Moving at the speed of Dude! So yeah, you got time to go make a sandwich while we wait.

Dude, I like the idea of creating a model for setting "franchise" locations. Does anybody have any ideas on creating a model like this. I don't know the requirements for creating a "church" or whatever but if a dude could legally make his house a dudeist retreat or church or league or whatever I think it would be a great way to get the name out there and solidify our presence as an official "religion" and make it easier for dudes to find us. I also don't think too many dudes would mind the tax exemptions. After all its tough to abide sometimes when you gotta worry about feeding Uncle Sam's monkey.

Hmm, not sure on that one, Rev.

Also, not being a feeder of Uncle Sam's monkey, I wouldn't know what his diet consists of   I'm not sure such places are tax-exempt here in the UK, or in France where the Yoga Centre's going to be.

My idea was to use a shop as a base for learning, like Tom Hodgkinson's excellent Idler Academy in London.  Truly great little model of a bookshop/cafe/evening event location, just like my other half and I always invisioned.  Of course, if we ever get there, I'd love to do what I can in the name of Dudeism with it, even if it is just answering questions.

I think this whole train of thought's gonna open up a lot of possibilities.

Shame the Lebowski Bar in Edinburgh was such a non-dudeist place in the end.  What we do need is more dudely bars, like that one in eastern Europe where the guy has no price list, it's a pay-as-ya-feel setup.  Dudely cafe's, bars/pubs, duditation centres and whathaveyou would be a great thing to start pockmarking the face of the globe with.  Eh?

If I was going to build a church this is what it would look like .......


 If I was going to build a house this is what it would look like .....

That was my point ......  The most energy efficent, affordiable green home (building) and no permit required to put it up .... they make them up to thirtyfour feet in diamiter, a thirty foot diamiter Tipi will sit a hundred people in it with a six foot diamiter firepit.

Hmmmmm, they look the same. Have to say, though; great places to put your rug! 

Gotta love the ti-pis

I see we left this with "actual churches"

I don't even use the term "church of the latter-day dude" because I'm not down with calling this religion a church.
Churches are a Christian thing.  Temple is a more generic term, but still, I don't like the implications of a place of worship and praise and ritual that temples (and indeed churches) implies.

We're not into those aspects of a communal area, we're into the social aspects and the talking/discussing aspects, like an ancient Greek forum.  The best term I can come up with off the top of my head if "Hangout", but that still doesn't seem to hit it for me.

I think the discussion on such buildings is not really relevent, as we don't have them and nor do I believe we plan to.  As I've seen it's a long-term debate "what if we had actual churches" and the like.  But, if we don't plan to get involved in all this temple-isation stuff, maybe we don't need to even think about it.  Is the creation of a Dudeist Centre really on the cards?  I know we're all discussing Dudeist Yoga Centres, and Dudeist Coffee Shops, and bars, and the like, as Abide Centres, but, does that really hit the nail?

I dunno.  I think we need a word, but Church, Temple, Hangout or Centre just don't fit it.  But, I guess it's like 42.  How can we come up with an answer if we don't know the question.  How can we name something if we don't know what it is or if we even want it?

I'm just a kid walkin' into the middle of a movie here, but hey -  maybe we all need to smoke a J, drink a Caucasian, and take'r easy. Dudeism isn't about spilling so much ink (pixels?) to TALK about a belief system and how to evangelize the rest of the world, and find meeting places. Shoosh, I seen that fail a few times before. Here we are, once again, the "haves" and the "have-nots", cause we're supposedly so enlightened. Religion is un-dude.

It's LIVIN' it that makes you a dude. Hence the word "abiding". If yer a livin' example of it, people will be attracted to you and ask questions. Abiding will spread on its own. "Grass roots" I think they call it where I come from. Otherwise, them folks lookin' at all this chatterin' from the outside will tend to tell you to shut the fuck up, 'cause yer just makin' noise.

And I know you see this comin' -

This is all just, like, my opinion man.

Now, I'm gonna take my own advice and shut the fuck up.

I might be new around here, but IMO this thread is a terrific example of one of the best aspects of Dudeism/Abideism in action--the open and respectful exchange of positive ideas, thoughts, notions, and what-have-you, with a like-minded goal of improving the human condition on a global scale.

One of the most difficult things about moving Dudeism forward will be explaining it to people in a way that makes sense to them; some people will never understand it no matter how hard we try even if they're open to it.  It's a very personal thing that means different things to different people.  To me, it's...well, let me explain by example.  When Bruce Lee was developing his personal martial arts philosophy (which he eventually called Jeet Kune Do) he examined every martial art known to him at the time; he adopted the styles that he felt worked for him, and rejected the ones that didn't.  In doing so, he created what he felt was a simpler and more effective form of self-defense that was free of the rigid limitations of the traditional styles.  I believe this is how most of us practice Dudeism--we take the best parts of established beliefs (religious or otherwise), philosophies, concepts, expressed wisdoms, imagination, common courtesy, acceptance, and (when it's due) respect for others, and apply them to our lives as we see fit for the purpose of making our lives simpler and more enjoyable, free from the rules, restrictions, and rituals of most established religions.  Trying to explain that to uptight thinkers in a single "mission statement"...well, I'll leave that for wiser minds to figure out.

With regards to iconography...well Dudes, I just don't know.  The Big Lebowski and The Dude are most certainly the inspiration for Dudeism and probably should be represented somehow, but I would agree that most casual observers will tend to get hung up on the imagery and see we Dudeists as nothing more than a bunch of cult movie fans who have taken our fondness for this particular little film to an unanticipated new level.  Again, wiser minds.

Just sharing my thoughts; feel free to disagree.   

Well, Rev. Al, you're pretty correct.

I didn't read all the thread, too exhausting, so I'll try to say as little bu****its as possible.

As you know I'm pretty much for the idea of spreading Dudeism around and going with it in the physical world, so to say. And obviously I think that the Abide University and Abiding Centres are a fucking cool idea. But first we should probably arrive at a definition of what Dudeism is.

I mean that before building something we need to have some definite building blocks, and common for everyone. While a Dudenomination can be pretty much everything, from a yoga center to a dudely bar, it has to have a common denominator. This is not to franchise something but to protect Dudeism from those assholes who think they are Dudeists while in reality they are paraquats, and we all know that they exists. Without clear guidelines we could end up with swingers clubs who say that they are religious places. Now, consenting adults can do whatever they feel cool but are we sure that we want Dudeism linked to swingers clubs? Because it will happen, just like some people come to the forum because they think is a stoners'  club. Again, nothing wrong with it but that's not our religion.

It's like opening a bar where everyone can decide his own price, sooner or later it will become full of paraquats who just want free beverages, and if you have to feed the monkey you can't give things for free. Or you get broken.

Once we have a common ground we can begin to build upon it. As I usually say Dudeism is like water, and even if water can become almost everything water remains water. Without a clear definition of what water is we will end up nowhere. Or one day we'll find that everything has been fucked up and crashed on the mountain.

I mean we find difficult to agree that Dudeism can be for both Atheists and Christians so I think we can't go further until the muddy water has cleared.

First we need to lay down as simply as possible what Dudeism is (tenets, principles...) and then we should have clear guidelines about Dudeism Centres. I know it's boring but given that this is not 'Nam rules are needed. Just as the forum does to keep away spammers. Few simple rules and everyone is, and remains, happy.

Clearly, imdo.