WWFSMD?
Pasta Monster Gets Academic Attention
When some of the world’s leading religious scholars gather in San Diego this weekend, pasta will be on the intellectual menu. They’ll be talking about a satirical pseudo-deity called the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose growing pop culture fame gets laughs but also raises serious questions about the essence of religion.
The appearance of the Flying Spaghetti Monster on the agenda of the American Academy of Religion’s annual meeting gives a kind of scholarly imprimatur to a phenomenon that first emerged in 2005, during the debate in Kansas over whether intelligent design should be taught in public school sciences classes.
There’s no more scientific basis for intelligent design than there is for the idea an omniscient creature made of pasta created the universe. If intelligent design supporters could demand equal time in a science class, why not anyone else? The only reasonable solution is to put nothing into sciences classes but the best available science.
Indeed, the tale of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and its followers cuts to the heart of the one of the thorniest questions in religious studies: What defines a religion? Does it require a genuine theological belief? Or simply a set of rituals and a community joining together as a way of signaling their cultural alliances to others?
reading the comments and hate mail on the FSM website is some of the best reading on the net 🙂
Hate mail?
From who? Surely not Christians… Their religion preaches love and peace. Surely not Islam… They are also such peace loving people.
Must be those damn Bhuddists… Always rousing the rabble…
I’m a proud pastafarian… and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
I’m also an ordained minister for the universal life church.
Anyone want to pay me to come speak?
I have been touched by his noodly appendage!
Tee hee.
I too was touched by his noodly appendage (but without my concent). I was a young boy, I didn’t know what to say or do. Now that I am a man, I’ll see the Church of FSM in court!
Seriously, it was a cute read and I’m glad to see it being discussed. I think it could actually help remove the hocus pocus from religion and generate more socially responsible churches/religions with the historical realities that have placed them where they are today.
I could never imagine forcing school kids to be exposed to the possibility of unprovable monster spaghetti theories.
But enough about string theory physics.
RBG
“The only reasonable solution is to put nothing into sciences classes but the best available science.”
We do not agree on science any more then religion. Both are based on a few facts and a lot of conjecture.
I guess what I am trying to say is, who is to decide what is the “best available science”.
#8, old waterman “We do not agree on science any more then religion. Both are based on a few facts and a lot of conjecture.”
I just can’t pass this up. You are awarded the prestigious BubbaRayDipDork Award for this week. You join a select few, and the final yearly tally will be posted here by hhopper just before Dec. 31, 2007.
#8 – We should leave it up to the impartiality of the Pepperoni Sect formed just last week.
#8 – Both are based on a few facts and a lot of conjecture.
Actually, religion is based on no facts and a lot of myths and lies passed through the ages.
Science is based entirely on facts, and any conjecture is the process of finding meaning in the facts.
But whatever… Go handle a snake.
Not to start a massive discussion, but homosexuality is more of a religion than Christianity – The reasoning — if you put 100 babies on an island and don’t teach them religion, none of them will be jewish, christian, muslim, etc — but between 5 to 15% will be gay.
Let’s see the choices here:
1. Followers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster tend to be educated, hard working, professionals.
2. Followers of the Pope tend to be illiterate, smelly people from the world’s nastiest gutters; illegal aliens; and child molesters…these are not mutually exclusive categories.
Long live FSM!
#12 – and that makes being gay a religion, how?
Millions of people believe in something that has no proof?
RBG
#12 – Being gay is something one “believes” in?
Do you even know any gay people?
Or were you answering some other post, in which case, never mind…
#14 – I think you’re referring to manmade global warming….
Or global warming being a problem…..
#14: Yes.
Let’s see, 14 RBG for 13 OFTLO.
15. What, if you know some religious people who live their lives as God is a fact, that make it real?
18 UD: Whoa, that sounds dangerously like subversive religion. Don’t be makin’ things too easy for me now, Uncle Dave.
RBG
Gimme that Old Time Religion. The Church of the Subgenius. Not that noodly newcomer. J.R. “Bob” Dobbs guarantees Eternal Salvation or Triple Your Money Back! Pull the wool over your own eyes! Quit your job! Slack off! And praise “Bob”!
#18 I think you’ve nailed it! The newest religion IS global warming!
Wait, I forgot about the Pepperoni Sect that was started last week.
Never mind.
Bubba can I get that on a tee shirt? You do know science does not have a 100% right record. Ever heard of a theory
#23, Yes, a theory is an explanation or model based on observation, experimentation, and reasoning, especially one that has been tested and confirmed as a general principle helping to explain and predict natural phenomena. It has been subjected to peer review. A theory cannot be “proven” just as it is impossible to “prove” a negative.
Religion is a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe and a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
I rely on hundreds of theories — indeed, I bet my life on them — every time I fly aerobatics in an airplane. I don’t pray that lift will be forthcoming when I obtain / maintain sufficient airspeed, I know from theory and experiment it’ll be there.
I have no desire to argue about or debate the differences between science and religion, that’s been done.
The T-shirt is a pretty good idea, I must admit. 🙂 I’ll see what I can do.
FSM Follower:
If you want to join the religion with the most money/classiest followers I reckon Scientology is the way to go…. who knows, maybe you and Tom Cruise will become best mates.
GetSmart:
You know how “Bob” feels about people talking to pinks. I’d be quiet if I were you, the last we want is X-Day to come and there not be enough room….
-Ben.
I want to submit another paper: “The Pasta Is Present: Monstrous Humor that Flies in the Face of Religion.”
This business about the Flying Spaghetti Monster is tightening my buns. I believe in and love ONLY the Parked Spaghetti Monster, an older, non-flying spaghetti monster. His higher age equals more intelligence and wisdom, but he is more bitter than the FSM because he doesn’t have the gift of flight.
Uncle Ben,
Me and Tom Cruise mates? No way. I’m not gay, if I was gay, I would be a CATHOLIC PRIEST!
#26 – Oops. Er, ah…FSM! FSM! FSM! Low carb is blasphemy!!! Yeah, that’s the ticket…..Here, let me sell you an official Flying Spaghetti Monster Pirate Eyepatch. ARRR! Avast ya pinkies.