The History
The Creed
The Prayer
The Virtues
The Rules
The Forms
The Sacraments
The Words
The Icon

The Order began at the SCA's Thirty Year Celebration, June 9, 1996; the Mother Superior, Katriana of Grithold, bribedtithed her way into the Holy Roman Catholic Apostolic Church of An Tir (Inc.), and then went out to get others to bribetithe their way in under her. At the next event, it went from a scheme to get free beer for Tablero games to something else; we tried to recruit others, got asked what the duties of a member would be, and started figuring out just what the Order was about and who the heck Our Lady of Debauchery was. At Acorn War that year we sold our first Indulgences; at Ducal we put out our first copies of the Rule of the Order; at Dragons Mist Defenders Tourney AS XXXIII (1998) we held our first service.
Now, in 1998, we are revamping the Order; we expect more from our members, we are forming a new type of membership (the congregation), and we are expanding our Order from a fun thing to do at SCA events to a religion truly worthy to be mentioned in the company of other great "religions" (like Discordianism and the Church of the SubGenius). Really, our purpose is twofold: to get people to take Fun more seriously, and to get people to Play safely. We will be trying more to get the word out through the science-fiction conventions and through the Internet; and we could use all the help we could get, so come play!

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This is the basic statement of Faith in the Order. These are the things we all hold to; the stuff that we all agree on. This is not meant to supplant any other faith or creed that you might also believe in; it is meant to augment and supplement your personal faith.

This is not meant to impune either deity in any way; we would not use the term "Supreme Being" sarcastically or lightly. The relationship between the two is left up to the faith and the imagination of the individual; the request to "humor Him" is left to be deciphered by you. I mean, She may think that we should humor Him because He's easier to deal with when He thinks He's Hot Stuff, but to Her He's not; but She's standing right next to Him while we're way down here, so maybe She's just a little too close to the situation . . . or something like that.

Our Lady of Debauchery is the personification of the human need to play, and the concern that humans living in communities naturally have for one another. Her goal is to see everyone joyous; her pain is twofold--that people are forgetting to play, and that people who misunderstand the concept of "play" are hurting themselves and each other. She is not based on any specific deity or saint, but "taken from the whole cloth;" but we are aware of several ancient goddesses that fulfilled some part of Her goal, including Freya, Bast, and Baubo.

As all the various orders of The Church have Holy Icons taken from the Muppets, we have chosen Gonzo because of the joy he takes in everything that could happen to him (sometimes even in the extreme). The Icon , the Forms and the Rules are explained later in this Catechism. The Saints are people that we feel exemplify the spirit of Our Lady, and Fun is always a Good thing as long as it is Safe, Sane, and Consensual.

This is the phrase that the Order uses instead of the Christian "Amen." It is meant as an affirmation of belief.

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This prayer is the Order's version of the "Our Father," the basic prayer for most denominations of the Christian religion.

This is an affirmation of Our Lady and Her Purpose, and the realization that Her work is ongoing in the World.

This request for the basics of Life acknowledges that in order for a happy life we need a little more than just our daily necessities; it also affirms the fact that emotion and logic are both necessary to live our lives well.

We request Our Lady to help us in our lives, and we remind ourselves that if we take this life too seriously we would really be missing out. We thank Her for not asking for sacrifice on our parts, and ask one last time for Her help in being our own selves and doing our very best all the time.

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The five Virtues were one of the first things we came up with. We used them in the Rosary of the Order; it was hoped that by the repetition of the virtues they would confer worthy character traits on our members without interferring with their personal spiritual beliefs.

The First Virtue is that of Honor; it is the basis of all other virtues, for if you have no Honor none of the other virtues will matter. In order to keep a good name in the minds of friends and acquaintances, that name must be associated with fair behavior, the keeping of promises and the lack of duplicity.

The Second Virtue is Play; and as Captain Kirk said in an episode of Star Trek Classic, "The greater the intellect, the greater the need for Play." It can be as simple as the crossword puzzle or as complex as Pennsic, but whatever the form, it is still important.

