How to Tell if your Child is a Goth

[Chiru]

I've known about this for quite a while, but I decided to post it here to get some more opinions. I know many people have different views on what 'gothic' is, but in my opinion this is just waaay too extreme.

Just so you know, the ones in italics are the ones that apply to me. I've also edited a few things out of the original text because I felt they might make the topic go off into a religious argument, which isn't allowed here.

Listed below are some warning signs to indicate if your
child is a goth.

Gothic (or goth) is a very obscure and often dangerous culture that young teenagers are prone to participating in. The gothic culture leads young, susceptible minds into an imagined world of evil, darkness, and violence. Please seek immediate attention through counselling, prayer, and parental guidance to rid your child of Satan's temptations if five or more of the following are applicable to your child:

-Frequently wears black clothing.

-Wears band and/or rock t-shirts.

-Wears excessive black eye makeup, lipstick or nailpolish.

-Wears any odd, silver jewelry or symbols. Some of these include:
reversed crosses, pentagrams, pentacles, ankhs or various other
Satanic worshipping symbols.

-Shows an interest in piercings or tattoos.

-Listens to gothic or any other anti-social genres of
music.

-Associates with other people that dress, act or speak
eccentrically.

-Shows a declining interest in wholesome activities, such
as: the Bible, prayer, church or sports.

-Shows an increasing interest in death, vampires, magic,
the occult, witchcraft or anything else that involves Satan.

-Takes drugs.

-Drinks alcohol.

-Is suicidal and/or depressed.

-Cuts, burns or partakes in any other method of self-mutilation. (This is a Satanic ritual that uses pain to detract from the light of God and His love. Please seek immediate attention for this at your local mental health center.)

-Complains of boredom.

-Sleeps too excessively or too little.

-Is excessively awake during the night.

-Dislikes sunlight or any other form of light. (This pertains to
vampires promoting the idea that His light is of no use.)

-Demands an unusual amount of privacy.

-Spends large amounts of time alone.

-Requests time alone and quietness. (This is so that your chid may speak to evil spirits through meditation.)

-Insists on spending time with friends while unaccompanied by an adult.

-Disregards authority figures; teachers, priests, nuns and
elders are but a few examples of this.

-Misbehaves at school.

-Misbehaves at home.

-Eats excessively or too little.

-Eats goth-related foods. Count Chocula cereal is an example of this.

-Drinks blood or expresses an interest in drinking blood.
(Vampires believe this is how to attain Satan. This act is very dangerous and should be stopped immediately.)

-Watches cable television or any other corrupted media
sources. (Ask your local church for proper programs that your child may watch.)

-Plays videos games that contains violence or role-playing nature.

-Uses the internet excessively and frequently makes time for the computer.

-Violently shakes head to music.

-Dances to music in a provocative or sexual manner.

-Expresses an interest in sex.

-Is homosexual and/or bisexual.

-Pursues dangerous cult religions. Such include: Satanism, Scientology, Philosophy, Paganism, Wicca, Hinduism and Buddhism.

-Wears pins, stickers or anything else that contains these various phrases: "I'm so gothic, I'm dead", "woe is me", "I'm a goth".

-Claims to be a goth.

If five or more of these apply to your child, please intervene immediately. The gothic culture is dangerous and Satan thrives within it. If any of these problems persist, enlist your child into your local mental health center.

Personally, I think this is a load of crap. Half the stuff on this list has absolutely nothing to do with being 'gothic'. Heck, half of this stuff (especially the stuff that involves wanting privacy) is just part of being a teenager! "Expresses an interest in sex"? That's INSTINCT! And oh my god, cable television is EBIL!!!! The count Chocula thing was just... lmfao.

So... yeah. I'd like to hear some peoples' opinions on this.

Wow, 15 of these things applied to me. It says you belong in the nut house if 5 apply.

..w00t!

*Please take note that religious debates are against the rules here. This is NOT a religious debate.*

 

[Zaikiro]

I have to agree that this is false. How can you be even show that your child is goth. Some may be true. But how can you be even sure?

 

[Chiru]

The thing is, you really can't be sure. Goth is just like every other stereotype. Just about everyone has their own idea of what it means to be a part of that subculture. I really don't try to put any one label on myself, but I still found this rather outrageous. I'm friends with some people who claim to be goths, and this article really bothered them.

