A Religious Statement

[Floogeldy]

I very seriously doubt that John Lennon and Paul McCartney just happened to be in the same limited geographic region, accidently met, happened to have the same zest for music, happened to have such perfectly blending voices, happened to have such equal understandings of music, happened to have been able to collaborate while writing the best songs in the history of the Earth, happened to double-handedly advance the art of rock 'n roll into realms still not totally understood and achieved by others, happened to have been the psychological leaders of a virtual spiritual re-awakening in the 1960's, and happened to have such a profound effect upon the world as to still raise the ire of marijuana hating freeper morons.

No.

The Beatles are proof of God.

[booley]

1. Then is Yoko...

...proof of Satan?

Is Ringo proof of purgatory?

is Michael jackson owning al of their songs proof of Cthuluhu and our own imminant doom?

[Floogeldy]

6. You tell me.

I'm talking about The Beatles being, their accomplishments, and their effects on the world, which still have very strong roots.

[WCGreen]

2. You forgot that Paul and John both lost their mothers

early in life and that it profoundly effected the way they approached their music...

The longing for love, the dealing with rejection,,,

the humanizing of a rather misogynistic style of music....

with that, i am off to bed....

[Floogeldy]

7. Good point.

[FloridaPat]

3. You had to be there. Look at the Monkies. How could 4 guys with

nothing in common all show up for the same tv show interview and get picked? More proof of God? Or the Rolling Stones. George and Gracie. Laurel and Hardy, Jefferson Airplane. In the 60's anyone could get a band together and make money. As for "psychological leaders", I think the case is still out whether they were leaders or just happened to be at the right place and the right time. I believe the 60's would have happened without the Beatles. Just not as much great music.

[Floogeldy]

8. I was there.

And your attempt to compare the Stones, George and Gracie, Laurel and Hardy, and Jefferson Airplane to The Beatles is laughable.

[FloridaPat]

17. One of your points was the fact they got together is proof of God.

Then any famous group would be proof of God.

How about the Bush administration. A little from Reagan, a little from Bush 1 and now we have the perfect storm for destroying our country and the world. Is that proof of God too?

[Floogeldy]

19. No

But that might be proof of SATAN.

[Nevernose]

13. Actually, you may have an argument with the Rolling Stones (n/t)

n/t

[LoZoccolo]

4. If you like the Beatles...

...I think you'd like Oasis even better.

[leftofthedial]

5. Ringo is proof of god

[Floogeldy]

9. Huh-uh

[leftofthedial]

15. yep, definitely Ringo

any couple of schmucks could play guitar and bass and make up disposable little three-minute pop songs.

but keeping time like a metronome?

Ringo is proof there is a higher power.

[Robeson]

10. They were bigger than Jesus....

...;-)

[Floogeldy]

11. For The Record

"The Evening Standard published a long, rambling interview with John Lennon in which he proclaimed that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus." Although there was little reaction to his statement in England, Christians elsewhere embarked upon a massive campaign to destroy Beatles albums and other paraphenalia. Lennon apologized for the remark later, and the Archbishop of Boston admitted that he was probably right, but many still refused to forgive him.



In its original context, the remark was part of a rather harmless lifestyle piece by Evening Standard reporter Maureen Cleave. She had spent the day Lennon, whom she described as "imperious, ... unpredictable, indolent, disorganised, childish, vague, charming and quick-witted." He took her on a tour of his mansion, talking about books and fame, and the gorilla suit he bought so he could drive around wearing it. When they reached the subject of religion, Lennon said, "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. ... We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first-rock 'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."

The British public took the comment as what is was: An opinion voiced by an artist known as much for his hummingbird mind as for his considerable talent. In July, however, an American teen magazine called Datebook quoted the infamous Jesus statement without reprinting the original article. It appeared as part of a cover story called "The Ten Adults You Dig/Hate the Most." The American reaction was instantaneous. Radio stations across the country, but especially in the South and in the Midwest, stopped playing Beatles records. Death threats began pouring in, directed against not only John, but the other Beatles as well. Bonfires appeared, with Beatles pictures and albums providing the fuel. Maureen Cleave tried to explain that "John was certainly not comparing the Beatles with Christ. He was simply observing that so weak was the state of Christianity that the Beatles were, to many people, better known. He was deploring, rather than approving, this," but to no avail. In Cleveland, the Reverend Thurman H. Babbs threatened to excommunicate any member of his congregation who listened to the Beatles.



