Last updated 7/2008
Q: Who are you?
A: My name is Bobby Henderson. I’m 27. I grew up in Oregon and move around a lot. I have a physics degree and have successfully avoided a “real” job for years.
Q: Did you really send the Open Letter to the Kansas School Board?
A: Yes. But, I received no replies until after I posted the website online and the School Board started getting lots of emails about it. You can read some of the responses I received here.
Q: Are you an atheist / heathen / what?
A: I don’t have a problem with religion. What I have a problem with is religion posing as science. Teach Creationism in school, fine, but don’t teach it in a science classroom. And don’t change the definition of science so that you can teach these things. That’s retarded.
Supernatural explanations are by definition not science, so why would you teach them in a science classroom?
Religion, itself, isn’t bad. But it isn’t necessarily good, either. There are plenty of good Christians (and Muslims, and Buddhists, and Hindus), and plenty of bad ones.
Dogma is bad for everyone.
Q: You are making God angry.
A: I doubt it. If there’s a God, and he’s intelligent, then I would guess he has a sense of humor. And how do you know He is NOT a Flying Spaghetti Monster?
Q: Do you make money off this?
A: Yes. The Church makes money off T-shirts, car emblems, book sales, and occasionally donations. We are saving a lot of money and pretty soon here we’ll buy our first Pirate Ship which will serve as a floating church, open to all Believers.
Q: Your graph is messed up.
A: No, it’s not. The X-axis doesn’t have to represent time. And the data points don’t need to be in order. A graph is just a collection of data points, I can display them however I want. It might not be what you’re used to, but it’s not messed up. Please stop writing me emails about it (well over 200 at this point).
Q: There are more pirates now than ever. Look at the South Pacific. And song-downloading pirates, and blah blah blah.
A: Real pirates use swords (cutlasses, actually). Those “pirates” in the south pacific are guys with machine guns, cruising around in power-boats. They’re not pirates. And the song-downloading “pirates” are smelly nerds, and therefore not real pirates.
Q: Your grammar/spelling/etc is bad.
A: Yah.
Q: You’re wrong. It’s actually a linguini / mashed potato / dinosaur / elephant / whatever monster.
A: Maybe He just disguises Himself as those things. Also, you’re not funny.
Q: Can I reprint your letter?
A: Yes. Send me a link, please.
Q: Acceptible use of content?
A: It’s ok with me if you’re using the FSM images/content as long as it’s not for profit, and you’re doing it to further the Cause of the church. I.e. printing out FSM propaganda materials and distributing them is ok (and encouraged). Making FSM t-shirts, selling FSM merchandise, etc. is NOT OK.
Q: What blogging/cms software are you using?
A: The recently redesigned site is built on the Wordpress platform with the K2 template.
Q: How many members are there?
A: I don’t know. There are no membership records as such, so I can only guess based on the amount of traffic the site receives, etc. Traffic to date (September 2006) is somewhere in the vicinity of 350 million hits, and around 15 million unique visitors. Google returns close to 2 million results for the phrase “flying spaghetti monster“. So, who knows – your guess is as good as mine.
Q: Why Pirates?
A: We believe that humans evolved from pirates. Consider that humans share around 95% DNA with monkeys, and more than 99.9% DNA with pirates.
Q: Interview requests
A: I’m happy to answer your questions. I recommend you just send me your questions in an email with a subject that I’ll notice, like “INTERVIEW QUESTIONS”. You don’t need to ask permission or set up an interview for some future time, just send me the questions. Thanks.
Q: Website statistics
A: Somewhere around 10k-40k visitors per day, and somewhere around 500k-1million hits a day. Hits are extremely high because lots of people hotlink images,etc from the site. Which is fine w/me.
Emails – depends, but 50 per day is not uncommon. I have 13,839 unread emails right now (9/25/06). I’ll get to as many as I can.
Q: Why is there an FSM banner on my MySpace profile?
A: It’s a virus/worm that WAS NOT CREATED BY ME. I had nothing to do with it. I’m sorry – it caused everyone a lot of problems, and I do not approve of this sort of thing. You can remove it by following the directions here.
More questions? Ask me below, or email me at bobby.henderson@gmail.com
Dear Sir,
The way of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is, in my opinion, the ONLY way to live. Thank you for bringing this amazing religion to light for myself and the world.
