11/17/2008
Prince Indicates He Approves of God Striking Down Gays
And all those other evil sinners.
R&B singer Prince, who's now a Jehovah's Witness, indicates in a 'Talk of the Town' piece in The New Yorker that he agrees with the most anti-gay interpretations of the Bible:
"Recently, Prince hosted an executive who works for Philip Anschutz, the Christian businessman whose company owns the Staples Center. 'We started talking red and blue,' Prince said. 'People with money—money like that—are not affected by the stock market, and they’re not freaking out over anything. They’re just watching. So here’s how it is: you’ve got the Republicans, and basically they want to live according to this.' He pointed to a Bible. 'But there’s the problem of interpretation, and you’ve got some churches, some people, basically doing things and saying it comes from here, but it doesn’t. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum you’ve got blue, you’ve got the Democrats, and they’re, like, 'You can do whatever you want.' Gay marriage, whatever. But neither of them is right.' When asked about his perspective on social issues—gay marriage, abortion—Prince tapped his Bible and said, 'God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, 'Enough.''"
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 11:45 AM EST by Andy in Music, News, Prince | Permalink
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well...sometimes genius and mental illness go hand in hand.
Just play music, darlin'--don't try to think or advise....just play music.
Posted by: Derrick from PHilly | Nov 17, 2008 11:51:52 AM
A Bible-thumping, wealthy African-American with hypocrisy oozing out of every orifice judging gay people? You don't say!
Posted by: freddy | Nov 17, 2008 11:52:15 AM
WHAT? what he said makes no sense. he basically calls both sides wrong it seems.
"He pointed to a Bible. 'But there’s the problem of interpretation, and you’ve got some churches, some people, basically doing things and saying it comes from here, but it doesn’t."
^so he doesn't believe in the "oh the bible says this" stuff? thats how i am reading this, yet he still points to the bible again and basically says "oh but the bible said THIS about homosexuality.
it's monday. someone wanna help me understand?
Posted by: liz | Nov 17, 2008 11:56:10 AM
Bite me, Prince! I'll never listen to your music again, you SOB!
Posted by: spanky | Nov 17, 2008 11:58:46 AM
I have to say that this is heartbreaking for me to read. I have been a Prince fan for years and always enjoyed his early message of inclusion and universal love. But, this kind of pontificating from him makes my stomach turn.
As many fans will tell you (and as many fans will probably attack me for saying so) his conversion to JW has watered down his talent (self-imposed prohibition on "dirty" language and more preaching through his music) and pushed him more and more towards marketplace irrelevancy. But, in his effort to remain "correct" by shunning both sides of the political spectrum, he only reaffirms his rigidity and dogmatic insistence that only his religion has it right. Its a particular type of ignorance that plagues our nation, and the world.
I may be done with him altogether.
Posted by: Brianr54 | Nov 17, 2008 11:58:52 AM
Prince, darling, have you looked in a mirror lately?
Posted by: Wheezy | Nov 17, 2008 11:58:57 AM
Thankfully in today's world Prince's comments and "insights" are about as relevant as the stale music he continues to turn out. Next you'll be telling us about Belinda Carlisle's view of the economy or what Rick Springfield thinks about foreign policy. Jesse's girl has long since become Jesse's ex wife, heaven is not a place on earth (or anywhere else for that matter), and Prince can "Kiss" my "Little Red Corvette".
Posted by: Lars | Nov 17, 2008 11:59:25 AM
Et Tu Prince?
Posted by: Aaron Elvis | Nov 17, 2008 12:00:15 PM
Sad. This confirms what I've been afraid of for a long time: Prince is just another religious bigot--genius musician but just another run-of-the-mill close-minded bigot.
I would boycott him if I had actually bought any of his records since the 80s.
Posted by: cm | Nov 17, 2008 12:01:54 PM
Tell me when someone relevant speaks.
Posted by: Wes | Nov 17, 2008 12:05:04 PM
He was considered a musical genius by some, but it's not like he's anyone's intellectual. Still, I'm surprised to find he's aggressively dumb.
Posted by: Michael | Nov 17, 2008 12:05:08 PM
He's a Jehovah's witness now. Weren't a few of his protégé's back in the 80s at the very least bisexual? I think people who have lived a debauched life then "find God" should keep their mouths shut.
Posted by: K | Nov 17, 2008 12:05:52 PM
Gosh. And he's such a manly, straight ACTING kind of guy. Just like Michael.
Hiding anything we should know about in your little purple barrette, Prince? Or will it just leak out in a scandal and we can all find out about it then.
Posted by: craig | Nov 17, 2008 12:06:44 PM
Nice choice of photo, Andy!
Posted by: peterparker | Nov 17, 2008 12:07:46 PM
He's a Jehovah's witness now. Weren't a few of his protégé's back in the 80s at the very least bisexual? I think people who have lived a debauched life then "find God" should keep their mouths shut.
Posted by: K | Nov 17, 2008 12:07:50 PM
Too funny, someone of rather questionably ambiguous sexuality blathering on nonsensically like that, after drinking Christian Cruel-Aid... there is a shock. John? Tom? You have a new friend!
Posted by: CK | Nov 17, 2008 12:11:13 PM
I'll take his Bible humpin'... I mean, thumpin'... seriously once he refuses to receive any more royalties for the slutty songs that make up, oh, about 90% of his discography.
Posted by: Blue Dog | Nov 17, 2008 12:14:14 PM
Yawn. In light of the recent events, doesn't it seem kind of trivial what some random previously-debauched and now certainly-deluded musician says?
It's a sign o' the times, boys. A sign o' the times.
Posted by: The Milkman | Nov 17, 2008 12:17:25 PM
I wish people would stop reading INTO what people say and start reading what they say. This is NOT a direct quote and nowhere does Prince say he approves of striking down of gays. I would bet money that when this hits the rounds and it reaches Prince, you'll hear him amend his remarks. It does APPEAR that he may not be in favor of gay marriage, but it's hard to say with such a small snippet.
Andy, it is your site and you can do what you want. However, part of the problem of the past few weeks is that people have been leaping to all sorts of conclusions without data, evidence, and, most importantly, thought. And while I see how you can draw the conclusion that Prince approves of striking down gays, he simply didn't say that. When a headline reads, he "Prince indicates he approves of striking down gays," I expect to see CLEAR quotes to that effect.
Andy, what you chose to cover moves opinion. (See the Towleroad donations against Prop 8.) The headlines you chose form the basis upon which people view an article.
I like this site even though people on here say some really offensive stuff. I don't you accountable for that. But, I do hope that you (Andy) are judicious in how you characterize what you post. For me this is second time in a week, the post about Cannick being on of them, where I thought your characterization of an individuals comments differed substantially from what the person actually said.
Just my two cents.
Posted by: Brandon | Nov 17, 2008 12:19:19 PM
I hear Prince and Jasmyne Cannick are getting married. I wonder if they will be able to take their heads out of their asses long enough to say, “I do”.
Posted by: ggreen | Nov 17, 2008 12:31:33 PM
LOL!
Posted by: Jason (A) | Nov 17, 2008 12:32:35 PM
Ah yes, the Christian Taliban !
Posted by: Lars | Nov 17, 2008 12:33:19 PM
I *loves* me some Prince...Old Prince - the nastay Prince. After The Gold Experience it all went downhill.
It just kills me to read this quote from someone who included a poster of himself in the shower in a thong with a crucifix on the shower wall in his second album.
She's always been confused.
Posted by: Pierre | Nov 17, 2008 12:36:27 PM
Oh-KAYYY!!!
I wonder if he wears his butt-less jeans to temple?
Asshole, formerly known as Prince.
Posted by: Rad | Nov 17, 2008 12:40:46 PM
When it comes down to it Prince was always a prude. His life has been one long act. As he slides into his dotage his fundamentalist mentally reasserts itself. I don't think it had to work very hard.
Posted by: jeffg166 | Nov 17, 2008 12:42:34 PM