Until a few years ago Prince had always been "spiritual" while not necessarily subscribing or promoting one form of Christianity over another. The whole "Lovesexy" thing was a combination of sexuality with the love of God.

I was comfortable with that. It appealed to my feelings too - ie, why would God give us sexuality and sexual desires if he did not want us to use them? Why should we repress sexual desires and feel guilt about having those feelings? This is the sort of thing "preached" by Catholics etc and I believe that these "organised religions" are actually man made and in fact represent a form of indirect government by imposing the will of others onto the individual thus denying independent thought and action.

It is possible to believe in God without having to subscribe to the doctrine created by our fellow man "in the name of God".

So this brings me to Prince's conversion to the Jehovah's Witnesses (as apparently wished for by his dying mother and no doubt very heavily influenced by Larry Graham).

For me, what set Prince apart was his own individual beliefs and approach to religion and God. Now that he has "fallen in line" with a fairly widely practised faith I wonder whether it's restrictions will eventually prove too much for Prince who values his own freedom of expression too deeply?

Without wishing to make yet another comparison to Michael Jackson, wasn't he a JW? Didn't he leave the faith some years back?

What are your thoughts on Prince, his spirituality and religious beliefs?

Prince was always religious he always sang about god: god is love; love is god girls and boys love god above:he just more religiuos now cause he is a J W but he does not go on about it constantly or be obsessive about it like Madonna with her kaballah crap ... i just wish he would sing his dirty songs again like Erotic city :Scarlet p ussy ect i loved his dirty songs lol xx

Lovesexy was Made after a DRUG EXPERIENCE went Bad? Drugs Fuck Up Ya Way of Thinking...Pot Smoking and Crack. Ya Gotta Accept God? Alcoholics have to Accept God..I say it's Time to ACCEPT SEX>>> Sex is Where it's At. Prince All Sexual. That's the Real Prince....The Religion is his BALANCe Factor... Party....1999...This is The Real deal.. Forget OLD SKIN and Shit....

He's a born again Christian which means whatever he used to believe in has gone to hell.
He became a JW when he started reading the bible. And he's pretty serious about it too cause apparently he's doing the door to door thing even though i thought he would never do that in a million years!
And about Madonna and the Kabbalah crap, she's not the only one who follows that religion it's apparently a celeb fad but she is really serious about it so i wouldn't judge her for that just as wouldn't judge Prince for being a JW.

apple2 said:

prince was more religious when he sang COME, if you ask me.

Biah said:

This is not true. JWs simply adhere to the biblical advice to keep sex within the marriage arrangement. Tons of JWs use birth control, including yours truly.

Madonna is Stupid also. Listening to a Rabbai telling her to Write Chidren's books and give the Money away. Prince with The JWS now he's making Them in Charge at Paisley? MONEY? He's BRAINWASHED also. Birthdays are GREAT... Organized RELIGION is Into MONEY for THEMSELVES... Anybody Judging a PERSON"S CLOTHES or ACTIONS is a JACKASS cause Just cause Ya Dress Provacative,Curse, Are Gay or Have Talk about Sex as a Person or Performer doesn't make ya a Bad Person..Why is Prince ALLOWING anyBODY to TELL him NOT TO CURSE,Or BE Who he Is? Why is he Telling ARTISTS NOT to DO What He has Done? IT"S BULLSHIT.. Stay with OLD People with CLOSED MINDS and Ya BECOME OLD ..Who's the STAR>>>???PRINCE NOBODY Else..Prince Should get Rid of the JERKS who Changed him From What he was... I Agree with What Fans said in the past and Mayte was GREAT..Beautiful and HOT as HELL! So Is Carmen....

Zelaira said:

Calm down.....
Prince can decide what he wants to do and no JW has control over him. Im a christian but i dont follow the religion to the letter. Everyone has a right to follow what they want to follow and do what they want to do. Prince makes his own decisions.

Lol. It's all Bullshit! I'm throwing all Religious Symbols away. The Day I'm Healed from this Bastard in Edina is the day I'll Be Religious again.. Until then Fuck It!

Zelaira said:

Just 4 the record, JW's Do not consider themselves 2B Christians. Although, they do share
similar beliefs, they differ on certain things such as voting and not celebrating holidays,
no blood transfusion etc.

30kim71 said:

This is totally false. JWs do consider themselves Christians.
Voting, holidays and blood transfusions are not requirements for Christians.
A Christian bases their worship on the teachings of Jesus Christ. JWs most certainly are among those who do their best in trying to imitate the example of the Christ, therefore they are Christians.

OdysseyMiles said:

Jehovah witnesses, i would presume by their name, bear witness to Jehovah.
Christians, by name, bear witness to Christ.

A Chrsitian is not one who bases his/her worship on Christ,
but one who believes and bears witness to Christ as Lord, as God incarnate.

by this definition JWs are not Christians.

HiinEnkelte said:

Because it's your definition. JWs consider themselves Christians whether others agree or not.

Zelaira said:

YEAH!

jaypotton said:

Some philosophers, like Michel Foucault, etc, would say that the perception (or misperception) of a particular kind of subjectivity (e.g. individuality) is also a form of indirect social control. i.e. If we are taught to believe that we are individual moral agents, with primary responsibility to ourselves, this will guide the choices that we make and will govern our conduct in exercising our "free" will.

If you had been socialised to believe that you were first and foremost a member of a group (the "tribe", the "people"/society, etc), and that this was central to your being and your identity (as some people are across the face of the globe), and so you had responsibilities to them, then this too would govern your conduct, and determine the choices that you made. The idea of acting as an individual would seem strange and perhaps abhorrent.

My theory is that Western societies (the US in particular) have embraced that sense of individualism to its full extent, such that anything that tries to convince people it's not all "me, me, me" is rejected. Plus, it's pretty hard to follow the virtues of Christianity (especially that camel & eye of a needle stuff!) if you are affluent, and want to indulge yourself.

So..... I think that this relatively new idea of "spirituality" (or at least the way we think of it now) is kind of a faith for the "me" generation. It's all about ME following MY spirit, indulging the desires I want to indulge, fulfilling MY destiny.... Not much in their about responsibility, sacrificing for the good of others, fulfilling social duties, etc. Look at all the people that advocate it: Madonna, Oprah, etc... They're either rich, self-absorbed celebrities, or people who want to be rich, self-absorbed celebrities... "Spirituality" can simplybe a way of legitimising self-indulgence, without any of the duty or constraint that religions also generally involve.

I guess "the masses" have started growing their own "opium" these days.....

[This message was edited Fri Aug 13 15:19:15 2004 by deebee]

I mean no disrespect to Jehovah's Witnesses they can do as they please and believe what they want to believe. They have every right to do so. This is America and we are supposed to have freedom of religion here.

The impression I get from Jehovah's Witnesses is that they think the whole world is wicked except for them. If they don't think so, then why do they go door to door? Who else goes door to door except for Jehovah's Witnesses and salespeople?

If we can respect their religion, then why can't they respect ours? When they go door to door, that is a way of trying to convert us or persuade us over to their religion. We don't do that to them, why do they have to do to us?

Like I said, this is America here and we are supposed to be free to choose our own religion. We shouldn't have some manipulator knocking on our door in the privacy of our own home trying to convert us. And as far as someone trying to respond by saying "well everyone in this thread would like to persuade out of the Jehovah's Witnesses faith", I think he was persuaded into it, so why shouldn't someone try to persuade him back. They have been doing it to us for years.

Sorry, in the last paragraph of the above, I forgot to type the word "Prince" in there. It should have read "persuade Prince back".

apple2 said:

I totally agree with you apple2. I feel bad because I want him to be happy, but I think that its my own selfishness wanting him to sing these songs. I am still working on this daily. I need to adjust my own attitude toward him and his music, learn to accept the person he is now with the label of Jehovah Witness and all the implications of that title. Maybe I need

OdysseyMiles said:

jW CONSIDERS THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS BUT CHRISTIANS DON T CONSIDERS THEM AS THEM

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Exactly what I was thinking!

