Column by Michael Jackson's rabbi

[LG Gone Wild]

Though I am sad about MJ's death but it seems like all these people on TV and fans forgot his perversions. Sorry, I don't believe he was innocent of child m*lestation. at. all. Anyway, Rabbi Schmuley wrote a touching column. Always liked this Rabbi.

 

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1245924935526&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

[Remudamom]

I'm with you, he was just too weird. I'm glad it's not my problem, and really, I won't miss him.

[Cricket]

That is very sad. My dh, who doesn't like many people and always believes the worst, does not believe the accusations against Michael Jackson. He thinks he was majorly screwed up and probably the only people that didn't treat him like a freak were children so he surrounded himself with them. Or he was trying to get back to some normal time before he was famous and maybe even a little bit happy. Such a sad life.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Thanks for posting this. I felt like I must have sounded like a heel yesterday when I texted to my friend, "Parents everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief. Michael Jackson is dead!"

 

Now, my children were never in danger of accidentally hanging out with Michael, but......I still feel a bit safer knowing that there is one less pedophile in the world.

[LG Gone Wild]

He thinks he was majorly screwed up and probably the only people that didn't treat him like a freak were children so he surrounded himself with them. Or he was trying to get back to some normal time before he was famous and maybe even a little bit happy. Such a sad life.

 

That could be true or simply a part of being a predator.

[Cricket]

That could be true or simply a part of being a predator.

 

That could be true too!

[Elisabeth in IL]

That is very sad. My dh, who doesn't like many people and always believes the worst, does not believe the accusations against Michael Jackson. He thinks he was majorly screwed up and probably the only people that didn't treat him like a freak were children so he surrounded himself with them. Or he was trying to get back to some normal time before he was famous and maybe even a little bit happy. Such a sad life.

I'm not sure he was guilty either. Just allegations can really hurt someones reputation and life and people use allegations all the time to try and get what they want. A friend's brother was accused by his 10 year old step-daughter because she was "mad" at him. She also made threats against her bio-father to get him to do what she wanted. The accusations put my friend's brother's life on hold for a couple of years....even though there was no proof and she didn't want to continue with her charges..the police did.

[stripe]

Sad.

 

I heard an interview with Uri Geler, of all people, this AM on the BBC, who claimed that now everyone would only remember him for his music and all the scandal would be immediately forgotten....I found that to be a bit silly. (Especially when his first memory of him, which he seemed to think summed up Michael Jackson's personality was of going to his hotel room, sitting there nervously in an empty room [how he got in is unclear to me], and then out of the bathroom came a shirtless Jackson, saying, "Hi, Uri!" -- ?!)

 

I feel everything about Michael Jackson was unbelievably weird, and kept getting stranger, even when one couldn't believe it possibly could be (dressing up in a [woman's] black overgarment complete with scarf and face veil while in Bahrain?!) -- I ultimately feel the saddest about his children, who were deliberately kept away from their mother(s), and what will happen to them, and how can they be raised to be healthy individuals?

[Annie Laurie]

Though I am sad about MJ's death but it seems like all these people on TV and fans forgot his perversions. Sorry, I don't believe he was innocent of child m*lestation. at. all.

 

I couldn't agree more.

[Harriet Vane]

It seems like all these people on TV and fans forgot his perversions. Sorry, I don't believe he was innocent of child m*lestation. at. all.

 

:iagree:

[Spy Car]

I find it very strange (and disconcerting) that a Rabbi would write:

 

"...what most frightened me was not that he would be arrested again for child molestation, although he later was. Rather it was that he would die."

 

Bill

[elizabeth]

What a wise and caring man. Thanks for sharing this very thought provoking piece.

[LG Gone Wild]

I find it very strange (and disconcerting) that a Rabbi would write:

 

"...what most frightened me was not that he would be arrested again for child molestation, although he later was. Rather it was that he would die."

 

Bill

 

Maybe he believe MJ to be innocent. I dunno. You could e-mail him and ask him what he meant. It is a strange statement.

[Highereducation]

Yep, my dh's comment was "one less Perv in the world."

 

I simply find it odd that of all the people who have died in the last couple of days (famous or otherwise) the media seems to be all over the MJ thing. They kept at it w/o breaking for the weather or traffic or anything else at all! MJ, MJ 24/7 -yuck. How about Farrah or Ed? Weren't they just as famous?

 

I think they're all over MJ because he tried so hard to protect his privacy. And, let's face it, he was weird. With all due respect, of course, but he was weird. Eccentric. And all of the weirdness and secrecy gives the media a lot to speculate about now.

[Emmy]

How about Farrah or Ed? Weren't they just as famous?

 

No, they weren't. And they certainly weren't as weird!

 

ITA with the original poster.....

[abreakfromlife]

 

They kept at it w/o breaking for the weather or traffic or anything else at all! MJ, MJ 24/7 -yuck. How about Farrah or Ed? Weren't they just as famous?

I'd rather see 24-7 coverage of Neda than I would of Hollywood types. At least she's more deserving of it and it's for a better cause.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

That is very sad. My dh, who doesn't like many people and always believes the worst, does not believe the accusations against Michael Jackson. He thinks he was majorly screwed up and probably the only people that didn't treat him like a freak were children so he surrounded himself with them. Or he was trying to get back to some normal time before he was famous and maybe even a little bit happy. Such a sad life.

:iagree:

[Impish]

The Rabbi didn't even get the number of children right. He had 3 children, not two. I wonder how well Rabbi S knew him. Perhaps 10 years ago, but certainly not well enough to keep track of the kids.

[NorthwestMom]

I just think it's really sad how unhappy he was for much of his life. Yes, he was very talented and made great music - but does it matter if you are so unhappy that your alienation is surgically written across your face?

[Heather in VA]

How about Farrah or Ed? Weren't they just as famous?

 

No - they weren't nearly as famous or influential on their respective craft. Also, Farrah's death has been imminent for months and Ed was 86. Not that it doesn't make it tragic, but it definatley doesn't make it as shocking. And yea - Michael was way weirder than either Farrah or Ed.

 

But bottom line is Michael is far more famous so the story will be far more extensive.

 

Heather

[Lovedtodeath]

Though I am sad about MJ's death but it seems like all these people on TV and fans forgot his perversions. Sorry, I don't believe he was innocent of child m*lestation. at. all. Anyway, Rabbi Schmuley wrote a touching column. Always liked this Rabbi.

 

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1245924935526&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

Wow! great article.

[ereks mom]

Such a sad life.

 

He started out so... normal (or at least he once seemed to be), but when he started getting... eccentric, I started to feel sorry for him. He was obviously a terribly unhappy, unfulfilled individual. I found it so heart-wrenching that in spite of money, fame, etc., he always seemed to be in search of... something... that he apparently never found.

 

As a Christian, my belief is that Jesus Christ is what all of us are seeking, whether we ever realize it or not. It is so tragic that Michael Jackson, from all indications, never found peace through Christ.

[stripe]

I find it very strange (and disconcerting) that a Rabbi would write:

 

"...what most frightened me was not that he would be arrested again for child molestation, although he later was. Rather it was that he would die."

 

That is weird.

 

I find Rabbi Schmuley Boteach to be a bit strange in a few ways, but in any event, I think it's incorrect to identify him as MJ's rabbi, since MJ wasn't Jewish. (As far as I know.)

[Annie Laurie]

I find it very strange (and disconcerting) that a Rabbi would write:

 

"...what most frightened me was not that he would be arrested again for child molestation, although he later was. Rather it was that he would die."

 

Bill

 

That one stumped me too.

[Tree House Academy]

Having had someone in my family wrongly accused of a sex crime makes me feel differently about MJ in that respect. The man accused was my dad. He was accused by his then step-daughter. For almost a year, he was presumed guilty, because, in sex crimes, that is kind of the way it goes. The girl made up horrendous stories - stories that she included my sister in - things she said she had seen and heard. In the end, it was all a lie. She had intercourse at the age of 8 with a boy behind the mall dumpster. Her story finally unfolded, she admitted to her lies (it was hard when she accused my dad of being with my sister in front of her, but then my sister had an exam and was found to have never had intercourse!). Anyway, the entire ordeal was humiliating and life altering - and WHY? Because some little girl decided to lie.

 

MJ was famous, had tons of money, and had people "wondering" for a long time because he surrounded himself with children. You can't tell me that the allegations weren't possibly an attempt to cash in on the superstar's fortune. I don't know if the man is innocent or not. It is not for me to decide. However, I have heard so much talk about "what if he did..."...WHAT IF HE DIDN'T? Then what? Who are we to judge him?

 

The facts are that he made an impact on music, he was obviously a tortured soul, and now he has passed. My heart goes out to the family.

[PineFarmMom]

It's been one day since he died, and I am already so sick of hearing about it. I want to call the media and say: LET'S. MOVE. ON!! He was a talented but mentally unbalanced musician. I'm sad for his family and sad for his life, but I think there are more pressing matters for the media to be covering.

[Tree House Academy]

I found it so heart-wrenching that in spite of money, fame, etc., he always seemed to be in search of... something... that he apparently never found.

 

I have often thought of this - I know that sometimes I sit here and think..."oh, if I only had the money to buy this or do that" it would cheer me up...or maybe I would be happier. People like Anna Nicole, MJ, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and many non-famous people find that money and having everything you can possibly buy in the material world is NOT the key to happiness.

[stripe]

MJ was famous, had tons of money, and had people "wondering" for a long time because he surrounded himself with children. You can't tell me that the allegations weren't possibly an attempt to cash in on the superstar's fortune. I don't know if the man is innocent or not. It is not for me to decide. However, I have heard so much talk about "what if he did..."...WHAT IF HE DIDN'T? Then what? Who are we to judge him?

 

The facts are that he made an impact on music, he was obviously a tortured soul, and now he has passed. My heart goes out to the family.

Very sorry to hear about what happened in your family.

 

BUT a famous and wealthy adult male, who has no ulterior motives, should either know or be told, that solitary "sleepovers" with young children without their parents present, have the potential to end up being the fodder for an accusation, if they were indeed innocent. There are plenty of people -- including his former father-in-law (Elvis) -- who have scores of women claiming to have their love child. Lawsuits and claims, whether true or not, are nothing new. It would seem obvious that someone would want to protect his reputation and bank account. That alone showed remarkably bad judgment.

