Act Like You Got Some Sense by Jamie Foxx

Author:Jamie Foxx [Foxx, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2021-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

Getting to the Pearly Gates

I grew up in Texas, so I don’t even need to tell you that I was raised religiously. I could just say “I grew up in Texas” and you would know I’m probably Protestant. As a kid, I would blindly believe everything I was told, and I’m still a deep believer, but I began to question things when I was still in Terrell. Learning my dad was a Muslim was the first time I had to ask myself, “Well, why am I a Christian?” And I started to develop a jaded view of organized religion because of what I saw behind the pulpit while playing piano for the church. I remember having a revelation at age fourteen about how it all felt like a racket. I even confronted the pastor. Which, believe me, was one of the scariest things I ever had to do.

“How much does it cost to go to heaven—’cause Miss Odessa ain’t got no money and I just saw her open her napkin to give her last dollar when I happen to know her lights ain’t on at the house?” I was trembling asking him this. I knew he was just a man, but part of me thought he was like Santa Claus, keeping a list of who goes to heaven and who goes to the other place.

“Oh, we just going to keep raising money,” he said, dismissing me. His casualness about it was even more upsetting than if he’d got mad at me.

I saw that when I played extra well, it made the congregation more eager to give their money, maybe their last dime. It was confusing because it made sense for show business—if you’re a better musician, you’ll have more of a chance to make money—but it didn’t make sense for God. How much money did God need? I know he rested on the seventh day, but he could’ve used the eighth day to create enough Benjamins for himself that he didn’t need Miss Odessa’s bill money. I often felt guilty about this, but I never dared talk to my grandmother about it. She would’ve whupped my ass into the past century if I questioned the church.

As I got older, I learned that it was possible to keep two thoughts in your head at once. Sure, some aspects of the church confused me, but I do still have a very deep connection with God. I still attend church and pray daily. I never wanted to force that on my kids, but I also didn’t want them to miss out on having a rewarding spiritual life. Not to mention maybe missing out on going to heaven. How awkward would it be when I get to heaven and am bragging to Jimi Hendrix or Richard Pryor about my kids and they ask where they are and I’m like, “Oh, they’re burning in hell for eternity.”

So I took my daughters to church when they were little, but as they’ve gotten older, I’ve given them

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