovejunky said:

Totally Agree...

however the evidence that he Embraced God Consciuosness in a broader sense, one that includes Jesus, and other understandings is impossible to Ignore.

Traditional Christains believe that the Thrid eye is at its best Occultist and at its worst Demonic

Prince was making a HUGE public Statment by embracing the idea of the Third Eye as a Gateway to GOd Consciousness

Not only did he embrace it...in the end His Public IMAGE was ALL About it !

anyone who cant see that is "Whacky" !

Yes, to all this. He was quite open about his metaphysical leanings in the later years and given JWs teachings about it (Woo is bad! Like, going to hell bad!), this showed that he had stepped into another level of his understanding about his belief system.

I am inclined to say that he just broadened his perspective to be more INclusive rather than EXclusive.

Hellfire and damnation isn't taught as a part of JW doctrine.

However, I agree with the last part of your post.

[Edited 4/1/17 20:46pm]

anangellooksdown said:

Lovejunky said:

In regard to your Comment about the Christian God Rogifan...

There is only ONE god and he has NO Religion...

He speaks in many languages....Once you GET this...you o p e n yourself to How Merciful is God that he makes himself available and visible to those whose search for him is sincere.

Beyond Dogma and claims of Ownership...

The more one studies other religions the more one can see he is there too.

If you love GOD and I LOVE GOD...we can talk forever....

But if you tell me you are a Muslim and cant agree with me because Im a Christian...then

..we have a PROBLEM....

On that Note just take a Look at whats happening in the world today because the all the Organised religions of the world want to claim exclusive ownership over GOD...

My GOD is YOUR god is OUR GOD....

the One and only..

We are all in this together....

Inferior to GODS superior...

Thats where Prince was at...

Continuously trying to bring us all together...

edited for shcoking spelling...sorry

[Edited 3/31/17 23:53pm]

Beautiful post, LJ. I hope many people get to see your words.

Thanks Angel..despite " shcoking spelling"

ladygirl99 said:

rogifan said:

LBrent said: In fact in that 2014 Rolling Stone interview Prince referred to Christ as "the Master".

I am an atheist myself and I do appreciate Jesus's teachings about love and acceptance even though I don't believe Jesus ever existed. Just because Prince appreciated Christ's teaching that doesn't mean he was a Christian. There has been no evidence that he was a Christian before he died. He said in the same interview that his views were expanding beyond his beliefs.

People once again think they know Prince based on his interviews alone and even at least a diehard fan should know P was full of contradictions. I spoke to some people in the industry via social media and messaging and they get a kick off of fans believed everyting a celebrity said in the media. Because celebrities all the time say stuff in the media to keep fans and public from knowing their private views. Even Jill Jones said on her Facebook page awhile back that Prince fooled fans all the time.

I think Prince was searching for answers, otherwise he wouldn't be reading and exploring Asian-based religions toward the end of his life.

Totally agree.

Prince was clearly exploring asian based religions, and let me just add that since those have become a bit of a fad lately, with the rise in vegetarianism and spiritual conscience, I am convinced that some of his younger associates of late had those same interests, hence influencing Prince who was known to "drink" from his associates and female companions for inspiration.

gingerwildwood said:

PeteSilas said:

interesting, i just looked up demonology, it's wierd, once when I wrote a song on the subject of human misery, i was sick, a was in a dream state and i saw scenes of demons pushing people to do bad things. Reading up on the subject today i was reminded of that.

I have done limited research on demonology and was surprised to see 'the secrets of the ages' was in his office. That's pretty hardcore stuff and very much tied to the kaballah practice as well as the secrets rites that include masonry. The implications aren't good. As you mentioned in your post it's easy to let the jeanie out of the bottle- not so easy to get it back in and shake off the effects. Yeah, Mr Nelson was definately on a quest.

>>>> For the record, I am not a conspiracy theorist<<<

Also, we must take a step back and consider this: Prince did not know he was going to die, at least I don't think he did. So the books he had in his office were not intentionally left there. What I'm trying to say is: we do not know the history behind those books and why they were there. There are many possible scenarios. Prince was a seeker so he bought them and was studying them (quite plausible), someone lent him the book and he just left it there. Didn't get around to read it. Read it and didn't interest him. We could be here all day, really...

Just saying we can't make conclusion without knowing all the facts. If something were to happen to me, I hate to imagine people would think I read Fifty Shades of Gray. A friend lent it to me and I have it in my office. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna get rid of it right now. You never know...

It was a lovely interview. I only wish all of his associates could be interviewed like this guy handled Kim, that is with kindness and respect. No curve balls, no awkward or uncomfortable questions. But I suppose making people squirm is considered the holy grail amongst "real" reporters

Lovejunky said:

Lovejunky said:

laurarichardson said:

Indeed. And one of P's JW elders stated after 4/21 that P was "a brother in good standing" up until his death.

rogifan said:

laurarichardson said:

IMO where it's coming from (mostly) is from people who aren't Christian or necessarily religious. In their minds there is no Christian God so when Prince mentions God or faith he's really talking about some new aged spirituality oh and the fact he read books about other faiths proves he was beyond Christianity and "spiritually enlightened" before he died. Of course he did say this in 2013 in a V magazine interview:

“First of all, do you see a difference in religions?” he asks. I say no, suggesting all religions are based on the same idea and then corrupted by their human leaders. “Then what are the wars about?” he asks, unhappy with my answer. “If one religion believes Christ is the king, and another doesn’t, then there’s a difference in religions.”

I don't think Prince ever stopped believing Christ is King no matter what else's he might have been reading/studying. And as far as JW goes...let's not forget there was a private memorial service at a Kingdom Hall near Minneapolis which Shelby J, 3EG members and other associates attended. [Edited 4/2/17 5:22am]

rogifan said:

Lovejunky said:

No BIG Deal at all....

I believe due to his open minded and sincere search , he Achieved Spiritual enlightenment and evolved in front of our very eyes into a being who carried so much LOVE inside his heart that his physical body is no longer of any use to him..

What exactly is "spiritual enlightenment"? If you're a Christian and you don't embrace ideas beyond your Christian faith are you not spiritually enlightened?

I believe that while the phrasing "spiritual enlightenment" suggests "alternate schools and/or spiritual ideologies/practice", it can also apply to Christians, Jews, etc...even agnostics or atheists.

If one considers that every being searches for meaning and inner peace throughout thier lives, whether those things come from the teachings of an organized religion or the warm fuzzies caused by enjoying the company of animals or the inner peace derived from meditation...humans search for meaning, to understand the cosmos and thier place in it.

It is said that when one has found thier place and understands how they fit into the complexity of all that has gone before them and all that will come after them, and the truly simple concept and embodiment of love...they can reach "spiritual enlightenment".

If you listen to P's AOA with this idea in mind, you may be able to see this ideology represented, especially in the affirmations.

It's not a religious thing. It's something greater than religion yet can compliment one's religious beliefs.

I hope that answer didn't confuse.

As a former JW, I can say that I think it would be very hard for Prince to adhere to the teachings and faith. There is a real push for members to not be a part of the worldly ways. A man of Prince's prosperity, world travel, associating with celebrities and powerful 'worldly' people, would result in so many temptations. I find it difficult reconciling many of his performances and songs with the faith. Elixir - for one example. I think he must have been given many passes by the JWs for his behavior and transgressions. Any normal/average non-Prince like person with this lifestyle would have been disfellowshipped post-haste.

Dini said:

As a former JW, I can say that I think it would be very hard for Prince to adhere to the teachings and faith. There is a real push for members to not be a part of the worldly ways. A man of Prince's prosperity, world travel, associating with celebrities and powerful 'worldly' people, would result in so many temptations. I find it difficult reconciling many of his performances and songs with the faith. Elixir - for one example. I think he must have been given many passes by the JWs for his behavior and transgressions. Any normal/average non-Prince like person with this lifestyle would have been disfellowshipped post-haste.

Forgive me if I get this wrong...

But in faiths that believe that the Bible is the word of G*d, isn't there a King David who was written about as being a favourite one of G*d's due to how much he loved G*d?

If I'm remembering correctly, G*d recognized how much David loved him from boyhood and guided and protected him from King Saul and the giant, Goliath...ultimately making David a king.

And although David was imperfect and extremely flawed, to the point of having an adulterous affair with Bathsheba then having her husband, Uriah the Hitite, murdered in battle so David could marry her before anyone could discover that she was pregnant by David? Yet it's written that G*d "read King David's heart" and ended up allowing the Messiah, Jesus Christ< to decend from King David's bloodline?

So I'm guessing that if he could read the heart of a king, that same G*d would have no trouble reading the heart of a prince.

If "salvation" is a focus for someone, wouldn't effort be better spent searching for one's own instead of worry for one who has already reached thier "reward"?

I only ask because I see many question P's life decisions as being at odds with his assumed beliefs. It really seems to bother folks that he might have gotten "extra cookies". Why not ignore that and reach into the cookie jar for cookies of one's own?

[Edited 4/2/17 8:24am]

good points--I think for a couple years he tried to comply. I am glad he mostly failed ... LOL.

Dini said:

As a former JW, I can say that I think it would be very hard for Prince to adhere to the teachings and faith. There is a real push for members to not be a part of the worldly ways. A man of Prince's prosperity, world travel, associating with celebrities and powerful 'worldly' people, would result in so many temptations. I find it difficult reconciling many of his performances and songs with the faith. Elixir - for one example. I think he must have been given many passes by the JWs for his behavior and transgressions. Any normal/average non-Prince like person with this lifestyle would have been disfellowshipped post-haste.

purplerabbithole said:

good points--I think for a couple years he tried to comply. I am glad he mostly failed ... LOL.

Dini said:

As a former JW, I can say that I think it would be very hard for Prince to adhere to the teachings and faith. There is a real push for members to not be a part of the worldly ways. A man of Prince's prosperity, world travel, associating with celebrities and powerful 'worldly' people, would result in so many temptations. I find it difficult reconciling many of his performances and songs with the faith. Elixir - for one example. I think he must have been given many passes by the JWs for his behavior and transgressions. Any normal/average non-Prince like person with this lifestyle would have been disfellowshipped post-haste.

Wow

What a heartfelt and incredibly generous sentiment to feel about a being who one claims to admire who was struggling to do something they felt was important to thier spiritual existance.

Wow

Don't take me the wrong way. I don't judge Prince's need for spirituality in a time of crisis.

But, Prince being a strict JW would not have been great in my opinion. A spiritual journey is a personal thing. It shouldn't be strict adherence to a closed off exclusive religion. When I said, I am glad he mostly failed, I mean that I am glad he still sang about sex, was still flamboyant, was tolerant and willing to work with others whose religious and sexual orientation is not JW standards. The reality is that the JW's do encourage congregrating mostly with their own.

I defend Prince all the time. But when I rejoice that he wasn't an absolute religious zealout for the rest of his life, I am getting yelled at. Good grief. LIke a priest once told me, God is bigger than the church. If Prince couldn't help but subconsciously sense that, then good for him.

My apologies to JW's...I respect their dogma, have no problem with people not believing in holy trinity or their concept of a second resurrection. But an exclusive, strict religious conversion of a free spirit like Prince...JUST WRONG.

LBrent said:

purplerabbithole said:

good points--I think for a couple years he tried to comply. I am glad he mostly failed ... LOL.

Wow

What a heartfelt and incredibly generous sentiment to feel about a being who one claims to admire who was struggling to do something they felt was important to thier spiritual existance.

Wow

LBrent said:

Dini said:

As a former JW, I can say that I think it would be very hard for Prince to adhere to the teachings and faith. There is a real push for members to not be a part of the worldly ways. A man of Prince's prosperity, world travel, associating with celebrities and powerful 'worldly' people, would result in so many temptations. I find it difficult reconciling many of his performances and songs with the faith. Elixir - for one example. I think he must have been given many passes by the JWs for his behavior and transgressions. Any normal/average non-Prince like person with this lifestyle would have been disfellowshipped post-haste.

Forgive me if I get this wrong...

But in faiths that believe that the Bible is the word of G*d, isn't there a King David who was written about as being a favourite one of G*d's due to how much he loved G*d?

If I'm remembering correctly, G*d recognized how much David loved him from boyhood and guided and protected him from King Saul and the giant, Goliath...ultimately making David a king.

And although David was imperfect and extremely flawed, to the point of having an adulterous affair with Bathsheba then having her husband, Uriah the Hitite, murdered in battle so David could marry her before anyone could discover that she was pregnant by David? Yet it's written that G*d "read King David's heart" and ended up allowing the Messiah, Jesus Christ< to decend from King David's bloodline?

