Looking Back
HOT GALLERY: These Musicians Found Religion—Some of Them Will Surprise You!
You probably know about some of the more famous musicians who have made their faith public—Cat Stevens’ conversion to Islam, Bob Dylan’s to Christianity—but there are many more whose stories may surprise you. Sometimes it’s actually a rediscovery (many of them grew up in religious households, turned away from faith, and then rediscovered it later). So who are these stars who found God? By Nina Hämmerling Smith
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Jermaine Jackson and his wife, Halima Rashid, in 2009
Mohammad Abdul Aziz, a.k.a. Jermaine Jackson, converted to Islam back in 1989. He took a trip to the Middle East with his sister Rebbie; when they arrived in Mecca, he says, he had an instantaneous conversion. “I was searching for completeness.... It was a calling that I felt was in my heart.” Along with his famous siblings, Jermaine was raised a Jehovah’s Witness. Now, he says, “I am so proud to be a Muslim.”
August 16, 2012 at 10:22 am, David Muscalo said:
Religion is the most devisive force on Earth!
August 16, 2012 at 10:51 am, ERS said:
When misapplied.
August 16, 2012 at 2:12 pm, Andy said:
UGH – Yours is a sorrowful statement from someone who has no hope. You live, you die and nothing else. However, There is a hope in Jesus for eternal life. The Bible is a unique book totally without equal. Written over 1500 years by over 40 different authors on a single topic and without error, scientifically and historically accurate and without any contradiction.
David Muscalo – The statement that religion is the most divisive force on earth is based on an ignorance of historical facts. The divisive force is those who are trying to eradicate Christianity and the Jews.
August 16, 2012 at 8:30 pm, kujuboman said:
You truly are dummer than dirty but then you knew that already didn’t you.
March 03, 2013 at 5:08 pm, Cindi said:
> Wow dude, you should be feeling really foolish by now! Go back and re-read what you wrote –your sentence is one embarrassing error after another (grammatically and spelling – wise. YOU CALL BELIEVERS DUMB (NOTICE SPELLING)? YOU should not cast stones, darlin’ (intentional spelling.)
August 16, 2012 at 5:21 pm, Mexseiko said:
Exactly! All are destined to destruction and those who come to Jesus will be saved.
We all come from the same pot, but only some will humble themselves to admit our helpless state and accept the gift of love and salvation.
August 17, 2012 at 6:45 am, Lucky Eddie said:
> Yeah – its right up there with atheism
July 11, 2013 at 8:34 am, brian said:
> man’s religion maybe, but God WILL divide the good from the bad, so do mark your own words…but perhaps in a different way, and so that you are on the right side of the divide…
August 16, 2012 at 11:14 am, Walter said:
Truth is usually divisive. If it’s acceptable to everyone (not divisive), then it’s almost certainly a lie.
August 16, 2012 at 12:08 pm, Staci said:
I agree Walter. Absolute truth is a hard pill to swallow, especially when most think truth is subjective.
August 16, 2012 at 12:19 pm, Ronny said:
Yes, mans truth is subjective. But God’s truth is absolute…Where do you find God’s truth? From God, seek Him and you will find Him, Say’s He.
August 16, 2012 at 1:26 pm, anita jezewski said:
sorry but Islam is not the true religion. the onlly true religion is
God, Jesus and the Holyspirit. If you read it says that there will be many false religons that sound good but lead to hell. if the true Bible and Jesus are false why is it so many people are afraid of it, and fight the christians, and that Christ’s gosple is still as real as before.; read the true Bible and see for yourself. Do not read something that sounds good and not the truth.; hope you people will come to your senses
August 16, 2012 at 1:47 pm, Ugh said:
> I feel sorry for you. Not only are you a closed minded bigot, but you are an adult and you are still afraid of the boogy-man. You worship a false idol. Face it, the big-bang preceded “god” by about 18 billion years, we came from monkeys (not a failed experiment by the boogy-man), and the bible is a book of lies sold to people who cannot think for themselves!
August 16, 2012 at 2:55 pm, obed edom said:
> And Who existed before the big bang & where did He exist 7 tell me when did He begin? He is, He always was, and always will be the Eternal God, the giver of all life, the creator of all things, and the Holy Scriptures say explicitly that He was the Logos, the Way, the Truth and the Life and He became flesh & dwelt amongst us, full of Grace & Truth and He suffered & died as we do and rose from the grave for it could not hold Him and says whosoever believeth upon Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
August 17, 2012 at 6:08 pm, Dracarou said:
All things are possible. Given enough time all things are probable…even self definition.
August 19, 2012 at 1:53 am, cecody said:
> Are you sure about that? You are blind to the truth, deceived by what the world wants you to think. Perhaps you should look at it with an open mind. Ask God to reveal Himself to you. Religion is what man makes up to reach God. Rules, laws etc. But God’s way is Him reaching out to us, He gave us the Bible with all the information about Him & salvation & who He is that we could ever want. But God wants us to do it His way. His Son died on the cross for our sins, so that if we believe in Him we can go to heaven when we die. While we were still sinners Christ died for us.
