After reading various IRS tax code and whathaveya, I noticed that it looked pretty easy to start a physical church. Then I hit the ol' Google and determined that it is in fact super simple to gain recognized status as a Church, at least in the eyes of the federal government. So has it ever been done before? Are there any Dudeist Ministers out there with their own congregation and all that?
I was musing on this concept myself yesterday and trying to picture what the purpose of a brick and mortar dudeist church or temple could serve.
Would the services consist of everyone laying around on the rug meditating while listening to bowling tapes? Maybe there could be a guided tai chi session performed all in bathrobes.
Instead of a coffee shop in the lobby would there be a few lanes and a bottle bar for some oat sodas?
What days would the congregation meet? Should we have our own Shomer Shabbos?
Should there be regular viewings of TBL and analysis and discussion?
Lots of cool things to consider...
There is a lot you could do with it, not to mention that one of the benefits of being a brick and mortar church is you can become a non-profit so it would be a good way to get Dudeism out there a bit more in the community by helping with charity and all that.
Sounds exhausting.
I'm also a fan of this idea. I think there can be a huge benefit to establishing an in-person community to complement this online community. I see a Dudeist church as a kind of community center. A weekly service to discuss the ethos of taking it easy could be pretty cool. I think having different forms of leisure (e.g. bowling, meditation rooms, a White Russian happy hour) would show that we are a versatile organization that value everyone's own method of living the Dudeist way.
Yeah I like the idea of a community center feel to it. My vision of what it would be pretty much matches yours spot on, I would also want to use it as a way to get involved with the community since being a church it would be easy to get non-profit status. A laidback Dudeist center with a charitable side.
I too like the idea of charity, in a "we are dudes and this is what we do" kinda way.
Would attending a regular service, make dudeism something you had to do, rather than something you are?
(PS, I think dudes should roll on shabbos).
I like the idea of getting together and hanging out en masse, taking it easy and having services behind closed doors makes it less open to everyone, which is what I perceive it (dudeism) to be. (Although a wet weather venue like a bowling alley is a good idea).
What if it were like a dude moot? Not so much like a festival or official meeting, more like, a bunch of friends gathering for a good natured game of frisbee in a park, beach or whatever, with j breaks and Caucasians, (location dependant).
Also, who'd lead it? (Could pass the "conche" around to take turns? (Unless we lose our train of thought))..... Where was i?, Oh right!
Would there end up being a dudeist council in your area? Would there be spare rugs for newcomers to abide on? Or would they bring their own, like yoga?
Lotta ins, lotta outs dudes.
My biggest questions would be: Where would one be set up at? And how would the local community react to it? There are a lot of real reactionaries around these here states that probably wouldn't take too kindly to a few dudes occupying a few buildings under a different religion.
Well, Dudes we just don't know. It's hard to say how the community would react, I live in a college town so it probably wouldn't get much of a second thought really. There would be a lot of bases to cover in order to keep it something that could work and still be considered Dude.
*deleting old posts*
I am also on a college campus, surrounded by many Christian churches. Which is great for those that practice Christianity. But it does lead to a sense of isolation for others. Could a Dudeist Center serve as a place where others feel welcome to practice their spirituality however they need to? Since a big part of this organization seems to be that everyone's perspective carries some validity, do we open ourselves up to welcoming everyone's practices? All the while also inviting others to practice the way we do? I see this as a good way to promote outreach in the most non-invasive way possible.
I think it's also important to consider where we are seeing concentrations of Dudeists? I, myself, am situated in northern Indiana. Where are others congregating?
*deleting old posts*
I sometimes like to think about what a dudeist church would/should be like (in my most optimistic of opinions). I imagine the church being a bowling alley that is run non-profit. Proceeds would be used for expenses to run the place and any excess would be put into a fund for worthy causes and for community outreach. It would have to be in a country and area of that country that is accepting and open minded so it would have patrons. I imagine an ideal place for it would be wherever there is the highest concentration of active dudeists, obviously. I imagine it would become a place for pilgrimage for other dudeists. (Possibly?)
I don't know. Maybe I'm blathering about something that is nothing more than a pipe dream. It would take a lot of bone or clams or whatever you call them to set it all up. To find the ideal location and buy the bowling alley and equipment and whatnot and get 'er goin.
I like the idea though. I imagine it being not as a rigid religious institution, but more of a laid back and accepting place where everyone can worship in Their own unique dudeist way.
I have probably spent way too much time thinking about this... Haha!
I dig the idea of a Dudeist Abbey
I'm not a fan of church because I don't believe in any of that magical stuff... my parents were hard-core christians and I spent more time in church than you would even believe
A physical location is nice for things like socializing and community outreach
I'd probably go once or twice a month to hear a 30-minute presentation about one of the great dudes in history... do a little socializing, and maybe cook a meal for the local homeless and sinners
Let your dudeness be the church man
Here in New Zealand the authorities are so uptight in the rules, regulations and blathering related to the whole church thing, so I believe that you become your own church and, you know......
Just my opinion here
Quote from: FattMax on December 28, 2016, 10:33:14 AM
Let your dudeness be the church man
Here in New Zealand the authorities are so uptight in the rules, regulations and blathering related to the whole church thing, so I believe that you become your own church and, you know......
Just my opinion here
I've heard that Australia can be bit of a nanny state. How tight are the regulations there when it comes to religions?
Quote from: Jianblade on December 31, 2016, 02:46:05 PM
Quote from: FattMax on December 28, 2016, 10:33:14 AM
Let your dudeness be the church man
Here in New Zealand the authorities are so uptight in the rules, regulations and blathering related to the whole church thing, so I believe that you become your own church and, you know......
Just my opinion here
I've heard that Australia can be bit of a nanny state. How tight are the regulations there when it comes to religions?
Yeah New Zealand is pretty uptight on things like that. Very much a Christian / Mormon place, very white collar middle class rich bible bashers, not my scene at all. Thats why Dudeism suits me man, its all about being out there. Love the bible bashers though, plenty of folk to practice Dude Jitsu on
It could be a private place that you could rent out to the community for use. Like how the Elks or Moose lodges do. A Dude Lodge.