Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute’s Evolution News & Views has posted an article on the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s treatment of the Christmas holiday.
During the holiday season, many Americans take time to seriously and respectfully reflect on Judeo-Christian religious beliefs. Not so for one website, the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” (FSM), a pro-evolution satire against intelligent design. They exhibit no interest in treating Christian holidays with respect. To celebrate the season, they are selling Christmas cards which show a dead Christian fish symbol. Other Christmas Cards portray Michelangelo’s well-known “Creation of Adam” painting on the Sistene Chapel, but the FSM cards have God replaced by the “Flying Spaghetti Monster.†Another graphic promoted on the page shows a nativity scene where Jesus is replaced by the “Flying Spaghetti Monster.” I can appreciate humor, but it’s also clear that the FSM images are intended to mock traditional religion:
…
I disagree with most of what he’s saying - we are no more mocking Christian beliefs than Christians are mocking ours - but it’s still an interesting read.
Read the whole article HERE.
I find it hilarious that these, secure in their own knowledge types. Have taken notice of, and been offended by the FSM.
That seems to speak volumes for the overall credibility of a Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Well said, Peter. Only someone gullible enough to believe in talking bushes, virgin births and holy zombies could feel threatened by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Speaking of zombies, did Jesus and Lazarus steal cursed Aztec gold? Just wondering…
What these religious zealots really hate is that we are now playing by their own rules, and in the process showing them how ridiculous they all are. Reason doesn’t have any effect on these people, so I suppose this is the only way to combat nonsense. I have no doubt that many, many Christians feel trapped in the religion of their upbringing, and would welcome the noodly embrace of the FSM if only they were aware of Him. We have our heading, mates. Raise anchor and set sail to spread the word! Arrrrrr.
RAmen
So many religions are modifications of earlier religious incarnations, just think of the umpteen varieties of christianity out there in the world. One might argue that FSMism is merely modifying already well known and beloved symbols, not a sign of disrespect (quite the contrary!), and shows the “evolution” of a novel religion (and we know what the ID guys think of evolution). And hence the “Discovery Institute” which although supposedly a science institution (pseudo-science, by any real science standards of course), is actually displaying their parental religious attitude, and their dislike for the new religious offspring, FSMism. However, I think the “Discovery Institute” are themselves a bastardization of a form of Christianity, and they are a self-nominated group that speak for a small subset of Christianity, and should not be considered to be representative or an authority for anyone, they are just a poor attempt at trying to reconcile science and religion by misquoting science and ignoring the scientific method.
Maybe we should create a “Spaghetti Monster Institute” to study his noodly-ness. It could give out grants for scientific study. The grants could be in $1 increments, more than sufficient to buy at least 2, perhaps 3, depending on your geographical location, packages of RAmen. There could be a grant proposal page, where people’s 2 paragraph submissions are posted on how they would use funds to study his noodly-ness?
RAmen to you all.
the thing about the evil maths is funny. *bookmarked*
.
I had to explain to a co-worker yesterday how there really wasn’t any scientific debate about ID and that the whole thing had been made up by a bunch of american bible bashers.
RAmen Nikkiee.
The more I read some of the ID sites - including the ones linked in here - the more I realise that ID isn’t warmed over creationism so much as Christianity on the ropes.
No wonder they’re fighting so hard. In pursuit of science credentials they’ve shed all but a single shred of their dogma - that life on earth was created. They’ve even shed by whom or for what purpose that’s how little ground they have left themselves with.
If they can’t defend that then they may as well pack their bags and go home. Hint. Hint.
So I can understand why they fight like banshees for it because they must realise that their arguments dn’t win ground and even if they did they’ve got a mountain to climb to justify the remainder of their belief system.
I think they must really hate CoFSM because some college kid can make up a more convincing religion and accidentally recruit followers from all around the world with no funding and the best they can hope to manage is to hold their position.
Reading your post I think you might be professionally involved in holding the line against their nonsense. Is that right?
Dawkins has been voted man of the year on BBC’s William Crawleys blog!!
Check out
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2006/12/person_of_the_year_2006_1.html
In an earlier thread on this website I posted the election url and encouraged people to vote for Dawkins. Many thanks to all Pastafarians who did. This should carry atheists (and rational thinking people in general) into the new year with a very happy feeling. Just imagine: on the blog of the man who hosts a religious BBC program, the worlds number one atheist is voted man of the year. Yummie!
I hope Dawkins keeps up the good work in 2007. The world sure needs it. Forwards rationalism, down with religion.
If you like, go over to that discussion blog and post some message cheering the decision! That way they’ll know that atheism wasn’t just a blip at the end of 2006, we’ll be there very much in 2007.
And how are you feeling, prof. McIntosh?
Bobby Henderson, if you read this, why not start a separate thread for it? Pastafarians were a sizeable force in the voting. This should interest many of your congregation.
you guys are freaking nazis its sounds like something a 6 yr old would make up “ohh all hail a fucking spaghetti if you worship spagetti then why the hell would you eat it so screw yu and your stupid religon i think ill stick to the God factor so go blow your spegtti king or queen what ever works for you fucking mental cases
@ Micheal, Thanks Micheal!
FSM loves you too! And Happy New Year!
Ramen
Michael,
If I worshipped Jesus, then participated in Holy Communion, I would be eating the body of Christ. Yes, I know. That’s barking mad, I tell you. It really sounds as if you need a time out, or possibly a big noodly hug from the FSM. Such hostility.
I am curious about your use of the term “Nazi” to describe my mateys. Please elaborate as to how Pastafarianism is indistinguishable from Nazism. As history tells us, Nazis were intolerant of any criticism, they believed they alone knew the truth, and they were willing to murder millions of people in pursuit of their demented ideals. Hitler even claimed to be doing God’s work, curiously enough. At any rate, I look forward to your well thought-out, erudite response. Sauce be with you.
RAmen
@Captain Noodulous Silicate TBHNA
“Reading your post I think you might be professionally involved in holding the line against their nonsense. Is that right?”
.
No Captain.
I’m just one of the minions who believes strongly in the cause, who tries to keep track of what is happening.
If I have some confident knowledge of what is being debated, then I’ll get involved.
I have to mention McIntosh again. After my last posts I dropped over to the BBC to check what was happening and more rather professional people (there were already a number there) appear to becoming involved and posting.
Seems there is a lot of detail in the devil of McIntosh’s assertions, in the way of relating to reversable ezyme reactions, enzyme kinetics and increasing complexity on biological molecules to TLSOT. Enzyme kinetics….very important and basics are taught in first year…but I just don’t like the taste of them….gurh!.
Eagerly following along though.
RAmen
@Micheal. Oh, no. Another teenager in angst who can’t spell his own name. Is there no end to this? I don’t have a lot of confidence in the next generation who will be in power.
Re-Oared Marc Dec 31st, 2006 at 8:09 pm
@Micheal. Oh, no. Another teenager in angst who can’t spell his own name. Is there no end to this? I don’t have a lot of confidence in the next generation who will be in power.
Dec 31st, 2006 at 8:09 pm
.
Hi Re-Oared Marc , I’m glad I’m not the only one to pick up on the spelling.
Of course it could be a new verison of an old name? Like a hamburger… Mc Heal?
Happy New Year!
Ramen
My, that evil math site looked practically identical to the majority of theistic arguments, down to the punctuation; though it did have fewer misspellings.
.
On another note; Micheal, though it’s been mentioned before, think to Holy Communion and the devouring of the body and blood of he whom you claim to be your savior. Also, consider actually reading about us and the Flying Spaghetti Monster; not the spegtti queen(or whatever works for us “mental cases” who seem to have better control over our cognition than you do, not to insult). Would you want us calling you a nazi and criticizing Christianity(which I assume you claim to be your religion), just because we read about your mythology of zombies, ghosts, and magic tricks? I still don’t see the connection between FSMism and nazism; in fact I think we’re pretty much the only religion that hasn’t killed anyone, not to mention mass genocide. Furthermore, I believe that Hitler more or less acted as a Christian in his elder years(when the nazis terrorized everyone).
I find it sad that the chances of “Micheal” ever actually reading any of our responses is slim to none, due to the high probability that s/he’s (maybe Micheal=Michelle?) a hit-and-run kind of person. They read this and figure that it’d be a nice ego boost to attempt to upset us because of his/her ignorance.
