reprinted in ROCK & SOUL * APRIL 1986

THE PRINCE INTERVIEW
Mr. Purple Discusses His Movies, His Music, His Musicians
And More, More, More.

By Michael Shore

What are your religious beliefs?

I believe in God. There is only one God. And I believe in an afterworld. Hopefully we'll all see it. I have been accused of a lot of things contrary to this, and I just want people to know that I'm very sincere in my beliefs. I pray every night, and I don't ask for much. I just say, "Thank you" all the time.

[Edited 1/17/12 18:41pm]

I actually like some of mentions of God and Christ in his music, but in his EARLY music when he was way less judgmental and inhibited and more inclusive.

The form that's taken in recent years isn't something I can really jump on board with, no.

Emancipation89 said:

I like the ambiguity of his lyrical content. What's interesting is how sometimes christian fans interpret the lyrics differently than those who aren't really believers, or who have different religion. For example, before I came to the org, I would've never guessed that "Power Fantastic" could've been about spiritual experience. When I first heard this song, this song was without a doubt, about Prince seducing a virgin, at least to me. (or masturbation, either way just sexual song.) I'm very glad I got to hear different interpretation of this song.

Vendetta1 said:

I used to wonder about the fans who aren't believers and how they felt about his more spiritual side. Some people said they just ignored it because it was good music. I feel the same way now since TRC.

His "battle" is not surprising and nor has it even been. I think a lot of us have gone through the same thing.

Funny, I used to wonder about the people who love him as a christian, but hate him as a johovah's witness. It's like if he converts to buddhism tomorrow, I feel as if he will lose a large amount of fans. At the end of the day I really could care less what religion/cult he chooses to hold on to, as long as he can find peace through it and he's inspired by it..

Probably because they associate JW with him no longer doing certain songs and being more 'conservative' than before

Dren5 said:

I actually like some of mentions of God and Christ in his music, but in his EARLY music when he was way less judgmental and inhibited and more inclusive.

The form that's taken in recent years isn't something I can really jump on board with, no.

Yeah his 'spirituality' was very 'earthy' and utopian in a hippie kinda way

What made Prince decide to become an Jehovah's Witness?

toejam said:

angel345 said:

I believe that the reason Prince is so controversial is because the public doesn't know whether he takes God and religion seriously or he's just selling it.

True. I always get questions like that - "Is he really a Jehovah's Witness or is it just an act...". I normally answer with: "Prince thinks he's a Jehovah's Witness" .

But outside of the public, I think it's fair to say that most of us fans recognise that he does take God and his religion seriously. But of course what that means is completely up to his fantasy.

I have a Jehovah's Witness neighbor and I told that Prince was a Jehovah's Witness and asked her what she thought of him being one. First of all, she didn't know he was one and had no idea that he still recorded music. I told her he had been married and divorced twice and that shocked the hell out of her because she just knew he was gay. I also told her that he still wears makeup, still wears high heels, and still perms and fixes his hair. She said there is NO way he is a really a Jehovah's Witness and he just THINKS he's one.

God
In the beginning, there was God
He made the earth and the heavens
He gave us light 2 rule the day
And another light 2 rule the night
The Lord, thy God
He made, He made the seas
He made the fruit upon the tree

When He saw
When He saw that it was good
He made a man
He made a man
Only He could, only He could

God made U
God made me 2
He made us all
He made us all equally

Now U say it

God made U, God made me
He made us all equally

Wake up children
Dance the Dance Electric
There isn't much time
Who screamed?
Was it U?

© 1984 Controversy Music

Temptation
Working my body, working my body, working my body

Temptation
I'm not talkin' about just ordinary temptation, people
I'm talking
about the kind of temptation that'll make U do things
Oh, oh, temptation
Oh, darling, I can almost taste the wetness between your
temptation, temptation
I'm not talking about any ol' kind of temptation, people,
I'm talkin'
about, I'm talkin' about
sexual temptation
A lover
I need a lover, a lover, I need a
right now
U, I want U
I want U in the worst way
I want U

1985 Interview

Sounds religious.

Prince: As far as that goes, let me tell you a story about Wendy. We had to fly somewhere at the beginning of the tour, and Wendy is deathly afraid of flying. She got on the plane and really freaked. I was scared for her. I tried to calm her down with jokes, but it didn't work. I thought about it and said, "Do you believe in God?" She said yes. I said, "Do you trust him?" and she said she did. Then I asked, "So why are you afraid to fly?" She started laughing and said, "Okay, okay, okay." Flying still bothers her a bit, but she knows where it is and she doesn't get freaked.

It's just so nice to know that there is someone and someplace else. And if we're wrong, and I'm wrong, and there is nothing, then big deal! But the whole life I just spent, I at least had some reason to spend it.

