What made 9 celebrities change religion and convert to another faith

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

For many decades and even centuries, apostasy was considered a great sin. At present, the attitude towards those who change religion has become much more loyal, and people are trying to find the teaching that is closest to them. Many celebrities openly declare their conversion to a new faith, but the search for the truth is not always the reason for this. Sometimes people change their faith under the pressure of external circumstances.

Janet Jackson

The younger sister of Michael Jackson converted to Islam in 2017. True, she decided not to take this step in the process of a long search for herself. At the age of 50, the singer first became a mother and then switched to another faith. Her ex-husband, the Qatari billionaire Wissam al-Mana, insisted on this.

Igor Vernik

The famous Russian actor and presenter became interested in Buddhism after meeting his American counterpart Richard Gere. A long and fascinating conversation between the actors led to the emergence of Igor Vernik's interest in this religion. After that, he personally met with Lama Ole Nydahl, and then underwent a full rite of initiation into Buddhists.

Marilyn Monroe

The cult actress also did not particularly bother herself with the search for the meaning of life, but in 1956 she announced her conversion to Judaism. This was prompted by her upcoming marriage with Arthur Miller. Two days after the civil ceremony, the couple married in accordance with all the traditions of Judaism, for which the actress changed her religion. After the news of the actress's new faith became public, all films with the participation of Marilyn Monroe were banned in Egypt. After the divorce from her husband, no statements were made about the renunciation of Judaism, but in Egypt the ban on the films in which the actress was filmed was removed.

Konstantin Khabensky

The famous actor and director never advertises his personal life and does not discuss issues related to his faith in his interviews. But the actor's friends claim that he converted to Catholicism, and before that he went through a long stage of spiritual search and suffering after the death of his first wife Anastasia Smirnova. According to the testimony of friends of Konstantin Khabensky, Catholicism has become the religion that is close to the actor's worldview.

Elizabeth Taylor

The queen of Hollywood converted to Judaism after learning about the suffering of the Jewish people during the Second World War. It must be said that her third and, it is claimed, beloved husband, Michael Todd, was a Jew. A year after his tragic death in a plane crash, Elizabeth Taylor began to follow the laws of Judaism and take to heart the needs and hardships of the Jewish people. She became a fighter for the rights of Jews, stood up for them, and in 1976, upon learning about the Jewish hostages taken by terrorists in Entebbe, she offered herself in exchange for the lives of innocent people. Israeli Ambassador Simkha Dinitsu, to whom the actress voiced her proposal, refused, noting that the Jewish people would never forget this.

Sergey Romanovich

The young Russian actor became famous after his first work in the cinema, playing the role of Yuri Shatunov in the film "Tender May" by Vladimir Vinogradov. Today Sergei Romanovich has played many leading roles in films and TV series, including the films “Chernobyl. Exclusion zone”and“Olga”. The reason for the actor's interest in Islam was a dispute with his friend, which showed that Sergei did not know anything about this religion. A long study of the issue led to the adoption of Islam by Sergei Romanovich, which, according to him, opened up new facets of life for the actor.

Lyaysan Utyasheva

Initially, the famous gymnast and the wife of showman Pavel Volya professed Islam. But in 2009, she announced in one of her interviews about the adoption of Orthodoxy. She is attracted by the external beauty of Orthodox rituals and the inner peace that Christianity gives her. At the same time, Laysan Utyasheva declares respect for all religions, because at every stage of her life people of different faiths met, who played a significant role in her life.

Svyatoslav Yeshchenko

The popular Russian comedian does not hide the fact that he is a Vaishnava - a follower of one of the directions of Hinduism, worshiping Krishna and Rama. He calls his spiritual mentor Guru Srila Mukunda Goswami, Srila Prabhupada's first disciple in America. He follows his instructions in his life and admits: the long search for the meaning of being ended after initiation, and his life finally acquired meaning.

Zara

The popular singer professed the faith of the Kurds, Yezidism. But in 2004, before becoming the wife of businessman Sergei Matvienko, she accepted, at his insistence, Orthodoxy, and then married him in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, this marriage broke up after only a year and a half, but Zara did not change her religion anymore.

Foreign celebrities have recently often converted to the Orthodox faith. Some do it under the influence of a loved one, others have been studying the foundations of Orthodoxy for many years and find it in the church and the liturgy to calm their souls.