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Is Michael in Heaven?
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Michael Jackson was raised by Jehovah’s Witnesses and flirted with Scientology and Islam. Now many Christian groups wonder if the King of Pop is residing with the King of Kings.
In the days since Michael Jackson’s death, much has been made of his ability to build bridges. His popularity spread across cultures and demographics. Jackson’s religion—at least what we know of it—followed suit.
His parents raised him in the Jehovah’s Witness tradition, a semi-Christian sect. He was briefly married to Lisa Marie Presley, a Scientologist, and though he reportedly did some fundraising for Scientology, it’s not clear whether he ever converted to the faith. He claimed Rabbi Schmuley Boteach as a good friend, and it was the rabbi who convinced Jackson in 2000 to write a captivating essay in Beliefnet about his love of the Sabbath. Finally, in 2008, Jackson reportedly converted to Islam and began spending much of his time in Bahrain.
Should a child die before reaching the mature state, salvation is theirs. What if Jackson never reached that age of accountability?
But in the days after his death, rumors began to surface that he had become a Christian due to the influence of Gospel singers Andráe and Sandra Crouch, who are co-pastors at New Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ in San Fernando, California. Naturally, this thrilled his Christian fans—witness the thousands of comments on the Facebook page where the rumor began. The Crouches eventually debunked the conversion story, but indicated that Jackson was interested in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and prayed with them.
Clearly, Jackson held an abiding interest in spiritual things, and there was no shortage of “moonwalking in heaven” video tributes following his death. But many of his fans want an answer to the ultimate question: Where is he now? Is Michael Jackson in heaven?
On blogs on Web sites like Christianity Today, a debate is raging in earnest about whether Jackson has made it to the Promised Land. “The couple of times I saw Michael Jackson I could not surpass his genuineness and remember always feeling bad because of all the people who ridiculed him,” says one commenter, noting, “if we deeply think about it, this is exactly what people did to Jesus and Jesus helped people just as Michael did by giving to over 30 charities.” Others point to interviews Jackson gave in which he invoked the Lord’s name. “If you’re in doubt, do some research especially on his interviews with Oprah and Geraldo. He clearly indicated his faith in Christ,” urges another Jackson fan.
But still others find the very idea of Jackson residing with God repellent. “Praying a prayer and accepting Jesus ‘in our hearts.’ That is Americanized Evangelical Christianity at its worst,” writes one about what they see as Jackson’s half-hearted religiosity. “Obviously, this was all for money reasons and to play in Satan's ball field,” insists another of Jackson’s affiliation with the Crouches. “Any heaven Michael heads to is a thinly disguised hell,” asserts a third.
Most Christian pastors and scholars hesitate to give an authoritative answer. “It’s not up to me,” says Rev. Mandy Sloan Flemming, a minister at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta. “I do not know the heart, mind, or spirit of Michael Jackson, nor do I know which way the wind blows. Only God can know.” Others think it’s the wrong question altogether. “Biblically, I think that those who follow Jesus are actually prohibited from definitively attempting to answer it,” says Adam Ellis, teaching pastor at North August Church of Christ in North Augusta, South Carolina.
That said, “Michael Jackson seemed to be a very troubled man, and that’s just the kind of person God has a history of taking pity on,” says Tony Jones, a theologian, blogger, and author of The New Christians. But like the others, Jones is careful to add, “I’d look askance at any religious leader who would answer that with any degree of certainty,”
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Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
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Jason Boyett is the author of the upcoming books Pocket Guide to the Afterlife, Pocket Guide to the Bible, and Pocket Guide to Sainthood, releasing in August from Jossey-Bass. His writing has appeared in Salon, Paste, Relevant, and other publications. He blogs about religion and culture at jasonboyett.com.
Potomac-Will
Oh, please--enough already.
This article belongs in the type of publications in which one finds headlines like "World War II Bomber Found on Moon," "Did Egar Casey Predict Obama's Election in 1929?," "Is Jackson Really Dead?"
Carole65
Agree........ this article belongs in National Inquirer.
jhr459
Only if you find the entire subject preposterous. If you are a believer, then it is a valid question-at least for discussion. There will, of course, never be an answer on this side of the veil.
johnjohnson68510
This question, as it applies to each of us, is of course, the question of utmost importance. It is so very much more important than questions like "Can America reform health care" or "Will Russian nationalism promote the melting of the polar ice cap" - as important as those questions are.
