{"id":37562,"date":"2008-07-14T12:38:22","date_gmt":"2008-07-14T19:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lookingcloser.wordpress.com\/?p=3693"},"modified":"2013-03-24T16:44:04","modified_gmt":"2013-03-24T22:44:04","slug":"1969-interview-john-lennon-says-he-wanted-beatles-to-focus-on-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lookingcloser\/2008\/07\/1969-interview-john-lennon-says-he-wanted-beatles-to-focus-on-jesus\/","title":{"rendered":"1969 interview: John Lennon Says He Wanted Beatles to Focus on Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Here\u2019s a link<\/a> to the Telegraph<\/em> article on the first broadcast of a 1969 interview with John Lennon<\/strong> that contains some surprising statements about his appreciation for Jesus.
\n<\/p>\n

John Lennon famously claimed the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, even predicting that Christianity would \u201cvanish and shrink\u201d.<\/p>\n

But 28 years after his death, in an interview being broadcast for the first time, he claims that on the contrary, he hoped to encourage people to focus on the Christian faith.<\/p>\n

\u2026<\/p>\n

In the interview, which was recorded in 1969 and is being aired on BBC Radio 4\u2019s Sunday programme, he talks about the Church of England, his vision of heaven, and expresses disappointment at not being allowed to marry his second wife, Yoko Ono, in church.
\n\u2026<\/p>\n

Christians around the world had been dismayed by Lennon\u2019s boast in an article in London\u2019s Evening Standard about the popularity of the Beatles, but the singer says he was misunderstood.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just an expression meaning the Beatles seem to me to have more influence over youth than Christ,\u201d he says. \u201cNow I wasn\u2019t saying that was a good idea, \u2018cos I\u2019m one of Christ\u2019s biggest fans. And if I can turn the focus on the Beatles on to Christ\u2019s message, then that\u2019s what we\u2019re here to do.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now, brace yourself:<\/strong> If this story gets enough attention, we\u2019re likely to see a wave of roaring condemnation from Christians who object to Lennon\u2019s incomplete theological understanding. The rush to point out errors in Lennon\u2019s words will be more aggressive than any positive response to his interest in Christ\u2019s teaching, or any hope that he may have found peace through Christ before his murder. He\u2019s more likely to be punished for his long, meandering spiritual journey than he is to be taken seriously for praising Christ. He\u2019ll be flogged for \u201cseeking\u201d and for not having all the right answers.<\/p>\n

In other words, we\u2019ll see the kind of reaction that discourages seekers from looking to the church in the first place.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Trent Ernst for the link!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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