SEPTEMBER 2007 Hi! Wonderful site! My name is Vanessa, and I am the founder of a new magazine called Nectoxic. It is basically an alternative/gothic magazine that caters to the freedom of speech movements. We are planning an upcoming issue about gothic stereotypes. One of the biggest stereotypes is that goths are Satanists. This site is a prefect example of that idea, not always being true. We would love to interview you! If interested please email us back….Look forward to speaking with you soon. When was your website launched? www.gothicchristianity.com was launched in April of 2004. The vision for the site came to me one day in January of 2004, and I worked on the site along with a professional design team, Art Comp and Design, beginning in March. Why did you decide to create it? My website was not the first to reach out to that part of the goth population that happens to be Christian. There are several others that do and there has been a Christian goth community since the 1980s but there was little if any opportunity to build our community, to bring people together for face-to-face contact. The internet is a wonderful place. It has contributed significantly to the growth and survival of many subcultures including goth, but I wanted more than e-mail correspondence or the casual conversation of a chat room. I wanted to, as my mission statement says, “provide a place of belonging for Christian goths.” To achieve that mission, I knew I had to “cultivate and nurture groups around the world.” I also sponsored two conventions or Gatherings as we called them. I paid for those Gatherings and they became expensive so I had to stop but this year, Youth for Christ is sponsoring the event. I also wanted to preserve the culture that is so important to me. Goth is much more than a passing fad. The roots of goth are much older than the generation known as “goth,” and now that it has finally become a recognized subculture, I very much want to do all I can to see that it remains a viable strong community with a future and a history to celebrate. I’ve sponsored bands, writing contests, etc. and I’ve also provided “opportunities for the artist and any Gothic Christian venture to share their God given talent,” both on-line and at gatherings. There is a lot of discrimination between people assuming that Goths are Satanists or Wiccans. What are your thoughts on this? In regard to this and the other questions that follow, I do not wish to speak for, or in any way represent the thoughts, ideas, or opinions of the goth community, the Christian goth community, or the mainstream Christian community. I am not a spokesperson for these or any other group. Gothic Christianity was and is for me a very personal journey of self-discovery. It is my delight to meet others that share my passion. That is why I started the site. But Goths are individual in their beliefs and practices as are Christians and, as I have no wish to represent or misrepresent them, I simply must emphasize that the opinions expressed in this interview are my own and I am sharing them because I have been asked to share them. Now, as to the question of “assumptions,” people sometimes cling to stereotypes and presumptions about other people groups because it is easier in the short term to generalize than to take the time and make the effort to get to know someone as an individual. In the long term this tendency is destructive both to the people that are discriminated against and to our society as a whole. It is a lazy tendency we all have to one degree or another but one that conscientious thinking people need to take responsibility for and fight to overcome. Not all Goths are Wiccan, though some are. Not all Goths are Satanists, though some are, and if they are then it is by their choice and not by the dictates of their culture. Goth is not a religion, it is a cultural aesthetic. The belief systems of goths vary from individual to individual as they do within any demographic or people group. Those that are not goth should never assume that all goths share a common religious ideology. We are a diverse and varied people, and we pride ourselves on our tolerance and inclusion of diverse points of view. Religious freedom is, I believe, a God given and divinely protected freedom. God gives us the freedom to choose our belief system because love is impossible in the absence of choice. If God wants free will agents to choose Him out of a response of love, He must limit His sovereignty to allow for a genuinely free choice. The imposition of any religious ideology on any person is in my mind morally abhorrent. In a free world populated with highly creative and staunchly individual spiritual beings, a variety of religious ideology is not only inevitable but desirable. What ever a person’s religious choice, it is morally wrong to discriminate against that person. I would like to believe that Wicca, Satanism, and Christianity are all viable options for the goth, as they are for the mainstream community. I would also like to believe that I represent Christianity well enough that goths that might not have considered it are encouraged to do so. Christianity is as much a viable option for any goth as any other religion. Have you ever stereotyped or turned your back on an individual who did not share the same religious interests as you? Not intentionally. Like everybody else I tend to gravitate toward those with whom I share values and beliefs but I also recognize the value of diversity. We all need to be stretched and challenged. That is how we grow and it is very hard to grow if we are not actually seeking out and engaging others that are different from ourselves. Are there any differences between a Goth, and a Christian Goth? For example are there any restrictions because of the religion? Goth is a cultural aesthetic that is shared and appreciated by a widely diverse population of people. There are goths of every religious variety. It is what we share in common that is most exciting – our passion for dark or gothic culture in all its varied forms from architecture to literature to film to music, and fashion. You also asked “are there any restrictions because of the religion?” Good question. This tends to be a misunderstanding between Christians and the general population. The general population tends to think Christians live by