When Prince comes Knocking... a little secret

[Schema Thing]

Brother Prince might not even realize this himself... so he'll probably give you an arguement if you ask him about it;-). But I know, I was a Jehovah's Witness the first 36 years of my life.

If you didn't know, Prince became a Jehovah's Witness 3 or 4 years ago or so. If you find it hard to believe, it's probably even harder to believe for most actual Jehovah's Witnesses.

They simply don't allow that sort of uniqueness, and certainly not any open displays of sexuality (he's toned it down, but not to witness standards by any stretch of anyone's imagination). And they consider drawing attention to oneself encouraging "idolatry". The hypocrisy on their part is stunning, because I'm sure brother Prince Rogers Nelson is a hefty contributor.

So here is the dark irony about the purple proselytizer: If a young Jehovah's Witness decided to do a realistic imitation of a Prince performance at a Witness gathering (or even at a karaoke bar, if it was found out), that young witness would be stopped before he got out his first hip thrust. He would be officially grilled and warned and admonished by three stern "elders", and if he had what they thought was a defiant attitude, they would "reprove" him.

If then, he chose to do it again, he would most likely be "disfellowshiped", his friends would not speak to him (in or out of a kingdom hall), and most of his family would not speak to him either, except for "necessary family business".

[babylonsister]

1. Maybe money IS the root of all evil!

;) He must contribute a lot to get such a pass. Either way, I don't much care but I do like his music, and think he's pretty excellent on that guitar.

[Lex]

4. The love of money is

and I'm sure they like the way he tithes.

[Schema Thing]

7. yeah, I saw him a couple years ago

when he came through dallas.

Previously, while I liked a few of his more popular songs, I generally thought he was probably overhyped. I just wasn't clued in to him. He's truly an amazing musician and performer.

As for the money, I think that's a lot of how he gets a pass. Some of it is that the JW leadership is in a kind of damned-if-we-do, damned-if-we-don't situation with; it's bad press if they mess with him. Also, he was brought into the borganization by a very well connected witness musician who does play by their rules and is only good press for them.

[Miss Chybil]

2. Not really about the religion topic in your post, but what'd you think

about Prince's little silhoutte bit, tonight? I thought that was a big "F You" to the censors. It was hysterical!

[Schema Thing]

5. Yep... that'd get you disfellowshipped for sure

that's what I thought.

[Vexatious Ape]

3. Damn, I wish I saw his halftime show.

I've alway liked his music, not so much the recent stuff but the 'old school' Prince. I also like your DU name--AchtungToddler, that's a good one.

[JohnnyLib2]

6. Thank you for the reality check.

It's oddly reassuring that there is hypocrisy among that belief-set as well as all the rest!

[Schema Thing]

8. Oh, plenty.

It's perhaps more obscure than the hypocrisy in other religions, but it is there. And even if there might be a little less hypocrisy, there is far more soul destroying, mind controlling cult-like practices and beliefs than in your average mainstream religion.

[UTUSN]

9. But can he/they DO "trick or treat"????? n/t

[Schema Thing]

11. Absolutely not. That would get even Prince disfellowshipped.

[Major Hogwash]

10. I lost track of him when he moved to Spain.

About the same time he changed his name to that weird curly-que symbol.

If I were rich, I would not move to Spain or change my name to a weird symbol.
But, to each his own, I guess.

[Bucky]

12. "Thou are shunned, brother Isaiah! Thou and thy little red corvette thou rode in on."

"So take thy raspberry beret and be off with thee!"

[Schema Thing]

13. lol funny... but

they even shun the King James Version o' da bible. They are decidedly not a thee thou or thy type of religion.

[Cleita]

14. Yes, but did he display his boobs?

That's the important thing, dontcha know?

[UTUSN]

15. HaHAH! I love you almost as much as I love Catwoman!!1

:hi: