mightychurch.com

Fresh reports that Michael Jackson has died.  I’m sure there won’t be much MJ love but I’d like some thoughts.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/830303/michael-jackson-rushed-to-hospital-report

Michael Jackson dies - Ninemsn

08:30 AEST Fri Jun 26 200939 minutes ago

Michael Jackson has died after reportedly suffering a suspected heart attack at his Los Angeles home this morning.

US gossip website TMZ.com said ambulance officers were unable to revive the pop legend after they were called to his house about 5.30am (AEST).

Paramedics said Jackson had no pulse when they arrived and “they never got a pulse back”, TMZ reports.

The Los Angeles Times is also reporting the 50-year-old has died, quoting police sources who said Jackson was pronounced dead at the UCLA Medical Centre after arriving in a deep coma.

Fire department official Steve Ruda said Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to the 911 call.

The paramedics performed CPR and took him to the Medical Centre, Ruda told the Times.

Earlier, Michael’s father Joe Jackson told E! Online he was aware of the emergency but did not know further details.

“I am in Las Vegas, but yes, people in Los Angeles called me and are with Michael and tell me he was taken to the hospital,” he said. “I am not sure what’s wrong. I am waiting to hear back from them.”

The reports came as Jackson prepared to make a keenly anticipated concert comeback in London, his first series of shows in more than a decade and the first since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges.

However those concerts — billed as the “final curtain” — had been thrown into doubt after Jackson pushed back the opening dates last month.

Organisers of the concerts had stressed the delay was not linked to Jackson’s health.

Promoters and producers AEG Live said the rescheduling was done because of the “sheer magnitude” of the show and the desire for fans attending the opening nights to get the same experience planned for all 50 shows.

In a press conference from the United States broadcast over the internet, AEG Live president Randy Phillips was asked about Jackson’s health and said: “I would trade my body for his tomorrow. He’s in fantastic shape.”

While Jackson reigned as the King of Pop in the 1980s, his once-stellar career had been overshadowed by his colourful public behavior, his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse.

Jackson lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges including child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser.

Despite his acquittal, the trial was a body blow from which the pop music superstar struggled to recover.

Four years later, Jackson is still worshipped by fans for revolutionising music, dance and music videos at the peak of his success.

The attention however paid to him in recent years has been less flattering, focusing on apparent cosmetic surgery — which he denies — his baby dangling antics and a decade of swirling child abuse allegations.

I have long wondered how growing up in a Jehovah’s Witness household affected Michael’s state of mind. Musically, he was indeed theatrically unique - and his song video clips were ground-breaking. His music may not be everyone’s cup of tea - but nearly everyone on the planet knew who he was. 50 years old is way too young for anyone to die. Another reminder for people to be prepared to depart this life.

My friends’ responses to this were mainly bad jokes:

“He just beat it”
“The estate are looking for someone to blow bubbles at the wake.”
“This news is just off the wall”
“Someone said they were gonna melt down his body to make plastic toys, so kids can play with him”

Mmm… I wonder whether Luke’s gonna come on and edit my post hehe.  I already held back from posting a few that were far too R18 rated.

Obviously so talented ....but was lost himself.  A missed childhood to blame I’d say.

Can’t take away from him the perfection he produced in his videos. My daughter and I were just watching a montage of his life which was quite amazing up until his pepsi fireworks accident and I think everything was downhill from there. .......tragic life really.
I still don’t mind his Beat It and Bad albums…....wouldn’t own them but don’t mind a listen.

Plastic toys made me grin :) ......horrible but funny! ;)

A disturbing report - but I love the wording of Jesse Jackson’s statement :

  Grieving Jackson Fans ‘Commit Suicide’           UK, Monday June 29, 2009

The man behind the world’s biggest online Michael Jackson fan club has said heartbroken followers of the star have committed suicide because of his death.

A plea goes out to Michael Jackson fans amid fears a dozen have committed suicide Gary Taylor, president and owner of MJJcommunity.com, said he understood the tragedies had mostly taken place outside of the UK but he believed one may have been British.

“I know there has been an increase, I now believe the figure is 12. I believe there may have been one Briton who has taken their life,” he said. “It is a serious situation that these people are going through but Michael Jackson would never want this. He would want them to live.”