a set of rules, as if adherence to these rules means one is a Christian and non-compliance with those rules means one is not. My understanding of Christianity is that Jesus died for us because none of us are able to keep the rules. As one dear friend of mine put it, when it comes to rule keeping, “we all suck.” I do have a “moral compass” that I believe is God instilled and Biblically based, but that is not the same as saying I have restrictions because of my religion. The blood of Jesus Christ has set me free of the limitations, expectations, and restrictions imposed upon me by others, but this freedom in not a “license to sin,” as the Apostle Paul calls it. It is instead the ability to obey ones conscience. This is true freedom. As Zig Ziglar once said, “You can remove a train from its tracks and it will be free but it can’t go anywhere.” Obedience to one’s conscience requires self-discipline and sometimes personal sacrifice or the deferment of pleasure. It won’t always lead to a safe harbor, but if obeyed strictly, your personal conscience, your internal intuitive guidance system, will be your greatest gift to yourself. We have heard from many “main stream Christians” (whom are also anti Gothic) that if you “draw darkness towards you, you will eventually draw Satan towards you.” For example one of our staff members had a “coffin purse” so she was stereotyped to LOVE death and suffer from Depression…is any of this true? I fear God as well as love Him, and I have no wish to sense His displeasure or to expose myself to anything that is not healthy for me spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or physically. By the same token I have no wish to conform to a standard that is not God’s design for me. I believe He made me who I am, and I believe that I am goth by His design. So I don’t believe that by celebrating my culture I am in any way “drawing Satan toward me.” I think some Christians are confused by Biblical passages that speak of “darkness.” In my opinion, when the Bible speaks of “darkness” it is most often referring to a condition of spiritual blindness as opposed to a cultural aesthetic. I have encountered a significant amount of opposition from the mainstream Christian community, but I have also encountered significant support from leadership in that same community. People may be uncomfortable or even fearful of differences. I understand this apprehension, but it is sad when this apprehension is allowed to fester into prejudice, mistreatment, or exclusion. Satan obsession comes and goes in the mainstream Christian community. In the 70s deliverance and demonology ministries were everywhere and many Christians were seduced into believing that demons were responsible for everything from headaches to addictions. I’ll never forget the Dana Carvey character (I think it was his character) on Saturday Night Live – Church Lady. Everything was Satan. It was funny but also a sad comment on a very real attitude in what I’d like to believe is a minority of Christians. Sometimes these Christians are unwittingly Satan’s best PR people. For the record, the clothing I wear, the music I listen to, the accessories I enjoy as a goth have absolutely nothing to do with Satan, and I’m not going to live my life in fear of Satan. In my belief system, Satan is a created spirit being with finite capabilities and those capabilities were severely restricted at the cross of Jesus Christ. I love coffin purses. I have a casket necklace that I often wear. Goths see beauty in these things and that ability in and of itself is beautiful. That is a part of what makes us who we are. We don’t do it to irritate others or to attract Satan; we do it because it is beautiful, there is loveliness in it that others don’t see. Did you know that the Victorians popularized the graveyard picnic? Why, because they, as a mainstream culture, considered graveyards the most beautiful of all places. It’s about what we as a people find attractive. It has nothing to do with Satan. I don’t know anyone that loves death, but I know a great many people that suffer from depression. Depression is an illness that affects all people groups. It is not restricted to goth nor are all goths depressed. My heart goes out to those that suffer with depression. Would you agree that Christian Goths are not allowed to listen to certain types of music, such as Marilyn Manson, a devoted Satanist? As I understand Christianity, it is not a set of fixed rules that one must follow. It is instead a faith based relationship with a personal deity. While not a Marilyn Manson fan myself, I am glad that he has had the courage to be the man he is. When one person has this kind of courage, it makes it easier for others to be exactly who they are. The world does not need a bunch of Marilyn Manson imitators, but it does need people with the courage to express themselves as individuals. I see this in Manson and in many other goths and I admire it. Christian goths may listen to any music or musician they desire. Most will more than likely choose to listen to those that resonate deeply with them. Manson has never struck an emotional cord with me but VNV Nation, Ego Likeness, Clan of Xymox, Nox Arcana, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, Thou Shalt Not, and The Cure to name only a few, have produced music that resonates very deeply with me. I am an avid fan of goth music regardless of the religious persuasion of the band or its members. It is ultimately a question of 1) do I enjoy the sound and 2) has the lyric touched me. The religious persuasion of the artist is rarely a consideration for me. Is their any message that you are trying to send to those that visit your website? Jesus loves you very much. God loves you the way you are, He loves you for who you are. He wants you to celebrate who you are. He does not want you to fear what others will think, not the so-called Christians who disapprove of goth nor the so-called goths that disapprove of Christians. Love the person you, embrace and celebrate your individuality. God created differences. Consider the variety of trees, plant life, and animals. He wants you to be the individual you were created to be. Please have the courage to do that. And finally, if you would like, include any photos to be featured, any contact information etc. Contact information: |