John Lennon sparks his first major controversy
In England no one took much notice of the John Lennon quotation that later set off a media frenzy in America.Chalk it up to a fundamental difference in religious outlook between Britain and America or to a fundamental difference in sense of humor.Whatever the reason it was only after the American press got hold of his words some five months later that the John Lennon comment that first appeared in the London Evening Standard on March 4 1966 erupted into the Bigger than Jesus scandal that brought a semi-official end to the giddy phenomenon known as Beatlemania.In their original context Lennons remarks were clearly meant not as a boast but as a sardonic commentary on the waning importance of religion.
Christianity will go Lennon said.It will vanish and shrink.Were more popular than Jesus now.It was only one comment in an interview that covered such wide-ranging topics as gorilla suits and car phones but it was this comment alone that made its way into the American teenybopper magazine DATEbook several months later boiled down to the straightforward line Were more popular than Jesus.From there a handful of Bible Belt disc jockeys took over declaring Lennons remarks blasphemous and vowing an eternal ban on all Beatles music past present and future.
Our fantastic Beatle boycott is still in effect announced two DJs on WACI Birmingham in August 1966 Dont forget to take your Beatle records and your Beatle paraphernalia to any one of our 14 pickup points in Birmingham Alabama and turn them in this week.The plan in Birmingham as in various other cities around the South was to burn the Beatles records turned in by angry listeners.Though it is unclear how many such events really took place the story of the burnings definitely reached the Beatles.
When they started burning our recordsthat was a real shock said John Lennon years later.I couldnt go away knowing Id created another little piece of hate in the world.So I apologized.The apology Lennon offered was not for the message he was trying to convey but for conveying it in a way that confused its meaning.
At a press conference in Chicago John explained Im not anti-God anti-Christ or anti-religion.I was not saying we are greater or better.I believe in God but not as one thing not as an old man in the sky.
Im sorry I said it really.I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious thing.From what Ive read or observed Christianity just seems to be shrinking to be losing contact.