Jesse Jackson, a friend of the singer, has recorded a YouTube film on the site urging fans not to “self destruct”.
He said: “This is a time when hearts are heavy. There is great pain but great cause to celebrate Michael’s life.
It made Michael happy saying ‘We Are The World’. Don’t self destruct. We fall down sometimes, we get back up. That’s the right thing to do. In Michael’s name let’s live together as brothers and sisters and not die apart as fools.”

MJJcommunity.com was formed 10 years ago by Mr Taylor, a London office manager, and has more than 14,000 online users and 30 staff worldwide. He said the singer’s death had left his fans on the forum “in a surreal place”. “They can’t accept it, they feel in some sort of different reality,” he said.

“I’m stunned that he’s dead. One minute he is coming here for concerts and the next he is gone. I think the funeral will be where the reality kicks in that he is gone and won’t be coming back, there will be a huge depression in the fan community when that happens….”

link

’...celebrate Michaels life’??????

What the???? .....Michael had a tragic life!!!!!
Lots around him were happy ......but a disturbed man/boy he was!!!!

Are we sure the reported suicides aren’t about increasing hysteria and record sales…he as left a legacy of debt you can’t jump over. In the last few years he has been spending 20 million/year and earning about 8 apparently.

I think this sort of life is obscene in itself ....I seem to be able to cope on 4 mill/year quite comfortably ....all it takes is a little restraint, for instance, no upsizing at the restuarants we frequent. hheheeee

I didn’t expect the fan suicides to happen.

Apparently MJ’s family is now organising a display of MJ’s body in Neverland on Friday, charging $US25/head.  May go some way to repaying all those debts!

I used to think that his life was a tragedy - I’m beginning to think that his the behaviour around his death is just as horrifying.

Loved this response to MJ’s “BAD” album cover by Wierd Al :

Now that [the Weird Al impersonation image] is just “bad”!

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25717332-5001021,00.html

Did Jacko fake his death? July 01, 2009

MICHAEL JACKSON faked his own death to escape the pressures of fame, according to crazed fans who believe their hero is still alive.

Thousands have been logging onto websites to join wacky conspiracy theories that the star is simply preparing for the ultimate comeback.

One site has published a photo it claims is of Jacko on Sunday - three days after his death - although you can’t see his face and there’s no proof the snap is new.

Another webpage reckons he has been planning this for nearly a year-and-a-half and is now in hiding in Eastern Europe.

A third believes Jacko was spotted crossing the border into Mexico hours after news of his death broke on Thursday.

Again there is no hard evidence to support the claims.

The leading conspiracy theory website is http://www.michaeljacksonsightings.com

The site has published a grainy photo it says is Jacko, above, and claims the man who died on Thursday was a Jacko double with a terminal illness whose family will be looked after in return.

A message reads: “Over the past few days there have been many Michael sightings. People have e-mailed with pictures and amazing stories.

“Michael is alive and well and happier than ever. The plot was 10 years in the making but it had to be done.

“We know he is alive because we have seen pictures. Clear pictures taken June 26, 2009 of Michael Jackson lounging poolside with friends.

“This site is dedicated to bringing the truth to his fans and ultimately to provide a forum for Michael to communicate with them.

“We feel he was forced to fake his death the same way companies are forced into bankruptcy.

“Those close to Michael have known about the plot for years, it was a very expensive and intricate venture.

“The man who died had a terminal illness and his death was long overdue. He was given facial surgery to resemble Michael exactly. No doubt his family will be taken care of.

“Soon we think Michael’s new music will be out.

“Under a different name and with a drastically altered face, which sounds better than ever, even though a harmonizer has been used to disguise his voice.

“Michael wants to connect with his fans, he only wants to run from those who would seek to control him.”

Another site, called Jackson Faked His Own Death, also claims Jacko’s death is a stunt, but this time that he is holed up in Eastern Europe ready to return in person.

They claim: “Once he is rested and ready will blow the lid off his own hoax and then embark on the most spectacularly lucrative concert tour in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.”