When you talk abut God, which God are you talking about? The Christian God? Jewish? Buddhist? Is there any God in particular you have in mind?

Prince: Yes, very much so. A while back, I had an experience that changed me and made me feel differently about how and what and how I acted toward people. I'm going to make a film about it -- not the next one, but the one after that. I've wanted to make it for three years now. Don't get me wrong -- I'm still as wild as I was. I'm just funneling it in a different direction. And now I analyze things so much that sometimes I can't shut off my brain and it hurts. That's what the movie will be about.

i liked prince better when he was confused and searching for god and feeling torn between materialism and spirtuality .. sex has nothing to do with anything, not sure why anyone cares what who is doing with their genitals .. i don't like prince ever since he gave up on god and started worshiping money .. and as for the anecdote about believing in god and trusting u won't die on a plane .. well god exists but god does not control every little human action or thought .. thats garbage .. god isn't gonna save u from that drunk pilot hitting a mountain .. u wanna gamble the odds .. thats your call .. go jump off a cliff and see if 'god' saves u .. god is a force of the universal will .. god has also been attached to beings who have figured out and kept secret the inner workings of he universe .. but those aren't gods they are people who know more than you do .. jesus was not a god .. he was human like everyone .. we can all achieve that level of godliness .. but the spiritual essence of god is more of an energy than an individual who knows more ancient science than you .. prince version of god was real when it was pure .. for example .. the cross .. touches on the essence of a spiritual god .. even tho worshiping the cross is like worshipping the gun that shot jesus .. thus the change to the christ makes logical sense .. in doing so prince lost the plot .. he lost the essence of spiritual god and reverted to worshipping false god .. jesus .. the human labeled a god .. christ .. now prince worships money .. like one of those preachers that gets caught with his hand in the donation jar .. he talks bigger because he lost the plot .. the question of u is prince best spiritual song

Prince kinda reminds me of Al Green whenever I think about him and his use of religion and spirituality in his music except that he never became a minister like Al and he didn't have some scandal to force him into it.

Timmy84 said:

Prince kinda reminds me of Al Green whenever I think about him and his use of religion and spirituality in his music except that he never became a minister like Al and he didn't have some scandal to force him into it.

Prince is like Little Richard. The name, the act, the clothes, the hair and makeup, the controversy, the sexuality, the spirituality and religion...

Rolling Stone correspondent Gerri Hirshey noted that onstage and in the movies, Richard "was compelled to invent his particular brand of majesty. This was Little Richard, 'Handsomest Man in Rock & Roll.' His image was an immaculate conception, a fantasy born of years in travelling medicine shows, drag-queen revues, churches and clubs. … But in Fifties America, this made for a terrible mess. He was black and gay, talented and loud, and worse - much worse - absolutely sure of himself."

...

Hirshey sums up his career: "Little Richard bent gender, upset segregationist fault lines and founded a tradition of rock dadaists devoted to the art of self creation. But unlike the studied incarnations, … Richard never seemed to think about it. He went, with the inspiration of the moment, be it divine or hormonal, and caromed like a shiny, cracked pinball between God, sex and rock & roll."

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/little-richard#ixzz1jwf2ZgVb

[Edited 1/19/12 14:19pm]

Tremolina said:

Timmy84 said:

Prince kinda reminds me of Al Green whenever I think about him and his use of religion and spirituality in his music except that he never became a minister like Al and he didn't have some scandal to force him into it.

Prince is like Little Richard. The name, the act, the clothes, the hair and makeup, the controversy, the sexuality, the spirituality and religion...

Rolling Stone correspondent Gerri Hirshey noted that onstage and in the movies, Richard "was compelled to invent his particular brand of majesty. This was Little Richard, 'Handsomest Man in Rock & Roll.' His image was an immaculate conception, a fantasy born of years in travelling medicine shows, drag-queen revues, churches and clubs. … But in Fifties America, this made for a terrible mess. He was black and gay, talented and loud, and worse - much worse - absolutely sure of himself."

...

Hirshey sums up his career: "Little Richard bent gender, upset segregationist fault lines and founded a tradition of rock dadaists devoted to the art of self creation. But unlike the studied incarnations, … Richard never seemed to think about it. He went, with the inspiration of the moment, be it divine or hormonal, and caromed like a shiny, cracked pinball between God, sex and rock & roll."

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/little-richard#ixzz1jwf2ZgVb

[Edited 1/19/12 14:19pm]

That makes better sense.

