OperatingThetan said:

OperatingThetan said:

As someone with personal experience with Jehovah's Witnesses it was evident to me that Prince was expanding his views and possibly even distancing himself from the faith during the last few years of his life. Lyrically, songs such as 'Way Back Home' and the spiritual meanings conveyed in the Affirmations are not at all consistent with JW doctrine and are in many respects in direct opposition to it. Prince's social and political activism, coupled with his mentions of chakras and 'energy fields' in one of his later interviews, would not be displayed by any baptised, active JW in 'good standing.' JW's are solely waiting for God's Kingdom to solve any and all social and political concerns. They're not searching for their 'way back home' or coming to spiritual realisations of oneness with the universe or a sense of one's identity being universal. All humans are flawed by inherited, genetic sin and their only hope is Christ's ransom and Jehovah's Kingdom.

jdcxc said:

OperatingThetan said:

As someone with personal experience with Jehovah's Witnesses it was evident to me that Prince was expanding his views and possibly even distancing himself from the faith during the last few years of his life. Lyrically, songs such as 'Way Back Home' and the spiritual meanings conveyed in the Affirmations are not at all consistent with JW doctrine and are in many respects in direct opposition to it. Prince's social and political activism, coupled with his mentions of chakras and 'energy fields' in one of his later interviews, would not be displayed by any baptised, active JW in 'good standing.' JW's are solely waiting for God's Kingdom to solve any and all social and political concerns. They're not searching for their 'way back home' or coming to spiritual realisations of oneness with the universe or a sense of one's identity being universal. All humans are flawed by inherited, genetic sin and their only hope is Christ's ransom and Jehovah's Kingdom.

yup that's what i've been saying and good for him, prince never fit into anyone's rigid dogma, the real prince was bound to come out eventually.

Definitely moved away from JW, no matter what the "official" word has been. It was pretty obvious.

Mumio said:

Definitely moved away from JW, no matter what the "official" word has been. It was pretty obvious.

Agree.

OperatingThetan said:

As someone with personal experience with Jehovah's Witnesses it was evident to me that Prince was expanding his views and possibly even distancing himself from the faith during the last few years of his life. Lyrically, songs such as 'Way Back Home' and the spiritual meanings conveyed in the Affirmations are not at all consistent with JW doctrine and are in many respects in direct opposition to it. Prince's social and political activism, coupled with his mentions of chakras and 'energy fields' in one of his later interviews, would not be displayed by any baptised, active JW in 'good standing.' JW's are solely waiting for God's Kingdom to solve any and all social and political concerns. They're not searching for their 'way back home' or coming to spiritual realisations of oneness with the universe or a sense of one's identity being universal. All humans are flawed by inherited, genetic sin and their only hope is Christ's ransom and Jehovah's Kingdom.

This is all true but he was still a member of his Kingdom Hall and still attending services.

The JWs had good things to say about him and they had a service. If he was in bad standing that would not have happened.

I have JWs in my family. If they wanted him gone he would have been gone.

[Edited 2/14/18 5:46am]

JW like every denominations is more about community. Something that ppl today dont wanna even consider, is maybe possibility that his part as JWintess was an opportunity for him to explore some topics more deeper. I mean, someons of Prince caliber could read and study Bible and connect some dots through his personal expirience and still be a member of that community. I mean any great man, took Dostoyevsky for examplem who had big connection to orthodox chirstianity, but in the same time his personal life was not something strictly orianted to what we can consider as 'christan life'...that didn't stopped him from reflecting on some topics about meaning of life etc...

stpaisios said:

JW like every denominations is more about community. Something that ppl today dont wanna even consider, is maybe possibility that his part as JWintess was an opportunity for him to explore some topics more deeper. I mean, someons of Prince caliber could read and study Bible and connect some dots through his personal expirience and still be a member of that community. I mean any great man, took Dostoyevsky for examplem who had big connection to orthodox chirstianity, but in the same time his personal life was not something strictly orianted to what we can consider as 'christan life'...that didn't stopped him from reflecting on some topics about meaning of life etc...

