SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY 10:00 PM EST (MSNBC)
March 17, 2005 ThursdaySCARBOROUGH: Now, who does Michael Jackson pray to? Does he pray to Jesus, Jehovah? I knew he was a Jehovah's Witness before. What is his spiritual bent?
REV. JESSE JACKSON: Well, you know, prayer is such a serious act of devotion, communicating with God. Suffice it, he is sincere in his prayer, and God hears and answers prayer.
If you approach God with a contrite heart and sincerity, God hears prayer. And so prayer -- when you are going to a storm, what do you turn to? Not to yourself or even to your own understanding, but you turn to God. And, of course, that family is in prayer as they go through a storm. They feel they are being much maligned as a family.
I remember talking with them the night after the prosecutor invaded the home with the 70 deputies and ransacked the house and had the big sensational press conference, asking for more witnesses.
SCARBOROUGH: Right.
JACKSON: They felt very violated. Yet, they knew they had to go through this ordeal, and they are going through it with strength because of prayer.
SCARBOROUGH: Yes. Is Michael, though -- I guess my question is, is Michael a traditional Christian? Does he believe that Jesus is his personal savior, or is he more of a universalist, as some would say?
JACKSON: He is a traditional Christian. He's a Jehovah`s Witness.
SCARBOROUGH: Yes.
March 17, 2005 ThursdaySCARBOROUGH: Now, who does Michael Jackson pray to? Does he pray to Jesus, Jehovah? I knew he was a Jehovah's Witness before. What is his spiritual bent?
REV. JESSE JACKSON: Well, you know, prayer is such a serious act of devotion, communicating with God. Suffice it, he is sincere in his prayer, and God hears and answers prayer.
If you approach God with a contrite heart and sincerity, God hears prayer. And so prayer -- when you are going to a storm, what do you turn to? Not to yourself or even to your own understanding, but you turn to God. And, of course, that family is in prayer as they go through a storm. They feel they are being much maligned as a family.
I remember talking with them the night after the prosecutor invaded the home with the 70 deputies and ransacked the house and had the big sensational press conference, asking for more witnesses.
SCARBOROUGH: Right.
JACKSON: They felt very violated. Yet, they knew they had to go through this ordeal, and they are going through it with strength because of prayer.
SCARBOROUGH: Yes. Is Michael, though -- I guess my question is, is Michael a traditional Christian? Does he believe that Jesus is his personal savior, or is he more of a universalist, as some would say?
JACKSON: He is a traditional Christian. He's a Jehovah`s Witness.
SCARBOROUGH: Yes.