Part of his appeal for me was the religious stuff. And I knew he'd become more solidfied. I was surprised it was JW because they tend to be quite strict. But I've known quite a few people who have a strong work ethic that could identify with the JW faith better. Personally I think any one who claims Jesus is Christian and the other stuff is personal preference. Their strong attitude about not getting involved in politics, pledging allegance to flags and fighting wars challenges long standing denominations so I guess they get a bit ticked. Of course I've heard some smaller issues that I'm not in agreeance with myself, so I'm sure there are probably other reasons why the longstanding ones have issues with them.

Prince (?) (via OldFriends4Sale) said:

It's just so nice to know that there is someone and someplace else. And if we're wrong, and I'm wrong, and there is nothing, then big deal! But the whole life I just spent, I at least had some reason to spend it.

Prince said this? It sounds familiar but I forget where it's from. In any case, I don't understand why some people think if there is no God then there is no "reason" to live. There are plenty of good reasons! Music, science, good times, contributing to the continued improvement of human/conscious well-being... Lots of great things to live for!

OldFriends4Sale said:

Dren5 said:

I actually like some of mentions of God and Christ in his music, but in his EARLY music when he was way less judgmental and inhibited and more inclusive.

The form that's taken in recent years isn't something I can really jump on board with, no.

Yeah his 'spirituality' was very 'earthy' and utopian in a hippie kinda way

I don't really mean like that, more in the sense of, back then it was just about letting everybody be who they are and accepting everybody and encouraging people to...obviously, love one another.

That's kind of fallen by the wayside in recent years.

Timmy84 said:

Tremolina said:

[Edited 1/19/12 14:19pm]

That makes better sense.

Well, Little Richard did at one time said that Prince is just like him

Dren5 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Yeah his 'spirituality' was very 'earthy' and utopian in a hippie kinda way

I don't really mean like that, more in the sense of, back then it was just about letting everybody be who they are and accepting everybody and encouraging people to...obviously, love one another.

That's kind of fallen by the wayside in recent years.

But that's what I mean and that's what that whole 'utopian' idea was for Prince back then

It wasn't dogmatic, it just fit somehow, that's why most people back then didn't have a problem with it

toejam said:

Prince (?) (via OldFriends4Sale) said:

It's just so nice to know that there is someone and someplace else. And if we're wrong, and I'm wrong, and there is nothing, then big deal! But the whole life I just spent, I at least had some reason to spend it.

Prince said this? It sounds familiar but I forget where it's from. In any case, I don't understand why some people think if there is no God then there is no "reason" to live. There are plenty of good reasons! Music, science, good times, contributing to the continued improvement of human/conscious well-being... Lots of great things to live for!

Yeah it was from one of his 1985 interviews

You're later questions, are going to open up a totally different discussion

That was Prince's thoughts and just adding to the discussion trying to piece together his beliefs and how it influences the music, not if it's right or wrong

He had a good 'Apocolyptic' feel to his music in the 1980's

the 1980's had that feel about in society the world and movies

OldFriends4Sale said:

Emancipation89 said:

I like the ambiguity of his lyrical content. What's interesting is how sometimes christian fans interpret the lyrics differently than those who aren't really believers, or who have different religion. For example, before I came to the org, I would've never guessed that "Power Fantastic" could've been about spiritual experience. When I first heard this song, this song was without a doubt, about Prince seducing a virgin, at least to me. (or masturbation, either way just sexual song.) I'm very glad I got to hear different interpretation of this song.

Funny, I used to wonder about the people who love him as a christian, but hate him as a johovah's witness. It's like if he converts to buddhism tomorrow, I feel as if he will lose a large amount of fans. At the end of the day I really could care less what religion/cult he chooses to hold on to, as long as he can find peace through it and he's inspired by it..

Probably because they associate JW with him no longer doing certain songs and being more 'conservative' than before

Thanks but as far as lyrics go, I don't really think he ever really became "conservative"... l

What I read from the org was more about fans' issues with the JW itself, as a lot of people make fun of JW, but no one makes fun of Christianity...

OldFriends4Sale said:

EyeJester7 said:

WOW! LOL

Reading all of these posts, there is a lot I can say, but I wouldn't want to turn this into a DEBATE.

First off, this was a great post Tremolina! Prince has always been spiritual, and has highlight spirituality since his genesis! I actually love it! I believe spirituality at its core is very important. Things such as RELIGION/Law/Rule/Dictatorship makes the whole spiritual journey more complicated. Especially when you ask everybody what 'TRUTH' is. Now we can argue about Pre-JW and Post-JW's spirituality ALL DAY AND NIGHT. But we won't reach anywhere if we just program our GPS according to a circular circumference.

There is a lot we don't know, but from the archive and record of what has been laid down. It's clear that the reconciliation of what's suffering and grown is a struggle in life. "In Lust you will suffer, but in love you will grow..Shockadleica is a feeling nobody should know" Haha. He's obviously highlighted these themes, and I appreciate the effort to bring them to light. GRANTED, I don't agree with many of his beliefs now. But many of them I do relate to in some fashion. Songs like: Colonized Mind, Act Of God, The Everlasting NOW, etc. These are songs that can be dissected and reach many different faculties.