@dantes_torment
“My, that evil math site looked practically identical to the majority of theistic arguments, down to the punctuation; though it did have fewer misspellings”
.
Mathematicians aren’t famed for their spelling and grammar . Nor are are lot of other sience types. Praise the spelling and grammar checking program, I say! (not that I use it for my posts here!)
RAmen
//Mathematicians aren’t famed for their spelling and grammar . Nor are are lot of other sience types. Praise the spelling and grammar checking program, I say!//
.
Not to mention doctors. Fortunately they don’t often spell stuff out in dictation, even when they should (difficult names? hello?), and when they punctuate it’s usually beyond belief. We’ve got one who can put six semicolons in a sentence without breaking a sweat. Apparently periods only go at the end of a paragraph.
.
Sorry about the bitching. I’ve been up all night reading the hatemail archives (always good for a laugh) and I’ve got to go to work in a couple of hours, 2-hour commute and all, to cover the medical imaging transcription for New Year’s Day, with maybe a little oncology if I run out of radiology and long-winded PET/CTs. (Time-and-a-half. Think time-and-a-half pay!)
.
Spellcheck is great for those of use who can spell but can’t always type accurately. Never saw a grammar checker that was worth the trouble.
.
Good sailing in 2007, me hearties!
RAmen
Hehehe Nikky. I was always told my handwriting looked like a spider had crawled across the page. Ha, and people think text speak is new - look back on some old notes - vowels be gone?
Genuine extract from my old notes.
” 4 absn of rf must be xs spns in gd state - if no. a spns = no. B spins –> satn!”
Thank FSM firefox has a built in spell check for blogs :)
Happy New Year All
This is a recent ID story in the UK:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2524442_1,00.html
It is being portrayed as bad news for science.
I can’t see it myself the decision is to allow it as part of the religion syllabus as a ‘religious belief’.
It could well be a good thing for the cause to positively NOT admit it as scientific theory.
Nikky what about a PastaBowl?
Cap’n Annie Spellcheck only works in certain cases. If you make a spelling error but it is a correct word in itself, the spellchecker doesn’t know. I know, I made a mistake with that in Dutch once, instead of door de heer (by mister …)I wrote dood de heer( kill mister..). So I usually re-read before I post, or in case of important letters, let someone else read it! But English is not an easy language to spell!!
And a happy, pastafilled new year everyone.
My post will be moderated soon (I hope) but it is also good to see that the British press flags a move about ID with a headline about creationism:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2524442_1,00.html
[same link as before]
It’s good to see no one can be bothered to entertain the ID conceit over here.
It isn’t science and it is creationism.
Captain Noodulous Silicate TBHNA Jan 1st, 2007 at 8:23 am
.
Thanks for the link Cap. Lord Adonis? Do you think he made that one up himself? :)
.
On a serious note the quote from Colin Slee, the Dean of Southwark.
.
“Everything needs to be explored, so that children can ask sensible questions. Though I see no huge difficulty with exploring intelligent design or creationism or flat Earth, they happen to be misguided, foolish and flying in the face of all evidence. I see no problem with Darwinian theory and Christian faith going hand in hand.â€
.
Science and faith have never been good bedfellows, IMHO they are diametrically opposed. You have to give him credit though. Explore, ask sensible questions, then make up your own mind.
RAmen. Colin Slee
.
The fact that ID seems to be insinuating it’s way into our schools though is worrying. That it can be brought up in Parliament? It’s often been said that where the USA goes, we tend to follow a few years later. Lets hope not.
Alchemist,
I agree science and religion are not compatible and we shouldn’t permit the cop out that they are.
There’s an old quote that science and religion have nothing to say to each other.
The facts are more like:
Science: Religion your a bunch of rubbish.
Religion: La La La La. I’m not listening, can’t we co-exist.
That’s why I think ID is Christianity on the ropes. It’s trying to co-exist and failing except in parts of the US renowned for being backward.
What needs to come through is that intellectually we don’t accept ID is anything but warmed up and dressed over creationism and therefore religion and not science.