Recently, I struck up a conversation with a gas station attendant after he commented on the design displayed on my T-shirt. After I tried to explain the significance of the design, the attendant responded by saying, "I'm a Discordian."

Of course, the only reply I could make as I headed out the door was, "All Hail Eris!"

One of the undeniably great things about the United States of America is its constitutional guarantee of the freedom of religion. Throughout our history, citizens have exercised this right not only by practicing the religion of their choice but, in many cases, by creating a brand new one.

Of all the various religions to be born on these shores, though, none is as original, unorganized, hilarious and downright weird as the Discordian faith.

But what should one expect from a religion based on the worship and appreciation of chaos?

Like most of the world's other great religions, Discordianism begins with a holy text—in this case, Principia Discordia. It was transcribed by Malcalypse the Younger with help from Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst.

The first edition of Principia Discordia hit the streets in the mid-1960s, and it quickly became an underground classic, with rumors of its existence being more prevalent than actual copies. The book was thought to be the anonymous work of everyone from Timothy Leary to Alan Watts to Richard Nixon.

One of the legends surrounding the text is that the first few copies of it were produced on a copier in district attorney Jim Garrison's office (yes—the Jim Garrison of JFK fame). Ten years after its creation, the book got a further boost of interest when it was featured prominently in Wilson and Shea's classic, The Illuminatus Trilogy.

Principia Discordia is the revelation of the doctrine of Chaos and the worship of the Goddess Eris (as she was known to the Greeks) or Discordia (as the Romans knew her).

According to ancient Greek mythology, Zeus hosted a wedding banquet for Peleus and Thetis but did not invite Eris because of her reputation as a troublemaker. As payback for this action, known to Discordians as the Original Snub, Eris created an apple of pure gold upon which was inscribed KALLISTI ("to the prettiest one") and tossed it into the crowd. The ensuing fight over the apple ultimately led to the Trojan War—the first war of mankind, according to some legends.

How's that for causing trouble?

Fast forward a few thousand years.

Malcalypse (known in another reality as Gregory Hill) and Omar (known in the same dimension as Kerry Thornley) are quietly sipping coffee in an all-night bowling alley. Suddenly, the lights go out. When they blink back on, everyone except our two heroes are frozen in mid-action.

Moments later, a talking ape bursts through the door, waving a scroll. The ape proceeds to pose a series of philosophical questions. He then unrolls his scroll, revealing a symbol that consists of a yin-yang with an apple on one side and a pentagon on the other.

The ape then explodes, and both Mal and Omar are rendered unconscious.

When they wake up, everything has returned to normal. Over the next few days, they attempt to research the meanings behind the cryptic symbol on the ape's parchment. On the fifth night following the Revelation, Omar and Malcalypse share the same dream.

A goddess appears and declares, "I am chaos. I am the substance from which your artists and scientists build rhythms. I am the spirit with which your children and clowns laugh in happy anarchy. I am alive, and I tell you that you are free."

Later visions would reveal that the strange symbol they now possessed was called the Sacred Chao and that, for further information, they would need to consult their pineal glands.

Some scoffers discount this tale, claiming that Mal and Omar are clearly insane. Nevertheless, Malcalypse set out to spread the word of Eris. Further studies revealed to him such truths as the Law of Fives, which holds that everything (including the 23 Mystery) can be related back to the number 5.

The Law of Fives is demonstrated in Discordianism by the great truths of the Pentabarf—or the Five Commandments, as it is commonly called. There's also the Five Apostles of Eris, the five degrees or ranks within Discordianism, and the five-fingered hand of Eris.

Of course, the worshipper of Eris is in no way obligated to follow any of the tenets of Discordianism as laid out in the Book. As it says right there on page 00032 (Discordian numbering system), "There are no rules anywhere. The Goddess Prevails."

Over the years, Discordianism has remained a popular choice for those who believe that religion should be an ever-changing, and most of all, fun experience.

Sure, it's just a joke. Who could believe that the ultimate force in the Universe is a "crazy bitch, mad as hell" and intent on spreading chaos? All you have to do is look around and see how perfectly ordered and smoothly-running everything is in this world.

There's nothing to worry about. Everything's going to be just fine.