Gokuism – The Church of Goku
Dear friend, have you accepted Goku as your personal lord and savior? If not, then please listen to my Good News! The Church of Goku can help you increase your power level to Over 9,000 and follow in the sacred footsteps of lord Goku by training with King Kai, hallowed be thy name.
That’s right, there is now a Dragon Ball religion. It is called Gokuism, also known as The Church of Goku.
Gokuism is the belief that the principles of Dragon Ball provide a moral compass for one’s life, and that Goku is an ideal role model and moralistic person. By some definitions, it implies that Goku provides personal, global, and universal salvation, and that his death and resurrections were for our sake.
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With so many religions already existing, why create one based on Dragon Ball?
In today’s blog post you’ll learn where Gokuism came from, what its practitioners believe, and explore some thought-provoking questions about this new faith.
The Roots of Gokuism
For many fans, Dragon Ball has always held a special place in their hearts. It’s more than just a show. Some spiritually inclined fans find moral lessons that align with their own perspectives, or they are inspired by Goku’s actions to improve themselves. This can range from hitting the gym to trying to become more honest and pure.
In Western Europe and North America there are believers in Judeo-Christian tenets that feel their beliefs relate to the principles in Dragon Ball. They see Goku’s actions and are inspired to become closer to God. But such inspirations had always been restrained within the understandable confines of Dragon Ball being a fabricated series, not an actual paradigm of salvation. And they were individually personal, not promulgated to others.
In this college essay from 2009, “cmvitolo” wrote, “He was a role model of a father, a great guy, strong and above all, caring. This one character, named Goku, demonstrated this beautiful personality, and his positive attitude and pure heart affected me. … As a follower of Christ, I was further influenced by Goku’s ability to do exactly what Christ had suggested we do: “Love your enemy.””
Bringing it to others via Gokuism, Dragon Ball fans have taken a story and world that they know is fantastical to begin with, and made a belief system out of it.
This is not an official religion endorsed by the Japanese license holders, nor the creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama. It springs from the collective minds of fans.
There does not seem to be a single specific place that Gokuism originated. As a global phenomenon promulgated through the internet, Gokuism could have first appeared anywhere and then gained popularity. Although it has a somewhat larger following in Spain and Mexico.
At the moment, Gokuism seems to have just begun, with only a few sites and established groups existing on the internet. But the comparisons between Goku and Jesus Christ have been around for as long as the series has been popular, which I explore below.
Given more time, what might the future hold? Could Goku become a bigger religious icon or a larger symbol of faith?
Before you write off the possibility, consider for a moment that this exact thing has already occurred with another very well known series.
Gokuism and Jediism
Gokuism appears similar to the Jedi Religion born from Star Wars, known as Jediism, or The Jedi Church
Is Jediism for real? Yes, very much so. According to Wikipedia, Jediism is an actual recognized religion in Canada. And in the 2001 census for England and Wales, there were over 390,127 declared followers. That same year in New Zealand there were 53,000 declared Jedi followers, even eclipsing the amount of Buddhists. There are followers across the world, and you can see the resources below for more information.
Sociologically what I find most interesting is the cross cultural comparison between the two.
Both Gokuism and Jediism are fan-based creations aligned with pseudo-religious spirituality and eastern principles.
Jediism was based on a western creation interwoven with eastern Daoist / Zen mysticism and Taiji theories ala the Force. While Gokuism was based off an eastern creation interwoven with Buddho-Daoist legends and American Hollywood influences, and then recently paralleled with Judeo-Christian beliefs of the west.
It’s as if each group of followers is looking outside their own culture for something else and then finding ways to connect it to their already accepted world view.
Numerous books about Star Wars and living the path of the Jedi have been written, where the authors detail the similarities between Jedi philosophy and western belief systems, so as to make the content relatable. Is Dragon Ball the next subject for this treatment?
On the Facebook page titled Evangelical Gokuism, the owner says he created the page “To spread the message of our personal savior Goku, as well as promote my forthcoming book, “Praying to Goku.””
As Dragon Ball is in many ways a similar phenomenon to Star Wars (with films, a global fan base, billion dollar licensing deals, etc.), could Gokuism become the next Jediism? It has the same qualifications, such as worldwide appeal, an in-world belief system, an afterlife, demons, deities, and martial arts based paths of personal development.
Star Wars fans find the Daoist / Zen Buddhist perspective attractive enough to make it their lifestyle, so it seems logical that Dragon Ball fans would as well, since it is based on Journey to the West. In addition, members of both fan bases share similar ‘nerdy’ traits, and it is common to admire both series.
