Comments | fifthtrinity: Ordination Training, 5th Trinity Church

elfwreck in fifthtrinity

Ordination Training, 5th Trinity Church

Feb 21, 2005 22:13

[incomplete very rough draft]

These are considered to be one example of an acceptable training course; individual programs and resulting titles may be tailored to the postulant by his/her mentor and/or the council.

What’s expected of a priestess of Eris: An understanding of the contents of Principia & several other (unspecified) Discordian works ( Read more... )

Comments 15

twfarlan February 22 2005, 06:20:39 UTC

Suggested addition to the reading list, either year 2 or 3:
David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest

pyromog February 22 2005, 06:43:47 UTC

Everything looks quite good, nothing I could think to add anyway. I, for one, will almost certainly be entering aforementioned program when/if it becomes a reality, assuming nothing dramatic happens to me before then (which is always a possibility).

hehenahaole February 22 2005, 07:22:35 UTC

It looks quite good; presumably it will be a little more individually-tailored by the instructors, and to the students.

I'm very interested in this when it gets going; I live in Oregon currently, but I'd like to enroll when things get moving.

telarus February 23 2005, 02:45:05 UTC

!> Your nick seems vaugley Hawaiian-ish? Which Rock are you from?

2} Ditto on the interesting. Ditto on the Oregon!(!!!!!) Where yah at?

hehenahaole February 23 2005, 06:14:55 UTC

My name is actually sort of a self-referential joke.

I was raised by a Hawaiian man for a while (in the sense that he stepped in and became a father figure for a number of years; my parents are divorced). I sort of grew up convinced I was Hawaiian, or at least, wishing.

"hehena" is an obscure Hawaiian word for "crazy" or "Stupid".

"Haole" ("how-le") means "white."

"HehenaHaole" can be rendered "crazy white guy." Which is one valid way of describing me.

As for Oregon-ness, I'm in Portland. Yourself?

telarus February 23 2005, 07:38:12 UTC

Beaverton area. I caught the name but mistranslated the first word.
Origionally from the Big Island

tyrsalvia February 22 2005, 19:27:47 UTC

http://www.discordian.com/reading.html

That's the reading list I have at the moment. It's not fully complete of course, but there are a few things not on your lists that you might want to add. In particular, _Finite and Infinite Games_ by James P. Carse and _The True Believer_ by Eric Hoffer are, I think, essential.

My only big question with this is how tightly controlled you expect to make the catma. As well you know, you and I have somewhat different philosophies regarding the Erisian semi-faith, and yet we're both dedicated and, yes, serious about what we're doing. I think as part of this training program, it would be good for someone to have exposure to multiple different veins of Discordian thought that don't just originate with their own immediate friends.

Also, you suggested they should attend a religious service from one other religion. I think you should up that to five other religions.

tyrsalvia February 22 2005, 19:30:48 UTC

Oh.. one other question. When this does get off the ground, of course I'd like an official ordination. As a new program, would there be a way to prove I've completed all the coursework already, and perhaps make up any required work I've missed in the course of my life study?

I do consider myself clergy already, and I'm working on an overt training program for such. I have an AA in speech communication, and I'm working on my BA in same. After that, I'll either be going to the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology or Starr King divinity school. I've read most of the books on your list, seen most of the films, and completed most of the coursework you outline.

elfwreck February 22 2005, 22:28:02 UTC

I 'spect that most people, at the beginning, are gonna get credit for life experience and stuff they've already read, done, and so on. No point in making people re-read or re-watch movies (except maybe Fight Club, which changes drastically on the second watching, and a bit more on the third).

And yeah, we've got our differences, but I assume Eris can handle that. I know what Eris has shown me is the One, True, Correct & Only way to be a Proper Discordian; the rest of you Improper Discordians are just gonna have to live with your incomplete understandings. If She showed you something else, that ain't my problem. If Eris wants me to change your mind, I'm sure She can find a way to let me know ( ... )

elfwreck February 22 2005, 21:42:10 UTC

I don't expect to make it tightly controlled... I want it loose & open, and anyone who gets through a program determined by their mentor or the council (which are both currently very, very fuzzy concepts) is qualified to modify, create, or mangle programs for others.

But I can't tell the IRS, "Any devout Discordian who wants to teach Discordianism and train priests and suchlike is qualified to create preeestly training programs for any other devout Discordians who are willing to pay attention to them." It makes bureaucrats twitchy.

They want lists; I can invent lists. I might even decide to follow the instructions on the lists.

Just take the phrase "much individual variation is permissible" with the most Erisian interpretation you can imagine. (Wouldn't want to discriminate against illiterate technophobic Discordians, but the plan would need some rather serious changes for them.)

Thread 5

falkreon February 23 2005, 05:24:52 UTC

Well obviously those reading lists are going to have to be customized, and at the beginning whoever finds you will be credited for much life experience. I reccommend that some of the people here form a panel which will eventually become Some Sort of Council. From there, mentors would be assigned, credit would be given where credit was due, and tailoring would be done where appropriate. Finally, everyone would run through the ordination process with some other council member as a mentor. It could take a while, but it's an important process to form the kind of legitimacy you seek.

Perhaps more appropriately, it would give each one of us a very interesting look at someone else's sense of Discordia, and this would wreak a certain amount of havoc on our own sense of Discordian things.

telarus February 23 2005, 07:41:38 UTC

Agreed.

Baphomet elfwreck February 23 2005, 07:54:15 UTC

I've been thinking of naming the council "Baphomet." As in,

"I spent last Saturday night with Baphomet."
"I used to work for Baphomet, but I don't any more."
"I'm bringing lunch to Baphomet."
"Baphomet might initiate that new guy next week."
"Baphomet wasted six hours discussing politics."

We've (that's me & my husband, who refuses to play the LiveJournal game) already decided that the guy who leads the council meetings has a title: Messiah.

Looks great on a résumé. "Messiah of FifthTrinity Church, 04-07." And that way, we have new Quotes From the Messiah to throw around every couple of months.

Re: Baphomet falkreon February 23 2005, 21:36:08 UTC

"I was talking to Baphomet the other day and...",
"The Messiah was saying the other day..."
"Joe, this is Baphomet. Baphomet, Joe. Oh, and Joe, you really should meet Baphomet too. Baphomet... this is Joe."

That's also an excellent idea. Let us know when you're ready to... Unite to form Baphomet! (I'll form Left Arm! I'll form the Torso!...)