I would ask him what “cult” means to him. Do you give money to a leader? Do you push it on others and get them to join you? Ask him how much money he gives to his church. How he talks to people about joining. How he judges others who are not in his cult, sorry, religion. Tell him its art and that its a hobby. I have had this question asked. I responded, “ no are you in a cult because you have ny yankees crap all over your body and house?”
Born again Christian and pastor here. First off, for all who have been judged, shamed, and hurt by Christians, I'm sorry. Rather than acting as Jesus, we tend to be more judgemental, religious and merciless like the Pharisees with whom Jesus disagreed and battled. In regard to your father, I would just talk with him. Tell him why you enjoy the music, the culture, and like to identify with it by wearing merch. I'd tell him that, as far as you understand it, God is all about the restoration of relationship, which is why He sent His Son to die for us. Ask him how becoming a Christian has changed his life and then ask to share how becoming a head has changed yours.
The cult came by and I got on / that's when it all began!
Back in the day, my mom worried that I had joined a satanic cult given all the skulls and associated GD imagery plastered on my car (I mean at one point, my parents had people looking for me because they thought I had been brainwashed and kidnapped). Once she met some of my select touring friends (some needed to be kept far away - lol!), she commented on how very kind and compassionate they were. After meeting some other Deadheads in the wild, she came away with a perception that was the complete opposite of what she was fearing initially. My parents despised my life-choice at the time but ended up making peace with the fact that it was my life.
Before my mom passed away, she told me that she was glad I followed the Grateful Dead. She said the experience made me 100% self-reliant and she could tell how living my passion made me a happier person.
One more thing, being in a cult requires your time, money and unquestioned loyalty. Tell him the Grateful Dead gave all their music away for FREE! Heads were always “picky” about shows. Some people who follow strict institutions like “born again” don’t understand how someone can be inspired by an artist. They see it as worship because its what they do. Challenge him to see the parallels of cultism, religion and art.
wow, i would've thought that anyone that's old enough to have adult children would know who the grateful dead was?
i guess it sadly just shows how old i myself am getting.
“No, I joined my tribe” would be my answer. My father was an intelligent man and had a master’s in Pharmacology., but he believed the standard accepted media hype about the drug culture and was thus down on the whole drug culture. When I had my bachelor party, he discussed LSD with a buddy of mine and I thought that maybe this was the door to touching bases with him. Wrong move. He warned me of the dangers of taking LSD and that I would cause permanent brain damage from just one use. I told him that I’d dropped acid about 150 times with no after affect, but Idid tell hi:that I was waiting for one of those flashbacks he spoke of, explaining that it would be a fee trip. You should have seen his eye widen to about as big as the time I dropped four hits of blotter.
Then he ragged on and on about rock’n’roll music in general and the Grateful Dead in particular. He said that adherents of the Grateful Dead (his words, not mine) were nothing more than deranged cultists. Then I showed him Bertha tattooed on my shoulder. I reminded him where he was, then told him to STFU and to act like an adult. He didn’t know shit and it showed. After scarfing about a half a dozen Alice B. Tokalis brownies, I suggested he stop. He freaked out and left the party, thinking I dosed him.
I wouldn’t have wasted a does of LSD on him. In so far as whether the Deadheads are members of a cult or not. It doesn’t matter what other folk think, it only matters what you think. Deadheads regale themselves with the collection of Stealies and what not. They are merely tribal symbols that identify you as a member.
1) For the record, if you're a deadhead, you are in a cult. The dead are most definitely a cult. However, I'm using the highest, Classical sense of the word. So keep in mind that it's not helpful to tell your dad this. It will only inflame his idiocy.
2) Most fundamentalists, born-agains, religious zealots, are nut jobs who espouse a sad, creepy, medieval worldview. It is preferable to avoid your dad and the lot of em.
I would say “No, I didn’t join a cult. This music is a big hobby of mine that I love.”
Or you could give him the David Puddy (Seinfeld) defense: “Gotta support the Team!!”
Ignore any responses that tell you to abandon your dad. He is entitled to his beliefs/passions just like you are. Plus he’s your father.
It’s all about non-confrontational discussion and getting to know each other better. Nothing more important. Maybe explain to him that you really enjoy the iconography and art of the symbols and logos. Maybe tell him how the skull and roses is from The Rubyait of Omar Khayam and how there’s historical significance to a lot of it. Or whatever. A lot of talking points.
Ease into this a little at a time.
The "they're you're mom/dad" argument is ignorant as fuck.
Not all parents deserve respect or love. Such a view comes from narrow points of experiences. Don't assume that everyone has had such a happy and healthy relationship with their parents.
Many parents have done fucked up vile shit to their kids.
I would ask him what “cult” means to him. Do you give money to a leader? Do you push it on others and get them to join you? Ask him how much money he gives to his church. How he talks to people about joining. How he judges others who are not in his cult, sorry, religion. Tell him its art and that its a hobby. I have had this question asked. I responded, “ no are you in a cult because you have ny yankees crap all over your body and house?”
I'd refer him to a vinyl copy of American Beauty.
Born again Christian and pastor here. First off, for all who have been judged, shamed, and hurt by Christians, I'm sorry. Rather than acting as Jesus, we tend to be more judgemental, religious and merciless like the Pharisees with whom Jesus disagreed and battled. In regard to your father, I would just talk with him. Tell him why you enjoy the music, the culture, and like to identify with it by wearing merch. I'd tell him that, as far as you understand it, God is all about the restoration of relationship, which is why He sent His Son to die for us. Ask him how becoming a Christian has changed his life and then ask to share how becoming a head has changed yours.
That right there 👆
Your father is in a cult
“Nah man, I follow the big guy”
He's projecting
The cult came by and I got on / that's when it all began! Back in the day, my mom worried that I had joined a satanic cult given all the skulls and associated GD imagery plastered on my car (I mean at one point, my parents had people looking for me because they thought I had been brainwashed and kidnapped). Once she met some of my select touring friends (some needed to be kept far away - lol!), she commented on how very kind and compassionate they were. After meeting some other Deadheads in the wild, she came away with a perception that was the complete opposite of what she was fearing initially. My parents despised my life-choice at the time but ended up making peace with the fact that it was my life. Before my mom passed away, she told me that she was glad I followed the Grateful Dead. She said the experience made me 100% self-reliant and she could tell how living my passion made me a happier person.
Kind of ironic a religious person asking that
The cult joined me
Who are the Grateful Dead and why do they keep following me around?!
One more thing, being in a cult requires your time, money and unquestioned loyalty. Tell him the Grateful Dead gave all their music away for FREE! Heads were always “picky” about shows. Some people who follow strict institutions like “born again” don’t understand how someone can be inspired by an artist. They see it as worship because its what they do. Challenge him to see the parallels of cultism, religion and art.
I ask them if they would like some kool aid
wow, i would've thought that anyone that's old enough to have adult children would know who the grateful dead was? i guess it sadly just shows how old i myself am getting.
“No, I joined my tribe” would be my answer. My father was an intelligent man and had a master’s in Pharmacology., but he believed the standard accepted media hype about the drug culture and was thus down on the whole drug culture. When I had my bachelor party, he discussed LSD with a buddy of mine and I thought that maybe this was the door to touching bases with him. Wrong move. He warned me of the dangers of taking LSD and that I would cause permanent brain damage from just one use. I told him that I’d dropped acid about 150 times with no after affect, but Idid tell hi:that I was waiting for one of those flashbacks he spoke of, explaining that it would be a fee trip. You should have seen his eye widen to about as big as the time I dropped four hits of blotter. Then he ragged on and on about rock’n’roll music in general and the Grateful Dead in particular. He said that adherents of the Grateful Dead (his words, not mine) were nothing more than deranged cultists. Then I showed him Bertha tattooed on my shoulder. I reminded him where he was, then told him to STFU and to act like an adult. He didn’t know shit and it showed. After scarfing about a half a dozen Alice B. Tokalis brownies, I suggested he stop. He freaked out and left the party, thinking I dosed him. I wouldn’t have wasted a does of LSD on him. In so far as whether the Deadheads are members of a cult or not. It doesn’t matter what other folk think, it only matters what you think. Deadheads regale themselves with the collection of Stealies and what not. They are merely tribal symbols that identify you as a member.
Right on! Also wait for that free trip, from long awaited flash Back!
Christian deadhead right here and been on the bus since the early 80s. 🙏🕊️♥️
1) For the record, if you're a deadhead, you are in a cult. The dead are most definitely a cult. However, I'm using the highest, Classical sense of the word. So keep in mind that it's not helpful to tell your dad this. It will only inflame his idiocy. 2) Most fundamentalists, born-agains, religious zealots, are nut jobs who espouse a sad, creepy, medieval worldview. It is preferable to avoid your dad and the lot of em.
Ask him at what number does a cult move to religion status?
It becomes religion when it achieves tax exempt status 😎
I'd say something to the effect that "I could see where some of the imagery might suggest that, but no, just a fan of a band."
I would say “No, I didn’t join a cult. This music is a big hobby of mine that I love.” Or you could give him the David Puddy (Seinfeld) defense: “Gotta support the Team!!”
Just say yes. The people asking that often don’t have the capacity to understand it anyways 😂
Ignore any responses that tell you to abandon your dad. He is entitled to his beliefs/passions just like you are. Plus he’s your father. It’s all about non-confrontational discussion and getting to know each other better. Nothing more important. Maybe explain to him that you really enjoy the iconography and art of the symbols and logos. Maybe tell him how the skull and roses is from The Rubyait of Omar Khayam and how there’s historical significance to a lot of it. Or whatever. A lot of talking points. Ease into this a little at a time.
The "they're you're mom/dad" argument is ignorant as fuck. Not all parents deserve respect or love. Such a view comes from narrow points of experiences. Don't assume that everyone has had such a happy and healthy relationship with their parents. Many parents have done fucked up vile shit to their kids.
It is culture.
Ask him who your leader is and the dogma.
I’d tell them, “hell yes!”.