"you cant be gothic and christian"

[chibiphonebooth]

i was talking to my mom after church about dying my hair that blue black i was telling you all about. I asked her "what do you think if i dyed it blueblack?" and one of the pastors there turned to me (i wasnt even addressing him) and said 'i would think you had problems (as in inner issues).' and i said 'waht do you mean?' and he said 'you would look too gothic, and you cant be gothic and christian at the same time.' i got really offended, because um, i believe you CAN be gothic and christian at the same time.

gothic...is really just a style now. personally i like the style, i have quite a few gothic friends, in fact, almost all of them are punky or gothic.

does anyone else share my view?

[Hephzibah]

The way a person dresses does not necessarily make them Christian or Non-Christian. However, some of the more extreme styles of dressing such as Gothic tend to have a higher percentage of non-Christians following that trend. If you do want to dress up gothic, avoid things with symbols on them because you never know what they might mean or if they have any spiritual implications.

Just as an aside, wearing all black isn't bad... afterall, in some countries that would be considered celebratory-clothing!

[Hitokiri]

I am, as far as I know, categorized by goth...or was.

I think however goth has become such a ... bland stereotype. Everyone and thier cousin claims to be "goth" and the fact is they are trying to fit the scene. I don't try and be goth. I don't go around saying I'm goth and at times, I will dress so I will not shock people. I have CAA to thanks for thier help regarding that issue. I no longer wear eyeliner. I just found that childish. Why do it? I do however paint my finger nails black but that's like....once in a blue moon.

The only marginal thing gothic about me is
1) I listen to goth music
2) I wear black t-shirts and baggy black pants
3) Some of these shirts has skulls or some crazy Norwegian Death metal band

So in conclusion, if you feel you can be both Christian and dress "gothic"...you feel free to be prepared to be confronted by people who don't share your view and also be prepared to stop dressing goth. I decided that trying and being a witness to people is ALOT more important then putting eye liner on and trying to shock people.

Oh and I see nothing "gothic" about black-blue hair.

[Sonic_13]

for some reason it just seems light is associated with good and darks associated with evil?

[Arnobius]

http://www.christiangoth.com/

Don't know if this is any good for you or not. I know little of the goth lifestyle, so I won't make judgements on what might only be a side issue.

I have had my Christianity questioned on other grounds though (anime, heavy metal music, Dungeons & Dragons) so I can understand.

[chibiphonebooth]

yeah i know.

i just found it surprising.

also my dad says that dying my hair black could 'effect my spirit.' i dont believe that really.

[Fireproof]

Physical appearances can frighten or offend people. Short of trying to do that, the way you dress, color your hair, etc. doesn't matter. People need to be less judgemental about this sort of thing. Also, you should ask your dad if someone born with black hair would be spiritually damaged.

[Sonic_13]

I think by spiritually damaged hes wondering why you want to look so dark?

[Nate]

Also, you should ask your dad if someone born with black hair would be spiritually damaged.

Agreed.

Romans 14 is what I refer to on this subject. Basically Romans 14 states that disputable matters (such as dying hair, styles of dress, etc.) are really left up to each individual, and it is not anyone's job to judge them as such.

"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

Jesus hung out with tax collectors and non-Jews, who were looked upon by the Jewish people as evil and sinful. Jesus never judged anyone by their appearance. Why do the people at your church feel the need to do something which Jesus condemned?

[Fireproof]

I think by spiritually damaged hes wondering why you want to look so dark?

Dark is dark. Light is light. Wearing lighter colors doesn't make you spiritually stronger. Darkness has a certain symbolic value, but color-wise, it really shouldn't make a difference.

[Hitokiri]

yeah i know.

i just found it surprising.

also my dad says that dying my hair black could 'effect my spirit.' i dont believe that really.

It can actually.

I remember by putting eye liner on...I did feel different though I ignored it. However, I felt every single time I would dress as the usual goth fashion, I would (and enjoyed it) feel dakrer and more anti-social and just thinking how I hated everybody. Just because I had eye liner on.

That is one of the main reasons why I stopped (and also so I be a better witness).

[Hephzibah]

I don't think that was what her dad was meaning Fireproof. As for it possibly affecting your spirit... well, I'm going to have to agree with this one. I'm not saying it absolutely WILL, I'm saying it might. Alot of people don't realise how even seemingly innocent decisions can affect our spirit in different ways.

Edit: Hitokiri's post and the point he was making is what I was trying to get at Dontcha just hate colds?

[teen4truth]

If you use gothic as a style, then no, it is not bad. But many kids who start off with it as just a style end up with it as a religion. Surounding yourself with blackness like that can really depress you, if that is not already the reason you dress that way.

