[WWI] An ot Question

[Douglas Anderson]

This might help as it also puts the phrase into context.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credo_quia_absurdum




________________________________
From: Mike Vice <jmikl2957 at comcast.net>
To: wwi at wwi-models.org
Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 8:20:20 PM
Subject: [WWI] An ot Question


A little help from our erudite members?  I saw a plaque in town today that had the motto of the fun-loving, not to say "silly", celebrators of Mother Lode and Gold Rush history in California, the group styled "E Clampus Vitus," or just The Clampers.
 
Their motto is Credo Quia Absurdum.  Can anyone translate this for me?  Obviously it has something to do with their attitude about not taking themselves seriously when they have fun with local history.
 
Example: in the late 1960s their members in Jackson in Amador County decided that they would celebrate the history of the town by putting up a brass plaque in town--to announce that a particular spot was the former location of the town's whorehouse!  Well, they put on the plaque a red lantern and other symbols of the "art", as well as the title of their own self-styled group.  I don't remember the actual words, but the acronym for the group, placed prominently on the plaque, was E.R.E.C.T.I.O.N.S.!
 
Needless to say, the local churches were REALLY upset and demanded of the city council that the Clampers take the plaque down.  After many meetings, with outsiders, including California historians, coming in to testify before the council, the plaque finally was taken down.  Too bad!
 
I'd sure like to know how I could get to be a member of the group!
 
But, again, the motto that needs translation is Credo Quia Absurdum.
 
TIA.
 
                                        Mike


      
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.wwi-models.org/pipermail/wwi/attachments/20090913/8f286084/attachment.html>