[Bess]

Having had someone in my family wrongly accused of a sex crime makes me feel differently about MJ in that respect. The man accused was my dad. He was accused by his then step-daughter. For almost a year, he was presumed guilty, because, in sex crimes, that is kind of the way it goes. The girl made up horrendous stories - stories that she included my sister in - things she said she had seen and heard. In the end, it was all a lie. She had intercourse at the age of 8 with a boy behind the mall dumpster. Her story finally unfolded, she admitted to her lies (it was hard when she accused my dad of being with my sister in front of her, but then my sister had an exam and was found to have never had intercourse!). Anyway, the entire ordeal was humiliating and life altering - and WHY? Because some little girl decided to lie.

 

MJ was famous, had tons of money, and had people "wondering" for a long time because he surrounded himself with children. You can't tell me that the allegations weren't possibly an attempt to cash in on the superstar's fortune. I don't know if the man is innocent or not. It is not for me to decide. However, I have heard so much talk about "what if he did..."...WHAT IF HE DIDN'T? Then what? Who are we to judge him?

 

The facts are that he made an impact on music, he was obviously a tortured soul, and now he has passed. My heart goes out to the family.

 

MJ admitted in an interview that he slept in the same bed with visiting little boys. By his own admission, it proves that he is completely out of touch with what is even considered abnormal and sick to other people. I don't need a conviction by a jury to judge whether he is a safe person around children or not.

[Karen sn]

Very sorry to hear about what happened in your family.

 

BUT a famous and wealthy adult male, who has no ulterior motives, should either know or be told, that solitary "sleepovers" with young children without their parents present, have the potential to end up being the fodder for an accusation, if they were indeed innocent. There are plenty of people -- including his former father-in-law (Elvis) -- who have scores of women claiming to have their love child. Lawsuits and claims, whether true or not, are nothing new. It would seem obvious that someone would want to protect his reputation and bank account. That alone showed remarkably bad judgment.

 

Yes. One would think he would have been more careful.

Just Wednesday I went on the hike with my dd's camp. A little girl needed to pee so I walked her to a spot where no one would see her - but I stayed in the path, clearly visible. I was covering my own a$$. That's what you do when you are with other people's kids and you don't know the people!

 

But he was so far removed. If he did not mole$t any kids - he was just so innocent and stupid. So he's either really smart and guilty or innocent and dumb. Either way it's sad. His mom gave him hormones to keep his voice young. I wonder if that had any effect on his growth mentally as a man.

[Orthodox6]

One always should pray that God have mercy on the soul of a departed person.

 

Beyond that, however. . . As a person, Mr. Jackson was creepy beyond words. As a musician, his contributions were so hideous as to be impossible to enjoy listening to. I can credit him for being an athletic jumper, but not for anything else. I honestly never have understood his popularity. On the other hand, I don't kow-tow to celebrities of any type, so my observations are strongly "minority view."

[LUV2EDU]

I find it very strange (and disconcerting) that a Rabbi would write:

 

"...what most frightened me was not that he would be arrested again for child molestation, although he later was. Rather it was that he would die."

 

Bill

 

Maybe he was trying to say that being accused and sent to prison for molestation was the least of Michael's worries. His soul was on the line. Death had been knocking at his door, and Micheal would soon answer.

Edited June 26, 2009 by LUV2EDU

[Spy Car]

Maybe he was trying to say that being accused and sent to prison for molestation was the least of Micheal's worries. His soul was on the line. Death had been knocking at his door, and Micheal would soon answer.

 

Perhaps. But this strikes me as a rather more Christian-like way of looking at it than I would expect of a Rabbi, whose primary concern I would expect would be that no more children be molested first and foremost.

 

Bill

[LUV2EDU]

Perhaps. But this strikes me as a rather more Christian-like way of looking at it than I would expect of a Rabbi, whose primary concern I would expect would be that no more children be molested first and foremost.

 

Bill

 

:iagree: Since the family were friends with Michael, I can only assume that they believed Michael was innocent.

Edited June 26, 2009 by LUV2EDU

[ConnieB]

. How about Farrah or Ed? Weren't they just as famous?

 

 

:iagree: Farrah was no saint, but after seeing her documentary a month or so ago, I developed a real respect for a very strong woman. I wish her death would have been able to get the coverage that she deserved. Sadly, it won't.

[emmsmama]

I don't know if MJ hurt little boys or not, however the thing that baffles me is people rarely bring up how odd it was that the parents allowed the unsupervised sleepovers in the first place. If MJ did hurt those boys then imo the parents were almost as guilty for putting their kids in that position. We aren't talking about him having some kids over for a fun day at the amusement park and sneaking into the house to do something with them, we are talking about parents KNOWINGLY letting their boys have sleepovers at a grown man's house without supervision. I wouldn't be surprised if some sick parents purposely put their kids in that position to try to get $$ out of the situation. MJ was an easy target because he was so eccentric.