So I'm guessing that if he could read the heart of a king, that same G*d would have no trouble reading the heart of a prince.

If "salvation" is a focus for someone, wouldn't effort be better spent searching for one's own instead of worry for one who has already reached thier "reward"?

I only ask because I see many question P's life decisions as being at odds with his assumed beliefs. It really seems to bother folks that he might have gotten "extra cookies". Why not ignore that and reach into the cookie jar for cookies of one's own?

That is the Bible, but the practical applications of the faith is very different. People are disfellowshipped for having affairs and relationships outside of marriage. Families are advised to shun their loved ones if they are partaking in any kind of destructive behavior. I was 16 at the time and wore a lot of makeup and was attractive to the boys. I was labelled a bad infuence and although I was never disfellowshipped, I did have trouble making friends in the faith because of this. According to the faith, both my brother and I were being influenced by Satan because we listened to music that was not deemed not appropriate for the faith - I loved Bowie. We also read a lot, and wanted to pursue a higher education, which is not encouraged especially for the young women. It is a very restrictive and isolating faith.

[Edited 4/2/17 8:24am]

purplerabbithole said:

Don't take me the wrong way. I don't judge Prince's need for spirituality in a time of crisis.

But, Prince being a strict JW would not have been great in my opinion. A spiritual journey is a personal thing. It shouldn't be strict adherence to a closed off exclusive religion. When I said, I am glad he mostly failed, I mean that I am glad he still sang about sex, was still flamboyant, was tolerant and willing to work with others whose religious and sexual orientation is not JW standards. The reality is that the JW's do encourage congregrating mostly with their own.

I defend Prince all the time. But when I rejoice that he wasn't an absolute religious zealout for the rest of his life, I am getting yelled at. Good grief. LIke a priest once told me, God is bigger than the church. If Prince couldn't help but subconsciously sense that, then good for him.

My apologies to JW's...I respect their dogma, have no problem with people not believing in holy trinity or their concept of a second resurrection. But an exclusive, strict religious conversion of a free spirit like Prince...JUST WRONG.

LBrent said:

Wow

What a heartfelt and incredibly generous sentiment to feel about a being who one claims to admire who was struggling to do something they felt was important to thier spiritual existance.

Wow

Uh huh

Dini said:

LBrent said:

Forgive me if I get this wrong...

But in faiths that believe that the Bible is the word of G*d, isn't there a King David who was written about as being a favourite one of G*d's due to how much he loved G*d?

If I'm remembering correctly, G*d recognized how much David loved him from boyhood and guided and protected him from King Saul and the giant, Goliath...ultimately making David a king.

And although David was imperfect and extremely flawed, to the point of having an adulterous affair with Bathsheba then having her husband, Uriah the Hitite, murdered in battle so David could marry her before anyone could discover that she was pregnant by David? Yet it's written that G*d "read King David's heart" and ended up allowing the Messiah, Jesus Christ< to decend from King David's bloodline?

So I'm guessing that if he could read the heart of a king, that same G*d would have no trouble reading the heart of a prince.

If "salvation" is a focus for someone, wouldn't effort be better spent searching for one's own instead of worry for one who has already reached thier "reward"?

I only ask because I see many question P's life decisions as being at odds with his assumed beliefs. It really seems to bother folks that he might have gotten "extra cookies". Why not ignore that and reach into the cookie jar for cookies of one's own?

That is the Bible, but the practical applications of the faith is very different. People are disfellowshipped for having affairs and relationships outside of marriage. Families are advised to shun their loved ones if they are partaking in any kind of destructive behavior. I was 16 at the time and wore a lot of makeup and was attractive to the boys. I was labelled a bad infuence and although I was never disfellowshipped, I did have trouble making friends in the faith because of this. According to the faith, both my brother and I were being influenced by Satan because we listened to music that was not deemed not appropriate for the faith - I loved Bowie. We also read a lot, and wanted to pursue a higher education, which is not encouraged especially for the young women. It is a very restrictive and isolating faith.

[Edited 4/2/17 8:24am]

I'm well aware of what JWs teach and believe and I'm glad that if one found it impossible to find thier spiritual path in that direction and sought to find enlightenment elsewhere...I suppose what I find interesting is that I see those for whom JW doctrine doesn't resonate being dismissive of it resonating with P.