The Third Virtue is Love; not the romantic love that gets us twitterpated, but the deep emotion felt when one takes pleasure in something or is happy for another. This is a process that takes both emotion and logic; if you look at each thing in your environment as a part of you and your world, it is easier to find something to Love about it.

The Fourth Virtue of Joy is defined as "the emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good," and this definition fits the Order quite well; for without the expectation of Good in our lives, we would indeed see no reason to do anything but whine and moan about our sorry state. But in the anticipation of Good (at least eventually), everything looks a little better. Sometimes the Good does not happen; but we shake ourselves off, learn our lessons, and then go find something or someone else to expect Good Things from.

The fifth and final Virtue is Integrity, the state of unity in your life so that there are no divisions or deletions. Your work complements, or at least does not interfere with, your playtime or your spiritual life; you feel that you are being Yourself to the best of your ability without leaving any part of you out. In this world where things happen whether you want them to or not, the only thing you have absolute control over is how you choose to respond to those things. Your responses help you create your world; so it is up to you whether it is a happy one or not.

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The Rules

The rules and laws of the Real World cover a vast variety of subjects, from the running of the country to whether you should wear a seatbelt; many people are able to break some of these laws without thinking much about it. These Rules, however, at least within the Order, are unbreakable without some sort of cost -- whether to the person committing the act or to those around them. We of course recommend them for any time, for they are basic rules of interaction that can always be useful.

The definitions for these words are under Words , later in this Catechism. If you have problems understanding them, ask a Member of the Order. Basically, they define a standard of politeness and sympathy for others, coupled with a desire to Do the Right Thing. People within the Order who cannot follow this Rule will have it discussed with them; in extreme cases, it can be cause to invoke the Final Rule and remove someone from the Order.

If we discover that you are in an area for the purposes of hurting another, we will remove you from the area. It's that simple.

Conversely to the rule above, if you are becoming a danger to others or to yourself because you have misjudged your tolerances, we will also remove you from the area.

In the Holy Order of Our Lady of Debauchery, the Mother Superior is the Top of the Pyramid, the Head Dude(ette), the final arbiter of problems within the Order. If the problem you are having is with the Mother Superior, go to the Grand Inquisitor. She will listen, and try to represent the problem to the Mother Superior so that it can be resolved. But she is still the final decider.

What, you expect us to be serious all the time?

The definitions for those words are under Words , later in this Catechism. In order for an activity to comply with the spirit and teachings of the Order, it must fit two of these three criteria; and the third, Consensuality, is NOToptional. We recommend the following questions when trying to decide whether an activity fits these criteria:

Originally meant as a rule for kids about food, we have discovered that it works quite well as a general Rule of Life.

We're optimists; we choose to assume that you will have at least some vestige of the Five Virtues and some inkling of Honor and Rule 2, and we will treat you as reasonable. If you prove us wrong, you're out. We do keep a list of People Who Have Proven Us Wrong, and people on that list are banned from the Order in any way, shape or form until they can prove to us that there has been a change. There aren't many people on it, thankfully -- and we'd like to keep it that way.

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The Eighteen Forms of Debauchery is not a list of things you need to do; nor is it a sequential list, but a gathering of all the different ways to Debauch, as we have defined it.

As we learned from the Five Virtues , Joy is about the acquisition or expectation of good; and it follows logically that if you do not expect Good from yourself or the world, how can you have any Fun? And if Our Lady expects Good from you, why should you not expect it from yourself?

Good Drink, Good, Meat, Good God; Let's Eat!

Comedy, humor, puns, or even a good story; it is through language that we communicate, and joy in language is just plain Fun.

Flirting, the prelude to Physical Contact, is the use of language in a one-on-one situation (excepting things like the occasional hand-kissing). It is meant as a compliment; and it is not a rejection if it leads no further. It simply means that although the flirting was enjoyable, it is all that the other party desires. Remember Rule 2 .

It has been found in primates that the feeling of being groomed releases endorphins; contact beween people can be just as soothing.

