I came across the word antidisestablishmentarianism today—hadn’t seen it in a long time, but I didn’t need to Google it. I just nudged my memory from philosophy and religion courses—History of Religion, Early Greek Philosophy, Golden Thread in Catholicism and others that I took at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio during the mid-1960s in search of truth in religion, a hopeless undertaking (true story). I realize, of course, that my viewers are familiar with antidisestablishmentarianism, but I need to prove to myself that I haven’t forgotten my schooling so I’ll prattle on.
A Greek fellow named Arius established a theological school of thought, Arianism, and others worked toward the disestablishment of Arianism. Still others were against Arianism being disestablished, thus the anti in the term Antidisestablishmentarianism—they were against the disestablishment of Arianism—got it? The entire fracas consisted of religious scholars squabbling and quibbling over the relationship, in the biblical sense, of the Son to the Father.
Them aire greks war sum rite smart foks, warn’t thay!
That’s my quickie definition of antidisestablishmentarianism and my story and I’m sticking to both.
Postscript: Historian Warren Carroll at Wikkipedia describes Arius as “tall and lean, of distinguished appearance and polished address. Women doted on him, charmed by his beautiful manners, touched by his appearance of asceticism. Men were impressed by his aura of intellectual superiority.” I have added this description of Arius for this reason: Except for the tall and lean portions I, The King of Texas and the author of this blog, am a reincarnated mirror image of Arius, and I make that statement without even the hint of humility.
carmen browne
March 16, 2011 at 9:35 pm
I spent a very nice time reading this definition.
thekingoftexas
March 18, 2011 at 4:55 am
Thanks for visiting and thanks for the comment. You’re always welcome on my blog.
burstmode
March 17, 2011 at 12:53 pm
I didn’t realize there was an apostrophe in “warn’t”.
thekingoftexas
March 17, 2011 at 5:14 pm
Thanks for visiting and thanks for the comment. The
apostrophe belongs thar—hit’s rite. I warn’t shore and checked hit out at google–hyar’s whut I found:
warn’t – Wiktionary
Feb 26, 2011 … warn’t. Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary … We tried to comfort him, but he said it warn’t much use, he couldn’t be much …
I wager that Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, is rotating in his grave after learning of the changes made to his tale of Huckleberrey Finn. Hit jist don’t seem rite, do it?