But truth be told, on a larger scale it seems that Gokuism is still years away from reaching the level of the Jedi Church, if at all. That said, Dragon Ball is incredibly popular. Perhaps all Gokuism would need to grow is another televised Dragon Ball series or a successful series of Hollywood films, thus pushing it further into the minds of the populace.
The Beliefs of Gokuism
What are the beliefs of Gokuism?
At the bare minimum, practicing Gokuism implies that you are a huge fan of Goku, as can be seen on this Spanish Facebook page, called “Because he Died for Us and Rose Again to Save Us… WE LOVE YOU GOKU,” which has over 290,000 Likes.
On a more religious level there is unfortunately little material available on the actual beliefs or tenants. At the moment there are no texts or codified materials. There is this site in Spanish that lists the 10 Commandments of Goku, but it appears to be a joke.
From what is available online I gather that Goku is perceived as a super powerful figure who sacrificed his life, was reborn, and fought for the salvation of mankind. Goku is taken as the physical and moral ideal. A role model of innocence and purity who has unfathomable power yet only uses it to help others.
According to one Gokuism Facebook page, it states the following creed. “Do you believe that Goku is the all powerful son of Bardock? Do you believe that Goku has a power level Over 9,000? Do you believe that Goku died, trained with King Kai, and was resurrected? Do you believe that Goku defeated Freeza, and gave Son Gohan the motivation to defeat Cell? Do you believe that you would give Goku your energy if he ever did another Spirit Bomb?”
Elsewhere, this sacrament appears. “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Saiyan Spirit.”
On a Spanish Facebook Gokuism page, it says, “Goku is above all things. Gohan is seated at the right of the father. Through the work of Vegeta he spoke through the prophets.”
Honestly I can’t tell if these are jokes or genuine beliefs. I contacted the owners of several sites to try and get answers to my questions, but did not hear back.
More importantly, what does a follower get if they believe these things? The ability to fire a Kamehameha, fly into the air, teleport, or punch through mountains? So far nobody has promised these abilities to converts, but if the movement became more serious, these temptations would be easy bait to swing in front of the eyes, just like Jedi Force powers.
It’s not that far-fetched, either. Consider that these same promises and belief systems were proselytized during the Boxer Revolution (1898 to 1901) in China, and among the White Lotus sects and secret religious martial arts clans for thousands of years. The result was millions of violent deaths.
In regards to physicality, if I had to conjecture, I would imagine that practitioners of Gokuism should also try and embody Goku’s exercise regimen and dietetic practices, such as avoiding alcohol and consuming healthy, natural foods, while training in the martial arts. This seems positive.
What is the ultimate goal of Gokuism? To simply live a better life in the model of Goku? Or does it encompass entering Heaven and fighting demons and other villains as well? Maybe the more spiritual aspects are perceived as allegory for internal conflicts and achievements within the practitioner.
Gokuism opens up a gigantic can of theological worms, so for my own sake I’ll stop with conjecturing here.
As it happens, Gokuism is just beginning, and the majority of inspiration for its existence seems to have sprung from followers of Christianity.
Son Goku and Jesus Christ
Ever since Dragon Ball has become popular in the mid to late 90’s, comparisons between Son Goku and Superman have often been made. Likewise, comparisons between Son Goku and Jesus Christ. There are reasons why.
Consider that in all three cases, the “only son” was sent from “heaven” down to earth, where he matured and harnessed supernormal or “divine” powers to fight against “great evil” and “save humanity.” The three stories are similar in many ways.
Followers of Gokuism (Gokuists?) often seem to believe in both Goku and Jesus Christ. Theologically speaking, can a person who practices Gokuism also practice another faith simultaneously? I would think that eventually they would have to decide which one is their true personal savior.
In the above video, rumored to be from Spain, titled “Ten Reasons Why I Am a Gokuista and Not a Christian,” the creator, EspirituNoTanSanto, states why he believes Goku is superior to Jesus.
For example, Reason 1, “The Number of Times They Saved the World.” According to the video, Jesus saved the world once, against Satan, by removing original sin. Goku on the other hand, saved the world from Pilaf, the Red Ribbon Army, Piccolo, Raditz, Vegeta and Nappa, Freeza, Cell, Majin Buu, and the Evil Dragons.
Reason 2, “The Number of Times Resurrected.” Jesus was only resurrected once, but Goku was resurrected twice.
Reason 3, “Their Skills.” Jesus can heal the blind, raise the dead, remove sin, walk on water, and multiply fish. Goku has the Kamehameha, Kaioken, Taioken, Dragon Fist, Teleport and Genki Dama.
