Fact Checking Michael Jackson’s Christian Faith, Part 7 of 7: Judging Michael

Looks familiar, eh?

Now, unto my next topic, there is a Christian blogger named “Surphside” (who I referenced in Part 1 of this series due to her derogatory comments about MJ), and on July 2009 she wrote yet another defamatory post called “Prove That Michael Jackson Was Saved”

Prove That Michael Jackson Was Saved (Biblical Christian)

Why is it that professing Christians assume someone is saved and demands proof that they are NOT? It should be the other way around: assume everyone is unsaved UNLESS they profess the Jesus of Scripture and HIS Gospel. The burden of proof that one is saved is on them, because 1John 1 and Gal. 5 and Matt. 7 talk about knowing the person by their fruits and Jesus said in Matt. 7 that the road to eternal life is NARROW and hard and FEW that find it. All people are born dead and enemies of God, hating Him (Rom. 3, Eph. 2)

The majority of this world are going to Hell according to Scripture.

We are to test all who claim Christ to “see if they are from God” (1John 4:1).

Every Biblical Christian will have Fruit of the Spirit and works that are in line with repentance and being born from above (Gal. 5; 1John 1:6-9)

So the burden of proof is on you who want the Narrow Road widened, and want MJ to be a Christian, instead of the JW-turned-Muslim that he was. Show the proof then. After all, faith apart from works is useless, dead, non-existent. So, show all of us how Michael Jackson was a biblical Christian, even though he was JW and converted to Islam in his last two years of life (Islam and JW’s deny salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and they deny Jesus is God, which is condemned by God in Gal. 1:8-10). And those works and profession have to be biblical, btw. So I’ll wait for all that proof that He loved Jesus Christ and proclaimed Him and HIS Gospel. In the meantime consider this: 1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

So she wants fans to “prove” that MJ was a Christian? Well, in that case, I’ll gladly accept the challenge! To me, this challenge is no different than having to prove that MJ was innocent!

First of all, the foundation of her argument is totally wrong because she’s relying exclusively on the following two fallacies: 1) that MJ was a Jehovah’s Witness in the final years of his life until 2) he converted to Islam before his death. Neither of those statements are true at all! MJ left the JW’s in 1987, and he NEVER converted to Islam! First, I will debunk the myth that MJ was still a Jehovah’s Witness until the last two years of his life:

When news reports of MJ leaving the JW’s first surfaced in 1987, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York issued the following memo to its members in attendance of a national JW convention (the photo below is from Muzik Factory Two’s blog):

Also, in his book “The Michael Jackson Tapes”, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach interviewed MJ’s mother Katherine about her decision to leave the Baptist denomination and join the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a young adult, and her feelings about MJ leaving the denomination in 1987. Let’s listen carefully to what she says, from pages 175-182:

Religion in Katherine’s and Her Children’s Lives  

Shmuley Boteach: And are you “soft” like that because of your religious faith? Michael talks about your religious faith all the time. 

Katherine Jackson: No, I’ve been like that all the time. I wasn’t  a Jehovah’s Witness all the time. 

SB: You were a Jehovah’s Witness when you were young? 

KJ: I was not. I used to be Baptist. My mother raised us going to church school every Sunday and being in the Junior choir. 

SB: So you were raised Baptist? 

KJ: Yes. 

SB: And did you go to church? Were you a religious Baptist? 

KJ: Yes, I went to church but I didn’t like what I saw in the Baptist church. And so after I got to judge religion by the way the people act and they were doing it and that’s why I got out of it. 

SB: And where was this? 

KJ: In East Chicago, Indiana. 

SB: ‘Cause you saw things that turned you off and you decided to seek a better religion at the age of what. . . Twelve? Thirteen? 

KJ: Yeah. Twelve, thirteen. My sister and I were studying to be a Jehovah’s. . . Well, we were just studying with the people next door who were. ‘Cause Jehovah’s Witnesses come around and they teach the Bible to people. My mother found it and she got angry with us and made us stop. So after I got older, and I got married, and moved away, I remembered that. And that’s when I started to study. 

SB: Were you married? 

KJ; I was already married. 

SB: So you were exposed to the Jehovah’s Witnesses when you were a teenager.  

KJ: Yes.

SB: But your parents felt this was something they didn’t want.  

KJ: Right. 

SB: So they dissuaded you. But it stayed with you internally. So when you had more independence and freedom, you got married young? 

KJ: Nineteen. 

SB: Nineteen? My wife got married at nineteen. My mother got married at nineteen. It’s like a number in the family.  

KJ: Mmmm. 

SB: So you got married at nineteen and you moved with your husband to Indiana straight away? 

KJ: To Gary, Indiana? No, when we first got married we stayed and two months later we moved to Gary, Indiana. 

SB: So it was at that time that you went to find the Jehovah’s Witnesses again? 

KJ: Yes, but it was, I guess, about ten or twelve years later.  

SB: And what was the appeal for you? I know a little about it that I’ve read. Did you feel you found greater sincerity? 

KJ: Well, what it is about Jehovah’s Witnesses is it’s a religion that goes strictly by the Bible and they believe in doing right. Like, if you commit adultery or anything like that, you get disfellow-shipped. If you’re married and you commit adultery, which is wrong, then you get disfellowshipped from the religion. A lot of things make me believe in it. I believe in it because I believe it’s a true religion. I do. There’s a Creator who cares about you and then we have examining the scriptures daily. 

SB: Every day you have something to read? 

KJ: Aha. 

SB: Old and New Testament? 

KJ: Aha. 

SB: And you take these books wherever you go? 

KJ: Well, not that one [she points to a book]. But these are just testimonies by people about what they went through. 

SB: You feel it’s based on the Bible so it’s very authentic. Therefore, it’s a true religion, so it really spoke to you. And you then formally converted? 

KJ: No, I studied. You have to study the Bible. 

SB: Did your husband walk this path with you? 

KJ: He studied also but he didn’t become one. He thought it was too strict for him. My oldest daughter was baptized. Michael was at one time.  

SB: No other kids?  

KJ: No. No others. 

SB: And why was that? Why some and not others? 

KJ: I guess they did but I never forced anything on them. It was up to their own free will if they wanted to be. 

SB: So at a certain age you spoke to Michael about the religion and he took to it? 

KJ: No but, I guess he wanted to and he went with me to the Kingdom Hall. 

SB: Were you proud of the fact that he became a Jehovah’s Witness? 

KJ: I was very proud that he became a Jehovah’s Witness. 

SB: And by this time was he already famous? Or he was just a boy? 

KJ: He was already famous, in a way. Yes, he was famous because The Jackson 5 was very famous at first.  

SB: Right, so this was that age already with The Jackson 5.  

KJ: Right, right. 

SB: But he was the only one of The Jackson 5 who was baptized? 

KJ: He was the only one. 

SB: And he used to go with you on Sundays to church? 