Whether we go to heaven or hell is a question so huge we can barely deal with it at all. We can barely ask it ourselves. Of course, there is a small minority, evidently like Potomac-Will, who are in contempt of the idea of an afterlife. But that position is and always has been the position of a very small minority of the human race. The rest of us have been given the virtue of hope.
Why does this question virtually never come up in public discourse?
I thank this website for having the courage to stir things up.
JohnHedtke
his article isn't journalism; it's just recreational typing. We should soon be seeing the Star's cover story of "Michael Teaching Angels to Moonwalk on Heads of Pins!"
Potomac-Will
@johnjohnson68510: No, brother John, you've got me wrong. What I was saying is that the question the author raises is one that no mere journalist can answer or even properly appreciate within the empirical framework of news writing. Indeed, no one can answer it, except as it relayed her or his own existence--and even then not despositively on this side of the grave. The universal experience of all living things is an ireducible mystery.
wbishop12
Why? Because it's completely idiotic to think that ANYBODY on this entire planet can state whether or not one person or another will end up in heaven.
This is a private question between you and the Creator. Don't trust in any human that tells you they know 'the path'. Pray to your Heavenly Father for guidance.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
davereed
Does any of it matter? If there really and truly is only one "God", as every religion claims, whatever religion he was a member of is going to say he went there, and every other is going to say he didn't. That's the problem, you can't have "one true God", and have more than one religion, now can you?
He's dead. He's decaying, just like every other person who's ever lived and died, and he went nowhere, because there is no God.
-David
dombro1000
A cheat, drug abuser, child abuser and drunk living in a stupor in heaven. Oh hell yes.. Christians are forgiven!
guiltybystander
Michael is doing the limbo in purgatory
dcbooknurse
--After making the usual caveat ("I did not see his heart and I am not God")--
That's right. None of you are God. So stop acting like you know exactly what God thinks, what God wants, and what God would do. My belief is if there is a God on Judgment Day many of the 'faithful' will be standing before Him as He asks "What part of 'Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself' didn't you understand?"
Brendino
The point of the Bible is that we can get some insights into how God thinks, what God wants, and what God would do. Ultimately, we're not going to understand Him completely (what kind of God would he be if we could?), but it gives us things to go by.
One such thing is that nothing that we've done or haven't done doesn't matter on Judgment Day...the only thing that ultimately matters is if we were saved by Christ's death on the cross.
MWaterman
Even though I agree with all who say that this article is not worthy of inclusion at the Daily Beast, I must give you credit on this submission, Brendino. Very well said, albeit most who read what you have said will not understand what you are saying unless they are believers.
TotalRecall9
And Christ said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' " (Matthew 7:21-23)
Even if you discount MJ's pedophilia, he was still the epitome of excess. He was a multi-millionaire living the life of a multi-billionaire. I think MJ got what he wanted during his lifetime. (Luke 16: 25)
aperturemad
heaven? god? jesus?
Pardon me, I thought there was at least the pretense of rational thought on this site.
Go away Boyett, go away.
Brendino
And I thought Christians were always labeled the intolerant ones...wow.
SC0TTBL4M
I am a Christian.. but I too think this article is bogus. TDB is better than this.
Is Michael Jackson in heaven?
Well...
According to what religion?
According to whose standards?
The writer obviously was short on ideas when writing this.
Tucson138
Intolerance of irrationality can never be a bad thing.
fuzzcritter
"Michael Jackson seemed to be a very troubled man, and that's just the kind of person God has a history of taking pity on,"
Have to agree with Will. Pretending one is "reporting" by repeating navel lint musings about what a theoretic super-being thinks about a dead pop star is best left to the tabloids.
Oh, wait. Never mind, then. Carry on.
As I recently heard someone say, "who has time for real reporting when Michael Jackson is still dead?"
gunapie
Who knows? One thing is for sure: There is no Heaven or Hell.
We all move (forward or backward). The final goal is beyond our understanding. The river finally flows to the sea. The drop merges with the ocean. The little salt boy (Micah) jumps into the sea - searching for cosmic congniton. Where has he gone - disolved into nirvana or to reincarnate again - i say and hope we see him again.
nkadzi
Seriously?? american evangelism never ceases to amaze me, and this piece is an example of one!! i take it that you don't have better things to write about except contact pastors, some who are judgmental, which is so typical of some evangelicals!!
lolovesmaddow
This reads like it's straight out of the National Enquirer.