It goes on like that for 7 more slides, concluding in the argument that Goku lived his entire life for other people and would soundly defeat Jesus in a fight. Therefore, he is the “Undisputed Winner.”
Dragon Ball and Parallels to Christianity
To be fair, there are many genuine parallels that can be drawn between Judeo Christian beliefs and the world of Dragon Ball, with Goku in particular.
For example, in regards to the Holy Trinity, Goku is simultaneously the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In one sense, he is the Son of Bardock, the Father of Gohan, and a Spiritual being that resides in both Heaven and Earth. He finishes Bardock’s fight against Freeza, closing the circle of “savior of the people” against “persecutory tyrant.” In a sense, he is like the child that was sent down in order to defeat Satan. He is also made in the same image as Bardock.
In another perspective, Goku is a Father to Gohan and Goten, the youngest and last pure blooded Son of the Saiyan people, and a Spiritual being that can manifest physically in two places at once. For example, after sacrificing his life and going to Heaven, he physically helped Gohan defeat Cell on Earth. Likewise, he rescued Gohan from the death grip of Bojack, appearing in physical form for a split second in order to punch Bojack in the face and free his son. Both acts could be considered the definition of a miracle.
Lastly, in Dragon Ball GT, Goku as an adult is the Father who shrinks down in size and becomes a child (aka the Son), while maintaining his mind and Spiritual powers. He is all three beings at once.
Goku experienced many great tests. For example, at the end of the original Dragon Ball series Kami asks Goku to replace him as God and ascend the throne. But Goku refuses, choosing to remain on earth as a poor hermit so that he can continue improving and fighting stronger opponents.
There are also the demonic beings that Goku defeats, such as Broly. In Dragon Ball Z movie 8, Broly said the following. “Me, a monster? No, I am the Devil.” Christian fans of DBZ have grabbed onto this as an argument that Goku is defeating the devil. Similarly, Piccolo and several others also refer to themselves as demons. Goku defeats them all.
In terms of holy powers, in Dragon Ball Z movie 5, Cooler’s Revenge, Goku holds a dead bird in his hand and brings it back to life. And of course there is the ‘laying on of hands’ that Dende performs on others when healing them. Although from my perspective I believe this stems more from Daoist Qigong energy healing found in the eastern martial arts.
In any case, there are many other parallels to be drawn, and perhaps these are the reasons why people believe in the ideal of Goku and follow his way.
Practicing in The Church of Goku
Fantastical or otherwise, in the mind of a believer, Goku represents an ideal that can be followed.
Having considered the emerging presence of Gokuism and its reasons for being, it may be easy to see why Goku is considered a god, or even a manifestation of God Himself. Goku’s ability to save others and defeat evil, while teleporting between dimensions and enduring the unendurable, all lend credence to the perspective that he is a holy being.
Naturally this brings up the question of religious tolerance, and whether or not Gokuism should be considered a valid religion.
In the above video’s description the creator says, “Do you realize something? The character of Jesus is as fictional and or fanciful as Goku. However, people consider it ridiculous to worship Goku and not Jesus.”
Should a religion based on a cartoon character be taken seriously? Is Goku real? Is Jesus real? Is it all in the mind of the believer?
Goku’s origins can be traced back to the mind of Akira Toriyama, a comic book creator in Japan influenced by eastern legends, Hong Kong martial arts, and Hollywood cinema. We know for a fact that Goku is a fabrication.
For Jesus’ origins we have the biblical texts and historical artifacts that point in His direction, but no definitive proof. Thus His existence is, arguably, dependent on faith.
And yet for a practitioner of Gokuism, who may seemingly also believe in Judeo-Christian beliefs, does it even matter? I don’t think so, because in the mind of a practitioner, gradual self improvement toward an ideal is all that matters, even if the source of motivation is fabricated.
In The Dao of Dragon Ball book I quote a young man who said that Goku helped him come closer to Jesus, and that he hopes that when he dies, that Goku is there waiting for him. He is not a declared follower of Gokuism, and I don’t think he had ever heard of the practice, but in either case, both belief systems are reflecting off one another and providing reciprocal motivation.
In the end, while it seems Gokuism has been around for years on an individual level, it is only now beginning to establish itself on the internet. This means Gokuism may fade away, or it may grow. Only time will tell.
Concluding Thoughts
Since there are so many unanswered questions about Gokuism and The Church of Goku, that means this post serves as a great conversation starter. I’d love to hear what you think.
Personally, if I got into the mind of a Gokuist, I would immediately ask myself the question, “What would Goku think of this?”
I believe he’d scratch his head, let out a laugh, and return to his training.
Resources
Goku and the Church of Latter Day Saiyans
Because he Died for Us and Rose Again to Save Us… WE LOVE YOU GOKU
Gokuism on Tripod [The Great Book of Shenron]
Comments and Jokes on Reddit about Gokuism
The Return of Jesus as a Super Saiyan
An Internet Theory about Goku and World History
Err… Derek, you know the videos are just for fun, right? lol Maybe because they are in Spanish, you may think they are meant to be taken seriously, but they were done only for the humor lol. Such as the Chuck Norris facts and such.
Yeah, for sure. I put them in the article because they liven it up a bit, And I feel this is kind of where the movement is right now… somewhere between a joke and genuine. The videos are also relevant to the concept as a whole, and I think the fact that they even exist is sociologically interesting.
naa. the spanish love dragonball z obsessively and so do many, rightfully. not a running joke at all. Christianity on the other hand..
In Goku we trust. Screw Kami and Dende.
Goku is absolutely a fantastic role model. While he may be a fictional character, he stands for the same things that every major religious figure did: Honor, dignity, morality, character, perseverance, and forgiveness, to name a few and simplify a bit.
And like any other religion, the truth to the story is really irrelevant in the face of the message. I congratulate these people for choosing a path of righteousness.
This story was awesome
I may quote you on that one, Cob. :)
Occasionally, I have something worth saying haha
Goku is a horrible rolemodel, but a really funny likeable character. Here you have the worst decision maker, a selfish fighter and a "I only listen to you when it matters to me"………..guy.
Really, he only happily sacrifices himself when he can bring others down with him (Compare destruction of Namek to blowing up of Cell)…….he puts so many lives at stake just to have a "good fight". And if it’s up to him, he abandons his family only to return when there’s a "good fight" waiting for him. Under the guise of "Oh no, I’m doing this for YOU.". And he really doesn’t enjoy his friends all that much either since he stays away from them for years (final episode) even when he’s just a teleport away from them.
Nah, even Spaniards wouldn’t fall this hard (I’m really shocked at the Jedism though.). But really Toriyama and the anime staff did put effort into making Goku likeable and funny so he’s an okay guy in the end.
He is right! If anything, many of Falun Dafa’s teachings don´t fit with Dragon Ball; so it is odd you are looking to relate them both! As Goku himself is a pretty agressive individual who would fight at the first (but fair) chance; while your philosophy doesn’t believe in such.
Then again, the whole dimensions thing in a single universe is a weird concept. However, lately science mentions the possibility of how solid things can be gotten through, as they are vibrating.
Yes, there are a lot of similarities between the Buddhist concepts of a 10-Directional World and how modern science now understands the particle and wave structure of the multi-dimensional universe. Same thing with the Daoist concept of the human body being a "small universe."
I didn’t say anything about Falun Dafa in this post. Nevertheless I do agree that Compassion as a principle of Falun Dafa doesn’t necessarily go along with Goku’s Saiyan urge to fight. But his kindness to others, his patience, his humor, and his offering redemption to his enemies certainly does. He is also very simple and True, and a living embodiment of Endurance. His Endurance is what allows him to continually improve.
So I can see what you mean about the aggressiveness, but to me that’s simply because Dragon Ball is a shonen battle manga, and the martial arts are the form that everybody in the Dragon Ball world uses to cultivate themselves upward. There are entire paradises created just for powerful (and kind-hearted) mortals that managed to transcend normal paradigms and rise upward to higher levels. Vegeta was sent to Hell, lost his body, and was tortured. Goku was sent to the Other World, kept his body, and was allowed to continue cultivating. It’s not just about having a high power level. You have to be a good person too. That sounds rather spiritual to me.
That is from one of the movies isn’t? But in the anime I remember Enma Daio broke the rules by letting Vegeta keep his body as he feared Buu would go to the after life and how come Cell and Freiza and his men kept their bodies in hell? Wait… now I remember King Kai allowed that the Ginyu keep their bodies, but the rest…? And Dabura went to heavem…
Yes, it was from DBZ movie 12. And yes, Enma is the King of the afterlife, so he can bend the rules or break them if he feels like it, including pulling Vegeta out of Hell and recreating his body.
Why some people get to keep their bodies and others don’t is a big topic, and a question for a blog post all its own. I’ll try to answer that question in the future.