 

[Ryoutarou]

That list is...just stupid, whoever made it has no idea what they're talking about. Plus, when people say "OMG I'm Goth and I'M SOOOOO sad" or something like that...I give them a blank stare, ask them if they really think they're as big as a church and get a good slap in the face if it's a girl...

...in other words, no one has any idea what that word really means.

 

[Soul Eater]

Well its just like punk or even jock, its just a way people describe a certain group in school.

 

[Mullet]

That article is a bunch of crap, and it doesn't really make much sense, I watch cable T.V. so I must be Goth, oh no, lol. I laughed most of the way through it, and almost fell on the floor when they mentioned Count Chocula cereal, hahaha.:P

 

[Chiru]

Mm. I guess one of the main things about this that gets me is that it lists ridiculous "symptoms" that probably just about everyone here could relate to at least one of. Not only that, but it also talks about being a "goth" as if it's a bad thing. This really makes no sense at all to me.

 

[John Denver]

This is gonna be locked I'm betting...there's so much I wanna comment about the catholic church, but I'm not stupid >_>

 

[Drifblim]

I remember reading that same list on another site, and I will post my response from that site:

I agree with Draelen [an administrator on the site from which this post was taken]. This is exactly why we don't have religion in the schools or taking place in the government ? extremely conservative, and by what I've read the church is misconstruing a lot of things. I consider myself a Protestant, even, but this newsletter seems to have many things wrong, even by standards set in the Bible.

Firstly, everyone has at least a minimal interest in sex, and for most boys masturbation is just a psychological phase that many boys going through puberty experience. This is NOT an indication of satanism, but something that some poeople just don't take into consideration as they just think about the past.

Secondly, demanding time to oneself doesn't always mean that he or she is going to converse with demons. Sometimes he or she may be so depressed ? and this occurs to everybody ? that he or she does not wish to reveal themselves socially.

Thirdly, Hinduism and Buddhism ARE NOT CULT RELIGIONS!!! Buddhism is a religious philosophy that capitalises on restraining desires as per the Middle Way, and it involves giving to charity ? and that's actually something that was once prevalent in Catholic groups (hah!). Hinduism and Jainism emphasise respect for all walks of life down to the smallest termite. Both religions have existed long before Christianity has, predating it by more than 300 years.

Fourthly, being awake during the night is just insomnia, which could have been caused by taking naps during the day (irregularity of sleep is the biggest cause of insomnia.

Fifthly, they give no description of 'eccentric' dress and accent.

Sixthly, the cereal is not Count Dracula, it's Count Chocula, and the advertising doesn't seem to invoke anything satanic.

Seventhly, not all cable television is satanic ? we have some programmes they may like, such as Veggie Tales and some sports showings such as the Super Bowl (but the XFL would definitely fit their descriptions, but it has been dead since 2001).

Eightly, kids may not want to be attended because they're merely dating.

Ninthly, 'videogames of role-playing nature' aren't always satanic per se (unless you mean Diablo). Almost all of the Barbie and the Little Mermaid CD-ROMs that my friend's little sister plays are in that category, and no bloodshed takes place in them. It should also be considered that many games coming into Christian countries aren't from within the country itself these days; Pok?mon, which has been attacked for fantasy violence, was created in Japan, where defending one's honour was and still is very rife.

 

[Sailor Chibi Lunatone]

Plenty of those things apply to me, but I don't consider myself to be goth. That is definately a load of garbage. I do not wish to state anything about my religious views on this subject because I would not like to break the rules. However, once can still partake in most of those activities and still not be goth.

 

[Electric Hero]

Have to say... that that list is a piece of crap... privacy is a phase of being a teenager... being in the computer for too long is not a sign... why would goth kids be on internet instead of talking or practicing things about Lucifer ((satan)). I'm here in PC most of the time and I'm not goth. Wear black clothes!? what the!!!? I would like to wear black clothes 24/7... because I like black... it looks cool around these days of winter. Interest in sex... all teenager have interest in sex... I think most goths don't care about sex. Ok... shaking head while hearing music... it's a sign... that you like the music you are hearing! I shake my head when I hear rock ((real rock, NOT heavy metal)) or any other gender of music from 60s to some of today's music.

