17 replies to this topic

[Moses Jones]

I was thinking the Hollywood Bowl show the other day and about Jim's wearing of a cross at the show.

Somewhere I had read that he told Ray or someone when asked before the show about wearing the cross and he was said to have replied
" the image will confuse them..."

Of course I have seen his baptismal certificate at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but I was wondering if Jim thought of himself as a Christian in any capacity?

I thought about these lyrics:




Persian night, babe, see the light, babe
Save us!, jesus!, save us!
So when the music’s over
When the music’s over, yeah
When the music’s over
Turn out the lights

And this part of a poem:

I am a Scot, or so
I’m told. Really
the heir of Mystery
Christians

I searched for the photo of him wearing the cross at the Hollywood Bowl show and found this one instead -


Of course we really may have no way of ever knowing for sure. But I figured it might make an interesting topic to discuss here.

[Moses Jones]

If an internet thread fell in the middle of a forrest and nobody replied, would it still make a sound?

[mojosmoothy]

I was thinking the Hollywood Bowl show the other day and about Jim's wearing of a cross at the show.

Somewhere I had read that he told Ray or someone when asked before the show about wearing the cross and he was said to have replied
" the image will confuse them..."

Of course I have seen his baptismal certificate at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but I was wondering if Jim thought of himself as a Christian in any capacity?

I thought about these lyrics:




Persian night, babe, see the light, babe
Save us!, jesus!, save us!
So when the music’s over
When the music’s over, yeah
When the music’s over
Turn out the lights

And this part of a poem:

I am a Scot, or so
I’m told. Really
the heir of Mystery
Christians

I searched for the photo of him wearing the cross at the Hollywood Bowl show and found this one instead -


Of course we really may have no way of ever knowing for sure. But I figured it might make an interesting topic to discuss here.

Yeah Moses,JDM was raised catholic so as you know after that there isn't much escaping that influence in your life,he also used to go to a church close to elektra and hang sometimes when he needed a break from the studio,enjoy the sanctity of it.This what I know.T

[Sacha]

Yes - Jim was Roman Catholic.

I am also Roman Catholic, I attend church sometimes, and to be honest I believe some and leave some.

I can only imagine Jim growing up going to church every Sunday was a must!
There are a lot of Doors songs such as "Take it as it comes" that comes from church passages ect..

Time to live
Time to laugh
Time to die

I'm heard many priest say this in sermons on Sunday church.  They also use it with funerals.

Let’s not forget that in the 50s church was an obligation. Times have changed.

[gotothelight]

I do not think Jim was Catholic. I believe his family was either Methodist or Presbyterian. I can't remember which.

[mojosmoothy]

I do not think Jim was Catholic. I believe his family was either Methodist or Presbyterian. I can't remember which.

Religiously bacchanalian!

[DeadAsADoorNail]

Jim was more in the tradition of the Mysteries of Babylon. A belief that started with the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and then finally carried over into Judaism as it morphed into Christianity. The Sun (son)/God tradition.

These Fascinating radio shows from the early 1990's explains it - Hosted by Bill Milton Cooper!

BILL COOPER - MYSTERY BABYLON SERIES - ANTIQUITIES

"Mystery Babylon is a series of shortwave radio broadcasts made by former naval intelligence officer and author Milton William Cooper, which originally aired on his show, The Hour of the Time, on WWCR in 1993-1994. The title refers to mystery religions, and the biblical figure the Whore of Babylon. The series, a culmination of over 30 years of research into the history of the Mystery Schools, Freemasonry, and the New World Order, consists of 42 audio tapes and 1 video tape. Over the course of the series, Cooper gives an extensive background of the occult history and origins of secret societies throughout history and up to the present day. Starting with the dawn of man, Cooper brings the listener through the Egyptian mystery religion of Isis and Osiris and on to the beginnings of the secret society networks from the Assassins to the Freemasons and on to the Nazis, and explains how their belief in ancient wisdom and rituals is preserved and practiced by various social, religious, and political groups, such as the Bohemian Club, the Skull and Bones, and Rosicruscians, to this day."

http://www.hourofthetime.com/radioshow.html

[Moses Jones]

If I recall correctly he was baptized a Presbyterian.  After I read Thomas Paine's The Age Of Reason I pretty much lost faith in any organized religion.


