In an interview with Fresh Air’s Terri Gross, Elton John explains why he prefers a “higher power” over God:<\/p>\n\n
\nGROSS: You almost left rehab because – well, one of the reasons … was when it got to talk of a higher power, when it got to, as you describe it, the God talk, you felt like that is just, like, ‘not for me.’<\/p>\n
JOHN: Yes.<\/p>\n
GROSS: And you really thought seriously about leaving. So, I'd like to know what upset you so much about the God talk and if you were able to find a way into that talk?<\/p>\n
JOHN: Well, the God thing, I was angry [because] God, for me, represented a punishment. You know, God will punish you for doing this; God will punish you for doing that. I hated the word God. And I really resented the word God.<\/p>\n
And then someone said to me, ‘Listen – do you believe in something greater than yourself?’ And I said, ‘Of course I do. There's been so many things in my life that have happened by chance or just, you know, decisions I've made that have been prompted by something inside of my soul.’<\/p>\n
Of course, I only have to look up in the sky to believe in something greater than myself, or I'll go walk in the field or look at a mountain. And they said, well, then that's it. Use it. That's how – say higher power instead of God. And I went, I can do that. I can do that.<\/p>\n
It doesn't have to be the punishing God that I … learned in Sunday school. It can be a higher power that … sends me messages. And I accepted that, and I came to terms with that, and that was really very important to me.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
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