This whole thing is a big joke, isn't it? Nope, we are as real as that cult that all of the Hollywood celebrities buy into, and a lot less expensive, sinister and/or creepy. But, yeah, a sense of humor is very important to any member of the church. A very wise, and most likely dead, guy once said, "At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities." The Church of the Volcano God firmly believes that laughter creates a connection between people who wouldn't ordinarily have one. When people laugh together, they cease to be young or old, black, white or brown; social, cultural and governmental boundaries dissolve and they become a single group of…just people. Life is a joy, a gift, a wonderful surprise once you peel off the wrapping of bullshit and laugh about it.
Isn't this just a mockery of older, established religions? Maybe just a little, but it's all in good fun. And you never can tell, some of our wackiness might actually work.
So what's the "Church of the Volcano God" thing about? What do you actually believe in? We are essentially a syncretic religious movement. Cool word, huh? What defines "syncretic" is the attempt to reconcile disparate, or sometimes even contradictory, beliefs, while melding practices of various schools of thought. It's a very 'salad bar' approach to religion; we take what we think is good and leave the rest.
We believe in possibilities. We believe in open-mindedness. We believe in staying non-committal, riding the fence until all of the evidence is in. Is there a God? Yeah, maybe. If there is, he/she doesn't seem to do much, in terms of active involvement. Are there occurrences that happen outside of our realm of understanding? Absolutely; that doesn't necessarily make them magical or supernatural, though. Do we believe in a soul? A self-aware essence unique to each particular individual? Sure, why not? Do we believe in the concept of karma? The Hindu belief that our lives are the sum of all we have done, are doing and will ever do, and that the effects of all our deeds collectively create past, present and future experiences, consequently making one responsible for one's own life? It's a bit much to wrap one's brain around, but it seems plausible. The Church of the Volcano God doesn't have all the answers; we're just trying to examine the questions.
We believe in the ethic of reciprocity, the classic Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We also find wisdom in the Wiccan/Pagan ethic "Do as you will, only do no harm". Sounds pretty sensible, I think.
We believe in a universal morality that transcends religion. It's been said that religion was created to teach us lowly mortals right from wrong; The Volcano God disagrees with that. We believe in a core set of morals that are ingrained in human nature, ie: malicious killing is bad, theft is bad, lying is bad (or bad-ish, depending on circumstance), most forms of dishonesty and deception are bad, forcing another person to your will is bad…yada, yada, yada. We believe that the threat of divine punishment or divine reward isn't what creates an understanding of right versus wrong; we're born knowing that, and society helps reinforce it. Whether we choose right or wrong is our own decision.
We firmly believe in personal accountability. If you do something that you know to be wrong, the Volcano God doesn't allow "the Devil made me do it" as an excuse. We don't really have a 'devil', as such, anyway.
No Devil? Nope. We believe that the concept of Satan is a cop out, a way for mankind to look the other way and absolve himself of any culpability. We believe that all of the 'evil' in the world, as well as the good, originates from humanity. In the Church of the Volcano God you don't get a fall guy, a patsy to pin your transgressions on. There's something very humbling, and very liberating, about having to say, "I fucked up. I did this, and now I'm responsible for fixing it."
I've heard you use "The Volcano God", "Church of the Volcano God" and "Members of the Church of the Volcano God" synonymously... Of course you have. I'm glad you're paying attention. Those terms are synonyms; the Volcano God is a socio-spiritual manifestation of the collective body of the church, and the church is it's members. No members, no church; no church, no Volcano God.
So, why 'The Volcano God'? Why not the 'Church of the Holy Armadillo' or something? Armadillos carry leprosy, did you know that? And they tend to be a bit dirty and smelly. Ewcccch, who wants that as their god? The choice of a god— more of a mascot, really— to serve as a focus and symbol of our beliefs was hardly an arbitrary decision.
The Volcano God was created due to the strength and familiarity of the 'tropical' iconography. Not only are these images and symbols potent and memorable, there's also an element of fun that seems to be lacking in most religions. Look at the iconography of most major religions—except, of course Hinduism…those terrific deities, and the bright colors and forms; those folks look like they're having a blast—and you'll find dreary, grave images, dull colors and an overall feeling of oppression and joylessness. We didn't want that.
It should be mentioned that there are some volcano-centered deities in the Caribbean and in the South Pacific, but these are generally kind of hostile and scary. Our Volcano God is approachable, amiable, affable; a warm-hearted, friendly fella who just wants everyone to try and make the best of this crazy roller coaster ride.