Most people assume that this form of Debauchery is about Beer; it is also about ale, mead, wine, cider, and even tea (prepping the leaves in part ferments them). I suppose you could even include chocolate; any natural substance that makes us mellow.

With words or without, music is an emotional communication that blesses us with its presence.

Originally put in for the fops (Fantastically Ornate Persons; yeah, right), it includes any love of fabric or style, and the ability to declare who we are by what we wear.

It's a heck of a thrill -- taken in moderation. As with many of the Forms, overindulgence can be downright dangerous. But it can be good experience in the anticipation of Joy.

A Good Person once said, "where two or more of you are gathered, I am there." The energy we get from each other amplifies as it comes back; and if you are all getting along and making each other feel good, it gets even better. If you don't believe me, observe the dance floor next time you're near one.

The first and best example of this, of course, is the drinking game called Tablero, and one of the Mother Superior's favorite things to do after dark. (sigh) When many people play these games, they're looking for quantity -- they play to drink. We recommend drinking to play -- look for quality, challenging games, know your limits, win and lose with honor and style.

As this set of Forms is based on the 18-inch ruler of the Grand Inquisitor, and twlve inches make a foot, well . . . you can imagine the arrangement of the feet for yourself. Yes, this Form refers to Sex, in all its various styles and forms -- when it's Safe, Sane and Consensual, it can be an awesome and wonderful thing.

You can blame this one on a roommate of mine many, many moons ago who used to refer to Hagan Dazs as "better than sex." And, let's face it, there are times when it would be the better choice.

Some people like to indulge in extreme sports; others, to live off the land with nothing but a knife; still others put on armor and hit each other with sticks. In whatever manner, exercising your body is a Good Thing, as well as keeping you fit to have fun in the future.

Ah, the miracles wrought by man! I mean, who would have thought that you could have that much fun from sugar cane, or potatoes, or almonds. Refining and combining and recreating are things at which humans have always been particularly good.

Notice the proliferation of Renaissance Faires, Live RolePlaying groups, offshoots of the SCA, Live-action Fantasy, and the number of games where the player identifies with the Hero/ine. Not only is it wonderful fodder for the imagination, but it gives us new experiences and other points of view.

Everyone has them; little things that make them happy, though no one else completly understands why. Conversely, everyone has things that they would really rather not have to deal with. If you are enjoying this Form of Debauchery, be considerate of others that may not share your Joy in the activity; and if you are near others enjoying themselves in a way you would not enjoy yourself, simply be glad that they have Joy and keep going.

Not much you can say about this one; I can only refer you to the Tale about the Icon , or to the Psayings of Gonzo in another document on this site.

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These are the basic rites of almost any religion: the initial acceptance, the confirming of full membership in the congregation, the dispensing of Holy Food, the clearing of personal bothers, the joining and departing of the brethren, and of course the creation of more members of the Order. Note that here there is a difference between members of the Order (those with a position in the church structure) and members of the congregation (those christened and/or confirmed, but without any vows taken). Only members of the Order may perform these ceremonies.

This is a short, simple rite that can either admit you officially into the congregation of the Order or to give you a new name, or both. The questions you will be asked for joining the congregation are: 1) Do you believe in Our Lady of Debauchery? 2) Will you do your best to keep all your activities Safe, Sane and Consensual? You answer Yes, and you will get a wet finger between and above the eyes, basically a "poke in the Pineal Gland." You will need a witness.

Confirmation is a big deal; it can only be performed by an Abbot/ess or Inquisitor (or of course the Mother Superior). Before the ceremony you will need to have a talk with the member of the Order performing the ceremony, in order to satisfy them that you have a thorough knowledge of the Order and that you are indeed as sane and reasonable as you claim to be. (Don't worry, our definitions differ from the rest of the world.) The Witness to this ceremony should be another member of the Order or a confirmed member of the Congregation who will be willing to stand up for you as a member.

