Discordianism to Me

[Churro the Viscous]

I'm new here.
I'm new to Discordianism.
I read the Wikipedia page this week, and liked it.
Yesterday, I read Principia Discordia in its entirety.
I've decided : this is PERFECT for me!

I'm an atheist.
One that doesn't proselytize, of course.
I'm more of an apathetic atheist.
I just accept that God doesn't exist, and I leave it at that.

Discordianism, for me, provides a mythology, and metaphors, for things I already believe.
For example, the Curse of Greyface :
I've always been of the opinion that people who take religion and things like that too seriously are annoying and destructive.
Also, I like the story of Eris and Aneris and Void.
I like the symbolism in that.

A few months ago, I was introduced to Joseph Campbell.
He maintains that religions aren't meant to be taken literally.
He maintains that the metaphors can be very useful,
but, when taken literally, can be quite destructive.
That's another reason why this religion is so perfect :
We can recognize what is and isn't meant to be taken literally.
We see the metaphors for what they are,
and thus have no animosity towards people who don't believe the stories,
as opposed to, for example, Christians,
who condemn those who don't take their parables as literal Truth.

So, in that respect, Discordianism isn't a "mock religion";
No, no, no, it is the IDEAL religion.
Discordianism is an example of what religion should be.

I probably have more thoughts, but I'm done for now.
Feedback would be nice.
Maybe I got this thing all wrong.
Maybe there is no wrong, of course, and I can view it how I wish.
That's what the Principia said, in various places.
So, tell me what you think, Erisians of the Internets.

[Cainad]

So, in that respect, Discordianism isn't a "mock religion";
No, no, no, it is the IDEAL religion.
Discordianism is an example of what religion should be.

Okay, THAT'S one I haven't heard before. Welcome to the forum.

Maybe I got this thing all wrong.
Maybe there is no wrong, of course, and I can view it how I wish.

Never forget this, and your chances of survival will increase dramatically.

That's what the Principia said, in various places.

You can forget this, though. Or not.

[M. Nigel Salt]

Welcome, Churro. Joseph Campbell is like unto a GOD to me.

[Churro the Viscous]

Thank you, Cainad and Nigel.

[Vene]

That was entirely too well thought out.

lol23 FNORD  PINEAL

RAW was teh shit!  I'm a really REAL Discordian FOR REALZ!

 


Did I mention lol23?

Much better.

[Churro the Viscous]

Haha

[Churro the Viscous]

So, in that respect, Discordianism isn't a "mock religion";
No, no, no, it is the IDEAL religion.
Discordianism is an example of what religion should be.

Okay, THAT'S one I haven't heard before.

I was actually kind of expecting my ideas to coincide with other discordians' ideas.
Since that's not really the case, I'd like to know:
What are your views on Discordianism?
(your = directed towards all here)
What is it's purpose to you?
What does it mean to you?
Is it just a game for laughs?
Does it have any real philosophical significance?

Let me know.

[e]

"Discordians!  Coming apart is more fun when you do it together!"

Something like that.

Anyway, I personally have always been attracted to the more 'zen' aspect, or the mind-games type things, inherent in Discordian thought.  My main problem is that I think too much, and thus now enjoy thinking in ways that are outside the auspices of thinking.  Not necessarily "thinking without thought" but more a sort of meta-thinking without thinking about thinking.  Basically I just want to write think and thought until neither look like words any more.


And of course, just to rehash quotes:

Quote
Maybe I got this thing all wrong.
Maybe there is no wrong, of course, and I can view it how I wish.

Never forget this, and your chances of survival will increase dramatically.

Quote
That's what the Principia said, in various places.

You can forget this, though. Or not.

The Principia is basically intended to serve as a "guide" to the world of free-thinking/free-feeling/free-believing.  That is, belief, thought or feeling without the nasty trappings of dogma.  Religion itself is a very fine thing.  Spirituality and all that.  I personally am (more or less) an atheist.    However, I think it's great if people can feel some sort of "spiritual connection" to what-have you.  It's the Dogma that gets me down.

Religion without Dogma = fine
Religion without Dogma = usually just the Dogma, which is nonsensical

An interesting read I just found recently is Thornley's Zenarchy.  It's online in various and sundry locations, and well worth a read if you're into the slightly more cerebral stuff (I am a nerd).

[Vene]

So, in that respect, Discordianism isn't a "mock religion";
No, no, no, it is the IDEAL religion.
Discordianism is an example of what religion should be.

Okay, THAT'S one I haven't heard before.

I was actually kind of expecting my ideas to coincide with other discordians' ideas.
Since that's not really the case, I'd like to know:
What are your views on Discordianism?
(your = directed towards all here)
What is it's purpose to you?
What does it mean to you?
Is it just a game for laughs?
Does it have any real philosophical significance?

Let me know.

I happen to like its embrace of change and that one of the tenets is to think it out for yourself.  And the humor, gotta love the humor.

[Verbal Mike]

it is the IDEAL religion.
Discordianism is an example of what religion should be.

I don't like this kind of blanket statement. I also don't like defining what anything "should" be or do. Religion just is. And Discordianism is by no means ideal. Hang out here for a while, and you'll begin to see that nothing is perfect (and this is perfectly beautiful to my taste). I like to think Discordianism and these forums are just things that happen to lead me to new and interesting thoughts again and again. I'm positive the same ideas can come up outside of the Discordian framework, but my mind has been poisoned with Discordianism and I simply can't think of anything in those areas of metaphysics/philosophy that Discordianism covers without recalling Discordianism. This could be a bad thing, I guess, but it also just is, and I don't intend to fight it.
I'm sure if I were born in a very different culture, say in Japan or in Egypt or in any native tribe, things would be different. My world view would be so different to what it was that I would never have even heard of Discordianism, not to mention actually getting into it. But I might have reached the same kind of thought, the same awareness of my fleshy cage, through different philosophical frameworks. Zen Buddhism, of course, comes to mind, as does Taoism. (Neither very big in Egypt or in tribal societies, I know.)

[e]

Zen Buddhism, of course, comes to mind, as does Taoism.

Discordianism owes very big debts to both these philosophies/religions.  Sophism (I don't think that's even a word.  The greek Sophists) is also quite fun, and does occasionally employ the "make fun of thinking to enable thinking" card.

[Requia ☣]

I don't think Thornley and Hill were really harkening back to the other enlightenment religions, that's not to say that they don't share a lot in common, but there's a kind of repeating motif in philosophy religion.

More likely, if they were deriving from anything, it was existentialism.

[Vene]

I don't think Thornley and Hill were really harkening back to the other enlightenment religions, that's not to say that they don't share a lot in common, but there's a kind of repeating motif in philosophy religion.

More likely, if they were deriving from anything, it was existentialism.

I thought it came from THC.

[e]

Thornley at least was pretty big into the various "Eastern" religions.  (See his Zenarchy: http://www.mindcontrolforums.com/hambone/zenarchy.html )

Even to the point of partaking of Zazen.  Lots of buddha references as well.  And of course, Zen (in its original incarnation, pardon the pun) is essentially a continuation of Taoism by Chinese monks who converted to the Buddhist religion when it spread from India, under the premise that it was more, well, Taoist, to do that than staunchly defend the old Taoist ways.

And, as Vene pointed out while I was responding, lots of drugs. 

[Malachite]

I like this person.

And his one line per sentence method of posting appeals to my OCD.

Welcome.