Michael Jackson’s next funeral may be in violation of his mother’s religion.
The new funeral is set to take place on August 29th, which would have been Michael’s 51st birthday. The problem is, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays. It’s one of the reasons Michael left the religion in 1987.
But his mother has been a member of the sect for over 30 years. So have several of Michael’s siblings. (Jermaine, who became Muslim, is not.)
According to the group’s online site, The Watchtower:
“The only two birthday celebrations spoken of in the Bible were held by persons who did not worship Jehovah. (Genesis 40:20-22; Mark 6:21, 22, 24-27) The early Christians did not celebrate birthdays. The custom of celebrating birthdays comes from ancient false religions. True Christians give gifts and have good times together at other times during the year.”
So choosing Michael’s birthday as a day of celebration is a little odd, and may cause some trouble for Katherine.
Here’s what The Watchtower has to say about funerals in general:
“Throughout the years, Jehovah’s Witnesses have thoroughly exposed unscriptural funeral customs. Such customs include wakes, the pouring of libations, talking to and making requests of the dead, ceremonious observances of funeral anniversaries, and other customs based on the belief that something in a person survives death. Such God-dishonoring customs are ‘unclean,’ an ‘empty deception’ based on ‘the tradition of men’ and not on God’s Word of truth. Isaiah 52:11; Colossians 2:8.”
This latest funeral will launch a number of birthday celebrations for Michael around the world. Spike Lee has already announced one that’s supposed to take place in Brooklyn.
Religion is a sticky issue. And it may come up in the Jackson house soon. Michael did not raise his kids as Jehovah’s Witnesses. But if they’re living under the guardianship of Katherine Jackson, one wonders whether or not Prince, Paris and Blanket will be allowed to celebrate their birthdays anymore.
August 19th, 2009 at 8:20 am
I doubt this will be an issue since everyone in the family has said that the final decision on burial rested with Katherine. Therefore she must have picked the place,day and time. All of my first cousins are witnesses and they would have no problem with this because it is not a celebration, it is a burial, two different things.
As a child, Janet said she was allowed to have birthday presents so I am sure the children will have the same or have a special day set aside which is what the family usually did in lieu of birthdays. That is why even though Joe is not a Witness he never holds his celebrations on his actual birthday out of respect for Katherine’s beliefs.
In 2005 Micheal was taking his kids to the Kingdom Hall so they are familiar with it.
August 19th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Wow! Finally someone talks about the kids and their grandmother’s religion! I was absolutely shocked when pictures emerged showing them being taken to the Jehova’s Witnesses shortly after Michael’s death. They are still kids and very vulnerable at the moment. I am afraid they will have no chance to form their own opinion or choose their religion.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Roger i think the children would still be able to celebrates birthdays and chrustmas, the other grandchildren that live with katherine and also go to kingdom hall do celebrate birthdays and chistmas ; there are pictures all over facebook and myspace of them doing this.
Even katherine jackson in recent years , especially since the family moved to LA have not been really strict on issues like birthdays and christmas, they is a video on youtube of michael singing to her at het big 5oth bithday party; so yes even she does celebrate it sometimes.
From what i read about the Jackson family katherine encourages her family members to follw thw faith but she never forces any of them to do so, in her autobiography she said even from the early days it was only rebbe,michael and La Toya that were really intrested in it, janet and randy were occasional church goers but weren’t really into it and the other children didn’t have intrest in it;so i gather that the family let their kids make their own decisions
August 19th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Isn’t the desolation great enough without having to worry about whether or not a Jehovah witness celebrates birthdays. Forest Lawn is a wonderful choice, the thought of his remaing in a deep freeze was unbearable. He would have been performing or giving it a last test and the 29th is his birthday, so be it, many of us will find some finality. We all want him back, we all want him back.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Isn’t the desolation great enough without having to worry about whether or not a Jehovah witness celebrates birthdays. Forest Lawn is a wonderful choice, the thought of his remaining in a deep freeze was unbearable. He would have been performing or giving it a last test and the 29th is his birthday, so be it, many of us will find some finality. We all want him back, we all want him back.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Why do u hate katherine jackson so much? did u hear jermaine jackson saying on larry king that they will not be raised as jehovah witnesses?! Get out of debbie rowe ass she doesnt want those kids anyway
August 19th, 2009 at 9:36 am
I have known Witnesses and am boiling about the “true Christian” statement and hope Michael’s children will live and grow w/o the sick statement that ONLY Witnesses are true Christians. They want to believe only what is in their version of the bible. Like Jesus didn’t die on the cross but a torture stake. And they have never heard of Lilith. Do Not come knocking on my door. The Jacksons follow different paths so it could be nothing more than a full circle for them. Will Katherine be excommunicated or shunned, doubtful.
August 19th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Could it be that they choosing this day perharps because it does not mean anything to them seeing that they do not celebrate birthdays? The day mean something to the rest of us but maybe to them it just like any other day? I think saying that Katherine will get in trouble with her religion is just streching it a little.
August 19th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Wasn’t Michael excommunicated by the JWs in the eighties after fallout from his Thriller video among other things? Before that he was a devout aspiring JW as I understand it. This means that he may have wanted to raise his kids JW, but couldn’t, since he was excommunicated. In any case, I’m sure he knew that having mom Katherine as guardian meant his kids would be raised JW, as he and his siblings were and could decide as adults which spiritual path to take, as he and his siblings did. I don’t see it as such a big deal really.
August 19th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
My first thought is of the children and the memories they will have as they grow up– remembering celebrating their father’s birthday with him… and his burial. What kind of potential trauma, allbeit possibly not thought of, will this place on them?
Why did they select his birthday, of all days? I’m just looking for the logic behind it. The decision is theirs– but it just really makes no sense why they picked his birthday. After all, he’ll have been dead for just over 2 months… and I’m sure they received his brain back a few weeks ago.
August 19th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
why doesn’t kathrine alone with all the jehovah’s witnesses die the fuck off…they,and their fucking religion.FACE IT-MJ quit from this shit in 1987,and he celebrated xmas and birthdays.for fuck’s sake u stupid fuckers-we should burn u alive with your bibles
August 19th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Have any of you thought for a second that they had to wait until Michael’s brain was returned and before making a final decision on where and then the security of his grave. The family may have also had to try and deal with coordinate everyone’s schedule? Janet was working on a movie and it appears that she is now back in LA – assuming that she is finished or almost finished with that project.
Since Debbie converted to Judism, any child born by her would also be Jewish and I am sure she considers them to be that, Jewish. She still has parental rights, do she not have a say over their religion? Who knows what they have agreed upon since they have come to terms with the custody agreement earlier this month. If Katherine Jackson didn’t make her children follow her religion, why make Michael’s and Debbie’s children then?
August 19th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Katherine knows that the children were not brought up as strict Jehovah’s Witnesses; I also think that Michael would probably have spoken to his mother at some point about how he would want the children raised religiously (or not). At any rate, it seems that there has been some flexibility there on her part over the years; and there is a balance, with some of the other siblings not following the religion. What would concern me more is the post from yesterday, saying that the family was cutting a deal with ABC to turn over home movies, etc., and even let the children be publicly interviewed! These children need tlc and should be left alone to try and adjust and lead normal lives, not be involved in tv specials about their father, with private family memories being sold to the highest bidder! I wonder if these kids even have a chance, surrounded by this type of atmosphere.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
First, Roger, great column; have been reading you for years. Keep it coming…
Now on to MJ: Jehovah Witnesses will not celebrate an actual birthday, but they will give you a gift the week before or after….c’mon, what’s the difference? I told my JW friend that we will have to agree to disagree on that. While I don’t agree with over the top birthday parties, etc., the days that my children were born were the best days of my life and I will celebrate them. And what if the children should ever need a blood transfusion? Jehovah’s are strictly against that. I have searched the scriptures (don’t have them handy) on that and I still don’t see how they make the leap to no blood transfusion. Do they really think that the ancient, sheep herding world considered blood transfusion??? The Jackson family should continue the religious traditions that Michael started or maintained for his family. Not only would it honor Michael, and his wishes, but the children, too.
I hope that Debbie Rowe would follow Michael’s wishes on this subject matter also. These children are so young; it would be best to maintain the core structure of the life they had when their father was alive.
And, I suppose asking the paparazzi to leave the children alone would be a futile request…
August 20th, 2009 at 5:28 am
It’s all about the Benjamin’s with this family that’s all.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:15 am
What a creepy way to mark his birthday. Of course they chose this day on purpose. Otherwise they’d have buried him earlier.
And the brain has been returned, as the LADC said. More than 10 days ago.
August 20th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Exactly, I totally agree with you Roger, the sect will be a problem for MJs kids, Michael never raised them as Jehovahs Witnesses, and now Katherine forces the kids to be the manipulated by this sect.
I have real worries that Michaels money and asset will be used as donations for this sect, the kids were happy with Michael, he did know why he protected them, now they are manipulated by Katherine and the sect.
August 20th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
So now Joe says he will not be buried on his birthday because of ‘organizational problems’,I cannot explain it but the thought that there is no ritual for him is agonizing to me, his remains should be put to rest, all the procrastination makes one wonder if the family is just milking the headlines. The world is laughing at them and no longer takes their grief seriously.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:05 pm
[...] The most recent announcement was that Michael would be buried on August 29th, his birthday. This seemed odd to this column since Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays. [...]
August 27th, 2009 at 8:53 am
He will be buried on sep 3 .. to end all of your above speculation..jehovahs wittnesses are the only religion that take the bible seriously . accept the watchtower and awake(based on the bible) without slamming your door on them! they don’t get paid for what they do and they do it out of love for god and fellowman. The wittnesses treated micheal the same way that they would treat any one else in the congregation there was no special treatment for him and that was something that michael loved about it which caused him to go back in 2005. His heart was there and he was never able to be apart of any other religion because of that.