March 03, 2013 at 5:25 pm, Cindi said:
> Another ignorant comment, in every way. 1. Intelligent Design is the only option that makes sense. 2. If you must foolishly back
evolution, at least get it right! Evolutionists say man is evolved from an ape — not a monkey. Orangutans are the closest to humans, at least genetically.
August 16, 2012 at 6:04 pm, Eric Fritz said:
> And how many people has the bible killed during the cruisades???? Just let people choose their own faith and stop judging them. Religion has killed more people than any other event in history. Quit being a F’ing hypocrite.
August 16, 2012 at 6:55 pm, Bill said:
The Bible or God did not kill people, people killed people. We are given free will and because of this, since we are not robots, people choose to do the opposite of what is God’s will. The reason people think they can do what they want and not follow God’s principles is pride which is basically shaking their fist at God and saying they will do as they want and don’t have to listen to anyone else. Kind of sounds like what a child might say to their parent.
August 17, 2012 at 1:55 pm, Manny Neto said:
There are clear examples in the OT of Yahweh instructing his “in-crowd” to destroy the “out-crowd”. So, this excuse that the bible only reports on the savagery of the day is lubricious and selectively short-sighted.
August 17, 2012 at 1:55 pm, Manny Neto said:
I meant ludicrous! >
August 16, 2012 at 3:28 pm, CWI said:
One thing I have noticed about most atheists, sadly, they seem full of hate and anger. Not sure why. I would suggest that they examine carefully why they “believe” the way they do. Then if they still choose to be an atheist then, well, I would have to respect them for that. But they should realize that atheism is also a “belief system”. The existence of God or an after life can not be proved or disproved, including any mathematical or scientific thought. We have a choice and that choice is made based on a spiritual process not on mathematics or physics. We only have one go-around, make sure your right about this one.
September 19, 2013 at 8:07 pm, rosie said:
>Those who choose to be Atheists will be very surprised on judgment day, for we do have a creator and he is God and God gave us his son Jesus for all of us to be saved from the evil one who is Satan..that lying angel who rebelled against god and who was cast out along with his followers..fallen angels who god gave them the name Demons. The after life is very real, I say this because I saw a man who’d died a week earlier return to watch his mourners at his own funeral back in 1975. It wasn’t a ghoulish experience by no means and he looked as alive as any one there. My sister saw him too so I know we were not imaging it. Since then I know that the spirit world does exist and that we are born with spiritual souls just as the bible tells us. Jesus will return to end the battle between good and evil at the end of the age. Though we will experience a lot of horrific turbulence till then, know that there is a beautiful new world waiting for all those who follow Jesus. Praise his holy name..God bless to all my christian brothers and sisters out there for we will stand before the son of man in his great Glory. We look forward to that day. Amen.
August 16, 2012 at 3:30 pm, Mamala said:
He could NOT have converted AFTER going to Mecca. Only Muslims can go to Mecca.
August 16, 2012 at 3:34 pm, pretty_missm said:
I guess in Islam it is o.k. to marry your brother’s wife – huh, Jermaine, I mean Abdul whatever.
August 16, 2012 at 6:08 pm, Eric Fritz said:
> There are good ole fashion Christians molest their kids daily. Let me not start with history about christians getting married to their closest family members to keep the bloodline pure. You ever take a look at prince charles or any old royalty paintings, its obvious there.
August 16, 2012 at 6:59 pm, Bill said:
Actually, not that different from the old testament hebrew obligation that if a brother died, it was the other brother’s obligation to marry and support the dead brother’s wife and children. Read the story of Ruth. Of course, in those times women did not work or support themselves or children and the only support was the husband. So, it was necessary to have this type of tradition.
August 16, 2012 at 5:22 pm, Patriot said:
Hey Ugh.
If we came (evolved) from monkeys, then why are there still monkeys around? Maybe its time to get a grip on what evolution really is……..and isn’t.
August 16, 2012 at 7:03 pm, Bill said:
If some wish to claim their ancestors as monkeys, that’s fine. Everyone comes from someone or, in apparently, these instances, something.
August 17, 2012 at 7:58 am, Ricky Jimenez said:
> Let me put it out there first that I am a believer, I’m Christian, I believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God in its original language, and Jesus died for the sins of the world. I trust in that propitiation and will go to heaven when I die. That being said, your all caps bold letter screaming and degrading of nonbelievers is not going to win them over, nor does it make you more righteous. Remember it’s, the Love of God that leads one to redemption. Read your own comments and ask yourself, “is this Christ-Like?” Is this how Jesus treated sinners? Is this how Jesus treated anyone? The answer is no. Love without truth is hypocrisy, truth without Love is brutality.
August 16, 2012 at 5:24 pm, SUE POPE said:
My trust is the man that died on a cross and rose again, ascended to heaven and is coming again to set up his kingdom on earth.