Honestly religiosity is based upon human hope and concepts. Religion is a phenomenon based upon blindly trusting in something above yourself to explain things one cannot explain or to face things one is too afraid to face. Goku is honestly the most peaceful and loving religious figure created. I say this as one very studied in all theologies, Jesus and Yahweh were incredibly violent figures who caused much more pain and suffering than any other deity in existence. Should you truly believe in Jesus you ought to be persecuting homosexuals, stoning adulters, and drowning victims of rape (Leviticus 20:10-11 SAB) (Deuteronomy 22:23-24 NAB) . Whereas in Gokuism your whole existence is guided towards the peaceful and well-oiled functioned of a free will based society. So, to briefly sum up my long winded speech. What would do a 21st century culture more good: Flying planes into buildings or belief in one’s ability to help others achieve freedom from persecution?
Fascinating points of discussion, Austin. My initial response is to pose another question. When is violence justified? Goku is a loving and peaceful guy… some of the time. At other times he’s filled with anger and hatred, seeks revenge, and beats the crap out of (and sometimes kills) anyone who stands in his way. Do the ends justify the means? At which point does a person say "no more!" and start fighting back against tyranny (or sinful / karmic misdeeds) with violence? If there is in fact a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and if crossed must result in retribution, then I would say the main difference between Goku and the wrathful deities you mentioned is simply one of *how much* tolerance they have. That is to say that Yahweh might have very, very little tolerance while Goku has more. But really, is there that much of a difference if violence is still the result?
I’m not disagreeing with you by any means. Just food for a thoughtful discussion.
Another thing to consider is if the non-canon material counts as part of Gokuism. GT and most of the movies are non-canon. D
I think this is a very absurd turn of events for starters
Future Trunks aka John Titor travels back in time to save his timeline from the
androids and on the way back he saves us from the Y2K bug. But seen as he told
his story to someone in the past we ended up with Dragonball Z which was a good
method to get the true story of John Titor out. But you people have started
worshiping of all people Goku who if real would be sad to see people worshiping
him. I’m a big time fan of Goku but that doesn’t mean I believe he is God. Come
on Goku is not God he is a superhero who protects the Earth.
Of course but his power is on the level of a god and his kindness is unrivaled.
Actually i posted that before i discovered the truth that he is in fact God and now i am a born again Gokuist myself. Pretty amazing isn’t it back then i was a know it all and now i have been humbled by the undeniable truth that was staring me in the face the whole time. Part of what woke me up was when i read in the bible the Lord rides upon a swift cloud wielding his rod of iron. Not to mention the part where Goku Christ resurrected from the dead and was taken up into heaven by a cloud aka nimbus. In other words Son Goku is the only begotten Son of God and like you say his mercy is unrivaled.
Very interesting I’m a christian but i LOVE Goku… But dont you think a church of goku is a bit much? But its very very very very nice though… nice lessons in life but seriously a goku church is really really out there
theres a church based on a mythical guy named jesus & no one bats an eye
Who says Jesus isn’t real? Oh right, the one going to rot in Hell.
who says wizards aren’t real? oh right, the one going to rot in Azkabahn
Dude, Jesus of Nazareth existed. The only claim that he’s God and/or the son of God is a religious text [an amalgamation of the written work of a few dozen men scattered through a few thousand years of human history] but he did indeed exist.
Regardless his divinity, the dude has had an immense impact on human history [both for good and for evil… Christians are taught to do good but some of the things they’ve done… *cough*most but not all crusades*cough* (one of the crusades was a counter-conquest) ]
Though you really can’t pin the evils of Organized Christianity on Jesus, his teachings both harmless and- as far as I’m aware- generally positive.
Well, Azkaban is for convicted criminals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi-i7iw6W_U
i dont know whether goku is a god but he is a noble person he never thinks about himself.he fights to save the innocent.
I think Goku himself would not like being viewed as a god he turned 2 offeres down Kami offered Goku to chance to be the new guardian of Earth and he turned it down and in the new movie Bills partener(can’t think of his name) offered Goku a shot at taking bills places should he die for what ever reason and he again turned it down.
Correct!
yo i just converted this sounds more convincing then that boring bible
It’s because he is so pure that he thinks of himself as just another man. He is very modest.
He kind of is a god now heh. [In character I mean.]
Wow this is so cool I just watched the whole of dbz again as an adult with my own family after watching it as a kid and I’m sort of religious don’t go to church or anything but I’d like to believe there is something out there but it just made me think a lot about be a good and better person and trying to follow gokus morals and I looked it up to see if others thought the same and then I found this and it’s great that other people thing the same and I think goku ism is awesome it doesn’t matter how serious it is or not but goku is definitely a good role model for anyone I love goku !!
I’m glad you’re able to connect with Dragon Ball in a new way. That’s great to hear.
I am going to do the same thing as you when I have a family of my own. I was just talking about it yesterday Im going to start my kids off with the Bardock movies then all of original Dragon ball then DBZ in order including all movies.
