Religious BJDs - character and clothing

sidi doesn't have any Buddhist clothing (yet...) but sie has hir own little Buddha statue and Mala.

 

Kasami defiantely has pagan roots, and Yui is more into Science than religion. So is Radia.

 

So, hypothetically, if I had a Brand New doll, how offensive would it be to dress her (and I stress the feminine pronoun) in a burqa or chador* simply because I don't have any other clothes, or even a wig?
*Disclaimer: I know that's only one interpretation of hijab.

 

I don't think anyone would find that offensive, unless you said 'this is my doll dressed in a burqa, she is meant to be Khadijah, the Prophet's first wife'.

But there is a difference between the burqa and the garments the LDS posters were talking about. All Islamic women must wear modest clothing, but the form that modest clothing takes is culturally and personally influenced. Often the clothes chosen are more cultural than religious. Whereas some religious garments have to be earned, so that the wearer has the right to wear them. A dolly can't earn anything.

 

Massive difference. My view of the difference is that a burqa/hijab/other form of Islamic religious head covering is seen (I think? Islamic members, correct me if I'm wrong!) largely as an outward expression of faith, a sign of devoutness to others -- the LDS garments are purely private, a personal expression of covenants that aren't meant to be seen by anyone. A doll wearing an item that is meant to be an outward presentation of faith is one thing, and fine in my book. A doll trying to duplicate a garment that's meant to be ultra-private AND can only be achieved via performing certain ordinances (not to mention only bought in certain places) would offend the unholy hell out of me. A doll can't make those covenants.

*takes off LDS religious studies hat, hangs up on hat rack*

Same goes for other religious forms of garment that are meant to express faith to the viewer, like the hair coverings that Mennonite and Amish women choose for instance. Intent of the garment in question goes a long way. Now, with priestly garb and the like -- I think that's okay, personally, provided the person clothing the doll treats it with respect. It's an outward sign of the character's religious calling in life.

 

Clarification: what if I dress my doll in said clothing, for the express purpose of hiding the fact that she doesn't have a wig, selecting the burqa/chador because it a.) isn't that hard to make and b.) does not have to be earned? I've heard of women journalists wearing such clothing because they are required to by state law, is it a similar situation? Or does the fact that my doll have no hair to cover remove the issue entirely?

 

Wearing the hijab isn't supposed to be an outward sign of anything other than modesty Non-Islamic men and women living in Islamic countries also wear similar modest cover-all clothing too, because modest modes of dress are often culturally ingrained rather than chosen by religious decree. I completely appreciate that the special LDS garments are intended to be private though.

It wouldn't be offensive at all, in my opinion, but it would also be just as easy to make a sock dress and a sock hat to disguise the baldness/nakedness of a doll, since a burqa is a bit more than just a winding cloth. Female journalists and even heads of state have to apply similar standards of modest dress when visiting Islamic countries, it's a religio-cultural issue, rather than simply a religious one.

 

I stand by the idea that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that therefore offensiveness is also.
One of my dolls is an Abrahamic (Judeo-Islamic-Christian) angel from a story arc of mine which depicts both Heaven and Hell, with rather more sympathy to give to Hell. I didn't set out deliberately to make a point (I don't think, it was three years ago), but I've been told in the past that the fact that I sympathise strongly with Satan, Lucifer et al. is offensive to Abrahamic theists, and yet I have a Christian friend who not only loves the story but fangirls Satan. She obviously doesn't find it offensive. That said, I acknowledged at the time that I was likely to get comments on my choice of subject matter, and I was happy with this.

As someone said a couple of pages back, I don't think it's intrinsically wrong to dress your doll like a religious icon, but if you go for something potentially controversial, you should be prepared for a certain amount of backlash.

 

I see zero problem with it at all.

Why would anyone feel offended? If you don't like what you see go to the next gallery item. It is not like the offending dolly is parading through your living room yelling "THERE IS NO GOD"!!!! I mean if we get offended by religious garb on a doll what is next?
No dolls eating pork on DOA, no dolls wearing an upside down crucifix, no dolls having sex out of wed lock LOL!

Life is too short to go around being offended by people who are insensitive to your religious views.

Remember...you are one leetle click away from escaping offense on the internet....at all times.

 

One of my dolls is overtly religious/spiritual, and follows Thelema. He wears normal stuff at the moment, but will probably have to make him some sort of ritual garb one day. I'm wondering how an advocate of Aleister Crowley will be accepted on DoA when I get a chance to put him online.

 

Agreed.

Then again, it'd be prudent not to do something dolly-wise that's in direct opposition to another's religious beliefs. In the Islamic faith, for example (which might have been mentioned before), you're not supposed to depict the face of the prophet Muhammad. So creating a doll that was supposed to be in his likeness would be remarkably insensitive, to say the least.

Other than that, I suppose it's up to individuals to "draw the line." I have an (EDIT: wrong sect! Durr) Eastern Orthodox Christian doll who always wears a cross, a Jewish boy in the works who's not religious at all, and my next doll is inching towards atheism. That's all because it's how their characters developed. If one of my characters ended up being Muslim, Mormon, Hindu, orthodox Jew or any other religion with outward signs of their faith and I wanted a doll incarnation of that character, I'd do my best to depict his/her faith in their visual presentation, and do so accurately. That's just me, though.

 

I don't think it's wrong at all, as long as it's not taken to the extremes and done to provoke people. Like muse said about Muhammad, that would just be very wrong to do.

One of my girls wears a hijab, and my boy wears a rosary around his neck (or a little one around his wrist).

 

Muse...I want to see your dolls...they sound so cool!

 

I know this is five pages in but I will comment anyway.
Ever since I started thinking seriously about BJDs a few years ago and I always thought "Who would my doll be?" I always told myself that I would love a doll modeled after my patron saint.
I think bringing your religion into dolls really increases the harmony of your life. I think this becuase you are joining two things that are very close to your heart.
And if you dont worship or follow that religion then you are really just dipping to the vast creative and expressive pool that these dolls come from.
I dont think anyone is out to insult a religion and as long as thats not the intent then I'd say a fair amount of respect is being shown to all those who do believe in it.

 

There shouldn't really be an issue with most types of religious clothing on dolls if it's presented in a way that wouldn't be offensive to that religion.

 

oh wow, I didn't know some people were so offended by it... hm... I have a priest and a nun that I"m making right now... I hope I won't be offending anyone with their back-story though.

 

BJD's are meant to be customized to the owners preference.
It's not insulting to write a book that has a priest in it that...for example visit's bars often. It may be looked at as blasphemous, but stephen king has been doing it fror years without really being rude about it. I'm sure some are offended, but the majority accept it as that mans perspective. His world that he created.
It's a very similar situation with dolls. They are YOUR creation, based on your imagination.
So what if your doll is a priest that used to be a dark angel and decided his ways were wrong? It may sound blasphemous, but as long as the person doesn't intend it to be rude or insulting, I have no problem with it.
^^

 

I have a character named Priest who was a dark angel (wouldn't really classify him as a fallen angel... He just had his wings ripped off by zombies in a outbreak. He was sent to protect the survivors, and after he had his wings ripped off he kinda took the wrong path.... hence, the dark angel part.) but he turned himself around (how he did it, I'm not forsure.) and he is now a priest who helps cleanse houses and performs exorcisms.

EDIT:

Sorry for such short of a post.

But, Imho, I think it's okay for someone to have a "religious" doll, as long as they're not blasphemous about it?

It's really up to the individual person, and what they like or dislike.

Cheers,

 

I'd ditto this. I feel it's okay to portray religion in dolls as in art, but there are certain lines that decency dictates you not cross, and you can find out where they are by asking members of that religion what they consider appropriate. Different religions feel differently about portrayal of some aspects of their faith.
A doll with the face of a patron saint would probably be fine to most Catholics, for instance, but a doll of Muhammad would offend Muslims because it's part of their religion never to depict their Prophet. Some kinds of religious clothing or belongings should never be reproduced for something recreational like dolls because they are considered very sacred to the people who own them in real life. If you're not sure whether something is considered too sacred to reproduce for/with your doll, ask a minister, bishop, priest, rabbi, druid, leader etc. of that faith.

Any doll of a heavily religious image doing anything really controversial will obviously spark, well, controversy. There are forums for that.

 

I would say, what one chooses to dress there doll in is up to them. If one wishes to dress there doll in a a more religious attire to fit the doll or theme of the doll or the background story of the doll fine. My only real issue is that if you do decide to do such, remember to respect the original purpose of the attire and its meaning. Especially if the item might be considered normally sacred in some faiths. So if say a article of religious clothing is meant to be highly scared or religious, and usually requires those of the faith to say have it blessed before wearing it, then don't add it to the doll, unless you happen to be willing to say go and have your dolls item blessed by a priest or minister of that faith. It might sound weird to say your dolls clothes or item was blessed by a clergymen, but if it allows you to respect the faith your doll is representing, would it not be worth it I would think...