R’Amen
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I would like to know how many pious Pastafarians are spreading the Gospel to those who have yet to be touched by His Noodly Appendage. I myself have begun an organization called the Pastafarian Missionary Society that brings the Gospel to those who have not yet heard of this new religion. Have any of you made attempts to become Pastafarian missionaries? My missionary group, though only in the very early stages, has swelled to contain over twenty members, all of whom have been touched by His Noodly Appendage. The program is being run out of my high school. As soon as I turn eighteen, I am going to travel to Latin America and spread the Gospel there. It seems that none of the Spanish-speaking countries have heard of the FSM. Hopefully, I will become Pastafarianism’s Paul of Tarsus, though I shall take the religion to the Latinos instead of the Greeks. May His Noodly Appendage bless you all, and may the Chosen Linguini come upon us! R’Amen.
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@Reverend Noodles, Head of the Pastafarian Missionary Society:
Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.
Stop right there.
NOW.
One of the many wonderful things about Pastafarianism is the fact that, unlike fundamental Christian/Muslim/other religious denominations and/or groups, followers of this religion do NOT attempt to force their beliefs on other people due to misguided notions that their religion is the ONLY right religion.
Religion is NOT, nor ever should be, a competition over which one is right or wrong. Religion, if anything, is a very beautiful set of beliefs, values, and traditions that fulfill basic needs in people; different religions fulfilling each person’s different needs.
Should you start a missionary program in South America, what the end product will be is most likely a religion as corrupt as elderly priests fondling little boys for the simple fact that they CAN. Just because you don’t agree with someone’s religion NEVER gives you the right to tear down their basic precepts and values to replace with your own. It’s good that you’ve found a religion that suits you; however, based on all the hatemail this site receives, Pastafarianism is obviously NOT for everybody. I’m not condemning you for your ideas, because i think you mean well. It’s just that by starting a missionary program you’d be violating one of the most precious tenets of this religion.
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I have been Noodled by His Noodliness. And to be honest, it feels DAMN good.
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While I’m glad that Pastafarianism has no prohibitions against graven images, I think the most commonly used image of the FSM looks scary. Is there a cuter incarnation of Him available for children and wussies?
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You live in AZ? I live in AZ. Maybe we’re neighbors…
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listen, I’m a pirate…i just finished practicing w/ my cutlass for the day, and I would really like to tour the world in your pirate ship, and get some first hand sea experience…so yeah let me know when you have your ship and what not, and if you could pick me up somewhere on the jeresy shore, that would be great
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Hey! Take a closer look at your website’s map of “Recent Visitors”, then have a squizz at map of nuclear power stations on the “International Nuclear Safety Center” website:
http://www.insc.anl.gov/pwrmaps/map/world_map.php
Seems to me there is a high correspondence between the two!
This FSM religion starts to smell like that, perhaps ‘prescient’, SF movie in which the aliens blinded us earthlings to their goings-on while they where busy subverting our technology in preparation for the coming full invasion! Al Gore be damned! THIS is where all that nasty CO2 is coming from!!!
How can all you acolytes really be so sure your motivation is the “salvation of (wo)mankind” through satire? It won’t be so funny when the motherships start descending through the stratosphere!!!
Love it! :-)
Breadsticks for all!
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i cant believe i was so ignornant before i found our great lord, the Flying Spaghetti Monster. RAmen to the cause!
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The Flying Spaghetti Monster came to me in a dream last night. He told me that if I believed in his omnipotence and repented, that I could die soon and spend eternity swimming in his noodley goodness. I thank his supreme holiness for allowing me this wonderful opportunity. How does one become a martyr for the pastafarian cause?
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Is this really an actual religion? I’m totally confused whether this is “for real” or just a joke…I’m ready to believe…
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Well, it depends on what you choose to believe, but in my opinion the Church of the FSM is an anti-religion-religion. It shows that you can make up anything about who god is, what he did, how he looks, and nobody can say anything about it, because no matter what they say, they can never be sure whether it was Allah, God or The Monster that created the earth.
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@matthew s.
the lovely thing about freedom of religion is that you are free to believe whatever you want, regardless of if it’s a joke or not
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Greeting true believers. I know our Lord the FSM does not often show his himself yet if you look to nature you see his image. I recently visited an aquarium were a sea hare (slug like creature) had laid a mass of eggs in the image of our Savior. Snakes to honor him every winter in the north by gathering in to large slithering masses which praise his greatness. His Noodley Tendrils embrace us all.
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Being someone who tries to learn as much as possible from all religions and likes to see their views on life; Pastafarianism seems to make perfect sence. I do not see any reson why someone’s god cannot be a giant monster made of pasta goodness, or an octapus. The thoughts behind this religion are quite interesting and the religion is passive and intelligent. Also, who doesn’t love pirates? Or Pasta? Its a ferfect combination of humor ,religion and science. With the pirate theme thrown in nothing seems to be at fault with Pastafarianism. Harmony seems to be a good word to descibe it. The only problem i have found so far is that i now have a strange craving for ramen noodles. It must be his noodlyness telling me something.
