posted to baltwash-burning on January 10, 2003 by Suzanne Henderson:
just finished having lunch with a friend and knowing of my interest in burningman, he brought up this years theme. I know some other people had asked opinions about this theme and until today, I hadn't really thought it over. Of course, these thoughts are subject to change.
I think that I am a little put off by this years theme. I was okay with the theme until I read JRS and saw the comments on the theme (included below). Now, I'm not much a religious person, spiritual maybe, and don't take much interests in most religions other than to avoid them as much as possible. But to me, moving this far in a religious direction for burningman is not the best idea. So many people think its some religious thing anyways and I've explained time and time again that it has nothing to do with religion, I think this year may make that line harder to explain. Sure, we (people who attend, have attended, etc) get it and understand it but will they (non-attendee and advosaries)?
Now my biggest issue is that I worry about the preversing of so many faiths. I guess that my current respect for other people belief systems classifies the perversion of religion to be something improper. And janet's post basically opened my eyes to this possibility and I start to wonder how far some groups will go, is there anything that will not be touched? Of course, this is a messy little line to define in order to cross. I would be willing to dress up and go to a priests and prostitues party, but I find it wrong that tons of groups would go out and display lude behaviors in the name of religion? Hell, I'm not religious, shouldn't I just not care at all?
Now, I don't believe that everyone or most people would even take this theme to these levels or anything like that, I'm sure there are some awesome ideas brewing and steeping that are very far from what I'm talking about. And everyone can interpert things in their own little way and see how they want to deal with it then, but not sure that this is theme I would have picked. of course, I'm not being asked what themes I like or find "appropriate" and thats a good thing.
since I'm still rambling, I'm not only bothered by the theme; I'm bothered by my avrsion to it.
suz
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from Jack Rabbit Speaks:Beyond belief, beyond the dogmas, creeds, and metaphysical ideas of religion, there exists immediate experience. It is from this primal world that living faith arises. The intention of Beyond Belief is to explore this mystery. In 2003 we will invite participants to create interactive rites, ritual processions, elaborate images, shrines, icons, and temples: visions of realities profoundly other and far greater than our conscious selves. Our theme will occupy that ambiguous territory that lies between reverence and ridicule, faith and belief, the absurd and the dazzlingly sublime. The human urge to make events, objects, actions and personalities sacred is protean. It can fix on and inhabit anyone or anything. This year our art theme will release this spirit in the Black Rock Desert.
written on January 10, 2003