Religious organisations often see music festivals as the perfect place to convert lost souls. Because, why yes, if you enjoy loud music and spending time with friends for the weekend, you must be in need of God. Now, I am not saying that there are not are a few people who could do with an intervention in terms of the sheer amount of drugs they take at these festivals but to be fair the majority of festival goers are just normal people looking for a fun weekend with friends (or in the case of the mildy drunk and lost; making new friends). They are students, office workers, engineers, lawyers, artists, full-time hippies, plumbers, electricians, doctors and nurses. I have, myself, been fed on occasion by the rather fantastic Hare Krishnas, who give you a bowl of ethically sourced vegan food and encourage you to ask questions about their way of life. I think this religious diversity has something to add to the mad festival vibe. "Here! Have some rice and discover a new religion!" It's all very exciting. Even the Red Frogs, those slightly fanatical Christians who hand our pancakes are okay. I quite like the idea that they will help the drunken find their tent or hold your hand and give you a hug when you see your chop boyfriend wrapped around another girl. Good people really.
The problem with any religions outreach programme is that it really is a fine line between helping people while offering them a chance to explore another way of life and being an intolerant, fanatical . Obviously an organisation is not responsible for its people personally but there should be some ground rules. This year I ran into an old friend, who for reasons that will become apparent, I do not really see any more and we had a conversation that made me so angry. He was with the Red Frog Network and generally doing what it is they do. Now I am not sure how we got onto the subject of homosexuality but what he said that pretty much went against everything the festival stands for (normally stated in the festival rules as "don't be kuk"). It made me so angry; I cried. It reminded me why I identify myself as an atheist.
Saying you are tolerant of homosexual people and being tolerant is not the same thing. I cannot accept a religion that preaches gay people are only accepted if they remain celibate. If Good's love will make up for never having sex, or marriage, for never being able to wake up with the person you love and grow old together then I wonder why there are not lot more monks or nuns. Now if there is a God and he is really gotta be nit-picky about what the bible says, then I sincerely hope the Christian fraternity who preach intolerance have read it cover to cover. There are some tricky clauses in there...
