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The Grand Buffet

The Grand Buffet is a set of nine propositions which characterize the Carnivalist Faith. A Carnivalist is defined as any person who, at any given time, agrees with one or more of the propositions of the Grand Buffet.

The Premises:

1. It's good to be alive
Many people are taught that life is an intolerable pain, a tragedy, and that one must deny it by detaching oneself from it, or looking to a hypothetical postmortem reward. The Carnivalist faith holds that life is a cacophony of pleasure, pain, and many other variegated experiences, and that it is the contrast between them that gives any of these experiences meaning. Far from denying sorrow, the faith embraces pains as well as pleasures, and celebrates tribulations as well as triumphs - this is called "embracing the whole texture of life."

2. Flesh is good
Many people are taught that flesh is fundamentally evil; that sensory pleasures and desires are illusory or inherently wrong. The Carnivalist faith holds that flesh is real, and that no material is inherently evil. Since all things are part of the whole texture of life, they are equally good per proposition 1.

3. Freedom is good
The Carnivalist faith holds that morality cannot be dictated or codified; each person should be subject to their own system of aesthetics. People should be free to live in whatever fashion they wish. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to delineate what specific actions constitute infringement on another's freedoms. The Carnivalist faith values life and freedom, so certainly it does not justify freedom to infringe on another's life or freedom. Killing is an obvious infringement, but most actions cannot be codified. Every question of infringement should be arbitrated on an individual case basis, with wisdom and compassion.

The Directives:

4. Life is a celebration
Since life is good, it should be celebrated. There is no need to subjugate one's fancy, or suffer to prove one's faith. The celebration of life is never inappropriate. How life should be celebrated is for each to decide individually. Holding festivals is a good way to share celebration with others, but each day's celebration is one's own choice. No one can tell another how or when to celebrate life.

5. Icarnation is a revel
Since flesh is good, people need not be ashamed of their bodies or desires. People need not deny themselves pleasure for denial's sake. They also need not engage in any activity in order to prove how unashamed they are. The Carnivalist faith values personal sovereignty over one's body.

6. Freedom comes from within
To be free, one must not only be free from oppression, but also free from hang-ups and restrictive complexes in oneself. Being honest, up-front and respectful of the freedom of others are important to securing one's own freedom. One must also be free from feelings of obligation to be free and open. Respecting the freedom of others does not require one to share the same ideas of what freedom is. No one can define what another's hang-ups are.

The Qualities of the Great Carnival

7. The Great Carnival is an archetype
The Great Carnival is the only thing even remotely like a deity in the Carnivalist faith. The Carnivalist faith holds that theology is a solely personal matter; however it is useful for a religion to have a thematic texture. The Great Carnival is the source of revelry, flamboyance, humor, and fun; it is not central to the faith, but gives the faith texture. The Carnivalist faith makes no claims about whether the Great Carnival exists outside of people's minds or not; it is up to the individual to decide if the Great Carnival is real, imaginary, metaphorical, or some other state of being. Nevertheless it is a thematic element used as a focus for many Carnivalist purposes.

8. The Great Carnival can be known
People come to know the Great Carnival through a variety of means, including but not limited to dreams, imagination, intuition, fantasy, sometimes even delusion, and possibly death. It is postulated that Carnivalists go to the Great Carnival when they die, but this can neither be proven nor disproved, chiefly because everyone who has gone there has been having too good of a time to report back.

9. The Great Carnival can be manifested

People can act on their knowledge of the Great Carnival, as revealed to them by their dreams, imagination, intuition, fantasy, sometimes delusion, but probably not death. Death usually seems to be a whole lot of inaction. Manifesting the Great Carnival usually takes the form of performance or creative art, be it music, dance, humor, acting, acrobatics, juggling, and so forth; but could really be anything inasmuch as the Great Carnival reveals itself to people in different ways.

If you would like further information about any of the propositions of the grand buffet, please feel free to contact the Carnivalist Church.