KJ: Oh yes, aha. And he used to go on his own. 

SB: I asked Frank to show you this beautiful article that Michael and I wrote about Pioneering and the Sabbath. A beautiful article. [It was published on the well-known spirituality website Beliefnet.com.] 

KJ: Oh, really? 

SB: Oh, it was covered everywhere.  

KJ: Oh, really? 

SB: Oh, it was huge. It’s a shame he doesn’t show you these things. It was a beautiful article.  

KJ: Oh why didn’t he show it to me?  

SB: It’s a beautiful article about how he loved the Sabbath.  

KJ: Mhmm. 

SB: So he would go with you. He told me that what he liked about them was that they never treated him differently. That although he was now a star, they would call him Brother Jackson. 

KJ: Aha. 

SB: They would go out of their way not to treat him differently, not less than, but not more, than any other.  

KJ: Yes. 

SB: Did you see that as well? 

KJ: Yes, they did. That’s how they think. There’s a lot of entertainers that are Jehovah’s Witnesses. I can’t think of the name of the group, you know, Benson, Ronnie Loss. Just, I can go on and on with a lotof entertainers that are Jehovah’s Witness. And they treat them the same. They don’t treat them any different. Just like one of them. 

SB: Did Michael like that? That he could just finally be himself? 

KJ: Yes, I think so. 

SB: He also told me that they were very good. That if reporters followed him to church they didn’t make a big deal about it. [laughing] In the article, we write jokingly “even reporters are children of God.” 

KJ: [laughing] That’s true. 

SB: Okay, so you have all these children, a few of them took to the religion and Michael was one of them, even though he was a big star. It has always seemed to me in our conversations that Michael has a natural spirituality, that he has a natural closeness to God. 

KJ: Yes, aha. 

SB: Could you comment on that at all? Did you see that from an early age? 

KJ: Aha. 

SB: Did he pray before he went to sleep at night? 

KJ: Yes, I believe he has. Like I have some children. . . I don’t know if they even, I don’t know, I can’t say because. . . 

SB: Are you comfortable with talking about this? 

KJ: I’m fine. But I know Michael is [spiritual]. He’s always been a quiet, loving child. And he just loved people, loved children. And we’d sit there and both of us, we’d just sit and cry when we saw. . . because it’s very sad and I knew then, you know. . . and he used to always tell me, “I know I can’t heal the whole world, Mother, but I can at least. . . I can make a start.” 

SB: I was discussing this with Michael yesterday. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays. 

KJ: No. 

SB: And is there a reason for that? 

KJ: Yes. . . Jesus’ death is . . . the only holiday that. . . 

SB: Okay, so there’s Easter. Do you call it Easter or do you call it something else?  

KJ: Uh, we don’t call it. . . we don’t celebrate Easter.  

SB: That’s the resurrection. You celebrate the actual day that he died.  

KJ: Yes. 

SB: Right, okay. Good Friday. 

KJ: And that’s the only day he said to keep. Not the resurrection, he said.

SB: Do you read the Bible every day? 

 KJ: Yes. 

SB: So this is. . . this is your life, your religion. It’s absolutely central to who you are. 

KJ: Well, yes, in all the Kingdom Halls [I attend five meetings a week]  

SB: Five meetings a week? 

KJ: But you don’t have to meet. We have a meeting on Sunday night which is where we go and they teach and we learn, things like that. You never stop learning the Bible. 

SB: Right. 

KJ: Do Jewish people read it all the time too?  

SB: Absolutely. Oh absolutely, we read it.. .  

KJ: After reading it day and night. I know you know all about that.  

SB: We read the bible every single day.  

KJ: Aha. 

SB: I mean, by this age already, I’m thirty-four years old, I’ve studied it my whole life. I know, I mean, I’m not trying to brag, but just from reading it I know a lot of it by heart by now. 

KJ: Oh. 

SB: At least the five Books of Moses, that is.  

KJ: Aha. 

SB: Which is what we focus on more than anything. More than Psalms or the prophets.  

KJ: Right. 

When Michael Left the Jehovah’s Witnesses 

Shmuley Boteach: How did you feel when Michael began to feel distanced from the Jehovah’s Witnesses? 

Katherine Jackson: I felt really bad because it bothered me so much. I cried about it, I prayed about it. And I really felt bad about when he disfellowshipped himself from the religion. They didn’t disfellowship him. And he thought that would be better because thought that he would be doing things and… 

SB: But what was their exact objection? That he was a pop star an didn’t fit in anymore? 

KJ: He would’ve fit in. But I guess, I really don’t know why he decided to disfellowship himself.  

SB: He disfellowshipped himself. 

KJ: Right. 

SB: Up until that time he was still going with you to church on Sundays? 

KJ: Yes. 

SB: So he disfellowshipped himself and did he discuss it with you before he did that? 

KJ: No. I heard that later. No, that’s what hurt so bad. Not that he was. . . I just didn’t want to see him disfellowship himself from the religion. 

SB: He felt that would give him greater artistic freedom, probably.  

KJ: Probably so. 

SB: Like with “Thriller” he had to do that thing at the beginning. 

KJ: Aha. 

As I related earlier, at the beginning of the “Thriller” music video there is a disclaimer which states that nothing portrayed in the video is an endorsement of the occult. As Michael explained it to me, he inserted the disclaimer at the insistence of the church. 

SB: Did you call him and say, you know, you should think about this? 

KJ: No. No, I didn’t because he disfellowshipped himself before I knew it and it was too late then.  

SB: But do you still feel that he. . . It seems to me that he still has a very spiritual core, I mean like he talks about God with me all the time. 

KJ: Yes, yes. He really is. And I wish he would come back.  

SB: Do you talk to him about raising Prince and Paris with some of the spiritual tradition?  

KJ: Well, I bring the literature to Grace [the children’s nanny].  

SB: Right. 

KJ: And I bring the little. . . we have a book of Bible stories for children and I brought both of them one and she has them and she reads it to them. And I don’t think he has anything against her teaching them or reading to them.  

SB: Right. As Michael became more famous, did you see any changes at all, away from the.. .  

KJ: The religion?  

SB: Yeah. 

KJ: No, I didn’t see anything against.. . No, I didn’t. The only thing he was doing was the way he was dancing at the time when he did “Billie Jean.” They always said the way he had. . . he was grabbing his crotch, and things like that. 

SB: Right, well he always jokes with me about that. He laughs at it. 

KJ: I know [laughing].

And here is an excerpt from Katherine’s 1990 book “My Family, The Jacksons“, on page 109:

     And yet, Michael seems happy. Even though he knows that he will never be able to live a “normal” life, he seems comfortable with his fame. I believe that when he’s good and ready to get married, he’ll do it, despite the inevitable press uproar.

     While I firmly believe that a good marriage promotes happiness, the surest path to inner peace and fulfillment, I believe, is through religion. This is why I also wish that my children will draw closer to Jehovah.

     I’m not worried about Rebbie. As she says, “The most important thing in my life is my relationship with the Creator, Jehovah God.” She proves it by attending every meeting at Kingdom Hall and doing her weekly Field Service.

     Dee Dee, Tito’s wife, has also shown a strong interest in studying. She brings their three sons over to the house on a regular basis to read the Bible with me.

     But Randy and Janet attend Kingdom Hall only occasionally, and Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, and LaToya not at all, even though LaToya was baptized a Witness several years ago. Marlon and Carol attend a Catholic church.

     Then there is Michael’s unique situation: In 1987, he left the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Michael didn’t inform me personally of his decision. When I learned of it, I was devastated. He had began missing meetings at Kingdom Hall earlier that year, but only because, he assured me, he was so busy finishing Bad and preparing for his world tour.

     There was a strong opposition to his “Thriller” video on the part of some Witnesses, even though Michael had an elder on the set during filming to advise him, and even though he ran a disclaimer at the beginning of the video stressing that he was in no way endorsing a belief in the occult. Perhaps the controversy figured in his decision to leave.

     But I don’t know that for a fact because I didn’t talk to him about what he’d done. I couldn’t. Witnesses do not discuss spiritual matters with a person who has disassociated himself from the Witnesses, including family members.

     But I want to stress that, contrary to published reports, I was not required to “shun” my son. Our relationship is as loving today as it was when he was a Witness. I just can’t ask him, “Why, Michael?”        

    

There you go! You’ve heard it straight from the horse’s mouth! Both the Jehovah’s Witness’ and Katherine Jackson each confirmed that MJ disassociated himself from the Jehovah’s Witness denomination, so there shouldn’t be any more doubts about it.

By the way, if some of you are wondering what’s the big deal with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and why so many Christians feel so much disdain for them, then  I would recommend reading this post titled “Michael Jackson as a Jehovah’s Witness” or go to a religious website or blog, as that topic is far beyond the scope of this blog!

Now, unto the lie that MJ converted to Islam! And before I start, let me be perfectly clear: I do not, in any way, shape, form, or fashion, have any prejudice towards Muslims! But the sad fact is that many people, primarily Christians (like Surphside above) and Jews (such as Chaim Ben Pesach, who I refuted in Part 3 of this series), have used the Islam conversion rumor as an ad hominem attack on MJ because it’s a surefire way to appeal to the prejudices that many people hold towards Muslims, especially in this post-September 11^th world that we live in. I feel very angry that people would stoop to such low tactics as to slander MJ by saying he converted to a religion, because it implies that Muslims are inferior to the rest of us, and that is why I must so vehemently deny this lie!

And what’s truly sad is that MJ is not the only person this has happened to! To this day, more than three years into his presidency, Barack Obama is STILL perceived by some as being a Muslim, as the article below summarizes!

Poll: GOP Voters In Deep South Think Obama Is Muslim, Unsure On Interracial Marriage

 

Alabama and Mississippi Republicans are evenly divided on whether President Obama is Muslim and are still working out their feelings on the legality of interracial marriage, according to new numbers by Democratic pollster PPP. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are currently locked in a close battle in the two states, which hold primaries this week.

Asked whether Obama is Christian or Muslim, some 45 percent of Alabama Republican respondents picked Muslim; 14 percent correctly identified him as Christian. Another 41 percent said they were unsure. In Mississippi, a majority of Republicans, 52 percent, identified Obama as Muslim; 12 percent said he was Christian and 36 percent were undecided.

Interracial marriage laws were overturned by the Supreme Court in 1967, but a significant minority of Mississippi and Alabama apparently still long for their return, or are at least ambivalent about the idea. In Alabama, 67 percent of respondents said interracial marriage should be allowed, but 21 percent said it should be illegal and another 12 percent were not sure. Mississippi Republican voters were even more divided: Only 52 percent said such marriages should be legal, versus 29 percent who said they should be banned and 17 percent who were unsure.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/ppp-poll-gop-voters-in-al-ms-think-obama-is-muslim-unsure-about-interracial-marriage.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

For the sake of brevity, I won’t present all of the evidence here that proves that MJ did not convert to Islam (you can read all of it in Part 3 of this series; the link to it is at the end of this post), but I will let MJ’s Muslim brother Jermaine put an end to this lie once and for all! On February 29^th, 2012, Jermaine granted an interview with the MJJC fan club, and here is his answer to whether or not MJ converted to Islam:

MJJC: This is kind of random, but did Michael ever express any interest in Islam or becoming a Muslim? There were many rumors swirling around in the months after his death that said he was a Muslim

Jermaine Jackson: Michael did not convert to Islam. He was curious about it and I gave him many books to read about Islam. I write in the book how, during his 2005 trial, he returned to the Kingdom Hall to pray. It’s fair to say that he died a Jehovah Witness.

So there you go! Once again, straight from the horse’s mouth! And I’ve already disproven the rumor that MJ was still a Jehovah’s Witness, so for Jermaine to say that MJ was still one is indicative of how distant he was from MJ in his final years.

Speaking of Islam, despite the fact that MJ never converted to that religion, he still was loved all throughout the Arab world. Here are a few photos of him finally getting a chance to relax and enjoy himself in Bahrain after his victorious acquittal:

 

And here is the Minister Louis Farrakhan defending MJ in 1994! Farrakhan is one of the most influential Muslim leaders in the world, and his public support for MJ in his darkest hour was vital to MJ’s image, because it showed that there were many people in power who did not lose their faith in MJ’s innocence:

Next, let’s look at some quotes that MJ has made about God throughout the years in numerous interviews.  This is important because it shows where MJ’s heart was at, and who he gave credit and thanks to for all of his success and talents. These quotes are taking from the “His Faith” page of Debbie Kunesh’s Reflections on the Dance website; I’ll only post a few, but you can read that page for the rest of them:

A ritual before every show.

“Caring. And reading the Bible, learning about God, Jesus, love. He said, ‘Bring on the children’, ‘Imitate the children’, ‘Be like the children’ and ‘Take care of others.’ Take care of old people. And we were raised with those values. Those are very important values and my family and I we were raised with those values and they continue strong in us today.” 

2005 At Large with Geraldo Rivera TV Interview

“What can I do but bring forth the talent that God gave me?  That’s all I wanted to do.  To share the love and gift of entertainment.  That’s all I want to do.  I don’t want to hurt anybody.”

Michael Jackson

2002 Radio interview with Steve Harvey

“It’s been the children.  I am holding on for them or else I wouldn’t have made it.  I really wouldn’t have made it…..God gave me a mission, I feel to do something for them and they have given me the support and the belief and the love to hold on, hold on.  When I look in the mirror I feel healed all over again.  It’s like being baptized.  It’s like God saying, “Michael, everything will be okay,” when I look in the eyes of a child.”

The Michael Jackson Tapes

“I avoid using the term ‘religion’, because many people say ‘my religion’ this and ‘my religion’ that. Why should it be ‘my’ religion? I just believe what’s in the Bible with regard to which religion is involved. I simply believe…. I believe in it and I get down on my knees every night and thank God and ask Him to lead the way.”

1979 Ebony Magazine interview

Know, in the end, I’ll be vindicated, I pray, because I know the truth.  I am an innocent person and I believe in God and love God.”

Michael Jackson speaking to Rev. Jesse Jackson during his 2005 child molestation trial on what he wants his fans to know.

“This was written for me in the books. I have proven my part. Now God will be their judge.” Michael Jackson said on the evil doers who lied, cheated and betrayed him.

‎”Without God, my children, my family and you, my fans, I could not have made it through. Your love, support and loyalty made it all possible. You were there when I really needed you. I will never forget you. Your ever-present love held me, dried my tears, and carried me through. I will treasure your devotion and support forever. You are my inspiration. – Love, Michael Jackson” (In his statement to fans after his acquittal.)

Notice how MJ (and Geraldine Hughes in many of her interviews) credited God with his acquittal, and here’s someone else who feels God played a part in justice being served: Gospel singer Kurt Carr! Here’s what he said about MJ a week after the trial ended:

Gospel artist and record executive Kurt Carr released a statement expressing his beliefs that “God blocked” the conviction and sentencing of pop-star Michael Jackson.

June 24, 2005|7:16 am

“When Michael was acquitted on all accounts, immediately my song, ‘God Blocked It’ came to mind,” said Carr. “God truly blocked the 20 years of prison that Michael faced and the mercy of God was on his side. Even if ‘we’ thought he deserved it, clearly God intervened and blocked Michael Jackson’s demise!”

In regards to Jackson’s career as a musician, which has been described as “uncertain” at best, Carr had the following thoughts:

“I actually feel that God obviously has a work for Michael Jackson to do. Michael Jackson’s music brings peace and hope to the world unlike any other artist of our time and I believe God sustained and protected Michael because he has work to do and I pray that he finds his way to the kingdom.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/kurt-carr-says-god-blocked-michael-jackson-s-conviction-5625/

Some skeptics may scoff at those quotes as being something that some self-serving celebrity said to make himself look good in his interviews. But let’s look at what some other people have said about MJ’s faith, without even being asked to bring it up!

In December 1993, actor Corey Feldman was interviewed by the police as part of their investigation – or should I say witch hunt – against MJ. The reason I say witch hunt is because, in this interview, the police interrogated Feldman about his relationship with MJ, and if MJ had ever molested him. Feldman categorically denied any wrongdoing by MJ, but admitted that he had been molested by another man, who he named in the interview, yet the police took no action whatsoever to bring Feldman’s abuser to justice! Instead, they just shrugged it off and continued harassing Feldman about MJ!

Here is a quote from Feldman’s interview; pay attention to what he and MJ did before going to sleep! (Here are the links to part 1 and part 2 of a story on the interview, and here is an article from MJEOL):

Feldman repeatedly insists to the skeptical cops that nothing happened, not then and not the time he slept over at Jackson’s Encino home: “We stayed up all night and talked and did stuff and we prayed together before we went to sleep and he was wearing his pajamas. And I was wearing my pajamas!”

 In December 1995, MJ collapsed while rehearsing for a concert that was scheduled to be televised on HBO. A few weeks after MJ’s death, the doctor who treated him –Dr. William Alleyne – spoke of his experiences with MJ as he treated him for a few weeks during his recovery.  In the quote below, Dr. Alleyne discusses how MJ would visit other sick patients in the hospital and pray with them:

Near the end of Jackson’s hospital stay, he asked Alleyne if he could visit other patients in intensive care. Jackson met one lady, gave her an autographed picture after he prayed with her, and the lady told Alleyne, I can die now; I prayed with Michael Jackson.

Alleyne recalled, laughing: “I told Mr. Jackson maybe visiting with people who had suffered heart attacks or other serious problems wasn’t such a good idea!”

On page 63 of her book, “Michael Jackson Conspiracy”, Aphrodite Jones describes what Janet Arvizo told investigators about her relationship with MJ (this was after the Bashir documentary aired, but before she decided to falsely accuse him):

‎Janet  told the private investigator that she and her children had no stories to sell to the media, that whatever the media was trying to buy, just didn’t exist. The relationship between Michael Jackson and her children was pure and innocent. Janet said that Michael had prayed along with her and her kids, that Michael had talked to them about God. Janet Arvizo was annoyed that somehow, after the Bashir documentary, everything was being twisted by the media people who were bombarding her apartment, bombarding her parents’ home in El Monte, offering cars, offering money, desperate to get a sound bite or a photo of anyone in the family.

On page 74, Aphrodite discusses what Janet Arvizo said about MJ on the rebuttal tape that she and her kids voluntarily shot, but then lied and said they were threatened into doing it:

Janet’s first impression of Michael was similar. She was thrilled to meet the superstar, and to see her son’s face light up the way it did—just took her breath away. Janet said that Michael was an answer to her prayers. Janet swore that the doctors had said there was no way to cure Gavin, that all the treatments were experimental, that the doctors were saying that Gavin’s cancer was violent and aggressive. Janet described Michael as “a much necessary love in a very traumatic time in our life.”

“You bring him to me, and we will coat him with love,” Michael once told Janet. When the doctors were saying there was no chance for Gavin to live, Janet told the camera, “Michael would say, ‘I will not have that.’ When the doctors said there was no hope, Michael said there was hope.

“By God’s grace, God works through people,” Janet explained, “and God elected to work in Michael to breathe life into Gavin and to my two other children and me.”

Here is the video of the eulogy of Bernice King, the daughter of the late, great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In it, Bernice describes how MJ called her then dying mother, Coretta Scott King, from the Middle East as she was bedridden from a stroke, prayed for her, and the smile that Coretta was able to put on her face, despite her condition!

In October 2005, I was with my Mom when Michael called her all the way from the Middle East and although she couldn’t speak because of a debilitating stroke, she listened as he said to her that he had been praying on his knees every day for her. That to him, she was American’s true royalty and he wanted to know if music was being played in her room because of its healing effect.

My only wish is that he could have seen the glow on her face!  If faces could smile as we know they do, that day, Michael Jackson made our mother’s face smile in spite of her condition.  What an unforgettable moment! 

He was such a thoughtful, selfless man full of the unconditional love of God and good works that touched and changed lives.  He was indeed a shining light. 

Like our father Martin, and in remembrance of Michael, may we all be inspired to go and let our lights shine. 

Rest in peace our brother Michael.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview that Dr. Patrick Treacy, who treated MJ while he lived in Ireland, granted to Debbie Kunesh in 2010:

Michael’s mission is quickly apparent for those who take a moment to look deeper.  He wanted to heal the world, show love to everyone who came across his path as well as those whose paths he purposely set out to cross, and as he stated himself, to continue to love and help people the way that Jesus said to. 

“Michael was deeply Christian and believed that private acts of charity were considered virtuous only if not done for others to admire,” stated Treacy.  “We should be reminded of Matthew 6:1 when Jesus says “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

Michael, driven by his faith, stood true to those biblical principles, which is why he did so much of his giving in secret, with no cameras or press coverage, and incidentally, why so few, other than the die-hard fans and those close enough to get a bird’s eye view, really knew the depth of his giving.

Here is a quote from Eddie Cascio, one of MJ’s closest friends and confidants, who described to Oprah Winfrey on her December 6th, 2010 show how MJ would make sure everyone prayed before meals:

EDDIE CASCIO: He would just come up and enjoy family dinners and just be part of the family. He would always make sure that before every meal that we’d say our prayers and say grace, and, you know, even afterwards we’d have sit-downs, and we’d all go through and, you know, just talk about what we’re thankful for, and, you know, those type of memories that we all have are just–they’re really priceless, you know, because that was Michael.

One of the basic tenets of Christianity is forgiveness, and Christians are taught to forgive others the same way that God has forgiven them. MJ certainly went above and beyond the call of duty to obey that commandment when he forgave his sister Latoya for doing the unthinkable to him in 1993! She publicly accused him of being a child molester, not once, but twice!

Here is the video of the press conference that she claims she was “forced” to give by her abusive husband Jack Gordon. She claimed that she had no idea what she was supposed to say until she got to the microphone and read a script that was given to her at the last minute:

And this is what she said the very next day on the Today Show with Katie Couric!

As you can imagine, fans were very upset with Latoya, and in the video below, security had to protect Latoya as she sat in front of a studio audience spewing more lies about Michael! Listen to someone from the audience chant “Latoya, why do you lie?” When MJ said that his fans are like “activists” who will fight to defend him, he wasn’t kidding!

“My fans are activists – they will fight you to defend me” – Michael Jackson

After Latoya escaped from jack Gordon, and eventually divorced him, she recanted her previous claims and reconciled with Michael:

Let’s be honest; how many of us would forgive our sister or brother if they stabbed us in the back like that? Not very many! MJ truly had God in his heart for him to forgive the unforgivable from Latoya!

And despite the horrors he endured during his trial, after his acquittal he still vowed to be a force for good in the world, and to help the less fortunate, BUT FROM A DISTANCE, OF COURSE!!! He never lost his desire to be charitable! Listen to what Katherine said beginning at 2:40:

Next, I want to refute the notion that many people in the church have of MJ: that if he had been a Gospel artist, he wouldn’t have been “weird”, and he wouldn’t have mutilated his face or bleached his skin, and he wouldn’t have had any problems in his life, blah, blah, blah, and I want to take the opportunity to show examples of people who, on the outside, appear to be the “perfect” Christian, and would have been “approved” by judgmental bigots like Surphside, yet they all had personal scandals!

I’m not trying to mock the following people, but merely to highlight their scandals to show that bad things happen to people who appear to be “good” and “moral”, and NOBODY is morally superior to anyone else! We’re all human, no matter how “righteous” we may appear on the outside!

Pastor Grant Storms is a prominent anti-gay preacher from Louisiana, and is widely known for his picketing of the annual Southern Decadence and Mardi Gras festivals in New Orleans. He is also a vehement opponent of same-sex marriage, as you would expect. In March 2011, Storms was arrested for masturbating in a public park in a van as he watched underage children playing. Two onlookers noticed his actions and called police, and after his arrest he issued a public apology to the gay community for his hypocrisy, admitted to having a problem with pornography, but denied being a pedophile:

Grant Storms Arrested: Anti-Gay Christian Pastor Charged Over Public Masturbation

Rev. Grant Storms, a renowned anti-gay Christian pastor from Louisiana, was arrested last week for masturbating at a public park, in the vicinity of a carousel and playground where children were present.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, one woman saw Storms parked in his van “looking at the playground area that contained children playing, with his zipper down…,” the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office report read. After judging that Storms was masturbating, the woman and another mother who witnessed the event both alerted deputies.

After being apprehended by authorities, Storms claimed that he had been urinating into a bottle. He was then booked for obscenity — charges that he denied — and then released due to overcrowding in the jail.

The pastor appeared less willing to discuss the matter at a press conference on Tuesday, during which he blamed “pornography” for the incident.

“Pornography is destructive and it can ruin a person’s life, and it ruined my life,” he said at the conference, admitting that he had his hands in his pants, but maintaining that he wasn’t masturbating. “Do I have problems? Yes. Did I do something wrong? Yes.”

Despite his apology, which he also extended to the gay community, to which he has been a prominent opponent, Grants also denied claims that he had been “looking at the children” in the area.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/01/grant-storms-arrested-masturbating_n_830000.html

In September 2010, Bishop Eddie Long, a megachurch pastor from Atlanta, GA, known for his strong anti-gay views and staunch opposition to gay marriage, was sued for sexual misconduct by four young men who claimed that they were seduced by Long as teenagers. They claimed that he used the Bible and his position of authority to have sexual relations with them. (Three of the lawsuits were leaked to the press, and you can read the salacious details here, here, and here.) Below are some videos of his accusers describing their experiences with Long (something that you’ll NEVER see any of MJ’s accusers ever doing!), and you can find many other videos of his accusers on YouTube as well:

 

Long initially vowed vigorously fight the allegations, but instead reached an out of court settlement with them in May 2011 for an estimated $15 million dollars! (A fifth accuser received money as well!) In September 2011, lawyers for the church sought to have $900k dollars returned from the accusers because they violated the terms of their confidentiality agreement.

In December 2011, Long announced that he would leave his church, and his wife filed for divorce from him (although she eventually retracted her divorce claims, and returned to his church.)

In February 2012, as an act of maturity and contrition (yeah, right!), Eddie Long held a ceremony at his church, in which he was crowned as a “king”!!

Eddie Long crowned ‘king’; religious leaders aren’t impressed

By Elizabeth Flock

Megachurch leader Eddie Long is making waves once again after a video being circulated on the Web shows him being crowned “king” in an elaborate ceremony, the Associated Press reports. Other religious leaders have called the video “repulsive” and “inappropriate.”

The video, taken at a service last Sunday at Long’s church, New Birth Missionary Baptist in Lithonia, Ga., and released Wednesday, shows Messianic preacher Rabbi Ralph Messer instructing men to wrap Long in a ritual shawl, which Jews call a tallis.

“He’s a king. God’s blessed him. He’s a humble man,” said Messer said. “But in him is kingship. In him is royalty. In him was a land of Israel.”

Long is then raised up on a throne to the ecstatic applause of the parishioners. “He now is raised up from a commoner to a kingship,” said Messer.

The Rev. Morris Tipton, director of media relations at the National Baptist Convention, told black news site The Grio on Friday that he is not impressed by the video. “God has called us to be serving leaders and not celebrities,” Tipton said. The convention is the largest group of African American Baptists in the United States.

Grammy nominated Gospel artist Tye Tribbet had an affair with a member of his choir, so his wife retaliated by having her own affair with Gospel hip-hop recording artist Da’ T.R.U.T.H.! Here is a summary of the entire debacle:

Gospel Rapper Da Truth Allegedly had Affair with Tye Tribbet’s Wife

Grammy-nominated Gospel rapper Da Truth has allegedly been caught having an affair with a fellow gospel rapper’s wife and was suspended ‘indefinitely’ from his record label.

Cross Movement Recording artist Emanuel ‘Da Truth’ Lambert has been indefinitely suspended from the label, Cross Movement records, for allegedly having an affair with his best friend’s wife. His best friend was Tye Tribett, member of Grammy-nominated and Stellar-Award winning gospel group Tye Tribbett & G.A. and it was his wife that Da Truth was sleeping with.

Get this: earlier this year, Tye was caught cheating himself – sleeping with a member of his choir who was his good friend’s baby momma. So now we’ve caught wind that Da’ T.R.U.T.H., who is Tye’s mentee, is having an affair with Tribbett’s wife Shante. Is Shante getting some ‘get back’ for Tye cheating on her early this year? 

Da’ T.R.U.T.H. has not straight out said this is true, but then he later went on his personal website to apologize: “In light of a moral indiscretion in my personal life, I will be taking a sabbatical from music ministry and teaching upon fulfilling my current commitments to work closely with my pastor, church and restoration team.

I have repented first to God and then to my wife and family. It is my prayer that my family, supporters and the brethren in Christ will collectively be able to forgive me.”

http://blackchristiannews.com/news/2009/11/gospel-rapper-da-truth-allegedly-had-affair-with-tye-tribbets-wife.html

In February 1999, Eugene Robinson, a Pro-Bowl defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons, was awarded the Bart Starr award. The award is given by Athletes in Action, a Christian sports ministry that reaches out to professional athletes. The award is annually the player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community. However, Robinson returned the award after he was arrested for soliciting oral sex from a female undercover police officer!

Falcons’ Robinson says he’ll return Bart Starr Award

Moral of the story

Posted: Friday February 05, 1999 12:19 PM

ATLANTA (AP) — Eugene Robinson, the Atlanta Falcons defensive back arrested on the eve of the Super Bowl, says he will return the award he won for high moral character the same day he got into trouble.

Robinson, who is in Honolulu for the Pro Bowl, told Atlanta station WSB-TV on Thursday that he would return the Bart Starr Award, given for leadership in home, on the field and in the community.

The 35-year-old Robinson received the award Saturday morning, the day before the Falcons’ 34-19 Super Bowl loss to the Denver Broncos. He was arrested that night for soliciting oral sex from an undercover female police officer.

Dave Bratton of Athletes in Action, the Ohio-based group that gives the award, said Robinson had not contacted the group about returning the award.

“We’re concerned with doing what’s right for Eugene,” he said. “I’d rather not say much of anything right now.”

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/1999/02/05/robinson_award/  

I could easily list 100 other scandals involving people who, on the surface, appear to be morally upstanding and pious, but I think you guys get the point by now! All of the aforementioned people would have surely passed the morality litmus test given by Surphside, G. Craig Lewis, Joe Schimmel, and the other MJ hate mongers who bashed MJ throughout his life and after his death! All of those people had problems and scandals in their lives, despite being “committed” to their faith, so the notion that MJ’s problems and scandals were a result of him not being committed to God is absolutely preposterous!

The people who were not committed to God were the people who forced their children to lie and accuse MJ of molestation (Evan Chandler & Janet Arvizo), the prosecutors who maliciously and vindictively charged MJ (Tom Sneddon, Ron Zonen, and Gordon Auchincloss), the detectives who bullied Jason Francia into making an accusation against MJ, and tried to do the same to Corey Feldman (Detectives Russell Birchim and Vince Neglia), the media hacks who did everything in their power to convict MJ in the court of public opinion (Maureen Orth, Diane Dimond, and Nancy Grace), and many others who were complicit in the takedown of MJ!

I hope that I have done my part to show Surphside and everyone else a true glimpse into MJ’s spiritual side, and have debunked the heretical assumption that if you’re a “true” Man or Woman of God, then you are perfect, and nothing bad will ever happen to you. If someone is still not convinced of MJ’s faith, then they’re entitled to their opinion, but in the grand scheme of things, their opinion is worthless, because MJ doesn’t have to answer to any of his Christian “critics” who I have refuted in this series. They’re not God, so they need to stop acting like it! And for them, or anyone else, to somehow take pleasure in MJ’s death because they think he was a wicked sinner, is also anti-Biblical, because the Bible clearly says that God doesn’t take pleasure in death the death of the wicked!

Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? – Ezekial 33:10-11

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. – Ezekial 18:32

When I think of Christians who love to take pleasure in the death of people who they “judge” as being wicked, the first thought that comes to mind are the lunatics who comprise the Westboro Baptist Church! Here is a response to their madness! (Be sure to open the link and read Tahlia’s comment at the bottom of the post!)

It’s Amazing Who You Meet In A Cemetery!

The shocking news made its way around the globe – Michael Jackson is dead!

I must admit, when I first heard I had mixed feelings. I’ve never met him. I’ve never been to one of his concerts and at the time I didn’t even own one of his albums, yet he has been part of my life right from a young age. Every Saturday morning I’d watch the ‘Jackson 5‘ strut their stuff on TV. When Michael performed ‘Billy Jean‘ at the 1983 Motown 25 Concert, I remember the very next day wearing a single white glove to school to show my dedication as a fan and not to mention my extreme ‘coolness’. Then there’s the hours spent alone in my room practicing the ‘moonwalk‘ and imagining that moment in time when I, the geekiest guy in school, get to show off my super cool dance moves while my fellow students look on in awe.

I did get to meet Michael’s brother, Jermaine Jackson, about 20 years ago. We chatted for a little while as I cleaned his hotel room. But that’s about it.

Since his passing, there has been a lot said about Michael, some good and some not so good. His life was riddled with controversy. People have had mixed reactions to his death. There is a church group in America claiming to represent God called Westboro Baptist Church. They released a press statement the day Michael died saying that God was behind the heart attack which killed Jackson and ‘praised God’ that he was now in hell!

 

I visited their website and it made me ill. How can people who call themselves Christians represent God that way? Does He really hate people? The people at Westboro Church seem to think so. They target gays, those in the military, prostitutes, and even Joyce Meyer gets a mention! According to their beliefs, I’m sure God hates me as well for for even suggesting they might be misled.

But as I read through the Bible I see a very different picture of God.

Jesus got into a boat and sailed across the Sea of Galilee. He was exhausted. He travelled through a hurricane. He had to deal with disbelieving disciples. He arrived and met a demon possessed guy. Healed him. Then got back into the boat and sailed straight back to the other side.

Jesus went through all of that just for one man!

One man who society rejected. One man lost in a helpless situation. One man who He loved. You can’t tell me that God doesn’t love people.

Regardless of the life he lived, the choices he made, Michael Jackson was someone dearly loved by Almighty God. No matter how much the people at Westboro Baptist Church protest, they can never change that.

http://josephswan.com.au/its-amazing-who-you-meet-in-a-cemetery

Did you know that Nate Phelps, the son of the “Pastor” of the Wesboro lunatics Fred Phelps, ran away from his family at the age of 18 and became not only an atheist, but an LGBT activist? After growing up under that repressive and abusive regime, can you blame him?

Nate Phelps, Son Of Westboro Baptist Church Pastor, To Speak At Reason Rally

This should be interesting.

Nate Phelps, estranged son of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church Pastor Fred Phelps, plans to speak at an atheist rally.

Never ones to miss a chance to picket, Westboro church supporters will protest the so-called Reason Rally, according to a news release from SecularStudents.org 

“Nate Phelps brings a powerful voice and story to the rally,” Reason Rally organizer David Silverman said in the release. “He shows us all that if you can come out as an atheist in that family, it’s possible anywhere.” 

The younger Phelps is described on his website as an LGBT advocate who, “speaks out against the dangers of religion and child abuse.” 

The site says Phelps left his father’s home at midnight on his 18th birthday after enduring “extreme physical punishments and abuse, extreme dietary and health requirements, and other extreme expectations,” while growing up under his father, according to the site.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/nate-phelps-westboro-baptist-church_n_1348861.html

The following quote from certainly applies to many of MJ’s biggest critics within the religious community:

If church were a college, most people would pay their tuition, get perfect-attendance, suck up to the professors…yet still fail. 

It’s not about the ‘college’ you go to. It’s how you use your education. How are you using yours? Are you using your knowledge, your skills, your beliefs to love, help others, and become a better person? Or are you simply using it as “soul-insurance”? The deductible is higher than you think. 

Too many people treat their religion as if it was a Greek letter organization.

Look at how some people of faith have treated this kid with vitiligo! He says that he’s been called a “son of the devil” by some people!

And while I’m on the subject of people who think that being a devout Believer is a panacea to all of life’s problems, let’s look at what MJ’s brother Jermaine said after his death:

“I believe that Islam would have helped him a lot. Had he converted, he would have been spared all the problems he had been subjected to throughout his life,” he said.

Um, excuse me? What credibility does Jermaine have for him to say that Islam would have spared MJ of all of his problems? Jermaine has been a “devout” Muslim since the late 80’s, and look at all of the problems he’s had in his life! I won’t get into it here, but do a simple Google search on him to find out what I mean! Look at how MJ referenced Jermaine and his other brother’s problems in the his song “Superfly Sister”:

“Mother’s preaching Abraham,

Brothers they don’t give a damn”

What MJ is essentially saying in that lyric is that his devout religious mother tried to teach him and his brothers to live by their religious values, yet they ignored her, and it’s obvious when you look at some of the decisions they’ve made in their personal life.

The last topic that I will address is the notion that many people in the faith community have; that MJ was “too weird” to be a Man of God, and he would have been “normal” if he had God in his life. I’ve seen many people refer to MJ as being “mentally disturbed”, but in reality the only people who were “mentally disturbed” were the parents who falsely accused him! Evan Chandler had bipolar disorder, and Janet Arvizo was a paranoid schizophrenic!

We talked about Evan’s bipolar disorder in this post and this post, which discuss  the role that bipolar disorder played in his desire to bring down MJ, his physical assaults on Dave Schwartz (the ex-husband of June Chandler, who he once knocked unconscious during an argument), and his attempted murder of Jordan Chandler in August 2005! Even Diane Dimond confirmed that he had bipolar disorder! One of the symptoms of bipolar disorder is manic depression (which was the root of Evan’s extreme anger and rage and violence in those aforementioned examples).

Micheal Jackson Accuser Jordon Chandler in Court Against Dad

By queenw on June 28, 2009

A strange turn of events among the peripheral people in Michael Jackson’s odd world has taken place. 

According to court papers obtained by this column, the young man who, in 1994, settled with Michael Jackson for $20 million was allegedly physically assaulted last year by his own father. 

Jordan Chandler, now 26, filed a request for a restraining order against his father on August 5, 2005. The reason for the order was that Evan Chandler, formerly a dentist and an aspiring screenwriter, had allegedly hit Jordan over the head from behind with a twelve and a half pound weight. He’d also allegedly sprayed him in the face with mace and tried to choke him. 

The two men, according to court papers, were living together in a luxury apartment in New Jersey. 

The bizarre case was remanded to trial by a pair of appellate judges on June 8th of this year. This followed a reversal of the restraining order by another judge who felt that Evan Chandler’s actions did not represent a pattern of abuse and didn’t qualify as domestic abuse. The appellate judges disagreed, reinstated the restraining order, and sent the case to trial. 

These last judges sounded a little surprised in their ruling that the restraining order had been lifted in the first place. “The judge also found that the weight could cause serious bodily injury or death,” they wrote, indicating that they felt Evan Chandler meant to harm his son.

http://www.zimbio.com/Jordy+Chandler/articles/NYrfi5fp_1n/Micheal+Jackson+Accuser+Jordon+Chandler+Court

Here is a copy of the court documents that prove Evan attempted to murder Jordan!

 

Read the bottom of this post for information about how Janet was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia by a psychologist who was hired by JC Penney to evaluate her before the civil trial (which never occurred due to JC Penney’s subsequent decision to settle.) Janet claimed that she was being “held hostage” at Neverland, being chased by “the killers” during her delusional episodes, so Sneddon exploited her stories in order to build his weak case. The feeling of being “held hostage” and “chased by killers” is typical of schizophrenics; in fact, the late R&B singer Donny Hathaway (whose greatest hit include “This Christmas” and  a duet called “The Closer I Get To You” with Roberta Flack) committed suicide by jumping out of a window because he thought “the killers were going to get him”! He was diagnosed with schizophrenia early in his career, but wasn’t diligent with taking his required medication, which led to his delusions.  Also, the shooter of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords  was declared incompetent to stand trial due to being diagnosed with schizophrenia!

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ shooter ruled incompetent

TUCSON, Ariz. – Shooting rampage suspect Jared Loughner was dragged shouting from a courtroom on Wednesday before he was found mentally incompetent to stand trial on charges he killed six people and wounded Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

U.S. District Judge Larry Burns ruled that Loughner, 22, described by his own legal team as “gravely mentally ill,” was incapable of understanding the proceedings against him and assisting in his own defense.

