Greetings and salutations. I have a question of curiosity concerning the reverence of Lovecraft and the reconciliation of the fact he was wretchedly racist? I would be interested in hearing what The Order of Dagon has to say on this topic, as surely the founders would be aware of this painful flaw in Lovecraft.
https://lithub.com/we-cant-ignore-h-p-lovecrafts-white-supremacy/
Given the on going struggle for the achievement of equality, it is something that must needs be acknowledged, regardless of the discomfort such acknowledgement may cause.
Personally, I struggle with this fact any time I encounter it in his writings. The same rings true for Robert E. Howard as well. One always tries to look beyond the character flaws of their fellows, as no one is perfect. Yet, there are certain beliefs that are so transgressive, that to see beyond, or compartmentalize them renders the observer capitulant.
I am prepared for the oft touted argument of "he was a man of his times...", please understand that holds no validity, as many people of their times were not racist. Please realize that in order for the cult to be recognized as a valid entity, this will have to be addressed.
Thank you to any who thoughtfully engage on this uncomfortable topic. My hope is that it helps us all strive for better understanding of one another and what can actually be done to combat racism as individuals, and collectives.
Greetings, I appreciate you bringing this to attention. However we have answered this question many times. The Cult does not take H.P Lovecraft's xenophobia as something to praise, we have made it clear many times that racism is not something The Cult embraces. We are all equally insignificant, meaning no one person is worth more or less than the other. Thank you for bringing this to attention, should you seek a debate or conversation, the discord is the best place to go.
The Cult should not concern itself with the fleeting, manufactured concerns of the mundane herd as you are doing. These are Inside concepts that are of no concern to a seeker of the Outside. If you are thinking in this way, parroting propaganda, it indicates that your mind is still Inside, controlled, and you are not ready for this path.
Shoggite, its no one's job to tell others their views are wrong. And its also not your place to tell someone if this path is for them or not.
Hello
It's always right and encouraged to question, and the cult always appreciates a person with an open mind.
As above, this question has indeed been answered HERE already, and is also covered by the Miskatonic University should you wish to delve into it.
I will simply copy and paste my answer for you below;
""Hello CN, first and foremost welcome to the fold.
You without knowing it have displayed one of the key characteristics of a cultist, which is open-mindedness and the ability to question your own beliefs.
First let me start by quoting our founder Wyntre with the following text, which should answer your question entirely;
An incredibly common argument against The Cult is directed at H.P.L. "H.P Lovecraft was a racist. You worship a racist". As The Cult is not in the business of shame or non-transparency, we address such accusations openly: Yes, H.P.L experienced the common xenophobia of his time, in fact he perhaps felt it even more ardently that those around him, and it did sometimes leak through in his writing. Comparative to the times and the region in which he lived, Lovecraft was perhaps more racist than ‘average’ and compared to the present, his racism can be downright shocking. For one, we do not worship the man. What we 'worship' (if we are to call it that) are the ideals of his creations. It is curious that those that accuse us can separate the art from the artist when it comes to their own music, actors, art, and celebrity, but not grant the same for us. See 'Cognitive Dissonance' in The Bible of Cthulhu. As one commenter put it, "Authors are read, beloved, and remembered, not for what they do wrong, but for what they do right, and what Lovecraft does right is so incredibly effective. He's a master of mood, of sweeping blasted vistas of despair and the bone-soaking cold of space. He has at his command a worldview that the average human being, drunk on our own species-wide egocentrism, finds compelling for its sheer contrariness."
The genius of his work has nothing to do with his racism. For another, he was, after all, human. And his continued racism is questionable. There is a great Quora post that addresses this issue here:
Was H.P. Lovecraft ever a chill or a good guy at least even a little bit? I know his works basically put humankind to the lowest of the low, but was there even a tiny bit of good in him?
The answerer quite succinctly puts it all in perspective and even closes with the incredibly wise: "Someone may pass through a phase of hating the world only to grow out of it later."
I hope this answers your question with regards to the racism, but if you have any further probing surrounding this I would be more than happy to discuss this with you.
I hope you take the time to search around a little, and join us on the Discord server so you can meet some of the members and discuss the questions you have in an open environment. ""
That is not dead, which can eternal lie.
D
I see I fell short of educating myself by not delving deeply enough for the knowledge I sought. My apologies if I offended anyone. Thank you for the thorough and thoughtful responses.
No need for apologies, i can guarantee no one took any offence. The cult is not in the business of being offended.
If you're interested in further exploring your call, then please join us on the Discord Server.
We are all black in the void
Maggots floating in the primordial soup of the void we are all equally insignificant,once taken appart we are all the same yet diferent