Of course. Christians struggle just like everyone else and reading or studying other beliefs does not mean you are no longer a Christian.

laurarichardson said:

This is all true but he was still a member of his Kingdom Hall and still attending services.

The JWs had good things to say about him and they had a service. If he was in bad standing that would not have happened.

I have JWs in my family. If they wanted him gone he would have been gone.

The JWs did this after his passing because they thought they were left his Estate.

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

laurarichardson said:

This is all true but he was still a member of his Kingdom Hall and still attending services.

The JWs had good things to say about him and they had a service. If he was in bad standing that would not have happened.

I have JWs in my family. If they wanted him gone he would have been gone.

The JWs did this after his passing because they thought they were left his Estate.

I disagree with that and really if he had left them something if they choose to not have a service for him they still would have received the money.

They were under no obligation to have a service for him.

[Edited 2/14/18 8:00am]

laurarichardson said:

Mumio said:

jdcxc said:

I recently took a trip through Prince’s Twitter page and it was very touching to get in his head during the last couple years of his life. I was reminded that at his core, he was an independent artist full of love, quirky weirdness, unique observations with a sublime sense of humor. His humanist approach to life, art and music are all over the site. His appreciation for his fans and women artists were incredible. There is also very little JW content, which makes me wonder. And there are no signs that this was a grand marketing gimmick or orchestrated media campaign. The fact that he maintained his integrity and singular musical vision until the very end is touching. Thoughts?

.

I too, still look at his Twitter and Princetagram page from time-to-time.

.

Interesting that you mention the JW because I often wonder how Prince really felt with regards to his religion and beliefs. A lot of people say his interest in religion was all a "front" (phony), but I don't think so. I think he struggled with his beliefs as we all do, as Christians.

.

I don't practice the JW faith and don't agree with a lot of their beliefs, however, everyone is entitled to their choice of religion.

.

What I find difficult to understand about Prince is how could he be a rock star/legend/sexual, etc., and be a JW, because that is against their beliefs. You cannot choose a life of sin and be a devout JW at the same time. I read the history of the JW and it appears to be more of a Cult than it is a religion--and the founding members/history is very dark, imo.

.

I do agree that Prince was coming into his own (his true self), and he seemed very content/happy, spiritually. A lot of people say he came full-circle.....went back to his natural Afro and wearing very organic-style clothing in his last years.

OperatingThetan said:

As someone with personal experience with Jehovah's Witnesses it was evident to me that Prince was expanding his views and possibly even distancing himself from the faith during the last few years of his life. Lyrically, songs such as 'Way Back Home' and the spiritual meanings conveyed in the Affirmations are not at all consistent with JW doctrine and are in many respects in direct opposition to it. Prince's social and political activism, coupled with his mentions of chakras and 'energy fields' in one of his later interviews, would not be displayed by any baptised, active JW in 'good standing.' JW's are solely waiting for God's Kingdom to solve any and all social and political concerns. They're not searching for their 'way back home' or coming to spiritual realisations of oneness with the universe or a sense of one's identity being universal. All humans are flawed by inherited, genetic sin and their only hope is Christ's ransom and Jehovah's Kingdom.

.

Very good points! This always baffled me about Prince, because he didn't really seem to follow the JW faith completely -- so where did he stand with the church and with Larry G?

206Michelle said:

jdcxc said:

I recently took a trip through Prince’s Twitter page and it was very touching to get in his head during the last couple years of his life. I was reminded that at his core, he was an independent artist full of love, quirky weirdness, unique observations with a sublime sense of humor. His humanist approach to life, art and music are all over the site. His appreciation for his fans and women artists were incredible. There is also very little JW content, which makes me wonder. And there are no signs that this was a grand marketing gimmick or orchestrated media campaign. The fact that he maintained his integrity and singular musical vision until the very end is touching. Thoughts?

I looked at P’s twitter page in depth following his death although it’s been over a year since I looked at his Twitter page. From what I recall of his twitter page, I think all of your remarks are on-point. . As far as his tweets being largely devoid of JW-related content, I am not sure whether to attribute that situation to: -an evolution in his religious belief system, -keeping his tweets related to matters that would most interest his fans and not alienate his fans, (music being more of interest to his fans and JW faith being of less interest), -or some other reason. . Keep in mind that Prince’s parents were Baptist and Seventh Day Adventist. My understanding is that Seventh Day Adventists and JWs have a lot of similarities. So the conversion to the JW faith was not as drastic as, for example, someone converting from being a Catholic to a JW. Also, think back to the traumatic event that caused to go through the period of soul-searching that led him to the JW faith—-the loss of his son. Losing a child is one of, if not, the worst loss that can happen to someone. However, his son died 19+ years before 04/21/16, and a lot happened in that 19+ years: he and Mayte divorced, he started using the name Prince again, he and Mani married, his parents died, he and Mani divorced, he performed at the Super Bowl, he won more Grammy awards, and so forth. It’s hard to know how all of this affected his worldview, but I am sure that he grew and evolved in that 19+ years. [Edited 2/13/18 20:46pm]

.

I agree. The JW and 7th Day Adventists are virtually one in the same. I often wonder if Prince was sexually abused as a Child? I wonder about this because of his use of sex and profanity in his early music? He was very sexually-promiscuous, and he didn't keep that a secret. I'm sure he struggled with religion, as most Christians do. I do think he had a lot of emotional problems......not to repeat everything you just stated, but this could all relate to why he questioned God a lot, but he seemed to mellow and find spiritual solace in his later years.

personally, i've never thought the JW's was any more a "cult" than any of the other wacky religions but it was a johnny come lately like the mormons and the 7th day adventists and so kinda get that designation by the rest of the christians who, let's face it, can't even agree on much amongst themselves anyway. One thing I'll say about the people, not the religion but the people, JW's are generally good, decent respectful people unlike some of the pentecostals and catholics I've met who cover their dirt under all their holiness. I don't think Prince's religion was a front of any kind but I do believe he used it as a prop in his earlier music to the point where he felt guilt later. They say he thought his son's defects were payback for his sins, if that's true, then he had to have some belief in something. I think maybe he, like many of us, grew up getting this shit forced down his throat, and, like many of us, see all kinds of contradiction, just grew up and threw it all together. Even to the point of trying to create his own religion where he was a messiah and he would mock and joke about god at certain points, that is probably what he felt the most guilt about. The idea of mixing the sacred and the profane was from Marvin Gaye but Prince didn't have marvin's subltetly or even his sincerity, it was like he thought it was a good idea and he ran with it, full retard, not knowing how he'd feel later in life. By the end, some say they could tell he wasn't thinking the same, and that something was wrong, but one thing that was right was that he was drifting away from that bullshit of the jw's.

cloveringold85 said:

jdcxc said:

I recently took a trip through Prince’s Twitter page and it was very touching to get in his head during the last couple years of his life. I was reminded that at his core, he was an independent artist full of love, quirky weirdness, unique observations with a sublime sense of humor. His humanist approach to life, art and music are all over the site. His appreciation for his fans and women artists were incredible. There is also very little JW content, which makes me wonder. And there are no signs that this was a grand marketing gimmick or orchestrated media campaign. The fact that he maintained his integrity and singular musical vision until the very end is touching. Thoughts?

.

I too, still look at his Twitter and Princetagram page from time-to-time.

.

Interesting that you mention the JW because I often wonder how Prince really felt with regards to his religion and beliefs. A lot of people say his interest in religion was all a "front" (phony), but I don't think so. I think he struggled with his beliefs as we all do, as Christians.

.

I don't practice the JW faith and don't agree with a lot of their beliefs, however, everyone is entitled to their choice of religion.

.

What I find difficult to understand about Prince is how could he be a rock star/legend/sexual, etc., and be a JW, because that is against their beliefs. You cannot choose a life of sin and be a devout JW at the same time. I read the history of the JW and it appears to be more of a Cult than it is a religion--and the founding members/history is very dark, imo.

.

I do agree that Prince was coming into his own (his true self), and he seemed very content/happy, spiritually. A lot of people say he came full-circle.....went back to his natural Afro and wearing very organic-style clothing in his last years.

cloveringold85 said:

206Michelle said:

jdcxc said: I looked at P’s twitter page in depth following his death although it’s been over a year since I looked at his Twitter page. From what I recall of his twitter page, I think all of your remarks are on-point. . As far as his tweets being largely devoid of JW-related content, I am not sure whether to attribute that situation to: -an evolution in his religious belief system, -keeping his tweets related to matters that would most interest his fans and not alienate his fans, (music being more of interest to his fans and JW faith being of less interest), -or some other reason. . Keep in mind that Prince’s parents were Baptist and Seventh Day Adventist. My understanding is that Seventh Day Adventists and JWs have a lot of similarities. So the conversion to the JW faith was not as drastic as, for example, someone converting from being a Catholic to a JW. Also, think back to the traumatic event that caused to go through the period of soul-searching that led him to the JW faith—-the loss of his son. Losing a child is one of, if not, the worst loss that can happen to someone. However, his son died 19+ years before 04/21/16, and a lot happened in that 19+ years: he and Mayte divorced, he started using the name Prince again, he and Mani married, his parents died, he and Mani divorced, he performed at the Super Bowl, he won more Grammy awards, and so forth. It’s hard to know how all of this affected his worldview, but I am sure that he grew and evolved in that 19+ years. [Edited 2/13/18 20:46pm]

.

I agree. The JW and 7th Day Adventists are virtually one in the same. I often wonder if Prince was sexually abused as a Child? I wonder about this because of his use of sex and profanity in his early music? He was very sexually-promiscuous, and he didn't keep that a secret. I'm sure he struggled with religion, as most Christians do. I do think he had a lot of emotional problems......not to repeat everything you just stated, but this could all relate to why he questioned God a lot, but he seemed to mellow and find spiritual solace in his later years.

Sorry when Andre said both his brother were pimps that sent off alarm bells for me. Guys can be abused by women. When Sheila E said he had it worst then her growing up because despite being sexually abused she had her family and he nothing it really made me wonder.

Because she went thru hell with her abusers.

I saw Prince's twitter page almost two years ago. It was okay.

PeteSilas said:

personally, i've never thought the JW's was any more a "cult" than any of the other wacky religions but it was a johnny come lately like the mormons and the 7th day adventists and so kinda get that designation by the rest of the christians who, let's face it, can't even agree on much amongst themselves anyway. One thing I'll say about the people, not the religion but the people, JW's are generally good, decent respectful people unlike some of the pentecostals and catholics I've met who cover their dirt under all their holiness. I don't think Prince's religion was a front of any kind but I do believe he used it as a prop in his earlier music to the point where he felt guilt later. They say he thought his son's defects were payback for his sins, if that's true, then he had to have some belief in something. I think maybe he, like many of us, grew up getting this shit forced down his throat, and, like many of us, see all kinds of contradiction, just grew up and threw it all together. Even to the point of trying to create his own religion where he was a messiah and he would mock and joke about god at certain points, that is probably what he felt the most guilt about. The idea of mixing the sacred and the profane was from Marvin Gaye but Prince didn't have marvin's subltetly or even his sincerity, it was like he thought it was a good idea and he ran with it, full retard, not knowing how he'd feel later in life. By the end, some say they could tell he wasn't thinking the same, and that something was wrong, but one thing that was right was that he was drifting away from that bullshit of the jw's.

cloveringold85 said:

.

I too, still look at his Twitter and Princetagram page from time-to-time.

.