It matters to him, and as a listener to Prince; I think it's not a stretch to say; that while listening to some of his lyrics, we were NEVER challenged to think outside the box. Although, there should be no box to begin with. Haha

BUT anyways, I think the wrestling and reconciliation of sex and God are very spiritual and natural. The definition that births so many causes is what I find fantastic in his music.

I would love an album of just 'Spiritual/uplifting/inspiring songs' Songs such as:

Into The Light/I Will

The Holy River

Power Fantastic

Boom

The Ladder

Graffiti Bridge

Anna Stesia

The Cross

I mean how often are these themes presented by the MASSES. From a Artist like Prince. I like the fact that he's BOLD with it, and has always had no problem talking about it. We seem to ignore the CORE desire, IMO. So merely the discussion and highlighting of a supernatural is very intriguing for me.

Great Post

I think there are songs like that that reconcile the spiritual aspects of sex, whereas Shocadelic highlights the opposite of Power Fantastic, which is the Lust part

God the Love Theme was put 2 a sexual scene in Purple Rain

But you prob already know that Power Fantastic is like Shockadelica's twin, both songs are about Masturbation

a.)Late at night, when the world is sleeping
U r frightened, 'cause the Power's creeping
In your room is something u're afraid of
Life or doom is what this feelings made of
Power Fantastic
Is in your life at last
U're a little apprehensive
'Cause what it is is what u want and need

Minor G is the chord of pleasure

b.)The lights go out
The smell of doom
Is creepin' into your lonely room

The bed's on fire
Your fate is sealed
And you're so tired

The lights go out
The smell of doom
Again is creeping into your lonely room

Is this a dream
Or is this real
Or is this just a mirage you feel

Do Me Baby & Tamborine falls into the arena of Shocadelic, the lonely aspect of lust

a.) Youre leaving me no choice
Ok, what are u gonna do...u just gonna sit there and watch? alright...
Are u sure u don't wanna close your eyes?
...well, isn't it supposed to take a long time?
Im not gonna stop till the war is over...
Help me! there...ok...ok
Im so cold....just hold me

b.) Oh my God, there I go
Falling in love with the face in a magazine (uh oh, not again)
All alone by myself
Me and I play my tamborine

Tamborine
Tamborine
Tamborine
Tamborine
Long days, lonely nights
Tamborine

Computer Blue the full song showcases the struggles with love lust & God from a painful place

As they walked slowly through the corridor
He named the hallway "Lust"

On the verge of a breakdown
What is life without love?
It's hell, Computer Blue!

Father, Father, the sun is gone
(Father, Father) The Dawn, the Dawn
Father, Father, where is the Dawn?
(Where is the Dawn, Father?)

Shall I go 2 church on Sundays?
Shall I stay home and pray?
Shall I try 2 make her happy?
Shall I try 2 make her stay?

I disagree about the whole god thing but but boy do you get prince and what he's all about OF4S.... i would happily listen to your musings (and be the wiser) on any prince song.

RicoN said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Great Post

I think there are songs like that that reconcile the spiritual aspects of sex, whereas Shocadelic highlights the opposite of Power Fantastic, which is the Lust part

God the Love Theme was put 2 a sexual scene in Purple Rain

But you prob already know that Power Fantastic is like Shockadelica's twin, both songs are about Masturbation

a.)Late at night, when the world is sleeping
U r frightened, 'cause the Power's creeping
In your room is something u're afraid of
Life or doom is what this feelings made of
Power Fantastic
Is in your life at last
U're a little apprehensive
'Cause what it is is what u want and need

Minor G is the chord of pleasure

b.)The lights go out
The smell of doom
Is creepin' into your lonely room

The bed's on fire
Your fate is sealed
And you're so tired

The lights go out
The smell of doom
Again is creeping into your lonely room

Is this a dream
Or is this real
Or is this just a mirage you feel

Do Me Baby & Tamborine falls into the arena of Shocadelic, the lonely aspect of lust

a.) Youre leaving me no choice
Ok, what are u gonna do...u just gonna sit there and watch? alright...
Are u sure u don't wanna close your eyes?
...well, isn't it supposed to take a long time?
Im not gonna stop till the war is over...
Help me! there...ok...ok
Im so cold....just hold me

b.) Oh my God, there I go
Falling in love with the face in a magazine (uh oh, not again)
All alone by myself
Me and I play my tamborine

Tamborine
Tamborine
Tamborine
Tamborine
Long days, lonely nights
Tamborine

Computer Blue the full song showcases the struggles with love lust & God from a painful place

As they walked slowly through the corridor
He named the hallway "Lust"

On the verge of a breakdown
What is life without love?
It's hell, Computer Blue!

