Hmm, where to start?
As for why I take pleasure in mocking, well, I guess I have to. After all, that’s what the word mocking means - criticizing for sport or entertainment. If it was all serious, it would just be plain old carping. And that's no fun at all.
If my mocking seems glib, it’s only because it comes so easily to me. Hey, if the glibness is what offends you, then perhaps some more sober and profound mocking would be more to your taste?
In general, I’d say very few of my responses are petty and unworthy (even the really petty ones are at least a a little bit worthy). There’s usually a point, and a good one at that if I do say so. So what could the point be?
Am I mocking the story itself? Gee, that would be somewhat out of character for someone who has spent so much time appreciating the myth aspect of initiation rituals. Perhaps instead I’m mocking the people who blindly believe the myth verbatim and tout it all over message boards like every other lame greek urban legend and insipid “fabulous first”. Talk about petty and unworthy!
You’re correct. I have no certain information the story is true or false – there’s no real proof of it, but no way to disprove it either. There’s a good deal of information that points to the European Vacation story being added only as an embellishment during the fleshing out of the ritual in the 1880s and then attached to the public history from there forward. If you’re interested in the actual research, I’m happy to discuss it privately.
But I’m not saying it’s a lie or a deception. Confucius say: If someone read obvious parable and believe it literally, is parable then deception, or is reader just gullible?
My point was that rational intelligent college educated critical thinkers ought to question the myths in their rituals and histories, and perhaps see them as parables and allegories the way they were intended (which then hopefully sparks some thought about the lesson being taught), rather than as factoids to be thrown around Greekchat and mimed endlessly.
Or the digest version: There's a reason Kappa Sigma itself uses the word "Allegory".
You're a smart guy James and I think you knew exactly what I meant. But if you want to create controversy where none exists, je suis à votre service.
Cheers,
wptw
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