I admit I do think that it is OK to where black shirts and stuff like that as long as you are not tied to it and feel like you have to dress like that all the time. You should have wearing black a thing that you might have a fedish for if it is your fav color just like wearing green or blue would be. But do not get tied down to it, then it will start to kreep toward religion.

And I would like to warn you that it would be harder to whitness if you are gothic. It should not be this way, but because we humans have a sinful nature, it is: people judge you by what you wear. If you always go around in black people will not see you as one who is holy and lives I vibrent, beutiful life that they would like to have as well. they will think you are depressed.

Oh, and i think that blackblue hair would be realy cool^_^ And that pastor should not have gotten in on you and your mother,s conversation like that. it was rather rude of him and it was not being a holy christian example. he should have just prayed about it and trusted God to tell him to whitness to you about that if he needed to or at least said it in a kinder, more compassionate way.

teen4truth

[Fireproof]

I don't think it should make a difference. Being born with black hair and turning your hair black both end up giving you black hair. I'd forget the method and focus on the article. Is black hair itself something negative?

[teen4truth]

if you are born with black hair, then it is normal to you so ofcourse it cant make you feel darker. but if you start out with a different color then switch to black it can make a difference. like talame im not saying that it absolutely will. im just saying it is highly possible.

hitokiri> I remember by putting eye liner on...I did feel different though I ignored it. However, I felt every single time I would dress as the usual goth fashion, I would (and enjoyed it) feel dakrer and more anti-social and just thinking how I hated everybody. Just because I had eye liner on.

I highly agree with Hitokiri, sometimes the pain feels good. that is why we should not put ourselves in situations that we no could tempt us...we might end up enjoying the temptation.

teen4truth

[chibiphonebooth]

Jesus hung out with tax collectors and non-Jews, who were looked upon by the Jewish people as evil and sinful. Jesus never judged anyone by their appearance. Why do the people at your church feel the need to do something which Jesus condemned?

thats a very good statement.

and i think maybe some of you are confused, i do not dress gothic ALL THE TIME. i have a couple of gothic clothes here and there. i only have 2 black pants, and a few black shirts. i really dress in my own style, that was one reason why i was kinda upset when my dad said that blackblue hair is gothic. becuase it would be one thing if i wore goth clothes all the time. but i dont. i wear various colors, like yellow (my fave) so i dont think that if i had blueblack hair w/a..say yellow shirt and jeans would make me seem gothic.

And I would like to warn you that it would be harder to whitness if you are gothic.

i could see how it would be harder to certain people, but then again, think of meeting gothic people who arent believers and then when they meet you and you tell them you are christian...think of their surprise! that they can be gothic and christian. it could be a better way of taking in the other people out there, not just ...'the normal ones'.

[sanitysux13]

I remember being one of "those people" who thought that only "pretty people" went to heaven (btw, for those of us who are exceedingly dense like me, the quotation marks indicate unfettered sarcasm). However, I soon came to embrace dressing semi-gothish as a way to stand out and to even shock people. I attend a very conservative church which pretty much allows its youth to dress almost as skankily as they wish so long as they "look" like they are Christians. Even though it took a while, some of the people are starting to realize that I am not out to eat their children, and that I truly do desire to serve the Lord (another aspect of my gothishness is my belief that God has called me to be a light to "alternative" subcultures. I needed a drastic change from being a very sheltered homeschooled twerp). I also feel that in some ways goths are a bit more honest about the pain that they feel. I'm not saying that everyone but goths are like this, but most of the people who are deemed as popular are too good at covering up their pain. While others literally worship them, they are stewing in their own misery till it ends up detroying them. Many goths use the way they appear as a cry for help, but usually very few people listen except for those like them. Instead of being given the love and attention that they so desperately need, they are given a false substitute which will dig their wounds even deeper. So yeah. Sorry if this is stream of consciounessy. Black/blue hair rocks. Just remember that since you are sixteen, you are under your parent's rule. Honor God and do what they say.

[chibiphonebooth]

personally, when i first saw the commericial for the blueblack hair i thought, 'man, that is AWSOME. i sooo want that. if only i had darker hair...i could do it.' i thought tht was the only reason holding me back, cause i might be too pale. but i really just wanted the hair cause it was sooooooo friggin cool.

also im an artist, and someone pointed out that i feel the need to express creativity and individuality, and dying hair is just one way of doing it. im just soo bored of my blonde hair.