Father, Father, the sun is gone
(Father, Father) The Dawn, the Dawn
Father, Father, where is the Dawn?
(Where is the Dawn, Father?)

Shall I go 2 church on Sundays?
Shall I stay home and pray?
Shall I try 2 make her happy?
Shall I try 2 make her stay?

I disagree about the whole god thing but but boy do you get prince and what he's all about OF4S.... i would happily listen to your musings (and be the wiser) on any prince song.

Come on over we'll have pancakes and pull out the album man lol

I haven't had any Prince friends since 1996 to just talk about the man and music with

You gotta have pictures and music to do it too lol

Emancipation89 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Probably because they associate JW with him no longer doing certain songs and being more 'conservative' than before

Thanks but as far as lyrics go, I don't really think he ever really became "conservative"... l

What I read from the org was more about fans' issues with the JW itself, as a lot of people make fun of JW, but no one makes fun of Christianity...

lol I don't think so either, but in the last 10 years it seems a more 'conservative' side shows, even from the look and of course what he won't play or say etc

OldFriends4Sale said:

RicoN said:

I disagree about the whole god thing but but boy do you get prince and what he's all about OF4S.... i would happily listen to your musings (and be the wiser) on any prince song.

Come on over we'll have pancakes and pull out the album man lol

I haven't had any Prince friends since 1996 to just talk about the man and music with

You gotta have pictures and music to do it too lol

ha! listen, i could talk all night about Prince, but I'm reacquainting myself with his genius, got no special photos like you keep delivering... or the insights (which is what i'm here for). just got the love and appreciation... I'm catching up on 15+ years of neglect... today's lesson was Rave... which was much better than I was expecting.. pancakes sound good though!

TrevorAyer said:

i liked prince better when he was confused and searching for god and feeling torn between materialism and spirtuality .. sex has nothing to do with anything, not sure why anyone cares what who is doing with their genitals .. i don't like prince ever since he gave up on god and started worshiping money .. and as for the anecdote about believing in god and trusting u won't die on a plane .. well god exists but god does not control every little human action or thought .. thats garbage .. god isn't gonna save u from that drunk pilot hitting a mountain .. u wanna gamble the odds .. thats your call .. go jump off a cliff and see if 'god' saves u .. god is a force of the universal will .. god has also been attached to beings who have figured out and kept secret the inner workings of he universe .. but those aren't gods they are people who know more than you do .. jesus was not a god .. he was human like everyone .. we can all achieve that level of godliness .. but the spiritual essence of god is more of an energy than an individual who knows more ancient science than you .. prince version of god was real when it was pure .. for example .. the cross .. touches on the essence of a spiritual god .. even tho worshiping the cross is like worshipping the gun that shot jesus .. thus the change to the christ makes logical sense .. in doing so prince lost the plot .. he lost the essence of spiritual god and reverted to worshipping false god .. jesus .. the human labeled a god .. christ .. now prince worships money .. like one of those preachers that gets caught with his hand in the donation jar .. he talks bigger because he lost the plot .. the question of u is prince best spiritual song

The notion that sex has nothing to do with anything is your opinion, and you have a right to it. The point that I am making is that you seem to be guilty of the same thing of which you are accusing Prince. I hear people say, "I don't want Prince forcing his beliefs on me," and then they do the same thing. The truth is that sex is a biological act that can have some very hazardous, lingering, and fatal emotional/psychological and physical risks if people are not responsible. And Prince was discussing this in his work long before he became a JW as his songs generally have double meanings that address the manner in which sex and sexuality can be seen as metaphors for human neurosis. He may be more narrow and dogmatic about it now, but far too many people are having their future opportunities and lives cut short because of unplanned pregnancies and STDs. Yes, "we can fuck until the Dawn," but the question is "with what will we be left in the morning: a baby, a disease, or a broken heart?" If would be a shame, if not pathetic, if a man Prince's age didn't have a more responsible perspective of sex.

*

You state that Prince started worshiping money like it’s a fact. I see no proof or documentation that Prince worships money. People with knowledge or skills get paid for their knowledge or skills. The level or amount of one's knowledge or skill determines how much one gets paid. I hear a lot of people say, "I'd do this for free," but they never return the payment. Also, no one is forced to pay for Prince’s or anybody else’s knowledge or skills. If I don’t think that something is worth the price, I don’t buy it. And I know that I’m going to make a lot of people angry, but only someone really trusting or just damn clueless paid $77 to join Prince’s last website after having been a part of or knowledgeable of his last website. I don’t purchase anything without research. I didn’t have a spare $77 to give Prince so I didn’t. If I would have had a spare $77 I would have purchased a membership, but it would have been a spare $77 that I did not need for anything else hence I would not be bitter or pissed at this moment. And if somebody is willing to pay Prince one million dollars to perform or to have exclusive rights to his next CD, then more power to him. I only have $20 allotted to purchase CDs and about $50 ($100 for me and my wife jointly) for concert tickets. If either costs more, then I’ll just have to get a second-hand report. But, the Christian Bible only states that one must tithe; it doesn’t put a limit on how much one can earn.

