The rumours of his conversion to Islam are as widespread as they are unsubstantiated. The Telegraph ran the story back in November, so its not new, but since Jackson himself never mentioned it in public, it was filed in the skip of unprovable Michael Jackson rumours.
Mouse was much more intrigued by comments recently that Jackson had converted to Christianity in the last few days of his life. This rumour seems to originate entirely from one blog, so Mouse doesn't give it much credence. He is more intrigued at the desire of some to claim Jackson on behalf of their faith, which has been demonstrated by the speed with which this rumour has spread round the internet. In many respects, you couldn't find a worse advocate for your beliefs, whilst recognising the mega-fame is desirable in itself to many in our current celebrity obsessed culture.
We may never know the truth of Jackson's religious views, but to Mouse it makes no difference. Neither to his views on Michael Jackson, the deeply flawed yet brilliant entertainer, nor on the truth of otherwise of the world's great religions.
Update: Christianity Today are now running the 'Was MJ a Christian?' Story.
Update: Thanks to @nigecw for directing me to a denial of the Jackson became a Christian story from one of the individuals allegedly involved - suspected as much.
I have always been astonished at the credulity some Christians display.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1990s there was a series of Christian urban myths going the rounds, angelic policemen etc, all of which were about an imminent revival, and like all urban myths I heard the same story from different people and it had always happened to a friend of a friend.
I really don't think it does us much good in the current secularist denigration of Christians as people who believe in an 'imaginary friend' if we demonstrate that we will believe absolutely anything with no substatniation whatsoever as long as it makes us look more influential.