Why did John Lennen say he was more popular than Christ Jesus?

Question

He thought he was better than Jesus & led teenagers to think so also?

What does that make John Lennen?

europhreek, I think you shouldn't accuse me of wanting to murder John Lennon. I am a Christian, not a murderer. But, John Lennon didn't ever confess Jesus Christ his Lord & Savior & led teenagers to follow him & his music rather that Jesus. He needed salvation, not to be murdered.

Hogbe, my spelling isn't as good as I'd like because I am just getting over a puking flue & can't drink coffee. So, I have a tendency to make more spelling errors.

simonT, thanks for the web site. But it said that Bob Dylan was born again. That John Lennon had a problem with this. Since, John was drawn to Christ then rejected Christ. But today, Bob Dylan doesn't seem like a saved man.

thanks for web site 'newsoftheodd.com'. But John Lennon was interested in Jesus for a short time then, when saw spirits leaving him and new ones replacing him, he rejected Jesus. Something to do with scripture that when a demon leaves & comes back seeing person empty comes back with 7 meaner demons & they all enter. I think John Lennon didn't understand is that when a person is born again, then the Holy Spirit seals the person. They are filled with the Holy Spirit, so the demons can't come back, because Jesus is in persons heart. So, Bob Dylan gets born again (I question that) & John Lennon is only glad that John Lennon was saved from God, from this suicide. And doesn't care that much about John Lennon.

I mean doesn't care about Bob Dylans conversion.

Answer 1

It was a joke. A flip off the cuff comment. Read the about the original context:

http://www.newsoftheodd.com/content/view/212/29

Get over it.

Even if Lennon had not said this, he was still an atheist. Would you still burn his records?

Billy Joel is an atheist too. So are R.E.M. are you going to burn their records too and protest about them?


And it is Lennon, not Lennen. Have the grace to get it right.

Answer 2

John: "If I had said television is more popular than Jesus, I might have got away with it, but I just happened to be talking to a friend and I used the words "Beatles" as a remote thing, not as what I think - as Beatles, as those other Beatles like other people see us. I just said "they" are having more influence on kids and things than anything else, including Jesus. But I said it in that way which is the wrong way."

And then, five months later, on July 29, a teen magazine in the US of A (land of the free, especially religious freedom), Datebook, reprinted the quote out of context instead of submerged in an article, and used it as a part of a front cover story.

Answer 3

It's a rather sad example of taking something someone said out of context and demonizing them for it.

The reporter who recorded John's statement that the Beatles had become more popular than Jesus later tried to explain:

"John was certainly not comparing the Beatles with Christ. He was simply observing that so weak was the state of Christianity that the Beatles were, to many people, better known. He was deploring, rather than approving, this."

John himself later said, "I believe Jesus was right, Buddha was right, and all of those people like that are right. They're all saying the same thing — and I believe it. I believe what Jesus actually said — the basic things he laid down about love and goodness — and not what people say he said..."
.

Answer 4

John Lennon (try learning how to SPELL) NEVER SAID HE WAS BETTER THAN JESUS OR ANY OTHER MYTHICAL BEING. All he said was that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. It was just a joke for which he later apologized.

But in point of fact it is true: THE BEATLES ARE STILL MORE POPULAR THAN JESUS BECAUSE YOU CAN AT LEAST HEAR THEM ON THE RADIO...when was the last time Jesus got any air time? The Beatles are more popular because THEY ARE REAL. Jesus is a big fat lie.

GROW UP AND OPEN YOUR MIND.

Answer 5

I believe he meant that at that time, 1963 or so, The Beatles were so popular they might have given even Jesus a run for His money...I do not think Lennon meant he was greater than Jesus...

Answer 6

He never said HE was more popular than Jesus. He said the Beatles were and the time he was right. I didn't see Jesus selling out concerts halls at a record rate. I didn't see Jesus having almost every album they produced go platinum. And that was before the internet, cable channels, and advertising on the world wide mass media.

Answer 7

He never said he was better than Jesus. That is just another fundie myth to get rid of "satanic rock n roll". When John Lennon said they were more popular he spoke the truth. More people had heard of the Beatles than had heard of god. That was all he said.

Answer 8

You mean John Lennon?

At the time he was right, I was around then and he was more popular than Jesus. Of course that's not what he meant. He said that in an English interview and no one in Europe thought anything about it. It was 4 months after the interview when the nutball evangelists in the US got word of it that it became a big deal

Answer 9

He said POPULAR not BETTER! He was talking about the crowds that thronged to see his band. It was his way of saying,"UNBELIEVABLE!" That makes Lennon an expressive poet who uses similes and such. Made him a good songwriter too. That's one reason why his music was so POPULAR! He would probably tell you,"What does that mean about the teenagers?"

Answer 10

He apologized later on did you know that? What you have to know about John Lennon is that although he was a genius, he was also doing a lot of drugs.