@korno 544511 wrote:
Yah it’s just turned into personal insults rather than what religion people follow…
What are we then? a cult? lol
I think i follow a form of religion with the lifestyle i have, i refuse to go near commercial clubs and music and i give anyone i know a telling off if i hear they have done.
Is ‘free party goer’ a form a religion?
I agree it can be rather similar to a cult, with unfortunately less of the positive aspects of being part of a wider community group (which can include a moderate faith group).
These days I unashamedly listen to a more commercial form of trance as I’ve got older, (curiously this music is making inroads into countries with strong faith group communities, I’ve jokingly referred to progressive house as “Protestant Work Ethic House” before 😉 because of its roots in traditional Dutch culture (Armin, Ferry C etc are hardly rebellious young men) and its being tolerated in all the moderate Islamic countries, there are really good trance events in Malaysia.
I still would not and do not attend commercial events in the UK, but that is due to poor production values and crowd safety issues. I don’t judge or mock people for going to them if they wish to do so, especially as in some parts of England where the unlicensed scene has burned itself out out as that is all folk have. My mates from ICR-FM often play out in townie venues, many used to like free parties but said “the drugs got too much” and we all saw a common circle of friends get addicted / overdose etc. I don’t like the townie scene but to be fair the event organisers don’t look after their punters any worse than on the EA free party scene, even if its more controlled.
In the same way I don’t judge people for folllowing moderate religious groups (and both Lshak and MR207 are very much on the liberal or even radical fringes of Christianity and Islam merely by continuing to stay on this site), nor do I see them as any kind of a threat. I’ve never had a religious person seriously criticise me for my partying, drugs use etc (though the worst of it is in my past), all they’ve said is “well everyone is young and will enjoy themselves in their youth”. I’ve got a lot of real life work colleagues and in voluntary activity who follow religions from Islam through to hippy New Age stuff and I get on well with all of them and they respect me for good things I have done in the community.
That said I think any postive aspects of religion/spirituality come from the community spirit and discipline it instils in folk, not so much from abstract “beings in the sky”.
