#countercultural

[sxpxrmxrgxr]

[gender-jargon]

[Image ID: The COCUINgender flag created by coiner Gent of Gender-Jargon, 2022. The flag consists of seven thin, horizontal stripes of the same size. From top to bottom, the color of the stripes are black, scarlet, plum, violet, teal, jade green and black. /.End ID]

Cocuingender: an umbrella term describing all genders identities that are Countercultural In Nature (COCUIN)

Etymology

The term Cocuingender is constructed to conform to other “-In Nature” terms (Mingender, Fingender, Ningender, Quingender, Roingender, Agingender, Xingender, Cuingender, Oingender, Keingender, etc.)The acronym “COCUIN” is constructed with the “CO” and “CU” of “Countercultural”,  combined with the “I” from “In” and the “N” from “Nature”. The acronym is combined with the neological suffix “-gender”, indicating genderedness. Coined by Gent (Gender-Jargon), 2022.

The sibling term to Cocuingender is Sucuingender.

Elaboration

A counterculture is a (sub)culture with values, beliefs, interests and/or traditions that not only vary from, but stand in opposition to and/or are considered to be incompatible with the larger, prevailing mainstream norm. Rather than describing only variance from a parent culture, such as with a subculture, countercultures also challenge and/or subvert the dominate culture, which may or may not be it’s parent culture.

There are many different countercultures that have existed throughout time and society, all having in common that they are, or are considered to be, irreconcilable with the core values, beliefs and traditions of the given society in some way, shape or form. Subcultures deviate from the norm, and often challenge it, but are not in direct conflict with the very ideology of the parent culture. Some examples of countercultures in the U.S. include, but are not limited to: Hippies, punks, relationship anarchists/ENMs/nonamorists/amatopunks, cannabis culture, the feminist movement, off-the-grid homesteading & self-sufficiency movement, the free & open-source software movement, atheists & secularists, communists, the animal liberation movement, the LANDBACK movement & other decolonization efforts, anarchists, the ecology movement and of course, the LGBT+/Queer/MOGAI/Microlabel community. 

Like sucuingenders, cocuingenders are exclusive identities, and as such, may only be claimed by those who participate within the given counterculture. If a counterculture is rooted in a closed culture/community/group/practice/etc. itself, the cocuingender would only be accessible to those capable of the experience. Naturally, the exclusivity of a term is further compounded by any other exclusive identities that intersect with the cocuingender. Some manner of participation in the counterculture, however or whatever that may be, is a requirement for identification. This quality is what separates it from aesthetigenders and other similar types of xenogenders.

Flag

The flag was created by the coiner at the same time as the term itself. The flag consists of seven thin, horizontal stripes of the same size.  From top to bottom, the color of the stripes are black, scarlet, plum, violet, teal and jade green. The colors have the following meanings:

The top and bottom black stripes represents adversity, social othering and holding values and traditions distinct from those held by the mainstream culture.

The scarlet stripe represents inherent defiance and dissent against mainstream values and practices.

The plum stripe represents community, unity and fraternity.

The violet stripe represents subversion and rebellion.

The teal stripe represents survival, necessity and persistence.

The jade stripe represents change, revolution and rebirth.

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for St Agnes

1 Sm 16:1-13; Ps 89; Mark 2:23-28

In the centre of Rome, facing the middle of the famous Piazza Navona, is a basilica dedicated to St Agnes, one of the Roman Church’s earliest virgin martyrs, whose name is memorialised in the Canon of the Mass. Like St Sebastian, she too was executed in the reign of Diocletian, around 304. While in Rome recently for meetings at Santa Sabina, I made a pilgrimage to this church and I spent some time in prayer before the relic of St Agnes. Tucked away in a chapel behind the High Altar, a silver reliquary enshrines a small skull. It is striking how delicate, how fragile, how small the skull of St Agnes is. Here was the skull of a twelve-year old girl, the virgin Agnes of Rome, who had been martyred – executed – in a brutal manner commonly used throughout the Roman Empire: she’d been stabbed in the throat. Like a lamb having its throat slit before it is offered in sacrifice, St Agnes, the little lamb of God, was slaughtered, and so she offered her life in sacrifice to Christ; she died for love of him. The first Christians of Rome, and the Fathers of the Church, especially revered St Agnes because she was so small, so tender in age, still in her youth. Thus, as we heard in the Office of Readings, St Ambrose marvelled that “there was little or no room in that small body for a wound” and yet she was undaunted and fearless in facing death. For although she was “too young to be punished, yet [she was] old enough for a martyr’s crown; unfitted for the contest, yet effortless in victory, she shows herself a master in valour despite the handicap of youth”.

Today’s readings and prayers reiterates, though, that this is the pattern of God’s gracious activity among men. Thus the Collect says that God chooses “what is weak in the world to confound the strong.” Hence God chooses the youngest son of Jesse precisely because it is in those who are small and insignificant and weak that God’s grace can work wonders. So the Lord tells St Paul: “my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9) Yet, we can so often forget this because the world values status, and physical power, and intellectual prowess, and sophistication. And so we can get caught up in a competitive culture in which we need to prove our worth and conform to the values of the world. But although David had many strong and strapping older brothers, the Lord chose him, the youngest one, the one considered the least likely - Jesse, after all, neglected to even call him in from the fields. For it is not stature, or cleverness, or any external grandeur that impresses God nor are these conducive of true greatness. Rather, Scripture reminds us today that “the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

  For what draws God’s attention is the interior littleness and poverty of heart. It is those who are humble who draw down God’s graces, for as the Lord says to the prophet Isaiah: “This is the man to whom I will look, he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” (66:2) Therefore, if you aspire to greatness, acknowledge your weakness and utter need of God like little St Agnes, and seek the Lord single-heartedly as she did. As she said with her dying breath: “holy Father; behold, I am coming to you, whom I have loved, whom I have sought, whom I have always desired.” Here is true greatness, a spiritual greatness which God’s grace accomplishes in the humble and weak, namely, perfection in charity.

As Dominicans we have the example of St Thomas Aquinas, who had a great devotion to St Agnes and carried her relic with him at all times. We might be tempted to think that his holiness and eminence is due to his great intellect, or luminous writings, or fine preaching. Rather, it comes from the simple but necessary fact that this ‘dumb ox’ sought nothing except Christ: non nisi Te Domine. If this can become our motto too then perhaps we shall join Thomas the ox and Agnes the lamb in loving contemplation of the One who humbled himself to become little and weak for us in the manger; indeed, he humbles himself for us now under the appearances of bread and wine, here at the manger of the Altar. Come, then, let us adore him! At every manger scene we shall find at least a lamb, an ox, and... an ass. I for one would be quite content to be counted as one of the latter so long as I thus have the grace of loving him for ever. As Christina Rossetti said: “What can I give Him,/ Poor as I am? / If I were a Shepherd/ I would bring a lamb;/ If I were a Wise Man/ I would do my part, —/ Yet what I can I give Him, — / Give my heart.”

[thehushedpoet]

1/4/19 - 1:06am

Everyone says to follow your heart and not think, when in fact that is the worst thing you can do for yourself -- in fact, thinking and going off of intuition is what will most likely lead you to a happier, rational, committed love.

[lgcarl]

Leaving the Light On

If you turn on the television today, you’ll probably come across an insurance commercial featuring a coach who tries to stop young adults from turning into their parents. The ads are designed to be funny, but if you look beneath the humor, the underlying messages (to me) are troubling: Don’t make eye contact. Don’t strike up a conversation with strangers. Mind your own business. Look at your…

Leaving the Light On

[wisdomfish]

Anti-status Quo

The New Testament approach to slavery was utterly contrary to aristocrats and philosophers like Aristotle, who held that some humans were slaves by nature (Politics I.13). New Testament Christianity hardly endorsed slavery; it leveled all distinctions at the foot of the cross. In Revelation 18:11-13, doomed Babylon stands condemned because she had treated humans as "cargo," having trafficked in "slaves ['literally bodies'] and human lives." This repudiation of treating humans as cargo reflects the doctrine of the image of God in all human beings. No wonder the Christian faith was particularly attractive to slaves and lower classes: it was countercultural, revolutionary, and anti-status quo.

Paul Copan

[prestigeollie]

#MentalWellnessClub #DictionIsImportant

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