By Carl S. ~
Oh how I love the power of words! The poetry and clear honesty they can convey, the images and thoughts they can bring to mind, and provoke to think about what they say. Most of all, those which stay with us, repeated and passed down through generations. . .
It became inevitable that I would embrace the word usage of Lewis Carroll. Yes, dear freethinkers, rationalists, and morally committed of all ages who are trying to use all means at our disposal to "get through' the superstition-irrationality all about us, to us Lewis Carroll has bequeathed something we can use; a vocabulary like that of computerese, slang, internet argot, using Carroll's wordplay.
In his "Through the Looking Glass," we find the poem, "Jabberwocky" - one of my perennial favorites - which begins, “Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe.” It isn't until later in the book, when Alice has some of these words explained by Humpty Dumpty, that we find out what they mean. For example, "slithy" means a combination of "lithe " and "slimy;" to "gyre" is to go round and round like a gyroscope, "gimble," to "make holes like a gimlet," etc.
We can do this. We can make new words to be used as weapons or to make people think from a different angle, perspective. Let's try it.
I propose a word, "Fluk." Yes, it's a four-letter word, but not obscene either, though it will first have that initial effect - which is the idea.
DEFINITION: "Fluk" A word combining "flush," as in flush down the toilet, or out of one's system, such as vomit, and the word "yuckl" meaning "disgusting, repulsive, something to be rejected." Of course, "flush" can also mean a reaction of embarrassment - which also fits our criteria. We are "fluking" some beliefs which should frankly be an embarrassment to those who believe them. (Here again, this is only one word. New ones are welcome, if they fit our criteria which is to challenge dogmatic beliefs, and remain non-personalized. We are not out to insult believers, but to give outlets to Reason.
Okay. Let us begin our campaign with an obvious target: Fluck Original Sin! Flush that perverse, anti-human doctrine down the toilet where it belongs. Yuck! And an embarrassment to those who preach and/or, accept it without objection. "Fluck Personhood." Nonsense, fabricated, anti-women, without evidence, sexuality, mind or rights. A perverse and disgusting invention of willfully ignorant minds. The list goes on - add your own favorite dogmas. What about "infallibility," or "the Ascension" (Whose? Jesus', his mother's, Mohammed’s, prophet Elijah’s? Take your pick.) You get the picture.
How did it get to the point that this crap can keep on going, damaging? Why are little children taught to take it seriously? Really. Isn't it way overdue for the young people to get on line and say, "Fluk this sh*t.“To save the moral environment, get the poison out, stop pussyfooting around, tell it like it is.
Do you remember the "Just say No" campaign? What about, "Just say fluk it." And that begs the question, "Just what the f**k does 'fluk' mean?" Aha. Now we're communicating, maybe, just maybe, getting somewhere.
Hey! It's a beginning.
It became inevitable that I would embrace the word usage of Lewis Carroll. Yes, dear freethinkers, rationalists, and morally committed of all ages who are trying to use all means at our disposal to "get through' the superstition-irrationality all about us, to us Lewis Carroll has bequeathed something we can use; a vocabulary like that of computerese, slang, internet argot, using Carroll's wordplay.
In his "Through the Looking Glass," we find the poem, "Jabberwocky" - one of my perennial favorites - which begins, “Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe.” It isn't until later in the book, when Alice has some of these words explained by Humpty Dumpty, that we find out what they mean. For example, "slithy" means a combination of "lithe " and "slimy;" to "gyre" is to go round and round like a gyroscope, "gimble," to "make holes like a gimlet," etc.
We can do this. We can make new words to be used as weapons or to make people think from a different angle, perspective. Let's try it.
I propose a word, "Fluk." Yes, it's a four-letter word, but not obscene either, though it will first have that initial effect - which is the idea.
DEFINITION: "Fluk" A word combining "flush," as in flush down the toilet, or out of one's system, such as vomit, and the word "yuckl" meaning "disgusting, repulsive, something to be rejected." Of course, "flush" can also mean a reaction of embarrassment - which also fits our criteria. We are "fluking" some beliefs which should frankly be an embarrassment to those who believe them. (Here again, this is only one word. New ones are welcome, if they fit our criteria which is to challenge dogmatic beliefs, and remain non-personalized. We are not out to insult believers, but to give outlets to Reason.
Okay. Let us begin our campaign with an obvious target: Fluck Original Sin! Flush that perverse, anti-human doctrine down the toilet where it belongs. Yuck! And an embarrassment to those who preach and/or, accept it without objection. "Fluck Personhood." Nonsense, fabricated, anti-women, without evidence, sexuality, mind or rights. A perverse and disgusting invention of willfully ignorant minds. The list goes on - add your own favorite dogmas. What about "infallibility," or "the Ascension" (Whose? Jesus', his mother's, Mohammed’s, prophet Elijah’s? Take your pick.) You get the picture.
How did it get to the point that this crap can keep on going, damaging? Why are little children taught to take it seriously? Really. Isn't it way overdue for the young people to get on line and say, "Fluk this sh*t.“To save the moral environment, get the poison out, stop pussyfooting around, tell it like it is.
Do you remember the "Just say No" campaign? What about, "Just say fluk it." And that begs the question, "Just what the f**k does 'fluk' mean?" Aha. Now we're communicating, maybe, just maybe, getting somewhere.
Hey! It's a beginning.
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