Interesting that you mention the JW because I often wonder how Prince really felt with regards to his religion and beliefs. A lot of people say his interest in religion was all a "front" (phony), but I don't think so. I think he struggled with his beliefs as we all do, as Christians.

.

I don't practice the JW faith and don't agree with a lot of their beliefs, however, everyone is entitled to their choice of religion.

.

What I find difficult to understand about Prince is how could he be a rock star/legend/sexual, etc., and be a JW, because that is against their beliefs. You cannot choose a life of sin and be a devout JW at the same time. I read the history of the JW and it appears to be more of a Cult than it is a religion--and the founding members/history is very dark, imo.

.

I do agree that Prince was coming into his own (his true self), and he seemed very content/happy, spiritually. A lot of people say he came full-circle.....went back to his natural Afro and wearing very organic-style clothing in his last years.

.

I was raised Roman-Catholic. It's not the religion itself that is bad, it's the "bad people" who make it so.

.

I agree with what you said about Prince and his religion. I think he was a lot like Madonna in the early 80s -- trying to get people interested in them by pushing the religion card and questioning God. I will say, I don't respect Madonna for how she mocked God. She crossed the line.

laurarichardson said:

cloveringold85 said:

.

I agree. The JW and 7th Day Adventists are virtually one in the same. I often wonder if Prince was sexually abused as a Child? I wonder about this because of his use of sex and profanity in his early music? He was very sexually-promiscuous, and he didn't keep that a secret. I'm sure he struggled with religion, as most Christians do. I do think he had a lot of emotional problems......not to repeat everything you just stated, but this could all relate to why he questioned God a lot, but he seemed to mellow and find spiritual solace in his later years.

Sorry when Andre said both his brother were pimps that sent off alarm bells for me. Guys can be abused by women. When Sheila E said he had it worst then her growing up because despite being sexually abused she had her family and he nothing it really made me wonder.

Because she went thru hell with her abusers.

.

I did not know Sheila was sexually-abused. Maybe that is why she never married; or one of the reasons why.

.

Prince had a lot of freedom at a very young age when he should have been getting disciplined by his Mother and Father. He was a very sexual person, and I think the music exec's took advantage of that. I would like to ask Prince if being so sexually-provocative was his idea or WB? Maybe both?

they both did, i'm sure prince felt guilt about it. the rumor that he forced people to call him messiah was just a rumor but he, at the very least did put it in song form. and, his mixing sex shit with god was just wrong, "i'm in love with god" I mean, I get the Gaye connection but Marvin was doing something and saying something that was profound and subtle, the at the ends of lust and faith are divinity, that's deep, Prince took that and just got it all wrong in my opinion. Mixing the worse, the dark side of lust and god, which might be hard for people to follow but..., i believe prince knew what he was doing and felt bad about the shit. The eighties work was littered with mocks and jibes "do i believe in god, do I believe in me?" I mean, he had to have some idea that he was in trouble, even if from his own conscience just from the loopy dialogue at the end of the ladder. Religion can really do a number on your head just from your own belief system if nothing else. Whether it was god getting back at him or not, i can't judge. Muhammad Ali's manager used to tell him to stop saying he was the Greatest because god would be offended and blamed that for the condition he ended up in. People have all kinds of rationales for how things turn out, i'd say you shouldn't need any fears have reverence for whatever it is that gives you life.

cloveringold85 said:

PeteSilas said:

personally, i've never thought the JW's was any more a "cult" than any of the other wacky religions but it was a johnny come lately like the mormons and the 7th day adventists and so kinda get that designation by the rest of the christians who, let's face it, can't even agree on much amongst themselves anyway. One thing I'll say about the people, not the religion but the people, JW's are generally good, decent respectful people unlike some of the pentecostals and catholics I've met who cover their dirt under all their holiness. I don't think Prince's religion was a front of any kind but I do believe he used it as a prop in his earlier music to the point where he felt guilt later. They say he thought his son's defects were payback for his sins, if that's true, then he had to have some belief in something. I think maybe he, like many of us, grew up getting this shit forced down his throat, and, like many of us, see all kinds of contradiction, just grew up and threw it all together. Even to the point of trying to create his own religion where he was a messiah and he would mock and joke about god at certain points, that is probably what he felt the most guilt about. The idea of mixing the sacred and the profane was from Marvin Gaye but Prince didn't have marvin's subltetly or even his sincerity, it was like he thought it was a good idea and he ran with it, full retard, not knowing how he'd feel later in life. By the end, some say they could tell he wasn't thinking the same, and that something was wrong, but one thing that was right was that he was drifting away from that bullshit of the jw's.

.

I was raised Roman-Catholic. It's not the religion itself that is bad, it's the "bad people" who make it so.

.

I agree with what you said about Prince and his religion. I think he was a lot like Madonna in the early 80s -- trying to get people interested in them by pushing the religion card and questioning God. I will say, I don't respect Madonna for how she mocked God. She crossed the line.

cloveringold85 said:

laurarichardson said:

Sorry when Andre said both his brother were pimps that sent off alarm bells for me. Guys can be abused by women. When Sheila E said he had it worst then her growing up because despite being sexually abused she had her family and he nothing it really made me wonder.

Because she went thru hell with her abusers.

.

I did not know Sheila was sexually-abused. Maybe that is why she never married; or one of the reasons why.

.

Prince had a lot of freedom at a very young age when he should have been getting disciplined by his Mother and Father. He was a very sexual person, and I think the music exec's took advantage of that. I would like to ask Prince if being so sexually-provocative was his idea or WB? Maybe both?

she's been open about the abuse for years now, it's been rumored that she was lesbian for many years, not that that matters but i guess male abuse could affect someone like that.

I never thought of Prince as letting people use him as a sex toy, never crossed my mind but who kinows. Chris Moon has always been the guy to first suggest using sexual imagery as a selling point and Prince, (just as he did with Gaye's ideas) went full retard with it. I've never believed he was as sexual as he made out.

PeteSilas said:

they both did, i'm sure prince felt guilt about it. the rumor that he forced people to call him messiah was just a rumor but he, at the very least did put it in song form. and, his mixing sex shit with god was just wrong, "i'm in love with god" I mean, I get the Gaye connection but Marvin was doing something and saying something that was profound and subtle, the at the ends of lust and faith are divinity, that's deep, Prince took that and just got it all wrong in my opinion. Mixing the worse, the dark side of lust and god, which might be hard for people to follow but..., i believe prince knew what he was doing and felt bad about the shit. The eighties work was littered with mocks and jibes "do i believe in god, do I believe in me?" I mean, he had to have some idea that he was in trouble, even if from his own conscience just from the loopy dialogue at the end of the ladder. Religion can really do a number on your head just from your own belief system if nothing else. Whether it was god getting back at him or not, i can't judge. Muhammad Ali's manager used to tell him to stop saying he was the Greatest because god would be offended and blamed that for the condition he ended up in. People have all kinds of rationales for how things turn out, i'd say you shouldn't need any fears have reverence for whatever it is that gives you life.

cloveringold85 said:

.

I was raised Roman-Catholic. It's not the religion itself that is bad, it's the "bad people" who make it so.

.

I agree with what you said about Prince and his religion. I think he was a lot like Madonna in the early 80s -- trying to get people interested in them by pushing the religion card and questioning God. I will say, I don't respect Madonna for how she mocked God. She crossed the line.

.

Well said.

.

When Prince performed "Gett Off" at the 1991 MTV Music awards.....I was beginning to question whether I wanted to be a Prince fan anymore. It was shocking for me -- the butt cut-out in his pants and orgy's on-stage. I was like, huh....wtf?

.

I think Prince tried to push things as far as he could. I know he regretted doing those things.

.

.

.

About Muhammed Ali and "the greatest" -- I always thought he was a bit arrogant and egotistical, although a Legend. God says we should be "humble". I always try to live my life that way. Prince was cocky when he was younger, but he always had a humbleness about him, and I admired that about him -- a lot of rock stars are worshipped like a God, and Prince loved to be worshipped, no doubt -- but no one is ever greater than God. The bible tells us not to worship false idols and I think this is where Prince struggled a lot.

PeteSilas said:

cloveringold85 said:

.

I did not know Sheila was sexually-abused. Maybe that is why she never married; or one of the reasons why.

.

Prince had a lot of freedom at a very young age when he should have been getting disciplined by his Mother and Father. He was a very sexual person, and I think the music exec's took advantage of that. I would like to ask Prince if being so sexually-provocative was his idea or WB? Maybe both?

she's been open about the abuse for years now, it's been rumored that she was lesbian for many years, not that that matters but i guess male abuse could affect someone like that.

I never thought of Prince as letting people use him as a sex toy, never crossed my mind but who kinows. Chris Moon has always been the guy to first suggest using sexual imagery as a selling point and Prince, (just as he did with Gaye's ideas) went full retard with it. I've never believed he was as sexual as he made out.

.

Sheila never married, so people wonder if she is gay; not that it matters. It would have been nice if she and Prince made a couple of babies though -- imagine the talent in that family!! I thought they were cute together, but I guess it wasn't meant to be? Their music careers always took priority.

.

Prince was really the only black male being sexy and androgynous in the 70s and 80s--famous black male, at least. I mean, disco and Studio54 was all the rage back then; I was a young teenager then and they were playing "Sexy Dancer" on the radio -- I will never forget that.

Important to note also that Prince's intense spike in JW spirituality coincided with the death of both of his parents - and not too terribly long after the death of his son. That's a hell of a whallop. I speak from experience.

herb4 said:

i don't know if god would take revenge for those things or not, just repeating what i heard and how people think. Prince, i'm sure, was truly spiritual and i'm sure that haunted him not only with the things he said and the mocking of god but also how he treated people.

cloveringold85 said:

PeteSilas said:

they both did, i'm sure prince felt guilt about it. the rumor that he forced people to call him messiah was just a rumor but he, at the very least did put it in song form. and, his mixing sex shit with god was just wrong, "i'm in love with god" I mean, I get the Gaye connection but Marvin was doing something and saying something that was profound and subtle, the at the ends of lust and faith are divinity, that's deep, Prince took that and just got it all wrong in my opinion. Mixing the worse, the dark side of lust and god, which might be hard for people to follow but..., i believe prince knew what he was doing and felt bad about the shit. The eighties work was littered with mocks and jibes "do i believe in god, do I believe in me?" I mean, he had to have some idea that he was in trouble, even if from his own conscience just from the loopy dialogue at the end of the ladder. Religion can really do a number on your head just from your own belief system if nothing else. Whether it was god getting back at him or not, i can't judge. Muhammad Ali's manager used to tell him to stop saying he was the Greatest because god would be offended and blamed that for the condition he ended up in. People have all kinds of rationales for how things turn out, i'd say you shouldn't need any fears have reverence for whatever it is that gives you life.

.

Well said.

.

When Prince performed "Gett Off" at the 1991 MTV Music awards.....I was beginning to question whether I wanted to be a Prince fan anymore. It was shocking for me -- the butt cut-out in his pants and orgy's on-stage. I was like, huh....wtf?

.

I think Prince tried to push things as far as he could. I know he regretted doing those things.

.

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About Muhammed Ali and "the greatest" -- I always thought he was a bit arrogant and egotistical, although a Legend. God says we should be "humble". I always try to live my life that way. Prince was cocky when he was younger, but he always had a humbleness about him, and I admired that about him -- a lot of rock stars are worshipped like a God, and Prince loved to be worshipped, no doubt -- but no one is ever greater than God. The bible tells us not to worship false idols and I think this is where Prince struggled a lot.