There's a certain type of Discordian that spends a lot of time worrying about Discordia's past, instead of its future. I am not so much refering here to hobbyists and amateur historians such as Adam Gorightly (although the obsession with the founders many people have is a little strange), but rather the sort of person who obsesses over minor points in Discordian thinking that have been done to death for 10 years or more.
For example I spent an hour or so last night, going over a few "General Semantics" sites, including of course the facebook page. While many fine points WERE made, none of these points were new. All of these pages seemed to consist of people trying to show each other how jaded they were, how every ounce of human free will is "a story", among other spastic fits of solopsism.
Now, if that's how these folks get their rocks off, fine & dandy. I am not here to get between them and their groove. But, speaking personally, I can't decide which is more dismal: the solopsism or the bog-standard primate pecking order games that seem to be continuous among even the established users...Without even the comic relief (or attempted comic relief) I have come to expect from Discordians. These people are serious. Perhaps that's the joke?
Also, this weird cult of personality that is re-emerging around Thornley, Hill, and Wilson. There is nothing wrong with preserving some of that shit, you know, as a hobby...But to throw up newly-discovered pics and/or writing like it's the dead sea scrolls containing commandments 11-20 doesn't seem - to me - to be much more than some weird priesthood of sorts. Yes, yes, you met/knew one of the originals, way the fuck back in the year dot. Get over it.
These things, taken together, imply a certain level of stagnation that approaches Lutheranism, in which synods meet every so often to debate precendent going back to 1600 or so, with new thought being viewed as a direct affront to God. Not to mention, of course, the urge that both above behaviors result in; cleansing the temple. Lutherans spent 350 years griping about "creeping Calvinism", while these days, a certain type of person gets riled by Subgenius/Pastafarian/Last Thursdayist influences creeping into Discordia.
*ahem*
THEY WERE ALREADY IN DISCORDIA.
Because, if we're gonna quote holy writ, remember that ALL persons are Discordians. ALL OF THEM. This INCLUDES these other, lesser churches, NOT TO MENTION all the "mundane" religions such as Catholicism, Jainism, and even pro wrasslin' fans.
So, again, I am not here to tell you how to behave or what ought to set off your monkey, but it seems to me that the urge for old-timey and/or so-called esoteric studies are in many circumstances a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees. Discordia encompasses so much fun weirdness, it is so vast, that it seems kind of weird - in my opinion, mind you - to sit down and obsess over one small part of it.
At this point, I was going to go a little further into the free will thing mentioned above, but it seems to me that it might require an entire rant of its own.
Or Kill Me.
