Frank Sinatra Held Progressive Spiritual Views, Not Religious Beliefs

By Kyle Glatz --
16 Sep 2014 --

Frank Sinatra, “Ol’ Blue Eyes”, may have had Italian roots, but his beliefs were not with Rome. In a Playboy interview, he admits being spiritual, not religious.

Although he passed some sixteen years ago, many people are still very interested in the life of Frank Sinatra. One of the topics that have come up from time to time has been his religious beliefs, which he was keen on sharing throughout his life. In one particular issue of Playboy in 1963, he gave a very frank interview about his reservations in consideration of organized religion. Many people have said that his take on spirituality was considerably progressive for his time, which has renewed interest in his beliefs once again.

A Life-Long Catholic?

One of the reasons that Frank Sinatra’s take on religion has been so unusual is the fact that he was outwardly Catholic throughout his entire life. Whatever his personal religious beliefs actually were, Sinatra displayed a great disdain for those who killed in the name of religion. He once noted that although Jesus was called the “Prince of Peace,” His followers have no problem shedding blood for what they believe His wishes would be.

Sinatra also criticized the pomp and different ceremonies that are performed as a group for the sake of religion. Frank Sinatra believed that religion was supposed to be between an individual and God, without any “Witch Doctors” or other people in the middle.

Religion As An Influence

While many people would argue that religion has a positive impact on the lives of those around them, such as through charity, Frank Sinatra argued against this notion. He believed that some of the greatest crimes in history have been perpetrated by people under the guise of following a religion. The most noted indiscretions that he mentioned were slavery, racism, and other forms of bigotry, excluding the religious battles that resulted in deaths around the world.

While this is certainly true in many contexts, and remains true today, Frank Sinatra was not so quick to give up on religious spirituality. During the final parts of his most notable interview concerning religion, Frank Sinatra said that “I’m for anything that gets you through the night,” including prayer.

Religiousness Does Not Mean Morals

Frank Sinatra was very quick to disagree with the perception that a moral American was necessarily the result of following a religion. While he did not care to elaborate too deeply due to the possibility that people would rise up against him, he certainly took the position that politicians catered to religious people and even used them to gain favor. This trend is certainly true in the modern era, where Atheists feel they must hide their lack of faith or risk their office. All in all, Frank Sinatra may or may not have been a man significantly ahead of his time in terms of his religious beliefs, but he was relatively progressive and definitely not afraid to tell people what he thought.