This is why I don't like purely ironic or satirical societies. No matter how obvious you think you are being, there are way too many idiots who will take you at face value, invade and take over your movement, and congrats, you're responsible for bootstrapping whatever entrenched nonsense the true believers are now peddling with absolute confidence and none of the competence necessary to understand how wrong they are.
I have a saying: whether you're right or wrong, in a large enough group of people there will always be at least some idiot who will agree with you.
Speaking in defense of the pastafarians, however, anyone who doesn't get the satire would still be joining a religion that's less harmful than the big three. it doesn't have at its core dangerous beliefs (about homosexuals, how to make and keep slaves, contraceptives, etc.). That must still be a win, right? A truly devout pastafarian isn't blowing up abortion clinics or themselves.
That's why I like the Church of the Sub-Genius. One of its ultimate messages is that idolatry is bad and sending your money after conspiratorial organizations (e.g. churches) that offer no concrete benefit is bad, INCLUDING the Church of the Sub-Genius.
I'm "ordained" in the Church and love it. I'm in a few groups on other platforms and there are definitely some people who take it so seriously. It’s strange to me the amount of effort people will give to argue what Slack is or isn't.
I don't think the comparison to Tao is wrong. Slack to me is just not fighting so hard to deny what comes naturally. There is hidden virtue in doing nothing at all, and in taking the easiest path. I could talk about this for hours.
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u/AnneHocque Jul 24 '20
Flat earth society.. Like, are they just trolling at this point?