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I beleve that i should have read that last comment just a bit more through. it is Perfect not ferfect.
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Thank you Bobby for this open forum for discussion about dogma, as well as the efforts to prevent its attempts to infiltrate the educational system.
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RAmen!
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On top of old smoky, all covered in cheese
I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed :(
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Last night I had a vision.
I was submerged in what at first I thought was blood, only to my surprise to discover it was in fact a delicious and meatey tomato sauce. This lake of meat sauce extended as far as the horizon, lumpy goodness extending literally as far as my eyes could see. Though thoroughly enjoying the experience, I felt exhausted, and started searching for land.
That’s when it happened. It started as a gentle stirring in the meat sauce directly in front of me, and slowly a noodley appendage rose (with mighty reverance) from the depths of the meatey ocean (as you can imagine, bits of chunky goodness dripped from the appendages). Noodle after noodle arose before me, stunning, glistening with oily and tomatoey divine flavour. I reached out with my hand, wanting to touch this wonderful, fresh and glistening Spaghedeity, only to be rewarded with an overwhelming sense of hunger for his divine goodness. I wanted to be one with his saucey flavour, but at this point the dream faded.
I awoke in my bed feeling invigorated, alive. My ’soul’ was rejuvenated, and I dare say… this experience has awoken in me a religious fervor I never thought possible.
Praise be his saucey goodness,
May his flavours always remain rich and tomatoey.
J
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I don’t know how to start this but i’ll start with something we all might agree on, ramen is awesome, but that totally doesn’t mean we have to worship it! O.k what if God was a flying pasta thing, That diesn’t mean i wouldn’t believe but seriousley, Pirates? pasta? humans once were pirates and eventually became more civalized. I respect this religion/cult sry if thats offensive, but i think earthquakes/disasters is because the world is becoming more and more evil everyday. God/jesus (im a christian) is becoming upset that his beutiful creation is becoming more and more evil and rebellious because of sin. He hates the sin loves the sinner, and if we repent and believe that jesus saved us by taking the punishment (death taken up by the cross) and saving us from hell then we will spend eternity in complete joy and happiness with absoloutley no sin inm heaven with God. all we have to do is accept a free gift, Jesus dieing for us and rising again , we go to heaven! If you would like to learn more go to http://www.dare2share.org and loook on the messageboards. If you have questions email me at hawkfamily5@sbcglobal.net pirates and religion can co-exist this religion can co-exist to some degree. But I just wanted to put my religion out there.
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Why can’t christians spell properly? Surely this is proof (at least by the standards of the ID movement) that the higher up the dogma scale = the lower down the evolutionary scale. This could explain a great deal …
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I Love spaghetti and meatballs, especially with garlic bread. Does that mean I’m having communion every Thursday night at dinner. Sometimes I even have a glass of wine. Damn, maybe I should look for a pirates suit at the Salvation Army.
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I am about to have a son and want him to be indoctrinated into the church of the FSM before he knows what’s going on. Are there rituals besides just pouring lots of marinara on him that I should be aware of?
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Can I print of FSM things (like the about section) and hand it out to people?
’cause I wanna help the cause!
:D
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@ jacob BlAcK:
In South Africa they use the word “Hawking”, which means to sell or to mislead on another man’s property. I can see the similarity. However, I respect everyone’s religion, also yours, but don’t understand that you insinuate that the FSM and Pirate – theology is nonsense.. I could say (but I choose not to) the same about your teachings.
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I just learned about the FSM from my teacher and I have to know some thing do you babtties babys with spaghetti souces? And is it ok to eat Spaghetti?
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Im kinda hoping this is all one huge parody, but I beginning to get worried, since pirates are humans if they are humans how the heck did we evolve form them?
Also, evolution isnt science either, at least the definition where it states that monkeys turned into humans. Half of what they teach in the science classrooms arent science, so I dont understand why teaching creationism in school is bad thing.
This is awesome as a joke, I had an awesome laugh while reading over my friends shoulder, but the scary thing was that he ACTUALLY TOOK IT SERIOUSLY….at least he acted that way. But I cant figure him out anyways
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September 19, International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Arrrrrrr!
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Jonathan, #728: Thanks for the laugh, mate! Perhaps someday the faint glimmering of a clue ye so very nearly have will grow brighter, and ye shall finally see–ramen.
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The day of pirates is great.
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Jonathan: Evolution IS science while Creationism is NOT. Study up on what a THEORY means in scientific terms. If you come out and say “Cows are really from Venus” or “the Christian God made man just like he is”, that is a hypothesis – not a theory, which requires wide acceptance after rigorous testing, such as the theory of gravity.
Also, the Supreme Court struck down the Creationists’ attempt at inserting their beliefs as a science. If you can show ONE argument the Creationists have come up with that refutes a finding supporting evolution, tell us, won’t you? Any such argument the Creationists have come up with so far has been not only disproved, but ridiculed by the legitimate scientific community.
So is there harm in teaching Creationism in science class? How about if we teach medical students that burying a crow in the moonlight is an accepted method of curing cancer? Or teaching law students the quick method of proving innocence is to toss their weighted clients into a pond? Where does it stop?
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#728 Jonathan
“since pirates are humans if they are humans how the heck did we evolve form them?”
.
Jonathon dear, please go find out what evolution is. Even your creo masters accept that evolution is indeed a fact. See creationwiki, penned by your creo master salesmen, which says in part…
.
“Biological evolution is an observable scientific fact, because the mechanisms of change in populations over time have been obvious and observable for thousands of years. Even the ancient Spartans enforced a policy of eugenics in an effort to promote desirable characteristics in their gene pool.”
.
and this..
“Biological evolution is an observable scientific fact, because the mechanisms of change in populations over time have been obvious and observable for thousands of years.”
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However most of that entry is unsupported rubbish…such as
“the general theory of evolution claims that life originated by chance through abiogenesis, a speculation for which there is neither evidence nor comprehensive explanation.”
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You’ll notice no supporting references for this BS. The theory of evolution makes no reference to abiogenesis!
.
“Also, evolution isnt science either, at least the definition where it states that monkeys turned into humans.”
Please provide a reference where the theory of evolution states this. The theory states no such thing! You’re being conned and brainwashed Jonathon.
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@ # 733 Wench Nikkiee
Arrgh….repeated the same quote!
This was what I meant to quote:
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“Biological evolution is the change in the heritable characteristics or allele frequency in populations over time. Biological evolution may be minimal or substantial; it embraces everything from slight changes in the proportion of different alleles within a population (such as those determining blood types) to the successive alterations that led to the diversification of the *created kinds to countless unique species.”
*Note also that creationists have never given a scientific biological definition/description of what actually constitutes a biological
“kind”.
It’s been my experience that questions as to a scientific description have been always been avoided.
.
I guess it’s kinda some sort of living thing!
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@ Jonathan: I think you might be a bit on the young side, not that this is a bad thing but you really should take a long hard look at the world around you. Ask a lot of questions. Ask a lot of people the same questions. You may be quite surprised at all the different answers you get. I also recommend that you read a lot of different books. Science books, nature books, even and especially the Bible. Read it and remember all the things that God has supposedly said and done. Ask yourself then, “Is God nice?” One thing that has always bothered me is when Christians say that God killed his only son. What? Where does it say that? I thought the Romans did it. Another thing you should do is watch the movie Zeitgeist. You can get it free on the internet. It might open your eyes a bit.
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THIS IS THE STUPIDEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN! A FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER??? HOW DUMB CAN YOU GET? NOT ALL CHRISTIAN ARE BAD AT SPELLING. WE ARE OBVIOUSLY ALOT SMARTER THAN YOU BOBBY, BECAUSE WE DON’T MAKE UP ridiculous religions LIKE AN IDIOTIC SPAGHETTI MONSTER! GET A LIFE AND FIND SOMETHING INTELLIGENT TO DO!
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@Jonathan
“Im kinda hoping this is all one huge parody, but I beginning to get worried, since pirates are humans if they are humans how the heck did we evolve from them?”
Quite simply. Start as a pirate. Then slowly start acting less piratey (take off your eyepatch, loot fewer ships, and so on). Continue this process until you aren’t a pirate anymore. Then kindly apologise to the FSM for leaving the path of Righteousness.
“This is awesome as a joke, I had an awesome laugh while reading over my friends shoulder, but the scary thing was that he ACTUALLY TOOK IT SERIOUSLY….at least he acted that way.”
How amazing. I had the same thoughts about people devotedly reading the Bible… apart from the laughs.
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This is the greatest religion ever made, both in satirical purpose and comedy. Long live Bobby Henderson, blessings and peace be apon his name.
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@ #736 taytay
Bobby didn’t “invent” Pastafarianism, it was revealed to him. He didn’t chose to make the FSM, or pirates, that’s just the way it is. And could you explain how being touched by His noodly appendage is somehow more ludicrous than a polytheistic religion (father, son and holy spirit) based on a man who supposedly walks on water, changes water to wine, and rises from the dead after three days?
Arrrrr!
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@taytay
“Alot” is not a word; or rather it is two separate words: “a lot”.