*

This whole notion of Prince worshipping a "false god" is an ideological debate that makes you, once again, as guilty as with what you charge Prince, especially since this debate of whether to teach/worship the human Jesus or the spiritual Jesus can be traced to Constantine’s desire to develop a text/bible which caused a split between the religious leaders that Constantine had gathered to compile the text. My point is that you act as if Prince's interpretation of Jesus is baseless and yours is rooted in fact when both are "faith" based interpretations/beliefs, again, making you guilty of the very thing of which you accuse Prince of being. But, of course, Prince is the narrow-minded, myopic one and not you.

*

Finally, I don't know if you missed the point or are purposely misinterpreting what Prince said about being afraid to fly. The point was not that God will save one from evil or death, but that one of the reasons for believing in God is the comfort of knowing that death isn't final. Other than the aspect of sacrifice and salvation, the essential element of the ideology of Jesus is that he defeated death so that mankind should have no fear of death, meaning that our lives should not be controlled by our fear of death. Additionally, Jesus, in his second temptation by Satan, also warned that just because God is all powerful and that he (Jesus) was about to defeat death does not mean that mankind should engage themselves in foolish activities or behaviors, such as flinging oneself off a mountain because they believe in God. So, Prince's point is that while fear is a natural part of being physical/human, the notion/belief that one accepts one's metaphysical/spiritual side and believes in a being that is all powerful should lessen, if not remove, fear from any equation or decision because to live is Christ and to die is gain. Again, this is all just faith, but you are twisting or misinterpreting Prince's words seemingly to fit your own anti-Christian notions. And, I'm not saying that you or anyone else should agree with Prince or Christianity, but at least be accurate or truthful about Prince’s words or the ideology that you are denouncing so that your assertions can be credible and appreciated. By not being accurate in your presentation of Prince’s words or Christianity, it makes it difficult for us (this forum) to have an earnest, educational, and meaningful discourse.

1725topp said:

TrevorAyer said:

i liked prince better when he was confused and searching for god and feeling torn between materialism and spirtuality .. sex has nothing to do with anything, not sure why anyone cares what who is doing with their genitals .. i don't like prince ever since he gave up on god and started worshiping money .. and as for the anecdote about believing in god and trusting u won't die on a plane .. well god exists but god does not control every little human action or thought .. thats garbage .. god isn't gonna save u from that drunk pilot hitting a mountain .. u wanna gamble the odds .. thats your call .. go jump off a cliff and see if 'god' saves u .. god is a force of the universal will .. god has also been attached to beings who have figured out and kept secret the inner workings of he universe .. but those aren't gods they are people who know more than you do .. jesus was not a god .. he was human like everyone .. we can all achieve that level of godliness .. but the spiritual essence of god is more of an energy than an individual who knows more ancient science than you .. prince version of god was real when it was pure .. for example .. the cross .. touches on the essence of a spiritual god .. even tho worshiping the cross is like worshipping the gun that shot jesus .. thus the change to the christ makes logical sense .. in doing so prince lost the plot .. he lost the essence of spiritual god and reverted to worshipping false god .. jesus .. the human labeled a god .. christ .. now prince worships money .. like one of those preachers that gets caught with his hand in the donation jar .. he talks bigger because he lost the plot .. the question of u is prince best spiritual song

The notion that sex has nothing to do with anything is your opinion, and you have a right to it. The point that I am making is that you seem to be guilty of the same thing of which you are accusing Prince. I hear people say, "I don't want Prince forcing his beliefs on me," and then they do the same thing. The truth is that sex is a biological act that can have some very hazardous, lingering, and fatal emotional/psychological and physical risks if people are not responsible. And Prince was discussing this in his work long before he became a JW as his songs generally have double meanings that address the manner in which sex and sexuality can be seen as metaphors for human neurosis. He may be more narrow and dogmatic about it now, but far too many people are having their future opportunities and lives cut short because of unplanned pregnancies and STDs. Yes, "we can fuck until the Dawn," but the question is "with what will we be left in the morning: a baby, a disease, or a broken heart?" If would be a shame, if not pathetic, if a man Prince's age didn't have a more responsible perspective of sex.

*

You state that Prince started worshiping money like it’s a fact. I see no proof or documentation that Prince worships money. People with knowledge or skills get paid for their knowledge or skills. The level or amount of one's knowledge or skill determines how much one gets paid. I hear a lot of people say, "I'd do this for free," but they never return the payment. Also, no one is forced to pay for Prince’s or anybody else’s knowledge or skills. If I don’t think that something is worth the price, I don’t buy it. And I know that I’m going to make a lot of people angry, but only someone really trusting or just damn clueless paid $77 to join Prince’s last website after having been a part of or knowledgeable of his last website. I don’t purchase anything without research. I didn’t have a spare $77 to give Prince so I didn’t. If I would have had a spare $77 I would have purchased a membership, but it would have been a spare $77 that I did not need for anything else hence I would not be bitter or pissed at this moment. And if somebody is willing to pay Prince one million dollars to perform or to have exclusive rights to his next CD, then more power to him. I only have $20 allotted to purchase CDs and about $50 ($100 for me and my wife jointly) for concert tickets. If either costs more, then I’ll just have to get a second-hand report. But, the Christian Bible only states that one must tithe; it doesn’t put a limit on how much one can earn.

*

This whole notion of Prince worshipping a "false god" is an ideological debate that makes you, once again, as guilty as with what you charge Prince, especially since this debate of whether to teach/worship the human Jesus or the spiritual Jesus can be traced to Constantine’s desire to develop a text/bible which caused a split between the religious leaders that Constantine had gathered to compile the text. My point is that you act as if Prince's interpretation of Jesus is baseless and yours is rooted in fact when both are "faith" based interpretations/beliefs, again, making you guilty of the very thing of which you accuse Prince of being. But, of course, Prince is the narrow-minded, myopic one and not you.

*

Finally, I don't know if you missed the point or are purposely misinterpreting what Prince said about being afraid to fly. The point was not that God will save one from evil or death, but that one of the reasons for believing in God is the comfort of knowing that death isn't final. Other than the aspect of sacrifice and salvation, the essential element of the ideology of Jesus is that he defeated death so that mankind should have no fear of death, meaning that our lives should not be controlled by our fear of death. Additionally, Jesus, in his second temptation by Satan, also warned that just because God is all powerful and that he (Jesus) was about to defeat death does not mean that mankind should engage themselves in foolish activities or behaviors, such as flinging oneself off a mountain because they believe in God. So, Prince's point is that while fear is a natural part of being physical/human, the notion/belief that one accepts one's metaphysical/spiritual side and believes in a being that is all powerful should lessen, if not remove, fear from any equation or decision because to live is Christ and to die is gain. Again, this is all just faith, but you are twisting or misinterpreting Prince's words seemingly to fit your own anti-Christian notions. And, I'm not saying that you or anyone else should agree with Prince or Christianity, but at least be accurate or truthful about Prince’s words or the ideology that you are denouncing so that your assertions can be credible and appreciated. By not being accurate in your presentation of Prince’s words or Christianity, it makes it difficult for us (this forum) to have an earnest, educational, and meaningful discourse.

WOW! This post was pretty awesome! I agree with what you highlighted in this whole post! You came with facts that people seem to ignore! One of the best posts, I read in a while. You HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD! Much love to you!!!!!

[Edited 1/22/12 13:47pm]

1725topp said:

TrevorAyer said:

i liked prince better when he was confused and searching for god and feeling torn between materialism and spirtuality .. sex has nothing to do with anything, not sure why anyone cares what who is doing with their genitals .. i don't like prince ever since he gave up on god and started worshiping money .. and as for the anecdote about believing in god and trusting u won't die on a plane .. well god exists but god does not control every little human action or thought .. thats garbage .. god isn't gonna save u from that drunk pilot hitting a mountain .. u wanna gamble the odds .. thats your call .. go jump off a cliff and see if 'god' saves u .. god is a force of the universal will .. god has also been attached to beings who have figured out and kept secret the inner workings of he universe .. but those aren't gods they are people who know more than you do .. jesus was not a god .. he was human like everyone .. we can all achieve that level of godliness .. but the spiritual essence of god is more of an energy than an individual who knows more ancient science than you .. prince version of god was real when it was pure .. for example .. the cross .. touches on the essence of a spiritual god .. even tho worshiping the cross is like worshipping the gun that shot jesus .. thus the change to the christ makes logical sense .. in doing so prince lost the plot .. he lost the essence of spiritual god and reverted to worshipping false god .. jesus .. the human labeled a god .. christ .. now prince worships money .. like one of those preachers that gets caught with his hand in the donation jar .. he talks bigger because he lost the plot .. the question of u is prince best spiritual song

