Vampire lifestyle: Encyclopedia II - Vampire lifestyle - Criticism

Vampire lifestyle - Criticism

The vampire lifestyle has been criticised on a number of grounds. Christians, Jews and Muslims tend to believe the consumption of others' blood is related to cannibalism, paganism and many other sins. There is concern in the general public for those who are found to be participating in what is often perceived as a cult.

For some self-styled vampires as well as outsiders, the proliferation of groups aggressively pushing trinkets, books, jewelry and other vampire merchandise (advertised as ways by which teenagers may become official vampires) is viewed as blatant money-grubbing and disdained for spreading false information. Some believers claim these products endanger children by encouraging them to meet impossible fictional vampire standards.

Vampirism has also been criticised for fuelling the fantasies of people who are psychotic or otherwise severely mentally ill. Some self-proclaimed vampires have murdered in order to drink human blood, such as Brisbane's notorious Tracey Wigginton, who was called a lesbian vampire murderer by the press. There have been some reports of crimes commited by deranged people who believed themselves to be vampires: for example, the "Kentucky Vampire Clan" was a vampire role-playing group in Kentucky whose activities spiralled into murder.^[4]Activity of this manner is variously encouraged^[5] and discouraged.^[6]

Finally, for one person to consume another's blood presents a serious hygiene risk to both parties, with a major risk of sepsis from human bites and the possibility of transmission of blood-borne diseases including HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.^[7][8]

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Criticism", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki