Discordian as Genuine Religion
First, be careful reading my posts, for I have been called out as a Greyface who doesn’t know what Discordianism is all about by someone else in this subreddit (they expressed disfavor over and old post I shared explaining that Discordianism can be taken “seriously” that was written by our faith’s co-founder Greg Hill (Malaclypse the Younger), as the offended person seemed to say that Hill obviously had no idea what he was talking about). This person then used the same old argument that my personal approach to Eris (as a real spiritual path) was wrong because Discordianism is anything anyone wants it to be. Except me, such “reasoning” suggests. I find such twisted logic kind of entertaining, so I ~may~ have egged them on a bit (Eris loves a good rhetorical exchange), but they decided name calling and insults were more their speed. You have been warned, my Erisian credentials have been questioned!
As describing my Discordian path as “seriously” (which is not the same as saying it is not humorous) seems to cause a few people to freak out just enough to publicly call me out, let me try a slightly different way of explaining what I mean (quoting from an interview of Greg Hill by Margot Adler in her classic “Drawing Down the Moon” (which for many in the 80s and 90s was the best source about Discordianism besides the Principia Discordia). It is pretty deep:
“There is evidence that Hill and Thornley came to accept the reality of Eris. Margot Adler interviewed Hill in “Drawing Down the Moon” (1979), where he admitted that he identified as an atheist in the 1950s and Discordianism began as a parody of religion. By the 1970s, his worldview had shifted, and he admitted that: “Eris is an authentic goddess … In the beginning I saw myself as a cosmic clown. I characterized myself as Malaclypse the Younger. But if you do this type of thing well enough, it starts to work. In due time the polarities between atheism and theism become absurd. The engagement was transcendent. And when you transcend one, you transcend the other. I started out with the idea that all gods are an illusion. By the end I had learned that it’s up to you to decide whether gods exist, and if you take a goddess of confusion seriously, it will send you through as profound and valid a metaphysical trip as taking a god like Yahweh seriously. The trip will be different, but they will both be transcendental” (Adler 1986: 335). Adler was unable to interview Thornley, who was increasingly paranoid and reclusive by the mid-1970s, but Hill assured her that a similar transformation of Discordianism had also happened for Omar. In what is now possibly his most famous observation, Thornley had told Hill, “You know, if I had realized that all of this was going to come true, I would have chosen Venus” (Adler 1986: 336).”
- from Carol Cusack, “Invented Religions” (unless it was from another one of her books on the subject - I forgot to write it down, and have no idea where my dog-eared copy of Adler’s “DDtM” is to quote directly. Prof. Cusack studies, among other things, “invented religions” (that is, ones that don’t embrace the fact they were made up), which some scholars call “Hyperreal” or “fiction-based” religions.
Please note, I am not saying this perspective is the only valid way to see Discordianism. If it’s more about absurd humor and being silly, more power to you. I just think maybe, at the least, five lurkers might find this aspect of Eris from the co-founders (or, perhaps, con-founders) of Discordianism of interest. It’s kind of like Chaos Magic, but with spirituality as the focus. Treating it (or understanding it) as real can lead to some actual revelations, and a lot of fun and joy, so I do recommend at least a trial run (follow it like Pascal advises in his wager - essentially, just fake it till you make it). Or not, you do you.