The notion that sex has nothing to do with anything is your opinion, and you have a right to it. The point that I am making is that you seem to be guilty of the same thing of which you are accusing Prince. I hear people say, "I don't want Prince forcing his beliefs on me," and then they do the same thing. The truth is that sex is a biological act that can have some very hazardous, lingering, and fatal emotional/psychological and physical risks if people are not responsible. And Prince was discussing this in his work long before he became a JW as his songs generally have double meanings that address the manner in which sex and sexuality can be seen as metaphors for human neurosis. He may be more narrow and dogmatic about it now, but far too many people are having their future opportunities and lives cut short because of unplanned pregnancies and STDs. Yes, "we can fuck until the Dawn," but the question is "with what will we be left in the morning: a baby, a disease, or a broken heart?" If would be a shame, if not pathetic, if a man Prince's age didn't have a more responsible perspective of sex.

*

You state that Prince started worshiping money like it’s a fact. I see no proof or documentation that Prince worships money. People with knowledge or skills get paid for their knowledge or skills. The level or amount of one's knowledge or skill determines how much one gets paid. I hear a lot of people say, "I'd do this for free," but they never return the payment. Also, no one is forced to pay for Prince’s or anybody else’s knowledge or skills. If I don’t think that something is worth the price, I don’t buy it. And I know that I’m going to make a lot of people angry, but only someone really trusting or just damn clueless paid $77 to join Prince’s last website after having been a part of or knowledgeable of his last website. I don’t purchase anything without research. I didn’t have a spare $77 to give Prince so I didn’t. If I would have had a spare $77 I would have purchased a membership, but it would have been a spare $77 that I did not need for anything else hence I would not be bitter or pissed at this moment. And if somebody is willing to pay Prince one million dollars to perform or to have exclusive rights to his next CD, then more power to him. I only have $20 allotted to purchase CDs and about $50 ($100 for me and my wife jointly) for concert tickets. If either costs more, then I’ll just have to get a second-hand report. But, the Christian Bible only states that one must tithe; it doesn’t put a limit on how much one can earn.

*

This whole notion of Prince worshipping a "false god" is an ideological debate that makes you, once again, as guilty as with what you charge Prince, especially since this debate of whether to teach/worship the human Jesus or the spiritual Jesus can be traced to Constantine’s desire to develop a text/bible which caused a split between the religious leaders that Constantine had gathered to compile the text. My point is that you act as if Prince's interpretation of Jesus is baseless and yours is rooted in fact when both are "faith" based interpretations/beliefs, again, making you guilty of the very thing of which you accuse Prince of being. But, of course, Prince is the narrow-minded, myopic one and not you.

*

Finally, I don't know if you missed the point or are purposely misinterpreting what Prince said about being afraid to fly. The point was not that God will save one from evil or death, but that one of the reasons for believing in God is the comfort of knowing that death isn't final. Other than the aspect of sacrifice and salvation, the essential element of the ideology of Jesus is that he defeated death so that mankind should have no fear of death, meaning that our lives should not be controlled by our fear of death. Additionally, Jesus, in his second temptation by Satan, also warned that just because God is all powerful and that he (Jesus) was about to defeat death does not mean that mankind should engage themselves in foolish activities or behaviors, such as flinging oneself off a mountain because they believe in God. So, Prince's point is that while fear is a natural part of being physical/human, the notion/belief that one accepts one's metaphysical/spiritual side and believes in a being that is all powerful should lessen, if not remove, fear from any equation or decision because to live is Christ and to die is gain. Again, this is all just faith, but you are twisting or misinterpreting Prince's words seemingly to fit your own anti-Christian notions. And, I'm not saying that you or anyone else should agree with Prince or Christianity, but at least be accurate or truthful about Prince’s words or the ideology that you are denouncing so that your assertions can be credible and appreciated. By not being accurate in your presentation of Prince’s words or Christianity, it makes it difficult for us (this forum) to have an earnest, educational, and meaningful discourse.

well that was fun .. um i didn't quote prince AT ALL so i am not sure what u are representing when u say i twist his words .. the only reference i made was to prince changing THE CROSS to THE CHRIST .. and i will say that prince worship of money is transparent in all his recent work .. he is constantly bragging about his loot .. flashing his jewelry and mansions and really bloated crap like that, completely ignorant of who suffers when he gets babied like a spoiled brat .. says pretty clear in the bible that gluttony is one of the deadly sins .. its hard to take a guy like prince christianity spirituality or whatever seriously .. i guess a lot of christians have issues with sex .. its right up there with taking a shit biolically and is about as relevant .. but hey .. people sell movies with poop jokes all the time so i applaud prince for selling records the same way .. still don't see what it has to do with christ or god .. reproduction is pretty hard wired on this planet