Newly added to the Christian list of vices: excessive use of punctuation and capitalization. Good on ya.
Actually, both of those were already on the list, but thanks for playing.
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I AM HERE MY LONG AWAITED BROTHERS AND SISTERS FSM HAS WAVED HIS NOODLY APENDEGES FOR ME FOR I AM SWIMMING PENNE CREATURE BEN SHEM HAMORFERESH THE FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER, IS MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. I RESIDE IN SAL’S ITALIAN RESTURAUNT IN NAZERETH, VIRIGINA. I PENNE OF NAZERETH WILL NEED FOLLOWERS FOR MY NEW CHURCH. I WILL BE EATEN FOR ALL OF YOUR SINS BY THE KANSAS SCHOOL BOARD AT THE END OF MY LIFE. FOR MORE INFORMATION (contact me at halorush831@aim.com)P.S. I WILL NEED WRITERS FOR THE NEW COOKBOOK
RAmen BLESS ME AND POPS FSP
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Throughout my life, I have spent much time thinking about religion and the supernatural, and have never been convinced by any theory. But now I see the light! I see the slightly sticky noodly appendages of the FSM reach out and steer me onto the true path! All hail the great pasta, our messiah, our beacon in confusing times!
HE RULES INTERNALLY!
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i don;t get it. what exacly is this “religion”? i looked all over this website and i know nothing. where did someone get the idea of this monster? how do you get people to acually believe this?
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Anybody know about progress obtaining legal status as a church?
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this is bullshit, right?
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are people actually stupid enough to believe you?….wow, they must be brain dead
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First off i would just like to say, wow, i first heard about this from one of my friends and i seriously didnt belive that it really existed.So i googled it right when i got home because i was just so curious to see if it was real. And well it took me right to this website. I dont think ive laughed that hard in like days!! But its not like laughing at it, but laughing because its genius!! i love you for coming up with something this completly random and awsome. I give you two bigthumbs up, because im so sick of catholics, christians, bapists, methodists, and all the other ones. Trust me ive been to alot of churches in my teenage career, and ive never been to one of them that hasnt given me dirty looks, or tried to convert me. The second i walk in, i know their analizing me, and truthfully im agnostic and i like it that way, i didnt used to be, but constant pushing of churches made me this way. Everyone just thinks their so right and that their religion is the only way to get to heaven. People just need to belive in somthing, even if there is no evidence. And this just proves the point, but this is something that is just so freaking awsome. im in love with the flying spaghetti monster already. I can truthfully sit here and say, im totally willing to become part of the FSM. =D
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I’ve looked over this website from top to bottom, and I still really don’t understand if this is a serious religion, or a satirical message to others. I understand–trust me on this one–that some religions and some individuals from religions are overly pushy, thrust the Bible/ Torah/ whatever down your throat type of people. Is this site a message to them to chill the heck out? Or do people really believe in the FSM?
Because I’m sorry, but I’m an extremely imagainative teenager, and even I can’t Believe that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe. I just can’t.
Kudos, though, on teaching millions of people how to spell spaghetti :]]
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Also, I’m really REALLY disappointed in how many hateful comments were left by “supposed” Christians. I believe in God, but I ACCEPT that other people don’t. I refuse to wrap my head around the Bible as an authentic source of factual information, but I ACCEPT that other people can. Who the heck gave you people the right to post all your hateful, “you’re going to hell” comments?!?!!?
Christianity is about teaching through LOVE and COMPASSION and KINDNESS. Not telling someone whether they’re headed up or down without knowing it for a fact. You’re NOT God and you really don’t know what God wants from you besides treating other with love and sincere kindness–not fake bullcrap. How can you say that anyone on this site is wrong or stupid and still call yourself a devote believer in Christ?
Really, I wish that everyone could just see through the clouds of their own prejudices and love one another.
Grow up, guys.
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Also, I’m really REALLY disappointed in how many hateful comments were left by “supposed” Christians. I believe in God, but I ACCEPT that other people don’t. I refuse to wrap my head around the Bible as an authentic source of factual information, but I ACCEPT that other people can. Who the heck gave you people the right to post all your hateful, “you’re going to hell” comments?!?!!?
Christianity is about teaching through LOVE and COMPASSION and KINDNESS. Not telling someone whether they’re headed up or down without knowing it for a fact. You’re NOT God and you really don’t know what God wants from you besides treating other with love and sincere kindness–not fake bullcrap. How can you say that anyone on this site is wrong or stupid and still call yourself a devote believer in Christ?
Really, I wish that everyone could just see through the clouds of their own prejudices and love one another.
Grow up, guys
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