[teen4truth]

yes, but the gothic people would be all you could whitness to. It isnt a pretty fact but there are many people who would be tottaly turnded off to everything you have to say. If you live like a Christian and serve God then everyone will be able to see that, even the goths.

oh, and Jesus hung with sinners because he wanted to whitness to them and help them out of there problems, not to encourage them to keep sining(i am not trying to hint that being gothic is a sin, but it can easily lead to that).

teen4truth

[Sonic_13]

Dark is dark. Light is light. Wearing lighter colors doesn't make you spiritually stronger. Darkness has a certain symbolic value, but color-wise, it really shouldn't make a difference.

please understand this wasnt my opinion, i was trying to analyze what he meant.

Is it that blatantly obvious i dont like dark things? lol

[teen4truth]

oh and my last post was about dressing goth, not the blackblue hair^_^

[chibiphonebooth]

I remember being one of "those people" who thought that only "pretty people" went to heaven (btw, for those of us who are exceedingly dense like me, the quotation marks indicate unfettered sarcasm). However, I soon came to embrace dressing semi-gothish as a way to stand out and to even shock people. I attend a very conservative church which pretty much allows its youth to dress almost as skankily as they wish so long as they "look" like they are Christians. Even though it took a while, some of the people are starting to realize that I am not out to eat their children, and that I truly do desire to serve the Lord (another aspect of my gothishness is my belief that God has called me to be a light to "alternative" subcultures. I needed a drastic change from being a very sheltered homeschooled twerp). I also feel that in some ways goths are a bit more honest about the pain that they feel. I'm not saying that everyone but goths are like this, but most of the people who are deemed as popular are too good at covering up their pain. While others literally worship them, they are stewing in their own misery till it ends up detroying them. Many goths use the way they appear as a cry for help, but usually very few people listen except for those like them. Instead of being given the love and attention that they so desperately need, they are given a false substitute which will dig their wounds even deeper. So yeah. Sorry if this is stream of consciounessy. Black/blue hair rocks. Just remember that since you are sixteen, you are under your parent's rule. Honor God and do what they say.

yeah that makes alot of sense.

i have a gothic friends (as i said before) and i know that i have gotten them to think about God sometimes....i mean...i can be gothic sometimes...and i guess..its nice to see that someone who is like you and can find happiness means there is hope for you. unfortunatly i am NOT an evangiliser..so i was never good in...explaining this stuff...just introducing. (i need to work on that. ALOT) i know when i fainted w/my nose piercing... (see other post about getting my nose pierced) one of my gothicish friends came w/me, and when they experienced first hand what happened...i think it made her think. i havent gotten to ask her yet...but its been on my mind.

[teen4truth]

you dont have to be gothic to relate to gothic people and be their friend. Jesus wasnt a sinner or tax collecter, but he new what the sinners and tax collecters went through and he was still able to help them even though he hadnt experienced it himself.

[chibiphonebooth]

thats true.

but i dont dress goth all the time. so its not like...you know. i dunno where im going w/this. >.>

[sanitysux13]

I never said I was very good at witnessing either. I'm still at the stage where I'm sort of testing the waters beyond my fortress. Even the opportunities that I've probably been given I have probably screwed up in some way or another. But I'm hoping that God will let me learn from my mistakes and get enough experiences from all of this in order to be a better witness than I would be without it.

[sanitysux13]

There's a verse in Romans (I think) that Paul quotes (j/k) about becoming a Jew to the Jews, a Gentile to the Gentiles, and so on and so forth. And there is another verse about Jesus being tempted in every way (in one of the Corinthians I believe). Forgive me for not knowing my references (I'm supposed to be typing a paper at the moment so I don't have time to look for them) and for possibly taking them out of context. I'm also not saying that we should purposely expose ourselves to sin, but that Jesus had to simply by coming to earth. Whatever you do, just make sure that you have several good Christian friends who support you and keep you in line.

[teen4truth]

remember that we cannot convince a person to accept christ as thier savior, but God can through us. I just want you guys to think about if being goth is the giving him much of a chance.

[teen4truth]

yes, we should be goths to the goths in the fact that we should listen to them and here out everythin that they have to say, no matter how depressing it may seem to us.

[chibi_chan]

I don't think dressing goth makes you "evil", I think you should dress the way you wanna dress. Personally I think black/blue hair would look cool^^

p.s. I personally prefer "Gothic Lolita" rather then punkish goth, here's a picture for reference sence most peaple mistake it for something bad >.>

[indyrocker]

i have one thing to to point to check out this site its good on showing a way that one can be a goth and a christian besides goth is not a religin its a world view and a type of music but eres the site any way http://www.christiangoth.com/