Ariana Grande revealed in an interview that she left the Roman Catholic religion because she didn't agree with its stance on homosexuality. The 21-year-old "Problem" singer has always defended her openly gay brother, Frankie Grande, and told Britain's Sunday Telegraph (via the Daily Mail) that she was upset Catholics have such a strong stance against gays.
"When my brother was told that God didn't love him, I was like, 'OK, that's not cool,'" she told Sunday Telegraph. "They were building a Kabbalah center in Florida so we both checked it out and really had a connection with it."
Ever since then the siblings have been practicing Kabbalah, a sect of the Jewish religion. Kabbalah is fairly popular among Hollywood stars and has a number of other famous members like Madonna, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore.
Grande told Sunday Telegraph that she doesn't regret her decision and believes Kabbalah has helped change her life.
"My life has unfolded in a really beautiful way, and I think it has a lot to do with the tools I've learned through Kabbalah, I really do," she said. "You have to watch your intentions, make sure you're not giving in to your ego. You have to numb your reactive state. You have the power to change your reality."
According to the Daily Mail, she told Metro last year that another reason she bailed on Catholicism is because of the Vatican's strict views on modern times. For example, she was reportedly told some of the TV shows she watches are wrong.
"I was born Roman Catholic but I lost faith when the pope decided to tell me everything I loved and believed in was wrong," she said, according to the Daily Mail. "[The Church] said 'Spongebob Squarepants' is gay and he's a sinner and he should burn in hell. And Harry Potter was a sin. And working women. I was like 'Enough! First the gays, then Spongebob and now Harry Potter? Get out my house?' I was not having it."
"And the working woman thing? It was a moment for me. I needed something else to believe in," Grande added.
A source close to the singer told US Weekly that Grande takes Kabballah very seriously and "wears the red string bracelet and everything."
"She is totally obsessed with Kabbalah now, her friend got her into it. She says she is Jewish. She studies all the books and everything," the source said.