VIDEO-GAMES!!! Almost all of the games now are RPGs... now playing them its a sign!? most now are about destroying evil!! it's that a sign of being evil "oohh!! I'm evil and I play games that destroy evil!!!" why just people don't use logic?... and violence has nothing to do... you have violence most of the time in your daily life... there are chances you have more violence IRL than in a game. So... who did that list so I can tell him he/she is wrong!? AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! ((there had to be a weirdiness sign...)).

 

[Miyu-chan]

This reminds me of something that said Pokemon was a cult. x.x; They (extremist religious people) thought that the Nazi's made Pokemon. <<;

And cult = anything non-Christian. <<;

Most of these are just hilarious. Especially the spending time alone one. .-.

 

[Datriot]

This reminds me of something that said Pokemon was a cult. x.x; They (extremist religious people) thought that the Nazi's made Pokemon. <<;

And cult = anything non-Christian. <<;

Most of these are just hilarious. Especially the spending time alone one. .-.

A cult...Okay, wierd..O_o
I don't really believe in all these social groups, I think it's quite stupid really, although some of those are quite funny.XD

 

[Greta]

Well, I have to agreet that this is totally false. I mean, Im not even a goth, or nothing close to it, and about 10 things applied to me too...
But to be honest, no one really has the idea of what a goth is truly. I dont even believe that it has to do with satan and stuff like that often.
Most people nowadays are separated into groups. One of them is goth. But again, i dont think these people who actually wrote this have got a clue about what a goth is...nor we do, honestly.
I think that this is way too overrated. As many of you had said, most of these things often appear to a regular teenager, goth or not.

 

[Imakuni?]

-Frequently wears black clothing.

-Wears band and/or rock t-shirts.

If thats goth, then I am super goth. I am punk, not goth.

-Eats goth-related foods. Count Chocula cereal is an example of this.

OMGZ! My breakfast is satanic.

-Watches cable television or any other corrupted media
sources. (Ask your local church for proper programs that your child may watch.)

Oh wow. This has LandOverBaptist written all over it. We ALL know that TimeWarner is screwing
our childrens minds.

 

[Eliana]

Um...that's BS. Seriously. So if a little kid likes to play video games that makes him a Goth?

I have a huge problem with this...and you can also relate all of those to a ton of other "labels" or "sterotypes"; Whatever you wanna call them. Then again, this is the church talking, so they're touchy about it...but honestly, EVERYONE does something or other on that list...that list is basically everything a person does (most of it...like the blood thing...no. XD)

 

[Ryoutarou]

This reminds me of something that said Pokemon was a cult. x.x; They (extremist religious people) thought that the Nazi's made Pokemon. <<;

And cult = anything non-Christian. <<;

Most of these are just hilarious. Especially the spending time alone one. .-.

Actually, even Christians are in a cult. A cult is a system of community of religious worship and rituals. EVERY religion is a cult, English is the only language that has a problem with calling things cults. All over the world Christians admit to being in a cult because that's what religion is.

The list itself is stupid, it's devoid of any real idea of what kids do these days. They expect things to always stay the same and for tastes not to change at all. Most of the things on the list are what a normal teenager would do most of the time...minus the whole blood thing.

 

[Shiny Meganium]

I am not a goth but I know one. Most of those factors are pure garbadge. I don't have it but how does watching cable television make you a goth?

 

[Eliana]

It doesn't. It's simply the Church hating everything of culture today...XD (not to bash the Church or anything...)

 

[GARGLE!]

Religions would be OK if they didn't all think they had the right to go imposing THEIR rules on people who follow OTHER religions, or none at all.

This thing's just stupid... cutting yourself isn't a "satanic ritual", it's something that kids do when they're depressed and haven't learned how to cope with things in a halfway-normal way.

And how is a cereal evil? It's frickin' FOOD. If these people made some wacky "Jesus Crisp" cereal or whatever, and stuck a cartoony version of their Oddly European-Looking Jesus on the box, I doubt anyone else would really complain (in fact, the ones who'd complain most would probably be other Christians!).

And apparently, all nuns must be goths, since they wear black all the time. Hmm...