Our God would never dream of striking anyone down with lightning and lava.
So, is there actually a 'church' somewhere? Like a building where you conduct your ceremonies? Not at present. We are still a young religion, but construction of a series of temples is certainly a future possibility. The Church of the Volcano God is a portable religion; you can conduct your devotionals and ceremonies anywhere that you can move your shrine; no clergy needed, no building needed.
What does the Church of the Volcano God think of other religions? We pretty much accept and tolerate anyone and everyone who subscribe to universally established morals, and makes an effort to live the best life they are able. While most of our membership are agnostics, nuevo pagans, or those who are just not comfortable with traditional religions, we welcome anyone with a good heart and good intentions. Like The Volcano God's Suggestion One says: I'll make every effort to not step on your Happy Shoes, with the hope that you'll return the favor.
Does the Church of the Volcano God have a strict set of rules and regulations it's members have to adhere to, like the Christian Ten Commandments? Not really; rather than a Ten Commandments, we have The Six or Eight Suggestions. The Volcano God isn't in the business of telling people how to live. We might offer some minor guidance here and there, help smooth out some of life's speedbumps, but we have our own lives to live.
Where do you turn for moral guidance then? Why should we need moral guidance? We're not children. Other than the universal morality that I've already mentioned, most of the other things that various religious movements, social groups and government regard as 'wrong' or 'bad' or 'immoral' are strictly up to the judgement of the individual.
What is The Church of the Volcano God's position on homosexuality? Hey, are you coming on to me?! I'm flattered, and I'll admit just a little curious, but the fact of the matter is I just don't swing that way. Seriously, we're a smartass 'religion' of misfits who dance to samba music, dress in loud, bright clothes and occasionally outlandish trappings, smoke and drink…we are way beyond gay-friendly; we're almost gay by association.
The Church of the Volcano God doesn't pry into the private lives of our members, especially regarding matters as delicate as sex. What happens between two, or more, consenting adults, a pair of jumper cables, and a quart of mayonnaise in the privacy of their own bedroom, or a janitor's closet at a Greyhound Bus Station, is absolutely none of our business (although we wouldn't mind seeing photos).
Does the Church of the Volcano God have a position on abortion? Rather than a Church of the Volcano God issue, we consider that to be a personal moral issue involving a woman, her significant other, and her family. We're sure any woman who has to make that sort of decision will do whatever is right for her. As I've mentioned, the Volcano God celebrates free will.
You guys do a lot of drinking, correct? We consider rum to be a holy sacrament, a broom that sweeps the mind clean, opens up the doors of consciousness and clicks on the flickering, moth-stained light of truth. It forces people to drop whatever façade they are hiding behind and expose, or even confront, their true selves. Rum restores one to an innocent state of being, a more honest, natural state of being. In the absence of rum, tequila may be used. Or single malt scotch, or Irish whiskey, or…what've you got? Some consider us to be a drinking organization with a religious problem.
It should be mentioned that nobody has to indulge in the sacrament of rum, however. We have a number of members who are tee-totalers, and that's just fine too.
What's the deal with the cigars? The Volcano God likes 'em, and they make us look sooooooo cool. Again, much like the rum, it's not required that one indulge in the stogies…or anything else.
And the loud, colorful clothing? And the music? And… Man, you're not making this easy, are you? It's all part of the overall allure of the Church of the Volcano God, and it's all germane in a number of small ways. The Church of the Volcano God, it's silly-serious rituals, the music, the dancing, the clothes, the colors, the rum…all of it, is a celebration of life. There's a quote from Charles Bukowski—and I'm sure I'm butchering it—that goes, "We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that death will tremble to take us." That says an awful lot about the underlying philosophy in all of our rituals, and bright clothes, and the music, the dancing, and the rum.
If you're looking for somber, self-righteous, pious and boring, the Church of the Volcano God is probably not for you.
So, what parting wisdom can you offer the uninitiated about the Church of the Volcano God? It's an important part of our philosophy contained in one simple sentence; The Volcano God Grants His Permission. Think about what that means. Permission to live a happy life, free from guilt and shame. Permission to dance, drink and embrace life with the exuberance of a child. Permission to take responsibility for your actions, to be the best person you can be.
The Volcano God Grants His Permission.