He publicly acknowledged his faith as JW and voluntarily strove to follow the teachings provided by the JW organization. P did that. Yet not only are some annoyed by that, but others seem to take pleasure in the thought that as an imperfect flawed human, P might've stumbled and fell.

Sad that.

Why not rejoice that he was constantly searching and seemed to find a measure of inner peace and enlightenment that those who knew him noticed, observed and appreciated?

Whatever spiritual cocktail P had designed for himself, he publicly acknowledged that being JW was part of that, and regardless of whether that very part seems to irk some he never denounced it.

But the bigger question in my mind is: How did his spiritual choices and paths and beliefs affect anyone other than himself? Everyone is free to choose thier own, but I see folks making thier choice or lack thereof based on his choices.

Regardless of that, P has his final answers and the rest of us are still journeying...shouldn't our personal journeies be our focus rather than those of someone whose visible journey has concluded?

If P's deity was capable of reading the heart of a king, surely he could and did read the heart of our prince, no?

[Edited 4/2/17 9:43am]

I am not allowed to disagree with Prince strictly adhering to a religion that promotes intolerence? I am just saying that maybe Prince eventually wasn't willing to check his brain at the door when he walked into Kingdom Hall. I am glad he didn't do Rainbow Childen parts 2 through 6. You seem to take that as disrespect towards a person's chosen path to spiritual enlightenment. I do not. But like I said, God is bigger than the church and following strict adherence to a religion is not the same thing as a personal relationship with God. If Prince showed that he had NOT completely lost his free-spirited impulses, then that doesn't mean he was off course in terms of his own personal enlightenment. It means he 'failed' as a strict JW.

By the way, since when have organized religions of any kind been above reproach?

LBrent said:

Dini said:

I'm well aware of what JWs teach and believe and I'm glad that if one found it impossible to find thier spiritual path in that direction and sought to find enlightenment elsewhere...I suppose what I find interesting is that I see those for whom JW doctrine doesn't resonate being dismissive of it resonating with P.

He publicly acknowledged his faith as JW and voluntarily strove to follow the teachings provided by the JW organization. P did that. Yet not only are some annoyed by that, but others seem to take pleasure in the thought that as an imperfect flawed human, P might've stumbled and fell.

Sad that.

Why not rejoice that he was constantly searching and seemed to find a measure of inner peace and enlightenment that those who knew him noticed, observed and appreciated?

Whatever spiritual cocktail P had designed for himself, he publicly acknowledged that being JW was part of that, and regardless of whether that very part seems to irk some he never denounced it.

But the bigger question in my mind is: How did his spiritual choices and paths and beliefs affect anyone other than himself? Everyone is free to choose thier own, but I see folks making thier choice or lack thereof based on his choices.

Regardless of that, P has his final answers and the rest of us are still journeying...shouldn't our personal journeies be our focus rather than those of someone whose visible journey has concluded?

If P's deity was capable of reading the heart of a king, surely he could and did read the heart of our prince, no?

[Edited 4/2/17 9:43am]

[Edited 4/2/17 9:51am]

purplerabbithole said:

I am not allowed to disagree with Prince strictly adhering to a religion that promotes intolerence? I am just saying that maybe Prince eventually wasn't willing to check his brain at the door when he walked into Kingdom Hall. I am glad he didn't do Rainbow Childen parts 2 through 6. You seem to take that as disrespect towards a person's chosen path to spiritual enlightenment. I do not. But like I said, God is bigger than the church and following strict adherence to a religion is not the same thing as a personal relationship with God. If Prince showed that he had NOT completely lost his free-spirited impulses, then that doesn't mean he was off course in terms of his own personal enlightenment. It means he 'failed' as a strict JW.

By the way, since when have organized religions of any kind been above reproach?

LBrent said:

I'm well aware of what JWs teach and believe and I'm glad that if one found it impossible to find thier spiritual path in that direction and sought to find enlightenment elsewhere...I suppose what I find interesting is that I see those for whom JW doctrine doesn't resonate being dismissive of it resonating with P.

He publicly acknowledged his faith as JW and voluntarily strove to follow the teachings provided by the JW organization. P did that. Yet not only are some annoyed by that, but others seem to take pleasure in the thought that as an imperfect flawed human, P might've stumbled and fell.

Sad that.

Why not rejoice that he was constantly searching and seemed to find a measure of inner peace and enlightenment that those who knew him noticed, observed and appreciated?

