Did you know you're a Pope? It's true! Every man, woman, child, gender-non-conforming and non-human person is Pope of Discordia. This comes with some fantastic rights, and some fantastic responsibilities, although many Popes don't know it.
For one, you and you alone choose how to be a Discordian! Nobody can tell a Pope how to interpret scripture. Hold your own Council of Nicea whenever you want, and pick and choose the holy books you'll adhere to and which you'll ignore. Maybe throw a personal Vatican II if you like. Nobody can stop you, you're Pope!
For another, you can give people Pope cards. If you like. A lot of people don't seem to know they're Popes, so if you don't tell them they might wander around thinking somebody else is in charge.
You can also make up whatever names for yourself you want. Remember that Discordia doesn't recognize the State, so you may have to use your Holy Name mindfully.
Lastly, it means you can't blame anybody else for your beliefs. After all, you're Pope.
You can have whatever sacraments you like too! You would do well to have a touch of personal moderation on this point. Your hangover may be Holy, but it's still otherwise exactly like a regular hangover in every other detail.
Quote from: Q. G. Pennyworth on March 05, 2017, 03:22:55 PM
Did you know you're a Pope? It's true! Every man, woman, child, gender-non-conforming and non-human person is Pope of Discordia. This comes with some fantastic rights, and some fantastic responsibilities, although many Popes don't know it.
For one, you and you alone choose how to be a Discordian! Nobody can tell a Pope how to interpret scripture. Hold your own Council of Nicea whenever you want, and pick and choose the holy books you'll adhere to and which you'll ignore. Maybe throw a personal Vatican II if you like. Nobody can stop you, you're Pope!
For another, you can give people Pope cards. If you like. A lot of people don't seem to know they're Popes, so if you don't tell them they might wander around thinking somebody else is in charge.
You can also make up whatever names for yourself you want. Remember that Discordia doesn't recognize the State, so you may have to use your Holy Name mindfully.
Lastly, it means you can't blame anybody else for your beliefs. After all, you're Pope.
This should be required reading for every noob who shows up wanting to be told what Discordianism is.
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on March 05, 2017, 03:47:07 PM
Quote from: Q. G. Pennyworth on March 05, 2017, 03:22:55 PM
Did you know you're a Pope? It's true! Every man, woman, child, gender-non-conforming and non-human person is Pope of Discordia. This comes with some fantastic rights, and some fantastic responsibilities, although many Popes don't know it.
For one, you and you alone choose how to be a Discordian! Nobody can tell a Pope how to interpret scripture. Hold your own Council of Nicea whenever you want, and pick and choose the holy books you'll adhere to and which you'll ignore. Maybe throw a personal Vatican II if you like. Nobody can stop you, you're Pope!
For another, you can give people Pope cards. If you like. A lot of people don't seem to know they're Popes, so if you don't tell them they might wander around thinking somebody else is in charge.
You can also make up whatever names for yourself you want. Remember that Discordia doesn't recognize the State, so you may have to use your Holy Name mindfully.
Lastly, it means you can't blame anybody else for your beliefs. After all, you're Pope.
This should be required reading for every noob who shows up wanting to be told what Discordianism is.
Or just drops out of their mother's birth canal into the world. The Pope thing is right up there with "God is a Woman" as a foundation truth that Discordia merely states in recognition. They're antigen memes in a way.
God is male + God is female= God is neither and beyond both.
Some guy is The Pope + Every man, woman, child, and etcetera is A Pope = there are No Popes to be obeying but you.
I'm pretty happy with this, but I'm a little anxious about the nonbinary line. It's grammatically correct to lump it at the end with "non-human" since both need the "persons," but I am worried it could be read as "nonbinary people are not human." I do want to keep non-human persons in there, because I think octopuses and elephants can be Popes, too. Any suggestions on avoiding that pitfall are welcome.
Well... when I first read it my mind glossed it entirely. Even rereading it now I don't see it as a reference to animals per se or an implication that certain folks would be non-human in a negative context.
In point of fact I find myself wondering not so much about how an animal might Pope as how a genuine non-human sentience might. There's a question of AI, possibly non-terrestrials, psychic beings like "gods", so called ultra-terrestrials, possibly even weirder things.
I'm not saying any of those things are "real" but the idea of a "non-human" Pope has to be explored. Might you not have a cluster of staph or a fungal nodule qualify?
What if someone is born "human" and refuses for whatever reasons to not identify as such?
... asking for a friend.
I wouldn't dream of telling somebody else how to be Pope, regardless of who or what they are.