There can be no parallel between truly Biblical Christianity and gokuism. “Hear O My people, the Lord your God is ONE Lord and His Name ONE. You shall have no other gods alongside me.” Exodus 20 & Mark 12. “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”-Philippians 2. Read it all again, carefully.
ONE Lord. That Lord is Jesus.
Satan has always tried to subvert people from true Bible salvation by inventing “other ways.” The Apostle Paul warned the church that he feared that they had been following “a different Jesus, and a different spirit.” Goku is one of those “different” ones.
The dragon balls. In the Bible the dragon is satan. These dragon balls are just that-a lot of “balls” from satan. (No offense to any of you-only to the demon that made the lie up.)
One of satans’ longings is to “be like God.” (Isaiah 14 & Ezekiel 28, BTW God tells him that he will be thrown into hell.)
The apostle Timothy was warned by the Apostle Paul that “in the latter days, people will not endure the truth but will follow doctrines of demons.” It also says in one of Timothys’ epistles “in the latter days, people will give heed to fables, having ‘itching ears.'”
Satan has simply copied off the Biblical Lord Jesus and His salvation through His sacrificial death and resurrection and other aspects and instilled those thoughts into someones mind with the whole goku idea-why? so he can fulfill his longing to “be like God” and also to deceive people and take them to hell where he’s going.
In short, it is a trap, and I beg readers to repent, for God is a jealous God, the Bible says, and His first commandment is to have no other God than He. He alone is God. “Lest my jealousy burn as unquenchable fire,” His Word says. Why shouldn’t He be jealous?! He created you, (us) put up with your sins all these years and died for those sins on a cruel cross over 2,000 years ago and rose again (in His flesh that is.) He owns you. He owns you firstly because He made you and secondly because He bought you with His own Blood at Calvary. He is a Jealous God. I beg all of you to listen.
I have cast out many demons from people using the Name of Jesus Christ and healed a good number of sick folk in the same Name-Jesus says, “All power in Heaven and in earth belongs to me.” (Matthew 28.) ALL. ALL.
Please put your trust only in the Lord Jesus and renounce gokuism.
Don’t read or listen to (“give heed to”) anything other than the Holy Bible and the Lord Jesus. May Jesus help and bless you all.
To be honest even tough this is a joke some of the things it says really are true. What I mean is and I quote Dragon Ball provide a moral compass for one’s life, and that Goku is an ideal role model and moralistic person. That really is truthful no matter how you slice it. Goku is the best role model. It’s kinda of scary if you consider the similarites between Goku and Jesus. I’m not sure if Akira did this on purpose but Im sure of one thing he has created one of the most amazing beautiful charators imaginable.
You’re thinking of Dub dragonball.
Dragonball as originally written presents Goku as a fighting fanatic with limited intellect [albeit a pure heart.] Goku’s not about morals, he’s about fighting. He doesn’t target innocents, but innocents certainly sometimes wind up as collateral damage in those fights he loves so much.
You hit the nail on the head my friend. even though he is an anime character he has them beat. However I believe all religions are a path to peace and “heaven.” Even though some of the things from Christianity seem truly evil to me I consider most of the stories tales of morals and love. I think the hate towards homosexuals and rape victims ect ect is foolish and I believe that if god exists and Im leaning toward him existing or at least some kind of force then I think some of his teachings are meant to be overcome. Hate is not the teachings of a good god therefore I think some things in the bible are meant to be overcome.
So so true Goku is right up there with the others. if you think about all religions have the same teachings. That is for a reason. all religions lead to “heaven” with the exception of satanism.
Yes but Vegeta become a different man overtime because of his love for his family and the love Goku taught him.
I have nothing to say to you except that you not looking at this the right way Goku is very naive and child like. Hence why you think he may make selfish decisions. But I say this much no real person can even dream of being as pure as Goku.
well in Future Trunks case 17 and 18 were unforgivable. Goku didn’t kill them because he had died but I think they are the perfect example of ” NO MORE!” They killed men,women,children elderly and animals. They wiped out two thirds of the entire earths population. and the only reason was because they found it amusing. Now that is true evil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADoOjdRIyU4
How his Goku a good influence? He teaches kids they don’t need school and that it is ok to leave their kids and wife with no consequences.
Not sure if trolling.
Goku has a clear focus on what is important to him in life and he is committed to his values. He is constantly striving to be a better man, forgives those who do harm to him, and knows how to live in the moment and appreciate life, whether that’s fishing by a river and camping with his friends, or receiving a punch to the face. He’s always in good spirits and while at times he can appear selfish, at other times he is completely selfless.