Whatever spiritual cocktail P had designed for himself, he publicly acknowledged that being JW was part of that, and regardless of whether that very part seems to irk some he never denounced it.

But the bigger question in my mind is: How did his spiritual choices and paths and beliefs affect anyone other than himself? Everyone is free to choose thier own, but I see folks making thier choice or lack thereof based on his choices.

Regardless of that, P has his final answers and the rest of us are still journeying...shouldn't our personal journeies be our focus rather than those of someone whose visible journey has concluded?

If P's deity was capable of reading the heart of a king, surely he could and did read the heart of our prince, no?

[Edited 4/2/17 9:43am]

[Edited 4/2/17 9:51am]

Am I not allowed to disagree with your disagreement?

I have never said that any religion is without reproach. My assertion is that P followed what he followed...how does that impact on anyone besides P?

[Edited 4/2/17 9:55am]

I am not sure what you are disagreeing with entirely. We are discussing Prince's spirituality. I merely make a statement that I am glad he was less adherent later in life becuase otherwise his music and collaborators would be limited to just people like Larry Graham (no Wendy and Lisa, no sexualized lyrics). His personal adherence to strict doctrine did impact his fan base because it impacted his art.

LBrent said:

purplerabbithole said:

I am not allowed to disagree with Prince strictly adhering to a religion that promotes intolerence? I am just saying that maybe Prince eventually wasn't willing to check his brain at the door when he walked into Kingdom Hall. I am glad he didn't do Rainbow Childen parts 2 through 6. You seem to take that as disrespect towards a person's chosen path to spiritual enlightenment. I do not. But like I said, God is bigger than the church and following strict adherence to a religion is not the same thing as a personal relationship with God. If Prince showed that he had NOT completely lost his free-spirited impulses, then that doesn't mean he was off course in terms of his own personal enlightenment. It means he 'failed' as a strict JW.

By the way, since when have organized religions of any kind been above reproach?

[Edited 4/2/17 9:51am]

Am I not allowed to disagree with your disagreement?

purplerabbithole said:

I am not sure what you are disagreeing with entirely. We are discussing Prince's spirituality. I merely make a statement that I am glad he was less adherent later in life becuase otherwise his music and collaborators would be limited to just people like Larry Graham (no Wendy and Lisa, no sexualized lyrics). His personal adherence to strict doctrine did impact his fan base because it impacted his art.

LBrent said:

Am I not allowed to disagree with your disagreement?

Hmmm...

Clearly we are destined to disagree then because P's art was contingent on many factors and grew in many ways over his Earthly lifetime and my personal appreciation of those changes differs from yours in ways too vast to enumerate, P's religious affiliation didn't hinder that for me (even if he'd been Catholic or a Scientologist).

Clearly there are some for whom P's growth as an artist and a human being hindered thier enjoyment due an inability to appreciate the nuances brought by those things.

I get it. Everyone has thier P era I suppose. Not everything is for everyone and all that.

Got it.

[Edited 4/2/17 10:14am]

Great interview. I bet her book will be a fun read. Funny story about his braids. I also thought that look was pretty silly and glad it did not last.

No disrespect, but M. Dean is a HORRIBLE interviewer.....

Dini said:

As a former JW, I can say that I think it would be very hard for Prince to adhere to the teachings and faith. There is a real push for members to not be a part of the worldly ways. A man of Prince's prosperity, world travel, associating with celebrities and powerful 'worldly' people, would result in so many temptations. I find it difficult reconciling many of his performances and songs with the faith. Elixir - for one example. I think he must have been given many passes by the JWs for his behavior and transgressions. Any normal/average non-Prince like person with this lifestyle would have been disfellowshipped post-haste.

i must have said that fifty times already but people don't seem to get that.

AnnaSantana said:

No disrespect, but M. Dean is a HORRIBLE interviewer.....

he's not so bad, alex hahn did an interview right after we on the org called him every name in the book, no threats or anything, just good solid vilification which he deserves, this guy gets on there with drama, saying how some of the posters are scary. no one has time to go do anything to him.

PeteSilas said:

she seems to affirm what we suspected, that he was opening up to other ideas at the end.

That's good news.

I'm happy to know that when Prince tried to wear her down with the JW bullshit, she stood her ground. GOOD FOR HER!