Disgusting piece of "journalism."
wkim330
glad to see Boyett grapple with questions many have been asking since MJ's death. It's not so much an evangelical question as it is a question that MJ appeared to search for in his own life. Daily Beast continues to showcase angles seldom discussed on other sites.
ardeth
This is a truly mindless article written by children. Besides, everybody knows Michael didn't really die. He's hanging out with Elvis in Vegas.
SFGiants
Is Jim Morrison with them?
co-intheknow
And Anna-Nicole Smith.
Veronicaxy
Hey, and I thought it was going to be about a medium's post-death conversation with Michael (I'm sure that will show up sooner or later).
The main thing imho is that Michael kept on searching for a way to relate to God and maybe he found several. God afterall apparently enjoys creating path after path. Hopefully MJ's now found exactly what he needs.
Yannie
You'd think that all the Jesus Juice he gave the kids who stayed over night at Neverland would count for something...
MajorDude
I don't know if Michael Jackson is in Heaven or hell. But one thing I do know: whereever Michael Jackson is right now, Michael Jackson wants YOU to know Jesus. Do you?
writerforhire
Who do you know that got this article into The Daily Beast?
It's absolutely crap. It attempts to make an articulate argument for an impossibility hoping that the majority of Americans or readers have no clue or concept about religion or at the study of religion.
Biblical studies negate everything statement of your argument. The Bible is very clear on how salvation is received. It is a free gift; it cannot be bought even by the outpouring of multiple millions of dollars and good, even very good works. It is through a belief and verbal statement (by one's self is fine) of the existence and deity of Christ; a profession that Jesus Christ is the son of God; He is the Christ. He was born of the Virgin birth, conceived by the Holy Spirit; lived a sinless life and was sold out by his trusted associate, Judas, (the one who held the money) was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. He carried the sins of the world as he walked the Via Del Rosa; was spit upon, hated and ultimately crucified. He was buried and in three days rose again and every demon in hell could not stop the resurrection of Christ. He also appeared to many individuals after the resurrection and then ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God; where he sits today.
Modern Christians should be welcoming of all religions and we while are a diverse nation it is still the word of God that divides between even bone and marrow. According to Hebrew 4:12, "For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow and is the discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.
Your argument of being mentally challenged religiously is an argument captive to your own imaginations and creating a doctrine on a single biblical verse. Many cult leaders have found the same freedom to lead countless lost and longing souls to some kind of false peace by building a doctrine on one contorted biblical verse.
Any doctrine; a doctrine that supports X, a doctrine that supports Y, a doctrine that supports Z basically a doctrine that supports your theory or opinion or enslavement are what people look for when they long for biblical approval or rationalization for their actions under the umbrella of Christ. Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty (freedom) by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." This doesn't need explanation we all know what a bondage yoke resembles. It weighs a person down.
I can't locate the scripture associated with your age of reasoning although if you are speaking about I Samuel and King David's sorrow, it is important to understand that Christ came to set the captives free to the enslavement of the law. The Old Testament law can never be fulfilled; one can never attain perfection; and Christ, the blood of Christ came to set the captive free.
Is it possible that Michael Jackson was mentally challenged religiously? No. Is it possible that his knowledge of religion enslaved him to a belief that his eternal salvation was assured simply because of knowledge of religion or good works? Yes. Is he first in the kingdom of heaven? Not if you believe the bible.
Am I totally wrong about the Bible and Christ? It's possible. Is Buddhism the right religion or way to salvation; possibly. Is Christianity; possibly.
This is one subject that can never be concluded. I believe my way and certainly have the freedom and comfort in my personal beliefs to allow you to believe and speak and debate and "bring forth your strong arguments" regarding yours.
jhr459
You sure took a long time to say-
For the non believer, no argument will suffice; for the believer, no argument is necessary.
JohnHedtke
And just when I thought that the Michael Jackson coverage couldn't possibly got more inane.... It really is straight out of the Weekly World News and should only appear the week after the classic "B-17 Found on Moon!" story. This article is not just scraping the bottom of the barrel, nor is it even below the bottom of the barrel. This article should not even be ~mentioned~ in the same sentence as barrels.
Thank you.
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