DiscoBallz said:

amsterdamman said:

You call yourself a Prince fan? Stop talking bad about Larry Graham. You can't like his music, you can't dig his person, but if you are a real Prince fan, you've got to respect their friendship.
I know that Prince once told that Larry is like a brother, a father figure, the only person he can trust as a friend.

You all think that Larry talked Prince into JeHoVa, come on, think twice. Do you really think that Prince will let anybody tell him what to do?

Don't blame somebody else for what Prince did or what he believe in. Don't blame Larry for the music that Prince made.
Show some respect for Prince and be glad that he had a real family who didn't care who he was.
I once saw them backstage together and you could see that Prince was very happy around LG.

They were real friends.
What do you expect: something like Sheila E? She had a major fall out with Prince and now she talked like they were best friends forever.

Watch how sad LG is on the interviews. This was a real friendship.

Yeah, actually, religious people love to prey upon those in dire straits. Had Prince not been so fucked up over his baby dying and his marriage eroding (publically, might I add), he may not have been so easily seduced.

Not saying Larry is an emotionless sociopath. But to suggest they did not lure him into a situation that definitively changed his worldview and led him down some very strange paths is naive and revisionist.

We´ve had a gazillion threads about Larry and I think he´s like the Yoko Ono of the Prince universe (not juding him here, just saying ).

But, as important as it is to discuss his role in Prince´s biography, this is , in my opinion, not yet the time to start another anti-Larry discussion.

Prince was very much interested in the JWs long before he met Larry. George Benson already talked about the JWs with him in 1997. Prince met Larry in 1997.

Not saying that a discussion about Larry Graham should be avoided in biographies or here on the org but look at it this way....what if Larry was or is a genuinely nice person who was one of Prince´s closest friends, and who is grieving right now just like we all do ?

We´ll never know whether not meeting Larry would have been better or worse in Prince´s life after the mid 90s. We can only speculate.

violectrica said:

Uhope said:

Pain meds are completely acceptable to JWs, as well as pretty much any medical treatment you can name.

Only blood transfusions are forbidden by the Bible.

Except that it doesn't. EAT and put into the body are not the same termonologies or words. Otherwise Jews who keep kosher would refuse blood because their scriptures first contained "do not eat blood" and here they are to this day not EATing blood. But they'll get a transfusion to save their life or as required in ruitine surgeries. Because the diestive tract and vascular system are simply not the same.

Please tag your stuff with (NWT) at least. I read the Bible too and it doesn't say that. You are telling people what is forbidden by my sacred scritures and I don't appreciate it. As a Christian and a Linguist I find your translation to be false and modern.

Maybe if he'd have had his hip replacement like he needed this wouldn't have happened

SMDH. HE wouldn't have lived in pain for years.

There goes my anger stage again.

The scripture I quoted was from the King James Version. It says pretty much the same in every version/translation of the Bible. To "abstain" from something means to avoid it. If a doctor told you to abstain from alchohol or fried foods, that means avoid taking it into your body in any way, by any means. If you notice, within those verses is also the counsel to "abstain from fornication" - not sure how you can restructure that. If you have another understand of what it means to abstain, you're welcome to use that definition, I suppose.

Regarding what Jews decide to do - the admonition in Acts 15:28, 29 was given to the Christian congregation at the time as the only bits of the Mosaic Law that were still valid (notice that circumcision was not required of Christians). I don't believe Jewish intepretation on the matter really applies.

Whether Prince had a hip replacement or not, I don't know. He certainly could have if he wanted, but it's not uncommon for people to decline surgery for all sorts of reasons that may be personal to them - fear, risks/complications, long recovery time, etc... maybe Prince simply thought that he'd rather opt for pain management? A lot of people do that. I have friends who suffer with back and neck pain because they're fearful of the surgery. Prince's healthcare decisions were his own.

However, hip replacements, open-heart surgeries - you name it - are done regularly and successfully without the use of blood. I will provide links for your review below:

http://www.healio.com/orthopedics/journals/ortho/2012-8-35-8/%7B49d96e9e-037f-43b1-8e4f-8e407c0e5c96%7D/revision-total-hip-arthroplasty-in-jehovahs-witnesses

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/bloodless_medicine_surgery

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/doctors-explore-potential-benefits-of-bloodless-surgery/

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-jehovahs-witnesses-are-changing-medicine

I hope this helps.

DiscoBallz said:

amsterdamman said:

You call yourself a Prince fan? Stop talking bad about Larry Graham. You can't like his music, you can't dig his person, but if you are a real Prince fan, you've got to respect their friendship.
I know that Prince once told that Larry is like a brother, a father figure, the only person he can trust as a friend.

You all think that Larry talked Prince into JeHoVa, come on, think twice. Do you really think that Prince will let anybody tell him what to do?

Don't blame somebody else for what Prince did or what he believe in. Don't blame Larry for the music that Prince made.
Show some respect for Prince and be glad that he had a real family who didn't care who he was.
I once saw them backstage together and you could see that Prince was very happy around LG.

They were real friends.
What do you expect: something like Sheila E? She had a major fall out with Prince and now she talked like they were best friends forever.

Watch how sad LG is on the interviews. This was a real friendship.

Yeah, actually, religious people love to prey upon those in dire straits. Had Prince not been so fucked up over his baby dying and his marriage eroding (publically, might I add), he may not have been so easily seduced.

Not saying Larry is an emotionless sociopath. But to suggest they did not lure him into a situation that definitively changed his worldview and led him down some very strange paths is naive and revisionist.

Amen!

feranti said:

My dad's uncle two months before passing while in hospital was persuaded by a religious group (not saying which for fear of offending) to convert and leave his property to them or "he might not be in heaven with his loved one's" so he did.
His family got very little, they could of contested but they respected his final wishes.

I was religious at the time and thought well at least he found some spiritual peace, but wow it came at a cost.

As I grew older I began to see the hypocricy in all of it.

The if you live a good life and something awful happens then welll subtext is it's because god is testing you. If you live a bad life and something awful happens, then well god is punishing you. I realised things just happen, good things to bade people equally as often as bad things to good people.

Of course it's no one religions fault, it's the snakes that use the word of god to manipulate and achieve there own goals that we are discussing here. Larry has since the Rave new year performance always struck me as a snake, and doing a bit of googling seems to confirm it.

DiscoBallz said:

Yeah, actually, religious people love to prey upon those in dire straits. Had Prince not been so fucked up over his baby dying and his marriage eroding (publically, might I add), he may not have been so easily seduced.

Not saying Larry is an emotionless sociopath. But to suggest they did not lure him into a situation that definitively changed his worldview and led him down some very strange paths is naive and revisionist.

Right on Feranti. Your last 2 sentences Hit the Nail on the Head! Also he's like a Wolf in Sheeps Clothing. Just google the JW's founder Charles Taze Russell and anybody with a lick a sense can see he was fool and false teacher.

[Edited 4/27/16 10:18am]

Prince visited the JW Watchtower HQs in Broooklyn in 1998(?) and by the Easter at a NYC concert he had stopped cursing and re-arranged some lyrics. Prince cleaned up his mouth, yet the JW institution has not opened up about him? Tsk, Tsk.

Miracle wheat.

Pyramids (CTR)

'a god' Not in Greek.

Early watchtower tracts saying Jesus was god.

Amulets in magic underwear.

Civilisations for which there is no evidence in art, landscape, archeology, written records, documentation.

Denying physical and written evidence.

Cannot read the bible and interpret it for themselves always in conjunction with a JW publication to tell you what to think.

JW's and Mormons - Just about the most blinded of sects.

I laughed really hard at this. Thank you.

2freaky4church1 said:

But, he was Prince's bud.

He wore a captains hat.

morningsong said:

Personally all I needed to know was did he still have his faith. In that I believe he did not feel alone.

I agree. Although I personally did not share his religious beliefs, I hope that it helped him find peace and that he was content. That, after all, is the purpose.

Giftofmusic said:

Miracle wheat.

Pyramids (CTR)

'a god' Not in Greek.

Early watchtower tracts saying Jesus was god.

Amulets in magic underwear.

Civilisations for which there is no evidence in art, landscape, archeology, written records, documentation.

Denying physical and written evidence.

Cannot read the bible and interpret it for themselves always in conjunction with a JW publication to tell you what to think.

JW's and Mormons - Just about the most blinded of sects.

AMEN!!!

Uhope said:

Acts 15:28, 29..."For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." The truth is in every Bible. And yes, I've been a Witness for over 38 years.

I sincerely apologize for just coming across this discussion on the prohibition of blood transfusions, but that scripture is clearly being interpreted out of context. Blood transfusions didn't exist at the time of the writing, therefore, that would not be the context of the statement. Rather, people were not cooking the meat all the way through, and even to this day, cultures that retained ancient cooking practices actually cook blood meals. Nothing about transfusions...

Astasheiks said:

feranti said:

My dad's uncle two months before passing while in hospital was persuaded by a religious group (not saying which for fear of offending) to convert and leave his property to them or "he might not be in heaven with his loved one's" so he did.
His family got very little, they could of contested but they respected his final wishes.

I was religious at the time and thought well at least he found some spiritual peace, but wow it came at a cost.

As I grew older I began to see the hypocricy in all of it.

The if you live a good life and something awful happens then welll subtext is it's because god is testing you. If you live a bad life and something awful happens, then well god is punishing you. I realised things just happen, good things to bade people equally as often as bad things to good people.

Of course it's no one religions fault, it's the snakes that use the word of god to manipulate and achieve there own goals that we are discussing here. Larry has since the Rave new year performance always struck me as a snake, and doing a bit of googling seems to confirm it.

Right on Feranti. Your last 2 sentences Hit the Nail on the Head! Also he's like a Wolf in Sheeps Clothing. Just google the JW's founder Charles Taze Russell and anybody with a lick a sense can see he was fool and false teacher.

