This site is called ChristianGoth.com, the emphasis is on Christian.   If you are a newbie to this site or this concept, please know that not all goths are Christian.  On the other hand, they are not all satanist, witches, agnostics, etc...they have different beliefs like everyone else.  This website is especially for (but not limited to) goths who consider themselves to be Christian & Goth.

* Can you help me understand what ChristianGoth.com is?  Sure! I will keep it simple, ChristianGoth.com is basically for those who are gothic and are also Christians. I know it sounds odd, but yes, there are many Christian Goths. The stereotype is that goths are all satanist or witches or some other belief system that is ungodly. Gothic is not about religion, it is a state of mind. It is about interests that are not found in your mainstream of people. Goths like dark poetry, art, music etc. (by dark, I mean deep, not dark as in evil.)   Mostly & hopefully obvious, ChristianGoth.com is all about Jesus.  It is a source of scripture, encouragement, and things of good report to the Christian gothic community.  It is a place to fine unity in our salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God and in our gothic interests.

* "Wow, I just found your site!  How long has it been around?" Since 1997.

* "Can you put a message board on your site?"   There are many message board web site pages on the LINKS page that others have, at this time,  ChristianGoth.com does not have one.  Probably will not ever have one.  However, on the main menu, you will find a Message Bulletin Board telling of events that folks have sent in for all to know about. 

* "What is the music that is on your pages" Answer: Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven is what is playing on the main page and Pachelbel's Canon in D is on the Spectacular Scripture Page... and this page?  It is the music from the opening credits of Star Trek Voyager.

*  One of my students came to me and spoke with me about your web site. I've been looking at your website now for quite sometime, just trying to understand and figure out everything. My question, from reading a lot of the articles on your site, is perhaps a simple one. For a teenager, how do you make sure that they aren't just trying to find their identity in the CULTURE of the Christian Goth. For a young generation, how do you keep young people from just trying to find an identity in THIS culture (the gothic christianity) rather than in Christ.
Your questions are very good.  Personally, I do not care if they embrace the Christian gothic scene, that is not my intent...it is the Lord (Jesus Christ) I want them to embrace fully.  The site is for those who already know they are gothic, but want to experience their Christianity in a gothic form.  The kids who visit this web site are either seekers, or established Christians.  The ones seeking, I believe will walk away with encouragement, and understanding that they are not alone, they will find support for their walk, non-rejection and most importantly, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  They will read of God's love for them, forgiveness of sins...I do not promote or encourage a "gothic lifestyle", I do however encourage a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Christiangoth.com in my opinion does not promote a gothic life-style, it is Christianity in a designed lay-out to appeal to Christian gothics.  For anyone seeking, who is here, they will walk away with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have received hundreds and hundreds of letters from kids who have been to "CG.com" and are so thankful for the presentation on the site (to God be the glory)....they say it has saved them from suicide, help with their family situations....and their walk with the Lord, etc.  As for the ones you say are looking for an identity, is ChristianGoth so bad?  again, i say I am not promoting goth.  I am 100% promoting Christianity only in a different style of web site for those in the community.

*  Is rejection from the church that bad of a problem that you address it often on the site?  You have no idea how bad it is....the church needs to act in the love of Christ.  Welcoming ALL who walk through it's doors.  Not accepting  and rejecting  because of prejudices. All Christians do not fit the "Christian cookie cutter mold" idea.  We are all different, the Lord made us all different.  How wonderful it is that the Lord does not look at our outsides, but looks at the intents of the heart.  The church world needs to be the same way....just think of all the ones who came to church seeking and they got a dirty look or some nasty comment...very sad.

*  "I am a Christian & goth, but my parents & non goth friends do not understand and hassle me about it, any suggestions?"
     It's very possible to be able to express your uniqueness, and gain the understanding of your parents and friends, and to love and serve God at the same time.   The media does not portray gothics in a very good light, so you can understand why folks freak out over it.
     You probably know, God doesn't care much about our outward appearance but He does care about the motives of our heart.   He created your uniqueness and He is not interested in destroying it or your personality but to use it for His glory and purpose.  But God's desire for you and me is to be become more Christ-like which requires discipline and our cooperation with God..... renewing of our mind (the study of God's Word) and allowing Him to transform our character into His.  And it takes a lifetime.  Every choice we make and every response to life's circumstances determines our destiny.  God has a great plan for each one of us and we must make that our priority.... find it and pursue it. But first, go find out who Jesus is!  Don't sweat the small stuff, try to keep focus on the big picture of life. We exist for Him not Him for us.  Try to be the best Christian you can possibly be with His strength...and  folks will notice the Jesus in you and (hopefully) ignore the goth clothing they see on you.

