This post is on the Other BDSM web board.
| 31 Dec 07, 1:12 PM Scribbles UK(RH), 4 yrs  |
I don't think BDSM fits the definition of religion that seems best to me because it doesn't address the breadth of life and experience - or at least it doesn't for me, so far. Having said that, I think comparing it with religious and spiritual experience is very interesting. One area that springs to mind is altruism and self-interest - for example the way that however altruistic a Christian is, they know that ultimately their reward is in heaven; a submissive meets their deeper urge even as they suffer. Also the ideas of bringing about physical change by the exertion of the Will, and the raising of energy, remind me of Wicca. Submission as an idea feels very reminiscent of religious devotion to me. And since I began to think of submission as something acceptable, as part of a cycle, a lot of things have quietly shifted into alignment for me that always seemed badly disjointed. Must say I'd run very many miles at the idea of submission as a religious duty - or Dominance for that matter. Edited 31 Dec 07, 1:34 PM by Scribbles | ||
| 31 Dec 07, 1:17 PM Priapuss UK(PO), 4 yrs  |
It got there because so many people were entering it as other on the census forms. So there is no reason to suspect that if enough were to put BDSM then it would be there in 20 to 30 years time. Remember that in 2011. Today's the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. | ||
| 31 Dec 07, 2:59 PM fig367 IE, 7 yrs |
I think there is a need to seperate out spirituality and religion. bdsm can be quite spiritual. religion is not, but in my definition, its a well defined path to take to become spiritual. Bdsm does not have such a path, as each persons spiritual journey is very individual. Enlightenment via pain and sex can be quite a hard path, with pitfalls aplenty. There is no road map. I feel that bdsm cannot become a religion as religion is currently defined. but to say there can be an element of spirituality could have some merit. Whether it could be recognised in the consensus would be interesting.
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| 31 Dec 07, 3:14 PM SoulPossession UK(PO), 6 yrs |
I would say you could turn pretty much anything in to a religion but why the hell would you want to spoil BDSM by doing THAT to it? As you look around the world and back through history religions have often been a force for bad, causing people to fight stupid wars, suppressing the freedoms of those who don't subscribe to their views, setting neighbour against neighbour, blah blah blah. Now individual faiths on the other hand.....now they seem pretty good to me. G. | ||
| 31 Dec 07, 3:44 PM BadWulf UK(TA), 6 yrs |
But a religion is a structured collection of individual faiths. Even if there is only one of them they still usually want to set fire to you! John
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| 31 Dec 07, 5:01 PM lovethatkills UK, 5 yrs |
Well, it's my view that any religion is a set of delusions and any form of religious belief is a type of mental illness. I don't view BDsm in the same way, so my answer to the OP would be "No". "One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other." (Jane Austen) | ||
| 31 Dec 07, 7:57 PM lili UK, 12 yrs |
i'm not sure about it being a religion in itself but i think BDSM (and particularly SM) can play a big part in religious worship. i certainly use elements of SM in some ritual sense, and i know of people who interweave it deeply into their religious ceremony. lili x
"Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends." (Dawn Adams) | ||
| 31 Dec 07, 8:21 PM StanBWonderful UK(L), 6 yrs |
When I compared the old-guard to a church I wasn't trying to say the experience back then was more spiritual, I was talking about the structure and hierarchy. When I said the community has it's theists I meant there are people who instead of searching for the answers, whatever they may be, they say whatever serves their purpose. There are people in the scene who, beyond D/s, long for power and authority that they really shouldn't have. The vacuum of clear, definitive answers somtimes gets exploited by the self proclaimed experts. For every naive, pretty, young sub who comes looking for answers there's a 'mentor' willing to teach them everything they need to know. The hierarchical structure of the old-guard is somthing that seems to be held up as an ideal by some people. The idea that they might one day become one of the 'grand masters', to be give the endless deference and respect apeals to some members of the community. Like the revival tent preachers who lust for the power of God. I know I'm being all cynical, but I do think there's a streak of narcissism running through the community. That's when BDSM seems most like a religion to me. Stan
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