[Edited 4/27/16 10:18am]

Agreed, I can't stand LG, whenever I see him now he looks guilty as hell.

It always annoyed me when he said Prince was "his little baby brother", or when LG started singing parts of The Cross (that was changed to The Christ) or when he was constantly around Prince even during interviews and such. He is a snake, he took advantage of Prince when Prince was most vulnerable and looking for answers (parents deceased, baby lost, failed marriage).

C'mon, guys, knock it off with the LG-bashing. Larry couldn't make Prince do a damn thing he didn't want to do. How is bashing him helping anything? What do you want him to do? WHat /can/ he do, at this point?

Disslike him all you want, but remember, you don't know him. And I say this as a person who isn't exactly taken with him, myself -- I do think he's a bit of a played out 70's wanna be pimp, but I highly doubt he was a danger to Prince.

Snakes don't talk.

computerblue77 said:

Snakes don't talk.

Dat right. Im so over LarryFreakingGraham. I rue the day Prince met him.

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

computerblue77 said:

Snakes don't talk.

Dat right. Im so over LarryFreakingGraham. I rue the day Prince met him.

So was he on Prince's payroll, too? I read that he moved to Minnesota to "mentor" Prince. What has he lived on all these years? Was there anyone NOT on Prince's payroll who cared enough about him to intervene? You don't have to answer that question. I know the answer.

Bunsterdk said:

Not getting into this can of worms since it's obvious that some here have very little respect for Prince as a person and as an intelligent man who would definitely have left long ago if this was not genuinely what he wanted and believed in. No genuine fan/fam would ever talk like that, so I'm assuming it's just throlls and moving on. But to reply to the title of the thread, I saw Larry on footage from the first private memorial. I think he talked to reporters. Also Prince's friends in his local congregation held a memorial service three weeks later with several hundred in attendance, including some friends and colleagues of Prince's from the world of music and entertainment. There was some kind of press statement from the organisation, I think, as I've seen it quoted, but I have not been able to find it online, so maybe it's just been sent to reporters inquiring about it. His congregation opened up about things to reporters at some point, including a close friend of his from the congregation. I've seen clips on YouTube. So yes, JW have responded. Whether or not you approve of the way they have handled their grief.. Well.. I don't think that's their main concern. I think they are more concerned over the death of a loved one. But maybe that's just me.

But you know, their main concern should actually be to prove to fans (And yeah, I am using fans in the 'fanatic' sense here, because some folk are coming off as fanatical) how much they loved him by being front and center at all times, unable to move, so deep is their grief --

Except then, these same fans will castigate them for being too public.

Some folks are never satisfied.

Blakbear said:

Bunsterdk said:

Blakbear said:

But you know, their main concern should actually be to prove to fans (And yeah, I am using fans in the 'fanatic' sense here, because some folk are coming off as fanatical) how much they loved him by being front and center at all times, unable to move, so deep is their grief --

Except then, these same fans will castigate them for being too public.

Some folks are never satisfied.

Yeah, that's the problem. If they had done that, they'd be accused of trying to use his death to get more people to follow them or whatever people are on about. I have been accused of having ulterior motives for pointing those with questions to the official website instead of bogus ones. You just can't win with some people. Haters will be haters, I guess, but it is sad to see so-called fans trashing him like this because he had the audacity to make life choices they don't approve of. Well, it's Prince.. Do they really think he sought their approval? LOL

Ha. Indeed.

Honestly, I imagine Larry's somewhere grieving his friend, out of the public eye, along with the Hall they both went to. I'm sure they loved Brother Nelson, a person we never knew, vry much. It certainly sounded like it, from the way people talked about him on the day the Hall held their memorial. I especially lol'd at that one lady who was like, "He spoke so softly he put you to sleep." I crack up laughing because that's usually my reaction to his speaking voice. So glad to know I'm not the only one who reacts like that to him talking.

But anyway, yeah, I am with you, man. I actually feel sorry for thee people who are now the enemy of the Purple Army for daring to not be exactly what the Army wants.

1Sasha said:

Blakbear said:

Bunsterdk said:

Blakbear said: LOL Yeah, I noticed that comment too. I actually wouldn't mind falling asleep to Prince reading from the Bible. Can't get enough of that beautiful voice. Mmm mmmmmm mmmm.. No doubt Larry is still mourning his brother and friend. I can't imagine being close to him and going through this. Not having ever met him and going through this is bad enough.

Right? I really do feel badly for Larry right now. As I said earleir in the thread, I don't really like the man, but right now? I would probably extend him a hug or two just cause he lost someone he loved.

Blakbear said:

It's sad to read people attacking someone's faith in this thread. Especially at this very difficult time in America--I hope we can be respecting each other and celebrating our differences.

If people were saying anti-semitic or racist things on here--many of us would be offended. But why is it OK to attack the beliefs of Jehovah's Witness's? It's not my faith. I don't profess to understand anything about it--But I will defend any person's personal beliefs.

Let's start with love and respect and tolerance--right here and now. If not--then when?

[Edited 6/13/16 9:27am]