* "I thought I was the only one! Are there any ChristianGoths in my area?  Are there any churches in my area that will not judge me when I walk in?"  These two questions are asked so often.  To finally supply an answer, a page called The ChristianGoth Directory was made.  You can find it on the main menu.   I attend a church that is filled with the most loving amazing true Christians I have ever met!  I remember the first day my (pink haired daughter) and I walked up to it's doors, I said to her "Watch this" (meaning we were going to be stared and glared at)....I was in for a big surprise!  We walked in and folks came over to greet us and treated us like celebrities...even told my daughter her hair was "great" and asked me all about my gothic clothing with true interest...one lady wanted a coffin purse like mine!  That kind of kindness is what every single person should experience in every church that calls on the name of Jesus.  Black clothing is not what is walking in their doors, SOULS are.

* "How do I become goth?"  One does not become goth, one already knows they are....it is not a matter of dressing in black & painting your nails black.  Goth is a state of mind.  Finding beauty in dark things, NOT in evil things - but things like cemeteries...edgar allen poe...and such....The REAL question that should be asked is how do I become a Christian?  Becoming a Christian is a step of faith...a step in surrendering to the Lord Jesus and accepting Him as the Lord of all....please look on the site menu on the main page.  Locate pages like: "Show Me the Way"..."The Blue Rose Society" and others.

* Can you send me more info to show my pastor (or friends, or whoever) to prove to them that not all goths are satanist or witches (or whatever)? This question has a two part answer.  First, ChristianGoth.com is a huge site, there is a lot of info on here for you to copy and give to them...Second and even better, YOU be the example of a goth who is a Christian...anything I say or anyone else, will probably not convince anyone of anything, as much as a life that is dedicated to the Lord.    The only info I really have is what you see on the website....but I think the best info you could give anyone is the life you live...the Walk you walk...   People have a tendency to believe our actions rather then what we tell them...unfortunately with "goth" it is that way...the "look" comes with a stereo-type.  

* There is no such thing as Christian Goth, what are you talking about?  Goth is very ancient & anti Christian YYou are wise to ask questions when there are things that you do not understand.  To answer your question, Yes, there are Christian Goths.   Quite a few,  I might add.  I am one and have numerous friends that are as well.  It just shows you that God loves everyone, even the Gothic Community, for He  died on a cross for all of us, including Goths.  How can a Goth be a Christian, is what you are concerned about.  Anyone can be a Christian, no matter what subculture that they belong to, it is just a matter of putting Jesus in the heart, confessing it, and "thou will be saved."
I can see why you feel the way that you do.  You are referring to the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths, who were very barbaric in the way that they lived.  The Gothic Community today, has a much different perspective and began with more of a concern for the music and clothing that mourns for a lost and fallen world.  A book that might help you to understand a little bit more about the
subculture is called "The Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly."  It also mentions the types of Goths, including Christian Goths.  There have also been a lot of articles in the Christian Magazine "Charisma."  You can find the articles on the Internet under Charisma Magazine or Strang Publications.  God is doing great things in the Christian Gothic Community.  We go and minister in areas that most Christian's fear.

* Can I borrow some of your graphics? You can ask me, and if they are public domain ones, yes. If they are ones I designed, please ask first.

* When will you be offering  CG.com T shirts?  Go to the  link on the main menu that says: T shirts.

* im a christian. but not goth. however i have recently met a person that is goth and is not a christian.  God has put a burden on my heart to witness to her yet i dont know how.  thanx
Very good question with an easy answer!  Do not preach, do not condemn anything, LOVE her to pieces!  Compliment any gothic items she wears that you may find slightly attractive.  Never point out pentagrams & such...she will be expecting you to.  LOVE her into the Kingdom.  For too long, gothics, punks, tribals, whatever have felt the UNFORTUNATE wraith of some Christians.....We are suppose to show the love of Christ to everyone, not just the ones who look and act like us.  The Lord looks at the heart, not our clothing style.  But most importantly:  Live a life that is what a TRUE Christian is suppose to be, because my dear, she is watching!  keyword: LOVE!  Have you ever seen the movie called Matthew, where Jesus is portrayed as a Joyful Jesus (with Bruce Marchiano?)  If you have you are ahead of the "game"....that Jesus portrayal is what started  this ministry way back 11 years ago.  I was at the mall and a gothic walked by and I asked myself, "now what would Jesus do with that guy" a very simple answer came to me:  Jesus would stand up ( I pictured the Jesus character in that movie, )  and he put his arm around the guy's shoulder and start walking around the mall loving him with the love of God  completely and totally ignoring what that guy had on.....just explaining the gospel as they went.  We are to BE that Jesus to those we come in contact with for the wonderful Kingdom of God....it is so simple, the Word says: "They shall know us by our love".... sadly this community (gothics) do not see that love from most folks...just stares and glares.  Last and so not least: PRAY for her!  Live Jesus and lift her up to the Lord in prayer. 