JW's seem "misunderstood" as does Prince seem to largely be "misunderstood".
Perfect match then, huh?

Jehovah Witness are not followers of Jehovah but of the Watchtower Society. Quoting from and ex-Jehovah Witness, "Jehovah Witness do not follow the teaching of the Bible, they follow what the Watchtower Society tells them about it." Most of their Bible studies are spent studying their own literature with the Bible as an appendix to it. Individual Bible study is discouraged without their accompanying Watchtower magazine or fellow kingdom hall members who will happily interpret it for them.
Jehovah Witnesses have two sides, the flattering,warm,politically correct side they show when at people's doors or in public forums like this, and the cold, heartless side they show towards anyone that criticizes the Watchtower Society or those they feel they can't convert. Those who left the organization or were disfellowshipped are treated as though they were dead . Some mothers and fathers will not even see their own grandchildren because their sons or daughters left the organization or will not join it. Members can be disfellowshipped over something like getting caught with a cigarette while the elders and pioneers can get away with much more and not be disciplined.
Jehovah Witnesses believe that they alone are God's organization and that all other beliefs are false except their own. They are taught to critique and judge all beliefs but their own. They cannot criticize the Watchtower Society in any way or disbelieve a thing they tell them. Some do, but they cannot vocalize it for fear of being disfellowhsipped. They equate leaving the organization as though it were leaving God Himself. This is the control the Watchtower has over its members. They teach its followers that they are the "ark" sent by God in these last days and if they don't seek them as the God-provided refuge there is no other where that they can go. This is another lie that keeps people trapped in their cult. The Watchtower Society subtlely becomes their "God".
Jehovah Witness are sometimes told that its ok to lie and deny accusations if it means keeping new converts from being discouraged from joining them. New converts are "love bombed" and given lots of attention until they become fully indoctrinated and then they move their "love" to the next convert. However this love is very conditional,based on how much you fully agree with them or not .
Dozens of children have died because of their twisted interpretation of a scripture about not eating blood (to idols), as meaning blood transfusions are wrong. They value the symbol of life more than the life itself.
The Watchtower Society will not allow its followers to practice oral sex or to homosexuality. If anyone disagrees, I will gladly quote word for word from the Watchtower magazine where they say this.
I can go on and on, but regardless of this being Prince's choice of religion, I will still love him ,support him, pray for him, and listen to his music,which is more than most Jehovah Witnesses would do for him if he ever decided to leave their organization. How many Jehovah Witnesses will still pray for him,love him, and listen to his music if he no longer believes the Witnesses are "God's Organization"?

jujubeans said:

So how can he continue singing? is it not forbidden in jw religion?

melinda said:

They don't prohibit singing,but they do prohibit using musical instruments in worship of Jehovah,all their hymns and kindom songs are acapella. They think our voice is the
greatest instrument and they think that because there is no direct Scripture in the New Testament about musical instruments in worship that God is against them, even though Psalms and the Old testament is full of Scriptures about praising God with instruments. Again, another Phariseeical law that they made up to think they are better then everyone. No where in the Bible are instruments condemned by God in use of praising Him, even common sense tells one there is no reason for them to be. Doesn't mean you have to use them all the time but its no sin if you do,God knows the heart .
As far as what Prince sings about, they would never approve of his old albums or singing,he could never be baptized as a JW and use the words he used to use. Nothing wrong if someone doesnt want to curse anymore or wants to sing about other things. The question is ,is it God changing him or is it him trying to change for God and the JW's acceptance?

jujubeans said:

Personnaly , i think the responses are in your question

Spookymuffin said:

Me too. That pic is too funny.

As a Buddhist, I neither believe in a creator nor the notion of an unchanging soul.

HOWEVER, I find it very admirable when someone has a strong foundation of belief in SOMETHING.

What I do not care for is when that person EXPECTS others to understand the message or to agree to it, so much to the point that instead of being witness 2 their religion, they act like car salesmen.

I mean, I would never expect the common person to agree with my notion of Dependent Origination of the four noble truths--that shit is personal.