Forum:
Goth People Evil or Not?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
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Public: Anyone can view. Well I have been kinda wondering this myself.. My friend told me the other day that if your gothic you can't be religion or believe in god. But isn't being Gothic more or less being able to do what you want, and the look is more of a fashion then it is a way of life. Like some people can take it as far as there way of life but others can still just do it for fun, fashion or just plainly because they love the way it looks. I just wonder what you people thought about it. Like who says you can be a Religions but look like a goth. I don't know. Maybe I'm just rambling on and asking stupid questions again :D
The perception of evil obviously stems from people being misinformed about the culture. I think the main reason why the church frowns upon the gothic lifestyle is because it preaches do what you feel. They seem to perceive this as commit evil deeds and end up committing suicide. Now there are a few bad apples, much like any other group or subculture. I still fail to see how dressing in black is supposed to be evil. Catholic preists and nuns dress in black from head to toe. So did Johnny Cash. Are they seen as evil?
We're not evil, we're just drawn that way.
;)
Seriously though, every culture has its dark corners - and that's where we lurk. But just because something is dark, doesn't necessarily mean it's evil. If that were true, eggplants would be outlawed.
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I believe that being goth is a way of life, to me it is not just a fashion statement, but it is how you live.
I am not religious, (not atheist either just at a point in my life where it is not an issue) and a goth, my partner is buddist and goth.
I know many other religious people who are "goth". As I said goth is a personal life style, meaning that if you are christan you will live your life of being "goth" to your values and morals. Just because I do not have a religion and it dosen't particularly matter to me, dosen't mean I'm a bad person or "evil", it just means that I do not have a religious belief that is part of my everyday life.
My partner meditates daily but he is still "goth". It is all up to you and your values.
Hey, I didn´t say, that this was the cause of it and the main thing about it, did I? But even those poeple I know who were there back then (thanx for you advice but I stick to another forum) told me that kinda stuff. And about the whole "playing with symbols" part: Wer lesen kann, is klar im Vorteil. Please read the the last part of the first paragraph. Thank you.
Well, originally was the whole gothic thing against the church. Like a protest against the old, conservative ways of society. But even though they all used to be against the church, they still liked old churches. Those beautiful old buildings we have around here in Germany. But isn´t that kinda contradictory? On one hand hating the church and on the other loving the stuff it creates?
Today it´s so, that it doesn´t matter. The scene lost that background and it all became something like a movement against...well...let´s say "normal poeple" and their way of thinking and putting everyone in a "drawer" (as we put it in German, I don´t know how to say it in English) and always thinking of stereotypes. Well, that this doesn´t work that way is already shown by the fact, that not all gothics are atheist, as they (apparently) should be. Well, didn´t they want to be free in the beginning? They didn´t want to just fit in and be like everyone else. There were no rules. So why should there be rules about the religion now?
If I weren't such a nice guy, I'd call this post complete bollocks.
"Gothic music" is a label created from outside the movement and later adopted by the people themselves (just like Punk, where we came from anyhow). It described a style of music, fashion and of course a certain outlook on life. It has nothing to do with religion, exept that it plays with religious symbols.
@Mephistine: I advise you, especially, to take a look at www.nox-westfalica.de/forum got here and meet some people who have been there, when the whole thing started... (
Well, originally was the whole gothic thing against the church. Like a protest against the old, conservative ways of society. But even though they all used to be against the church, they still liked old churches. Those beautiful old buildings we have around here in Germany. But isn´t that kinda contradictory? On one hand hating the church and on the other loving the stuff it creates?
Today it´s so, that it doesn´t matter. The scene lost that background and it all became something like a movement against...well...let´s say "normal poeple" and their way of thinking and putting everyone in a "drawer" (as we put it in German, I don´t know how to say it in English) and always thinking of stereotypes. Well, that this doesn´t work that way is already shown by the fact, that not all gothics are atheist, as they (apparently) should be. Well, didn´t they want to be free in the beginning? They didn´t want to just fit in and be like everyone else. There were no rules. So why should there be rules about the religion now?
I'm a Christian, and a goth. I don't think that being a goth has anything to do with the religion you follow... and if people think it does, then I would really like to know what their reasoning is, because I don't get it. I know people, especially at my school (a private Christian school) and church who look at me and think I must be evil or that I am there to corrupt people because there's no way a Christian could ever dress like that, but it's such a crock. People need to get their heads out of their behinds and get to know the person behind the clothing/makeup/piercings/hair/etc.
it can definatly be a way of life or a style or both......god i remember getting penalized for wearing black on valentine's day and spikes to school at my old catholic school....but my new highschool isn't much better when i was applying to the arts programm the principle asked me if i called myself goth because he knew some students that would except me..fuck oath ...sorry sleep deprived rambling of a tired girl will end now
I don't think that there is any necessary evil to being goth. I remember reading an article years (OK, decades) ago about the Anglican Church allowing young priests to wear "punk" ("goth" as a term hadn't stuck at this point yet) styles such as multiple earrings, spiked hair, tattoos, eyeliner, et. al. just no ankhs or other non-Christian religious symbols. Siver crosses, Celtic knotwork tattoos, and such were/are fine. There are plenty of resources out on the net for goths of all religious persausions.
Dream_King, who moderates the Jewish forum here is a devout in his faith in G-d. I used to correspond with a couple people in Utah that were Mormon and goth. I know Buddhist goths, Taoist goths, Catholic goths, Wiccan goths, and others.
I don't see that there is any discrepency between being religious and being goth. If I did I wouldn't have set up the various religious forums.