 ** I've been having discussions with a few of my teachers (I go to a Christian school) trying to defend Christian goths. Some of my teachers are totally okay with it and don't have any problems. They're open minded, etc. Others aren't , saying goths aren't Christians, but they are treating gothic style like a sin that the Christian is struggling to overcome. Why is it that people can sometimes only see things one way? Is that because they don't want to see any other way, because they are afraid that they might be wrong. It's just silly for people to think that a subculture and a dress style can be sinful. I don't get some people. One teacher said that he wouldn't listen to anything that I had to say until I knew about the history of the gothic subculture so I could prove to him that it wasn't synonymous with the occult. Could you help with this. I can get all kinds of information from the internet, but I wanted to ask a source that I trusted. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!! This question has been asked on numerous occasions: Can a Goth be a Christian? My answer has always been the same. Christ died for everyone, even Gothic people. God doesn’t look at the outer appearance, only the heart. Just because a person wears black or 'unusual' clothes does not mean that they do not have the heart of God. You can’t judge a book by its cover. There are many people that wear a suit and tie on Sundays, never miss a church service, and yet, do not have a personal relationship with Christ. 

Why does our subculture wear black even if we are Christians? Once again, we get back to freedom to be who we are in Christ. It is no different than a person that continually wears a baseball hat and a sport jersey. We are who we are because God made us all individuals. We all have different styles.

The information that I highly recommend for your teachers is not only the information on this web site, but also on the web sites on the Links Page.  Some of these web sites have concise information that can be downloaded and distributed to your teachers and others that are curious about Christian Goths.

I am one that believes that the Lord’s return for His Bride, the church, is in the near future. We, as Christians, need to put our differences aside and be about our Father’s business. We in the Christian Goth culture are busy ministering to our like kinds because we do not wish anyone to perish.

I don’t know where you are located, but each year at Cornerstone, Festival (cornerstonefestival.com) we set up a Gothic Ministry called “The Asylum” meaning “a place of refuge.” We have the opportunity to meet other Christian Goths as well as teach ministry techniques to the “normies” or non-Goth people. Anytime you, your school group, or church group would like to attend Cornerstone, it is a great way to meet other Christian Goths.  There is nothing more wonderful than seeing a group of Goths on their hands and knees in prayer. The praise and worship is awesome. God inhabits the praises of His people and we are part of the Body of Christ, black clothes and all.  
 

* Every "christian" church I have gone to has shunned me away.  A lady, today in a dress came up to me and my friends and handed us some flyers and said "here you go dears I think you need to bring Christ into your lives." I just wanted to scream at her I HAVE CHRIST IN MY LIFE LADY!   I love God with all of my heart and yet I'm being told I'm a satanist because I wear black..  Help please, help me understand this, why is God putting me through this?  
It's too bad...there are some ignorant Christians in the world but there are far more wonderful loving Christians out there, and it's a shame because of the few ignorant ones that so many nice kids should get turned off to church.  I do know exactly how you feel...I too have been stared at and even prayed over by a visiting evangelist at a church I use to attend.  I think he thought I was a witch or something!  I really hope you will be encouraged to continue looking for a good church because going to the "right" church is very important.  If you do not allow God to help you grow through this painful experience it will continue to hurt and stunt your growth as a Christian. Give the rejection and hurt to Him. Jesus promised that offenses would come and the best thing I can do for you, is to be honest and help you grow through this pain and rejection, otherwise I really wouldn't be operating in His love.  (Although it makes me very angry when I receive stories like this.)  A lot of our brothers and sisters in the Lord are blinded by the fact that we all do not fit into the Christian Cookie Cutter Mold they believe we should fit into.  We are all individuals and the Lord uses those unique qualities in us to reach others like us.  Some suggestions I might want to offer you would be to perhaps mail a letter to the pastor of the church that rejected you and tell him LOVINGLY exactly what happened and then tell him that Jesus Christ is your Lord and savoir and that because of your attire, some in his church thought otherwise, and that is not right to judge on the outward appearance.  You could tell the pastor to visit ChristianGoth.com to better understand where you are coming from.  You could quote 1 Samuel 16:7 to folks who give you flyers suggesting you need the Lord.  "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7.....if memorization or nervousness is a problem, you could carry this scripture printed out on cards to hand to those rejecting and judging you (in Christian love.)  I have that scripture on a picture holder keychain on my purse for such an occasion!  You asked in your letter why is God putting you through this.....like I said earlier, Jesus did say offenses will come, even sometimes by our brothers and sisters in the Lord.  I also asked myself that very question when it happened to me and I was 40 when it happened!  The answer, I soon found out was: SO I WOULD KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS WERE GOING THRU!  It was a painful lesson for me that I too needed to work through as you do now.  I can honestly with all my heart say, I understand, how you are feeling....I know the pain and hurt of rejection (so does Jesus)....but, what you need to do (and it is not easy, you need to forgive those folks,) God will deal with them....you need to rise above the situation, and be the best Christian you can possibly be.  That way you know that YOU KNOW you are right with the Lord and He is looking with eyes of approval on you.  Your walk with the Lord will eventually shut the judging mouths of those who hand you flyers or say nasty remarks.  Above all, to finally answer your question: where do I turn?  You go running straight into the arms of Jesus!!  You cry...you yell...you tell Him whatever is on your heart concerning this whole ordeal and then turn it over to Him.  Leave it there with Him at the cross...and if it happens again, do the same thing!  Run to Jesus, but NEVER, never run away from Him because of what others do to you.