Was John Lennon an atheist?

Question

In his song Imagine he said "and no religion too" "no heaven or hell" He asked people to imagine a world where everyone shared all the world but he lived like a king. Was he really a dreamer or just kidding himself?

Answer 1

he wanted PEACE!

Answer 2

John Lennon was never an atheist. He was at some point or another the following: Buddhist, Eastern Mystic, Born Again Christian, Hindu, etc. When he wrote Imagine he was dreaming of a perfect world, one where people don't go to war over religious belief. He said "Imagine there's no heaven" no "There is no heaven". It's a very communist song.
John always believed in a God, he just wasn't sure which one. He studied a lot of different religions in his life. Listen to any of his albums, there is always a reference to a God Almighty, even his home demo recording at the time of his death. Listen to his last interview, the one recorded hours before he died.

Answer 3

It should read John Lennon was. Is implies he is still alive, and well, we all know that he isn't. John Lennon was a founding member of The Beatles, and half of the very successful writing duo of Lennon/McCartney. He was a peace advocate for a number of years, as well as a husband and father of two. After a long absence from the music scene John was just begining to start a new phase of his career when he was gunned down outside his New York home.

Answer 4

I would say that Imagine is written more along the lines of Communism. Look at the words and then realize Lennon loved Russia. Go ahead give me thumbs down I really don't cry about it. I did however study Russian & German history and we discussed it. The words are very much what a communist country is like.

Answer 5

He didn't live like a king, just very well. By no religion, he meant no organized religion that preaches to people just for making money and gaining power. "No hell below us, above us only sky" are the exact words. Hell is what religion uses to scare you into submission so you would donate more money. Lennon was against that kind of approach, but i do think that he was a ver yspiritual person...just very discontent.

Answer 6

Imagine if we took all the wealth that we have sunk into the religious cults around the world, and instead devoted the resources and the love and the energy to making life better for all of us. Imagine if we also devoted all the wealth that we have sunk into organized hate (like armies and methods of capital punishment) and used it usefully.

Would not this be a fitting glorification of the Most High God? Can any of us who love and serve God stand by while such obscenities continue to drain resources from our young and old, the sick, the injured, the needy?

Click one.org. Join the struggle for humanity.

Answer 7

Heard rumors that he was courting Christianity near the time of this death. I am sure you are aware of his dabbling in Hinduism during the time with the Beatles. Some of the songs of that time represent that on the White album. I think he no longer support that yogi and went his own way.

Answer 8

look whatever he was, the point he was making was, imagine this was the world at peace, and there was no heaven nothing else, this world and that was it... imagine how great it would be if we all were equal everyone was our great neighbor, and there was nothing better to go to (such as heaven) this world... indeed, would be like heaven.... so when he says the words "no heaven or hell etc... he was imaging this perfect world with no religious symbolism behind it.

Answer 9

What he meant was imagine a place where there aren't different religions, imagine a place where everyone is united under one belief system and living in peace.

Answer 10

He was just kidding himself - but I liked his music with the Beatles.

Answer 11

john lennon believed in PEACE but what he din know that men are dumb they need guidelines to live. even with religion men fight.