Any Pearl Jam Catholics?...

I take a walk outside
I'm surrounded by ... God
I can feel his laughter, so why do I sear

- Eddie, Gorge I 2006

Pearl_Juli wrote:

Nobody is sucking you into any debate, dude. lol


I was just making a point of my own, about how it's not just black and white...there are shades of grey. meh, nevermind me.

I do tend to get sucked into theology debates because I am passionate about the subject. But I try to refrain as my views occasionally upset the more sensitive believers.

Back to what we were saying... I doubt a very religious person would sing "Here's To The State...", even though it only directly targets fundamental Christianity.

"And here's to the churches of Jerry Falwell
Oh the cross was made of silver, but now it’s turned to rust
And the Sunday morning services preaching fear of men in love
And God only knows in Heaven they must trust

Here's to the land you tore out the heart of
Jerry Falwell find yourself another country to be part of."


You might be right. Maybe Ed is very religious. But I don't personally think he is. Whenever he refers to a God, I think he's referencing his own love of nature/spiritualism... not a belief in any of the major religions.

Either way, I respect that he keeps it private and it wouldn't affect my affection for him and his music (unless, of course, he touted creationism).

Pearl_Juli wrote:

... it's not [all] black and white...there are [only] shades of grey.

Oh My! Now I've died and gone to heaven! You just quoted British Novelist and Playwright, perhaps secret agent and definitely tortured catholic, Graham Greene! How entirely appropriate for this thread!

Solat13 wrote:

Jerry Falwell is a Baptist so he doesn't really have much to with a Catholic thread.

That was more in response to the guy who seemed sure Ed is Christian.

Food for thought...

I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. It's a story that's been told too many times and just doesn't mean anything. Man lived on the planet -- [placing his fingers an inch apart], this is 5000 years of semi-recorded history. And God and the Bible, that came in somewhere around the middle, maybe 2000. This is the last 2000, this is what we're about to celebrate [indicating about an 1/8th of an inch with his fingers]. Now, humans, in some shape or form, have been on the earth for three million years [pointing across the room to indicate the distance]. So, all this time, from there [gesturing toward the other side of the room], to here [indicating the 1/8th of an inch], there was no God, there was no story, there was no myth and people lived on this planet and they wandered and they gathered and they did all these things. The planet was never threatened. How did they survive for all this time without this belief in God? I'd like to ask this to someone who knows about Christianity and maybe you do. That just seems funny to me.

-- Eddie Vedder, interview with Janeane Garofalo at Brendan's, on the Lower East Side: she asked, "Funny ha-ha or funny strange?" He responded: "Funny strange. Funny bad. Funny frown. Not good. That laws are made and wars occur because of this story that was written, again, in this small part of time."


The word religion has such bad connotations for me, that it's been responsible for wars, and it shouldn't be that way at all, it's just the way the meaning of the word has evolved to me. I have to wonder what we did on this planet before religion.

-- Eddie Vedder, interview on sonicnet.com


When you're out in the desert, you can't believe the amount of stars. We've sent mechanisms out there, and they haven't found anything. They've found different colors of sand, and rings, and gasses, but nobody's shown me anything that makes me feel secure in what happens afterward. All I really believe in is this moment, like right now.

-- Eddie Vedder, Rolling Stone, October 31 1991, "Right Here, Right Now,"

I am Catholic and a huge PJ fan. Haven't had any problems with being both of these for years now...

Mamasan Bren wrote:

I was at Ed's LA1 show and what he said was only making fun of the music involved in those messages and not really the messages themselves. I would have to think that Ed is indeed a Christian and not an atheist just by looking at all of his lyrics. What proof is there out there that Ed is anti-religious? I was born, baptized and raised a Catholic, fell out during college and a long time afterwards but have recently come back into it. I'm even receiving the sacrament of Confirmation as a 33 year old next month.

Peace to All Jammers

I dont agree that Ed is a Christian. Imo he is an agnostic, and doesn't know what to believe, rather than anywhere near a Christian or atheist.

i'm greek orthodox. we are all on the same boat of christianity, right?

Not sure but the thread is more about christianity not catholisism.
I am catholic and don't have a big issue with eddie or his comments.

Lots of bad things have been done in the name of religion... any/all religions for the most part.

It is healthy to question things, sometimes everything. Just my thoughts...

cassidp wrote:

I am Catholic and a huge PJ fan. Haven't had any problems with being both of these for years now...

How about supporting an artist who contributes to pro-choice charities/organizations?... does this cause any type of conflict?.... shouldn't it? I was raised Catholic... and I still consider myself pro-life... I am a fanatical Pearl Jam fan.. but this question used to bother me... just curious to know how others deal with the problem.

As I write this, a possible answer is occurring to me... I have always thought about it as a problem to give money to an artist who publicly supports/contributes to a cause that you deeply disagree with... but I guess if you just consider yourself to be supporting the artist and their music... then it is their choice to do with your money what they will. As if to say... I understand that you may decide to use a portion of this in support of a cause I disagree with, but you have earned my money with your art (which is unrelated to the cause).

Just trying to think this through I guess.