August 16, 2012 at 6:54 pm, rebeldrum said:
Do not look at any human being for an example of perfection. Only one person, Jesus Christ, was perfect because he was not only human but also divine, the only Son of God. To judge Christianity, you need to know Jesus and only Jesus who not only came to save us from damnation but to show us the Father. Mortals will fail you.There was an old bumper sticker that said, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven” which pretty much sizes it up. We aim to reflect the nature of Christ, but often fail. When we get to Heaven, then we will be as He is.
August 16, 2012 at 6:58 pm, Shirley said:
Religion is man’s way to God. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit want a relationship with you.. If everyone knew how loving, kind and forgiving they are, everyone would be a lot happier, and more free than they have every been. God is our Pappa Daddy and He is for us, not against us. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. In this time of life, we need His peace. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and reveals the Father’s heart to us through Jesus Christ His son. It doesn’t get any better than this. God is love and when you accept Jesus in your heart and become born again, God’s word says He will never leave me nor forsake me and nothing can separate me from His love. I can take this to the bank, since He is not a man that He would lie. You have nothing to lose …. call out to God, He knows who you are. He knows your hurts, your desires and how you have lived your life. Another thing. We were made in the image of God, we have never evolved from apes. My prayer is for people to come to know the truth about who God really is. Blessings
August 16, 2012 at 8:18 pm, Mac said:
If Jesus is an invention then Christians are fools. If he created the universe, died and rose from the dead and comes again to set up an eternal kingdom with those who believe then those who reject him will bow and then pay the penalty for their own sins. Jesus thus is the most devisive person who ever lived? There is no middle ground with Jesus. Tolerance and moral equivalency don’t fair well in the context of absolute reality.
August 17, 2012 at 8:10 am, Patty said:
I love my Catholic faith; I was never taught to judge others or hate anyone because of their faith or even being an athiest with no faith. When you are content and feel so happy as you are you do not care what others think.
August 17, 2012 at 10:11 am, steve mcilveen said:
To all the lonely souls who have only themselves to rely on.These souls should be thankful to whom it may concern that there is a God.Without Him there would be no athiests.
August 17, 2012 at 1:24 pm, MrPeach said:
Oh my, atheists being bashed again. Well then how about we look at what our delusional brethren have to offer:
steve mcilveen apparently believes atheists are lonely. For most of us this is hardly true. For those who are, it’s usually because they are being shunned by the believers.
Shirley apparently thinks that god has a navel, an appendix and a penis. Weird.
Patriot managed to spew out the major stupid “if we came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?” He apparently is in love with “Answers In Genesis”.
CWI says we are full of hate and anger. Then goes on to spew the thick-headed koan that atheism a “belief system”. Atheist is as much a belief system as off is a TV channel.
Andy said a bunch of nonsense about hope and the afterlife. Atheists have plenty of hope, but only so far as they are alive. Why would we want to live after we die in some kind of kennel for god’s little pets? I don’t find that appealing in the slightest. I’d prefer the dirt.
August 18, 2012 at 5:41 am, NowISee said:
MrPeach is obviously doing a little searching. After all, the article is about people who have found their faith. I’ve never met an Atheist who is truly comfortable in their own skin. Life is much larger and far more mysterious than you think, MrPeach. Deep down we all know this. You may be running from God, but trust me, He is still pursuing you – with love. One day, you’ll see. Proverbs 18:2, 1 Cor. 1:18
August 18, 2012 at 8:24 pm, MrPeach said:
@NowISee: I once was a searcher, after years of being an apatheist/agnostic, and decided to get off the fence. I’m sorry to burst your bubble but I did not get off on your side, nor am I ever likely to cross over. You simply do not understand that to a person with a cause and effect mindset like mine, religion offers NOTHING. Science provides repeatable cause and effect, discerns the reality behind them, then goes on to join facts into larger accumulations of knowledge called theories. Religion simply says “believe” “trust” and worst off all “god loves you”. I’ve read the bible, it’s a book of horrors. If I came across it without the baggage of my upbringing, I would think it stupid, and that the hero of the story if this Satan guy, who only killed a few people, and who enlightened Adam and Eve to Gods wicked lying.
August 22, 2012 at 6:14 am, Norm said:
I am a believer ,,,,I believe that non believers did come from monkeys.
August 22, 2012 at 6:45 am, norm said:
Once you are a believer, you will never become a non believer. Most non believers, will become BELIEVERS. Believers never give a non believers a thought.
August 30, 2012 at 11:46 am, Joe said:
If the universe is ruled by cause and effect, which it is, there would have to be an un-caused cause. There has to be the existence of a perfect, eternal, and therefore metaphysical being(?). Something had to start the chain of events and organize the laws that govern existence.
September 01, 2012 at 12:03 pm, LORA ANN said:
GOD, is the most wonderful experience a person will ever have. If you are a true believer you know that GOD gave HIS life for everyone, so that all would have the chance for life after death.We as christians should always pray for the non believers..GOD,died for all sinners.HE left us with a free will to choose our destiny.It is your choice heaven or hell.