He cited the conclusions of two experts, a forensic psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist, that Loughner suffers from schizophrenia, disordered thinking and delusions.

The judge then ordered Loughner sent back to the federal prison hospital in Springfield, Missouri, where the college dropout previously spent five weeks undergoing psychiatric evaluations.

Burns ruled that Loughner would remain in custody and undergo treatment there for the next four months, and he set a hearing for September 21 to determine whether his condition had improved sufficiently for proceedings against him to resume.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/arizona-congresswoman-gabrielle-giffords-shooter-ruled-in

Janet also wasn’t on her meds during her testimony, and when you skim over her testimony (nevermind reading all of it!) you can tell! Here is an excerpt from “The Untold Story”, by MJ blogger extraordinaire Sean Chai:

Perhaps the most potent indicator that Janet Arvizo had schizophrenia was her own testimony during the 2005 trial. Over the course of five days on the witness stand, Janet claimed her and her family’s movements were severely curtailed by Michael Jackson’s “damage control team”, despite the fact that she enjoyed regular beauty treatments during her purported imprisonment, the family were treated to various shopping trips, they seemed to have a small army of people responding to their every need, and some of their supposed “escapes” from Neverland involved staff hiring a private limousine at short notice to bring them home. Janet claimed that Michael Jackson and his people used regular references to mysterious “killers” to control her, and that members of Jackson’s team were following her and recording her every move, even filming her various visits to beauty parlors and restaurants as part of “Michael Jackson’s positive PR”. She believed all her phone calls were monitored, including those calls made outside Neverland, and even resorted to speaking to people in a sort of code in a bid to avoid having her efforts to seek help detected. 

Here is a video from September 1993. CNN interviews a bodyguard who describes how celebrities are oftentimes the target of extortion from greedy fans and associates!  CNN wanted to put MJ’s situation into context by showing viewers that these types of situations happen all of the time! They even mention a lady named “Billie Jean Jackson” who claimed that MJ fathered her child, and they also mention the LAPD’s “Threat Management Division” who deal with celebrity threats.

Notice how Det. Greg Boles says that most of the perpetrators are disordered people!

I personally think that the term “weird” is a totally inaccurate way of describing MJ; I think the term “unique” is more appropriate, as he was the way he was due to the unique life that he lived as a result of his lifetime of living in the spotlight. There is a negative connotation with the term “weird” due to the “Wacko Jacko” caricature that the media used against MJ!

For example, people love to say that MJ’s desire to help sick children was “weird” and “bizarre”, and some have gone so far as to label it as a sign of a sexual attraction towards children, but I want to present to you a story that should help put everything into context, and give you an idea of what sparked MJ’s lifelong legacy of humanitarianism, which is summarized in the video below (and you can read a complete summary of his humanitarianism on this website):

  

In 1972, the Jackson 5 visited underprivileged children during the Christmas holidays, and MJ was moved to tears at the thought of all of the sick children that he helped!

Today in MJJ HIStory

1972 – In Los Angeles, California, the 13-year old Michael and the Jackson 5, dressed as Santas, make their appearance at Motown Records’ Christmas party held at the Pacific Townclub. J5 and Mary Wilson of the Supremes offer presents – on behalf of their record company, Motown – to 700 (according to some sources, others reporting a number of 400) underprivileged children.

In an article, titled “The Jackson 5 Really Changed!”, the writer points out that “the first time the J5 did a benefit at a children’s hospital, Michael came home and cried all night at the memory of all those sick children lying in beds, some not even able to move their hands to clap. That is when he became actively involved in communicating with these kids. He corresponds with youngsters his own age in hospital all over the country. These are not letters dictated to a secretary by a superstar, but letters written in Michael’s own hand during breaks in recording or rehearsing or even in school.”

http://mjjtime.blogspot.com/2010/12/today-in-mjj-history_23.html

As further proof that MJ wasn’t “weird”, let’s look at what two people who were very close to MJ had to say about him!

Here is a quote about MJ from Ryan White’s autobiography “My Own Story” in which he refutes the image of MJ that is perpetuated from those “newspapers you can buy in the supermarket”, i.e. the TABLOIDS! (You can read this post for additional info on Ryan White and MJ’s relationship):

I liked “Man In The Mirror” the best. Michael’s not flaky or weird, like you read in those newspapers you can buy in the supermarket. He’s real quiet and soft-spoken. Sometimes he takes a while to say things. He’s just kind of gentle and peaceful. He was a nice new friend for me to have. “Next time you’re in L.A., we’ll get together and have some good old fun,” he told me. Well, I couldn’t wait.

And here is a comment from Elizabeth Taylor made during Oprah’s 1993 interview with MJ!

Here is a quote by the famous Chinese philosopher Mencius, and it certainly applies to MJ!

The great man is he who does not lose his childlike heart. – Mencius

Well, that pretty much wraps up this series! I will end it on a positive note by showing how MJ has been celebrated in the church!

Here is a performance of “Will You Be There?” by Gospel singer Daryl Coley and Patti LaBelle at the 1993 NAACP Image Awards!

And finally, here is a photo that truly signifies where MJ received his incredible talents from!

Don’t forget to read the first six parts of this series, if you haven’t already done so!

Fact Checking Michael Jackson’s Christian Faith, Part 1 of 7: Michael Was NOT A Devil Worshipper!

Fact Checking Michael Jackson’s Christian Faith, Part 2 of 7: Michael Did NOT “Channel” Demon Spirits To Help Him Write Songs!

Fact Checking Michael Jackson’s Christian Faith, Part 3 of 7: Refuting A Racist Rabbi!

Fact Checking Michael Jackson’s Christian Faith, Part 4 of 7: So-Called “Christians” Who Have LIED Against Michael!

Fact Checking Michael Jackson’s Christian Faith, Part 5 of 7: Exposing The Lies of the “Youth Minister” Jason Francia

Fact Checking Michael Jackson’s Christian Faith, Part 6 of 7: Christians Who Have Defended Michael!

UPDATED AUGUST 24, 2015 by Vindicatemj

Let me add to this post by sanemjfan a small detail no one ever told us about which I found quite by chance, when watching a behind the scenes clip of the Oprah show.

What they never told us is that Michael had the image of Jesus Christ over his bed!

So they spoke for decades about every scrap of paper and every book stored in his closed boxes in some attic (which Michael probably never even opened) but they NEVER told us about the big image of Jesus Christ on the wall? And they are telling us that Michael would do something inappropriate right under this picture? 

Sorry, by all these people are simply sick bastards!

The video:

A couple of screenshots:

Debbie Rowe and Arnold Klein are watching TV from Michael’s bed

The image of Jesus Christ over Michael Jackson’s bed