The Gothic Church

[One Eyed Cat]

Should there be one? Would you join one? I'm well versed in the gothic archetypes, so this not a debate about what or what does not constitute the gothic. I guess what I would envision is a very wide tent of beliefs. There would then be a modicum of "religious protection". I don't even believe in it as an identity, but I honestly believe such an endeavor could work to the mutual benefit of a lot of folks.

Sign the dotted line? Start your own? What would it be called?
Just to spark it up

OEC

[Morning Glory]

there is one, it's called notre dame.

[One Eyed Cat]

there is one, it's called notre dame.

I'd never really want to see such a morbid monstrosity. When art dies it becomes religion. I believe in virtually no exceptions to this rule.

OEC

[23*]

When art dies it becomes religion. I believe in virtually no exceptions to this rule.

OEC

interesting. can you elaborate?

[Jax]

There actually is a church designed pretty close to that. Its called the Church of Body Modification.

[One Eyed Cat]

interesting. can you elaborate?

Inspiration becomes dogma. Art is about exploration. Organized religion is a set of precepts telling you what you should and should not explore.

OEC

[One Eyed Cat]

There actually is a church designed pretty close to that. Its called the Church of Body Modification.

Seriously? That's actually a great idea. Some folks still equate multiple body modifications with madness. Do they have a website?

OEC

[Jax]

Seriously? That's actually a great idea. Some folks still equate multiple body modifications with madness. Do they have a website?

OEC

Yep;] http://www.uscobm.com/

[Tequila Zaire]

This reminds me of that Church of Surfing from a bit back...not sure if it's still around but damned if it wasn't a great idea.

[Tequila Zaire]

Inspiration becomes dogma. Art is about exploration. Organized religion is a set of precepts telling you what you should and should not explore.

OEC

See I don't buy into that at all. Spirituality is exploration and like it or not Organized Religion promotes that. Those who refuse to explore and grow create and follow dogma...art is FULL of that as much as religion is. Look at the New York City fine arts scene...99% garbage created for the sole purpose of profit with the desguise of creation and intellecualism to protect it from outside critiuque. For every true original it spawns and promotes it ends up destroying them before they reach their true potential. Religion as we all know does that as well.

Organized Anything is far from perfect since you have to appease as much as promote but to outright say it has no sense of exploration is naive since it destroys the idea that organized faiths of any form cannot generate the foundations needed for growth.

One can survive without spirituality in their lives...but one has to wonder why anyone would want to. A logical world is great for seeking basic truths but it can kill the imagination IF...and I say this again...IF...the basic sense of wonder is not kept alive. You don't need spirituality for that but damned if it does not help.

[nyar]

wow- where are you guys from? cause we have some of those in the midwest- but we call them CLUBS-

[One Eyed Cat]

See I don't buy into that at all. Spirituality is exploration and like it or not Organized Religion promotes that. Those who refuse to explore and grow create and follow dogma...art is FULL of that as much as religion is. Look at the New York City fine arts scene...99% garbage created for the sole purpose of profit with the desguise of creation and intellecualism to protect it from outside critiuque. For every true original it and promotes it ends up destroying them before they reach their true potential. Religion as we all know does that as well.

Organized Anything is far from perfect since you have to appease as much as promote but to outright say it has no sense of exploration is naive since it destroys the idea that organized faiths of any form cannot generate the foundations needed for growth.

One can survive without spirituality in their lives...but one has to wonder why anyone would want to. A logical world is great for seeking basic truths but it can kill the imagination IF...and I say this again...IF...the basic sense of wonder is not kept alive. You don't need spirituality for that but damned if it does not help.

I'm all for spiritual exploration. I would tend to agree as far as any arts "scene" is concerned. Organized religion certainly can promote growth. As a seeker, I just have never found to be any of arbiters of ultimate truth. Atheism, to me, is the worst form of dogma of them all. I guess I have seen too much exoterica in the church. I am not opposed to religion as a whole.



OEC

[One Eyed Cat]

wow- where are you guys from? cause we have some of those in the midwest- but we call them CLUBS-

haha some clubs I've been to do have almost a church like feel to em.

OEC

[One Eyed Cat]

Also, some had actually *been* churches

OEC