Communion is a standard part of our service; it involves the use of a Gonzo Pez Dispenser. Many different religions, old and new, believe in Holy Food or Sacred Meals that imbue the participants with the characteristics of those they worship. This is no different; we hope to let you in on some of the Fun that Gonzo has with everything around Him.
If you have an aversion to Pez (or the sugar and chemicals therein), you are not to be left out of the ceremony. You simply take a Zen Pez . When the dispenser is ofered to you, reach out for it and pretend to take a candy. You are now holding your Zen Pez, and you hold it up and eat it just like everyone else with their sugar Pezes. Will and Intention are powerful things, and you may actually get more out of it than the ones in it for the free candy, because you really are Playing with Gonzo.

We in the Order believe that your definition of Sin is between you and your God/s; what we deal with is bothers, the things that get into your head and won't come out, the situations that you just have to talk about with someone. Like confession, Clearing Bothers is a private, one-on-one deal; you need to be able to tell the person about your bother, be willing to answer questions, and able to think about the suggestions the other might make. With luck, you will leave feeling better about the world and the situation.

We in the Order believe that Handfasting can join as many people as desired for as long as desired, according to the beliefs of the individuals involved (including the person performing the Rite). Thus, a member of the Order can join two people, or ten, with whatever stipulations they like, for the duration of an evening or an event or for life. Pick a witness that everyone agrees with, who will stand up for you later if necessary.

In most religions, the Last Rites are given to the sick or terribly ill; it is sometimes equated with the laying on of hands for the sick. In the Order, we have given it a different meeting; the sending to bed of someone who has debauched a little too much. In accordance with Rule 4 , we will declare you finished and help you to a sleep spot (yours or something temporary). Other forms of Last Rites are left up to the consciences of the members performing them.

You could think of this as the most vital function of the Order--making more members. The prospective Cloistered member finds a member of the Order on a level above where they want to be, and the two of you decide on a price. Beer is the traditional currency of the Order, but any form of barter agreeable to both parties is acceptable. Another member of the Order is needed to witness, and both will probably want to talk with you a little to make sure that you understand what you're getting into. Members of the Congregation need only the willingness to believe in the possibility of Our Lady and the Desire to get baptized, either in person or virtually on the Internet. We have yet to actually acquire the Official Stuff to create clergy.

The HOOLD has been selling indulgences since Acorn War, AS XXXI; they state that the recipient "has, through true repentance, deep meditation and a modest donation to the Holy Order of Our Lady of Debauchery, and by the Infinite Mercy of Our Lady, been Forgiven of the Debaucheries of the past, and granted admittance to the Kingdom of whichever God they prefer." Note that the practice perpetuates itself; the indulgences forgive the recipient up to the date of receipt, but not beyond, encouraging the person to get another one later. Indulgences are also available to forgive a person of any one specific sin; we once granted an indulgence that made a soon-to-be bride a Born Again Virgin (at least on paper).

Another rite of the Order is that of Witnessing. The Mother Superior's favorite example is this: two guys are arguing about something, and decide that the only way to settle it is with their fists. They go together to find a member of the Order, explain the circumstances, assure them that this is consensual, and ask them to witness the event. If the member agrees, then they will watch the fight and assure anyone that asks that the people involved "gave informed consent"; that is, they knew what they were getting into and agreed to the consequences beforehand. Any event that would be helped by the presence of a neutral witness is game for this one, (as usual) as long as all are agreed to it.

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The Words

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The Icon

Gonzo the Great, eater of rubber tires and holder of 5 ton blocks, is the Holy Icon of the Order. He practices the Art of Debauchery to such an extent that only rarely do people understand Him--or want to.

He abides by the Rules and precepts of the Order; although He gets a tad weird at times, he stays Safe, Sane, and Consensual -- Muppets just have a higher pain threshold than we do. He also tries to practice Courtesy and Compassion (Caution, Discretion, and Tact are things he's still working on), and He also knows when to quit.

We highly recommend looking at the Psayings of Gonzo elsewhere on this Web site, and seeing the occasional Muppet Movie. Looking at Gonzo as the Icon of Debauchery gives a whole point of view for the movies, and they're generally Good for the Soul.

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