Then there is http://www.michaeljacksonsightings.com/, which claims to have been told by sources from the United States Customs and Border Protection saw Michael and another unidentified man, crossing the California-Mexico Border late on Thursday night.

A witness says: “How could you mistake a face like that? I’m certain it was Michael Jackson.

“His hair was cut short and he was wearing dark sunglasses, but I’ve got a couple of his albums and seen him on TV and everything, so I have not doubt in my mind that it was him.”

The man added that he had no idea the singer had died at the time of the sighting.

32% in an adjacent online poll believe that MJ’s alive!  Now that’s “off the wall”!

Not only is he alive - but I heard that he has set up a McDonald’s franchise with Elvis ;)

There is a Christian Website I go to occasionally which has a counter on it.  The counter keeps incrementing as you are on it and it is counting the approximate deaths that have occurred throughout the world since you Logged ON.  The idea behind the counter is to encourage Christians to remember that sharing the Gospel is vital as people die every minute of every hour of every day.  They don’t get reported on by the Media, most of them are born in poverty and no one cares if they live or die.

My point.  MJ is one of many who die each day.  Pray for the salvation of the world and ask the Lord to help you share the gospel each day.

Charles Colson has offered this perspective on MJ’s passing :

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090708/the-passing-of-a-pop-star/index.html

The Passing of a Pop Star       The Pinnacle of Success ? 

By Chuck Colson   Christian Post Guest Columnist     Wed, Jul. 08 2009

I am an aging, white conservative Baptist. My taste in music runs from Bach to Mozart to Lawrence Welk. Indeed, my staff might say I am the un-hippest man alive.

So you might think that I am surprised by the frenzied and non-stop media coverage of the death of Michael Jackson-perhaps the greatest pop star of all time. But I’m not.

You may think that I don’t “get” why his fans by the millions are grieving, buying up Jackson CDs like they are going out of style, holding vigils at his mansion, desperately trying to get tickets to his memorial service in Los Angeles. But I do.

Here is why they have reason to mourn: Michael Jackson was, by any standard, a musical genius. His albums and his videos thrilled successive generations of pop fans. In fact, I was enthralled myself when I first watched his video presentation at an Epcot exhibit some 20 years ago.

There was, indeed, no one quite like Michael Jackson. And now there will be no new albums, no comeback concert tour, no new dance moves. That’s why they’re mourning.

But here’s why they-and all of us-should mourn the real tragedy that Michael Jackson’s story is. Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic Monthly blog said it well: Michael Jackson “was everything our culture worships; and yet he was obviously desperately unhappy, tortured, afraid and alone.” He was, as Sullivan noted, nothing but a creature of our culture, which puts “fame and celebrity” at its core, with money as its driving force, without regard for the person caught up in it or the character he exhibits.

By numerous published accounts, Jackson was emotionally abused by his father, a man consumed by the idea that his child could be a superstar. Jackson was a drug addict accused of pedophilia, given to all manner of bizarre behavior. He was, in the end, as Bob Herbert opined in the New York Times, “psychologically disabled, to the point where he was a danger to himself and others.”

It makes the scenes of adoring crowds pushing and shoving to get near yesterday’s memorial service, and the non-stop live television coverage, all the more bizarre and tragic. We worship the celebrity for his fame, degenerate lifestyle not withstanding.

Jackson achieved the summit of what this culture values most - fame - and paid for it with his life. And that is a tragedy.

Life is filled with teaching moments. And for parents, this tragedy is an opportunity to talk with our children about what they really want out of life - what matters most.

And it’s also a time for parents to look in the mirror and ask what we really want for our kids. If the answer is success in life, then we had better know what that definition of success is.

That’s because even Christian parents are not immune to the siren song of fame and fortune for their kids. It’s great that your child can sing and dance. It’s wonderful that he can hit a baseball a country mile. She just might win that academic scholarship to Harvard.

But winning that scholarship, or playing in the major leagues, is not the Christian definition of success. Doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with your God is.

Character matters. Not fame. No matter how un-hip that sounds.

Kevin Goddard posted:-

But winning that scholarship, or playing in the major leagues, is not the Christian definition of success. Doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with your God is.

Character matters. Not fame. No matter how un-hip that sounds.

Amen to that.