A satirical retelling of the day St. Nicholas lost patience at the Council of Nicaea and delivered the most legendary theological slap in church history. Humor, history, and a reminder that even saints hit their limit.
Well, as both a slapper and a slapped-one (Well deserved, I assure you) I can resonate with the feeling, though I abhor violence (save for when cuts me off in traffic . . . then all bets are off). So my prayer is that Arius repented and returned a kiss for the slap, and that good ol'Saint Nick bashfully apologized and offered up a candy cane as a token of attrition.
On the other hand, having come from the era of black & white TV and aerial antenna, a recognized practice of adjusting the reception with a good whack upside the idiot box was understandable . . .
I came from the same era (without even an outdoor antenna to blame it on, just rabbit ears and a loop). Smacking the cabinet, fiddling with the trimmer ring, and a few choice words from my dad usually fixed it. Until Jesse Helms came on WRAL with his "editorial segments" that may have actually been the origin of there "the following does not necessarily represent the opinions of WRAL, Capital broadcasting or its employees..." (well it was the first time I heard it, anyway.) When those came on, the old man's face got Wolfpack Red, and I honestly feared for the TV's continued safety.
🤣🤣 omg i can remember those black & white TV days & a still smack things when they don’t work right (ashamed but true) …and also because it sometimes works!!!
I was unaware of this event. Blessed be the Holy Slap. I don't advocate violence but do advocate speaking out. I think today we allow the crazed and the fanatics to ramble to long. They take silence for agreement. Then we are on a fork of the road that definitely does not lead to sugar cookies. Great post.
Right? That book doesn’t ease you in, it just kicks the door open on page 11 and hands you a torch. The Cathars weren’t subtle, and neither is the scholarship.
I hadn't seen this yet when I commented earlier! this is Divinely brilliant and timely.
Happy St. Nicholas Day!
Well, as both a slapper and a slapped-one (Well deserved, I assure you) I can resonate with the feeling, though I abhor violence (save for when cuts me off in traffic . . . then all bets are off). So my prayer is that Arius repented and returned a kiss for the slap, and that good ol'Saint Nick bashfully apologized and offered up a candy cane as a token of attrition.
On the other hand, having come from the era of black & white TV and aerial antenna, a recognized practice of adjusting the reception with a good whack upside the idiot box was understandable . . .
I came from the same era (without even an outdoor antenna to blame it on, just rabbit ears and a loop). Smacking the cabinet, fiddling with the trimmer ring, and a few choice words from my dad usually fixed it. Until Jesse Helms came on WRAL with his "editorial segments" that may have actually been the origin of there "the following does not necessarily represent the opinions of WRAL, Capital broadcasting or its employees..." (well it was the first time I heard it, anyway.) When those came on, the old man's face got Wolfpack Red, and I honestly feared for the TV's continued safety.
🤣🤣 omg i can remember those black & white TV days & a still smack things when they don’t work right (ashamed but true) …and also because it sometimes works!!!
Happy St. Nicholas Day! Have a ginger snap cookie, & don’t let Swarte Pete get you!🎄
I was unaware of this event. Blessed be the Holy Slap. I don't advocate violence but do advocate speaking out. I think today we allow the crazed and the fanatics to ramble to long. They take silence for agreement. Then we are on a fork of the road that definitely does not lead to sugar cookies. Great post.
Benjamin Britten’s oratorio •Saint Nicolas• gets all of this right, & even references the Slap of Arius…
I enjoyed it; clever and pointed. I recognize a fellow satirist! Here's one of mine:
https://open.substack.com/pub/bhapke/p/broligarchus-sub-machina-a-free-market?r=3wrt7g&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Merry Catharsmas !
I am SO glad I snagged a copy of The Perfect Heresy. Page 11 in the intro knocked my socks off.
Right? That book doesn’t ease you in, it just kicks the door open on page 11 and hands you a torch. The Cathars weren’t subtle, and neither is the scholarship.
Perfect choice for a proper Catharsmas.
What she (Celia) said. 👍👋