In the South, the Ku Klux Klan burned the Beatles in effigy and nailed Beatles albums to burning crosses. Finally, on August 11, with a scheduled American tour fast approaching, Lennon held a press conference in Chicago, at which he attempted to make amends. "I'm not saying that we're better or greater," he said, "or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. ... I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious thing. I apologize if that will make you happy. I still don't know quite what I've done. I've tried to tell you what I did do but if you want me to apologize, if that will make you happy, then OK, I'm sorry."

For most people, this was enough, but not for all. The KKK tried, unsuccessfully, to stop their show in Memphis. On August 13, KLUE, a radio station in Texas, organized another Beatles bonfire. (That same night, the station was struck by lightning, which damaged their equipment and knocked the station manager unconscious. Sometimes, justice really is poetic.) And the international reaction was just beginning. Beatles albums were banned from the airwaves in Spain and Holland. The Vatican, while recognizing that the remarks were made "off-handedly and not impiously," also said that "he protest the remark raised showed that some subjects must not be dealt with lightly and in a profane way, not even in the world of beatniks." In South Africa, Piet Myer of the South African Broadcasting Corporation justified his decision to bar Beatles albums by saying, "The Beatles' arrogance has passed the ultimate limit of decency. It is clowning no longer." Even years later, after the group had broken up, John Lennon's albums were still banned from South African radio, although Paul McCartney's and George Harrison's music could be broadcast.

John Lennon returned to the subject in December, when he told LOOK magazine that "I believe Jesus was right, Buddha was right, and all of those people like that are right. They're all saying the same thing--and I believe it. I believe what Jesus actually said--the basic things he laid down about love and goodness--and not what people say he said.... If Jesus being more popular means ... more control, I don't want that. I'd sooner they'd all follow us even if it's just to dance and sing for the rest of their lives. If they took more interest in what Jesus--or any of them--said, if they did that, we'd all be there with them."



Although the Beatles would remain together for 4 more years, the American tour that followed the Jesus incident would be their last."

http://www.newsoftheodd.com/article1012.html

[ghostsofgiants]

12. That may be...

But why did Paul have to play such a dorky looking bass?

[Nevernose]

14. Truer words have never been spoken.

My biggest regret in life is not having been there for it. The Boys forgive me, though, I'm sure.

[Jamastiene]

16. No, the Stones are.

I love the Beatles, but I like the Rolling Stones a lot too. Just had to make a funny this morning.

Actually, when you mentioned the part about "John Lennon and Paul McCartney just happened to be...", my first thought was about a documentary I saw years ago about trepanation and they mentioned that several of the Beatles including John Lennon had seriously considered it. I can't remember which other one they mentioned specifically. It was one of those late night documentaries with a warning before it. Trepanation is putting a hole in the skull. They say it makes you permanently high.

Storm coming. I hear thunder. It seems like my time off this summer has been plagued by record breaking high temperatures and drastic hideous thunderstorms. I'll be back on DU when this doosy is thru tormenting me. I'm :scared: of thunder. Silly me.

[Tallison]

18. Jesus, never heard of it (trepenation)

and I've been in psych/addiction field for a while (and have my share of personal experience with it). Any idea where in the skull one would get this or in what country it's done? I imagine the infection/swelling/blunt trauma risks would be considerable... That's some crazy shit.

[JVS]

20. That is some of the dumbest shit I've ever seen in the lounge

Take that crap to the meeting room

[Floogeldy]

21. Thank you!

;)

[Democrats_win]

22. Its been 40 years, is God on vacation? Or is Green Day further proof?

[elshiva]

23. YES!!!

[Rabrrrrrr]

24. Ummmmmmmmm...........

.........sure.

:whatever: