Burning Man

Im_A · Feb 24, 2011

.Vicky. said:
From what I read about it, it started as an original, albeit weird and slightly dumb, event of artistic self-expression (let's hang out at the beach and burn wooden guys and dogs! ART!). But it seems to have grown into a money machine ($200-$300 a ticket? Seriously?) and an excuse for people to act like lawless idiots (an average of 5-10 arrests and several hundred citations per event).

If you want to appreciate real art, visit a museum.

Can't be lawless if the law allows it.

Kind of like concerts at Native American reservations. Sure all those young hooligans are there toking up but with the law they can(well 'can' is relative because the law doesn't allow it but they can't be arrested on that property) in the property and the minute they cross the line, welcome to America's war on Drugs.

HighwayMan · Feb 24, 2011

looks like the Gathering of the Juggalos...without the juggalos.

VA Pinay · Feb 25, 2011

I wouldn't mind it. It would interesting to see and experience, and I know my limits.

traingosorry · Feb 25, 2011

I'd totally go. Time never seems to allow for it though. It's a pretty creative and crazy spectacle.

ImperialPhantom · Feb 25, 2011

Miles said:
I'd be tempted to go just to check out the mutant vehicles and the art cars. Unfortunately, I'm on the other side of the country. How often do you get to see neat stuff like this?

YouTube - J2F - Spider vs. Big wheel drag race @ Burning Man

If only I had a garage and a welding torch...

LOL, those are awesome. Maybe autoblog needs to start covering the Burning Man.

Amber.ly · Feb 25, 2011

dsrohe said:
Eh, Jesus hung out with tax-collectors, sinners, adulterers, and all sorts of people that would have been the "coke-heads" of their day.

He obviously wasn't hanging out with them to flirt with temptation and sin, however, so if one's motivations for going to a place like Burning Man is to flirt with sin and temptation then one shouldn't go. Even still, a godly witness is needed in those places so if you can be a good witness and not succumb to temptation then have at it and make Jesus proud.

AwesomeSock said:
From what I've read, it looks like a fun and supportive environment for one's creative side to come out to play,

According to the OP's statement, the intention to go is not to witness or do miracles. I'm not sure Jesus hung out with the "coke-heads" to kick back and express his creativity. Just saying.

Although I do find the blanket assumption that everyone there is the scum of the earth a bit hilarious. Or perhaps I am reading into your reply. I didn't read all the posts in the thread.

I wouldn't go to this event. Personal conviction as I don't see the need to go spend a few weeks is the desert admiring weird art and camping out with a bunch of strangers at a place where the very idea of it seems to be targeted toward "free expression" to the point of weeks of debauchery and questionable activities. Of course you can find innocent and fun things to do there but it doesn't seem to be geared toward that.

I'm all for fun and adventure but I am skeptical of that event being a place where a Christian should be looking for either of those.

Sri · Feb 25, 2011

why not have a christian one? My friend is a fire dancer and he and his friends dance with fire with cords it is really neat. why not do stuff like instead.

MacFall · Feb 25, 2011

Sri said:
why not have a christian one? My friend is a fire dancer and he and his friends dance with fire with cords it is really neat. why not do stuff like instead.

I could get behind that.

white dove · Feb 25, 2011

AwesomeSock said:
What's your take on the Burning Man festival? It looks cool to me, but I'm on the fence about whether I want to experience it firsthand.

From what I've read, it looks like a fun and supportive environment for one's creative side to come out to play, but it also looks like the kind of thing that other Christians would judge me for doing. God knows that I don't plan on lusting after the occasional naked person, let alone worshiping the burning sculpture as if it was some kind of idol. I would be in it for the fun cultural experience. Either way, I suppose the silver lining of being single is that I still have the freedom to do this kind of thing.

How old are you? If I were in my early 20's, I would want to go. Now? Eh. But, this is totally cool (and I kind of want this picture, framed):

I would need to know the exact types of bones they used though. And yes, I hotlinked.

My take on whether or not a Christian "should or shouldn't" go.. if you're convicted over it, don't do it. If you're questioning it, that says something. If you would be completely fine with it, you wouldn't even have this question pop into your sock-head.

Me, personally, I've never second-guessed myself when going to galleries, crawls, museums or exhibits - with nude works or whatever. I would have a problem with this event though, especially considering I'm a mommy now. If I can't take the little guy there, I probably won't do it.

white dove · Feb 25, 2011

Sri said:
why not have a christian one? My friend is a fire dancer and he and his friends dance with fire with cords it is really neat. why not do stuff like instead.

I like this...

BranwenUerchLlyr · Feb 25, 2011

The Burning Man festival used to be a big hippie playground of LSD & free love but became a commercial & very profitable venture for the company that owns it.

briebo1 · Jun 3, 2011

GQ Chris said:
If you're a serious and committed Christian, this is like asking if it would be okay to attend a coke snorting party so long as you're not going to be snorting cocaine there, you'll just be around having a good time with all the cokeheads, surely Jesus will understand right? WRONG!

Didn't Jesus himself spend time with the coke-heads of his day? As Christians we are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world. But that sometimes will involve getting our feet dirty. As a Christian going to Burning Man you will definitely have some powerful experiences sharing Christ. The holy spirit's presence rallies to the occasion in very physical and powerful ways when you step into the den of the enemy. I have been a part of some crazy evangelizing experiences at a "coke-party.". However you really want to prepare through prayer when going into a situation like this, we are not Jesus and the flesh is weak, and you will be confronted with temptation if not prepared. Otherwise, go to BM, pray beforehand and offer yourself as an instrument for the Lord to spread his word and his love and you are in for an experience in evangelism that will be thrilling to say the least!

Im_A · Jun 3, 2011

BranwenUerchLlyr said:
The Burning Man festival used to be a big hippie playground of LSD & free love but became a commercial & very profitable venture for the company that owns it.

As most hippie ventures.

AwesomeSock · Jul 7, 2011

The mind altering substances don't appeal to me. I just think it looks fun. So much creativity in one place. The art, the music, the machines, the cultural experience! It's cool that a few of you would be up for this. Maybe we can get a group together and go sometime.

Inkachu · Jul 7, 2011

Who needs the free museums of D.C. or NYC when you can pay $300 to stare at piles of bones shaped like a tree!

AwesomeSock · Jul 7, 2011

Why not all of the above? There's nothing that says you can't visit museums if you go to Burning Man.

Touma · Jul 7, 2011

I find it quite sad that my first though was about the Fallout: New Vegas character, Joshua Graham, known as the "The Burned Man". I was so excited, but alas my excitement has been extinguished!

As to the OP, I see nothing wrong with it. I would say it is best for you to probably pray before you go. And, of course, keep your eyes always on Christ. =)

Touma · Jul 7, 2011

Babe of Broadway said:
From what I read about it, it started as an original, albeit weird and slightly dumb, event of artistic self-expression (let's hang out at the beach and burn wooden guys and dogs! ART!). But it seems to have grown into a money machine ($200-$300 a ticket? Seriously?) and an excuse for people to act like lawless idiots (an average of 5-10 arrests and several hundred citations per event).

If you want to appreciate real art, visit a museum.

Funny because the last museum I went to had terrible art. I mean, these were paintings where someone painted half of the canvas red, and the other half blue. You call that art? I called it a waste of time.

VA Pinay · Jul 17, 2011

I think a lot of it depends. I could never get into Pollock; it's random paint splatters on a canvas. You can talk to me till you're blue in the face about its artistic merits, but it's still just paint splatters on a canvas.

Rothko, on the other hand, I understood when I saw a painting of his in person. If you sit and just look at it a bit, his blurred rectangles actually feel like they're humming. When my art professor told me this I thought he was full of it, but it's really true.

Verve · Jul 17, 2011

Blind Post:

In my experience there is nothing inherently bad about being around hippies or pagans or whatever combination of "alternative" lifestyle as long as you have prayed about the situation and are comfortable that it will not affect you.

It could actually be a wonderful opportunity to be a witness!

Most of all it's not if other Christians will judge you for going, it's about your walk and if your behavior will bring glory to God. Stay in the word and pray is really the only advice I can give you.

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