Billy Joel: Just not sure

'Dr. Billy'     (Photo by Newkai)

The Piano Man is once again in the headlines, having walked down the aisle a fourth time.

Billy Joel has also made headlines for his religious views, and/or lack thereof.

Some (including Joel himself) have deemed him to be an atheist.  Yet that seems only partially true.  

Joel has been known to embrace aspects of “cultural” Judaism (his genealogical heritage), Roman Catholicism (“Only the Good Die Young” references), Evangelical Protestantism (baptized at age 12), karma (“that’s how things seem to work out”), and agnosticism (“I’m not sure about a life after this”).

His religious influences have been many, for and against.  While growing up in a culturally-Jewish household, Joel accompanied his Catholic friends to Mass.  Joel’s mother then took his sister and him to an Evangelical church, where Joel was later baptized.

Celebatheists.com reports that Joel’s grandfather, “a staunch atheist,” was “the most inspiring presence” in the young lad's life.  Joel has called him a “well-read Englishman… the only self-fulfilled soul I’ve ever known.”

Since declaring himself an atheist, Joel has nevertheless referred to “spiritual planes that I’m aware of that I don’t know anything about and that I can’t explain.”

“I don’t know” seems to be the operative phrase here…

Resources

http://www.celebatheists.com/wiki/Billy_Joel

Copyright July 7, 2015 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved