I have a question for such of the members of this board as would feel themselves to be interested in answering it:

The world wide web is a large place, and on all of it some talk of vampires abounds.  However, none take themselves more seriously, and their differences and practices more to heart, than the members of Temple of the Vampire (http://www.vampiretemple.com/home.html).  I did look through the rules of this forum in detail, yet find no bar on mentioning them as is sometimes the case on other sites.  Yet, also, I find no mention of them made on this site.  Thus, I wonder: what do you all think of their position?  Specifically, the notion that Vampyres are genetically different to humans, a species seperate, whilst not a notion which finds sympathy with many, is a notion which would make sense, though it is, obviously, not proven medically or scientifically yet.  How many vampires do you know who would line up to be tested, prodded and poked by scientists and their kind, after all?

The most glaring difference between Temple of the Vampire's position and that found in many Houses and communities is that they do not seem to fear persecution.  Rather, though discreet, they openly adhere to the position that they are, or aim, to be superior to the humans:

http://www.vampiretemple.com/faq.html#elite

So there's that, and then there's the open arrogance, some would say in-your-face agressiveness, of their position.  I must say, for all that it does not seem the sort of thing I would be at all comfortable with, if there are people who actually live like that, I cannot help but admire their courage, nor thinking that it would make a most pleasant change, at times at least, from the position of hiding and vulnerability that most of the vampyric persuasion find ourselves in as regards who and what we are and so what we do.

Comments, insight and perspectives would be appreciated.

Sylvie.

My issue with this is that when one believes that they are genetically different from human beings there is often the temptation to believe that one is superior.

I do not know if they believe this, but I have seen this all to often on boards: The "I'm a Vampire and I am better than human" attitude. I grow very tired of this.

Quite frankly, I find it disturbing and often an excuse for poor behavior.
I have a problem with this type of arrogance. You yourself stated that there is an arrogance that accompanies this attitude.

I find that many gravitate toward this attitude from a need to feel powerful, often because they feel powerless in their own lives.

To me people who are confident in themselves have nothing to prove. Those who brag do so often because they actually feel inferior.

I personally believe that we ARE human, with a slight difference. This does not make us better or worse in my opinion.

This is simply my opinion.

I couldn't agree more Melissa,While I was a branch head for Shadowlore Mississippi,I would get asked about them in clubs ,at gatherings and online.So I tried to do a little research on them and that was exactly the impression I got from them.


  PEACE OUT

They stick their cards inside books in stores? Wow.
When I used to work in a bookstore we had fundamentalist Christians that would do that.
I was never able to catch them at it, but often there were pamphlets in books on the occult.

I agree 100% with what Melissa said.  And that is why people think the way they do, when they go to sites like that a see that kind of thing. 

It never really bothered us. We just made a point of flipping through the books when we rang them up, and removing them.