An entire book can be written about Goku, and I might add, will be. By me.
Goku the Savior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUyV3aHWD5A
For anyone here that is interested in an actual Gokuism page check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/gokuism/
It is a page that is less about Gokuism as a religion, and more about following the examples set forth by goku and using them to lead a better life.
Whatever the case may be, I believe Goku does serve as a perfect model for all ages because despite his childish naivity, or his”gluttonus” eating habits, he always stays positive even in the darkest of times. I’m a Roman Catholic but even I know that each religion bears a gateway of truth and no one Religion holds all the answers. Goku does not care about any religion he simply enjoys the simpler things in life. They say Ignorance is bliss. In that case Goku has achieved Nirvana And if kids want to look up to a fictional character made in Japan that teaches them to be as kind, as innocent as pure as possible, so be it. I grew up watching the Dragoball series and I love the things Goku does. To be honest whenever i watch Kid Goku acting like a fool, I laughed so hard It touched my heart. Because I know that I should act more like Goku should things ever get rough because good will always come out of it. When it will come out, only time will tell. Hopefully Gokuism doesn’t resort to senseless violence as other religions does. If it should ever become a religion, I would give it a chance and write a book or a paper about it.
I agree, Storm Ace. And if you do write something about Gokuism, please send it to me and I’ll make a blog post for it, or at least share the link to it.
I agree with him also every time i watch dragon ball when goku was a kid or grown there is not a single time i am not laughing im always laughing non stop there is not a moment im not excited for a fight or just to see what he’s doing and whenever someone dies that i really like in the show i actually start to tear up. Im not sure if this is understandable or just to wierd but it is true it really touches my heart and the times that they are happy
So, does me worshiping Frieza make me a satanist by church of Goku standards? That thought popped into my head when I heard of the church of Goku lol. Also in case anyone was wondering, the actual religion of satanism isn’t as “evil” as many would think it is and there are different types of satanism, it’s just merely a different way of looking at things. Then again, I believe morality is a very subjective subject and that there is no such thing as good and evil, only that which works and that which doesn’t.
A lot of people in my pathetic country worship Justin Bieber an defend him with the most horrible of insults. This country is named Greece. Faggotry always have been our weakest point and also ignoring the definitions of every word like “retarded”. In Greece they call you “retarded” for having your nose bleed by mere instense sunlight without you touching or just insullting Justin Bieber as a faggot. We need Goku.
I’m going to be honest, GOKU IS NOT GOD!! I mean if you want to be like him or follow his footsteps go right ahead but HES NOT A GOD OR GOD AND NEVER WILL BE! Hes an anime Character, and his power is not close to a god , if he was a god he could send the enemies to hell just by looking at them or less, Goku has to bleed and sweat to kill his enemies, so yeah if you worship him as a god and an actual religion , well you’ve got problems.
1. He has a “God Mode” meaning he has been a god at some point, and even still has the power to return to that state at any time.
2. Goku has the power do destroy an entire planet easily. Maybe your god can make one, but we have never actually seen it. We have seen tastes of what Goku’s power can do, but it is focused on one enemy.
3: Goku’s stamina far outweighs your god. He can confront an enemy, measure their power through several blows, fluctuate through different power levels in between these encounters, stop an evil from destroying the world, and teach people valuable life lessons all within 10 minutes. He also just has to rest up for another 15 minutes and he’s good to go all over again.
With these points present, it makes sense to worship him as a god since on several occasions he has given up his own life to save us and inspires us to be greater. On the other hand, most gods I have seen have created good and evil, blamed their creations for being influenced by the evil that god created in the first place, killed en entire population of earth twice for no good reason, made imperfect copies follow through on things it should be doing itself….honestly the only sacrifice ever made to save us was sacrificing someone who was the embodiment of good supposedly, who was another person….but also him….to make himself feel better….while also….forgiving us?…..for his creation of evil?….Goku is much less complicated. All Hail Goku.
He is more of a god than your god. At least Goku is loving and kind while your god is a ruthless and evil tyrant in your fairy tale book. ALL PRAISE GOKU THE TRUE LORD AND SAVIOR! <3
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How is goku a character based on Wukong from a Buddhist novel journey to the west linked with Christianity.
I am a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. I like Goku because of his purity, caring, gentleness and strength. The qualities he possess are supposed to be the character of Christians. Now Jesus only died once, because His sacrifice is perfect and once is enough. He shall never die again. We shouldn’t even compare the 2 because Jesus is real while Goku is a fictional character. Though he is inspiring, we should not deify him.
How was his sacrifice perfect? He died to forgive sins, but people are still going to hell. Goku died to protect the earth from Cell and the Androids, and I sure don’t see them still running amok. Just saying.
Really?Lol.I get what people are saying and i love dragon ball but making a religion out of it is kinda insane.
People worship a magical mystery man with a napoleon complex and a taste for his own blood, and a man who is known for riding a unicorn with wings…..but the alien worship is the insane one. Copy that.
People who still believe in heaven and hell, or a singular God capable of the creation of all things are simply people whose minds have not fully developed. If you cannot see that the reason these lies were constructed was to create and maintain tyranny…then you need to think harder, and ask more questions. A father who loves you will not send you to hell for eternity. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/master_file/masterfile.htm#INDEX
Fuck Gokuism. CAPTAIN FALCON IS THE ONLY TRUE GOD.
Goku is a zen master
Lol, to be honest, I think there’s a lot of grasping at straws in this article. I could be wrong, but it seems like a lot of the sources were meant to be taken as jokes to begin with. But hey, it’s all in good fun. And as a fictional character, I do love what Goku represents. Peace, forgiveness, standing up for what’s right, constantly improving yourself, etc etc. So on that level, I do think he makes a great role model.
I agree, but it’s a thought provoking topic and there are some people out there who take it seriously, so I tried to present the facts and insight into their perspectives. There’s no doubt that Goku’s a role model. He isn’t a perfect man; but that’s the point.
Holy Shit, I read this while high!
As an atheist i think i have found my religion!
ALL OF YOU REPENT NOW and ask JESUS for forgiveness for the remission of your sins. Dragon ball Z is going to take you to hell if you let it. I too grew up watching, loving, and being almost obsessed with dragonball Z. It took me almost 12 years to realize that Dragonball Z is wrong! Don’t you see that this “gokuism” is a false imitation of Christianity? We are talking about a cartoon that some guy created in the 80s. Yes it has a good story, great sounding music, and a good hero..but the morals do not line up with the one true GOD (Jesus). Jesus represents love and forgiveness. None of you want to go to hell, I assure you that. The only way for you to avoid that, is to be baptized, filled with the holy ghost, and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. KEEP HIS 10 COMMANDMENTS!! Also you must forgive others even the ones who have hurt you. Control your thoughts (do not lust, premeditate sin, murder) No lying, and do not get drunk. No homosexuality, that is wrong (I/WE do not hate the sinner..WE HATE THE SIN!) Being GAY is wrong otherwise we wouldn’t be able to reproduce and if the animals can get it right, so should we! Oh and how can I forget NO SEX UNTIL YOU’RE MARRIED AND IF YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE IT, STOP NOW, ASK JESUS FOR FORGIVENESS AND WAIT FOR THE RIGHT PERSON. Im not here to just tell you what you want to hear, im here to you the TRUTH. I mean all this out of Love. You could die tomorrow and once you’re dead THAT IS IT! You can believe what you want but im trying to warn all of you out of Love, if Im wrong, what did I have to lose…but if you’re wrong you lose your soul, and spend eternity..in HELL. Seek Jesus
I’m not going to delete your comment because I believe in open expression of opinions. However, I don’t want people proselytizing on my site for one religion or another, regardless of which one it is. I know that you feel it’s your duty to save people and that you feel you are speaking from the perspective of compassion and truth, but please tone it down and keep it relevant. Most of what you said has nothing to do with the article or the topic at hand. Also keep in mind that most people think this is a joke to begin with.
Yeah I’m seeing what dragonball has been doing to me and realized it so I put God first. Gokuism is really fake but it’s just another religion that’s gonna send people to hell instead of heaven. I’ve been praying for people who don’t believe in Christainity for a long time and now another religion that I’m gonna pray for the people attending it.
why?
I found this website funny af… lol I’m converting right away!
Goku is an anime character.He is created by humans and how come human created him to worship him?Christian teaches us to only worship only our God Jesus Christ becuz he is the one who creates us…u all gokuism are wasting ur life by worshipping Goku…repent to jesus before u all tht worship gokuism being thrown to the hell for worshipping a cartoon characters
Inb4 these people start watching the subs of Super and see Goku’s real personality… that of a dedicated [albeit simple-minded and pure-hearted] Closed Fist cultivator with a very ignorant conscience.
Goku, peaceful? He lives to fight strong enemies.
Now sure, it’s not in his nature to intentionally hurt people and he won’t go after the weak, but ‘battle’ is a part of his identity.
wtf im reading this in school and im wondering where is the church at ngl this is crazy the world is a question that cant be answered