I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.
Groucho Marx

[mewsical]

Jim used to go to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, directly across from Sunset Sound, but not to worship, just to be in a church I think.  I used to go there as well, to light candles.  It's a Catholic church.  I was raised High Anglican (otherwise known as the Episcopalians.)  I'm pretty sure that Jim was not a Catholic.  

[mewsical]

On the subject of Jim and religion, I recently found out that a relative of Jim's, through his mother's family, was the inspiration for the Great American Novel by Sinclair Lewis, "Elmer Gantry," which was also a very successful movie, starring Burt Lancaster.  Jim was doing some family history research on this ancestor at one time.  There were many similarities between Jim and his preacher ancestor!

[mojosmoothy]

I heard Jim was Jewish and into the Cabala,he would hit the deli's down on Fairfax for chicken liver's washed down with Manischewitz,gallons of it,then off to temple.Really

[Moses Jones]

I heard Jim was Jewish and into the Cabala,he would hit the deli's down on Fairfax for chicken liver's washed down with Manischewitz,gallons of it,then off to temple.Really

" Oy vey" - Yiddish for WTF?

[bikerbrom]

I saw this little clue in his poem 'As I look back':

"I rebelled against church
After phases of
Fervor"

His poems seem to be quite personal, so there's a good chance he was referring to his own experiences, I reckon.

[Next Little Girl]

I saw this little clue in his poem 'As I look back':

"I rebelled against church
After phases of
Fervor"

His poems seem to be quite personal, so there's a good chance he was referring to his own experiences, I reckon.

I thought the same thing when I read the above biker,


It doesn't take much to rebel against the church; it takes a lot to be fervent.

So, he likely found out as most do eventually, that it's almost not living at all to follow a strict rule on one's life. Whereas, I think he went the opposite direction for a time, deciding that all the Dionysian overkill was truly living- only to decide in the end upon something in-between: something sacred which touches upon art, something that respects creation and all aspects of humanity, the body meets mind, rather than denying the body.

He had a short life, so he had a shorter amount of time to discover truth for himself, making him very mature for 27, and coming through the end of life with probably a pretty good idea of his own soul, which is really something more akin to "spiritual" than religious. I think he likely discovered that religion misses soul in exchange for cash and was disillusioned.


"Money beats soul
every god damn time"
- Jim Morrison



~Sheri

[mewsical]

The 'soul' he was referring to was soul music, the remark was made to Ahmet Ertegun, the president of Atlantic Records, who was courting the Doors at the time.  Atlantic specialized in blues and soul music in those days. Eve Babitz was present when the remark was made.

[bikerbrom]

The 'soul' he was referring to was soul music, the remark was made to Ahmet Ertegun, the president of Atlantic Records, who was courting the Doors at the time.  Atlantic specialized in blues and soul music in those days. Eve Babitz was present when the remark was made.

presumably he was making an ironic comment? I doubt that was his personal belief, judging by his apparently rabid commitment to his own music/writing.

[Moses Jones]

The 'soul' he was referring to was soul music, the remark was made to Ahmet Ertegun, the president of Atlantic Records, who was courting the Doors at the time.  Atlantic specialized in blues and soul music in those days. Eve Babitz was present when the remark was made.

Money beats soul

Isn't there a sound bite of this? From one of the interview tapes? Possible it was said more than once?

[mewsical]

Money beats soul

Isn't there a sound bite of this? From one of the interview tapes? Possible it was said more than once?

Here's Eve's article on Jim and the Atlantic Records gathering.  She doesn't mention the quote in this piece, but I think she did another story on Jim, where she does mention it.  

http://forum.johndensmore.com/index.php?showtopic=2340