I wrote the Open Letter sometime around January of 2005 and posted it online several months later after receiving no reply from the Kansas School Board. Within days of posting it online, the letter became an internet phenomenon, generating tens of thousands of visits each day, as well as personal responses from the school board members themselves. To date (August 2006), the venganza website has received upwards of 350 million hits, and somewhere in the proximity of 15 million unique visits. This website operates on a dedicated server and uses 600 - 800 GB/month in bandwidth. I’ve received over 15,000 emails in response to the letter.
The letter, after being blogged heavily for months, was printed in several large newspapers, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Sun Times, and many others. The newspaper articles caught the attention of book publishers, and at one point there were six publishers interested in getting the Word of the Flying Spaghetti Monster out to the public. In the end, the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster was released by Random House in March of 2006.
It’s now been over a year since the FSM phenomenon started. I hope that a year from now we will be recognized as a legitimate religious organization, with all the same benefits *and tax loopholes* that the mainstream religions enjoy.
Please leave me a comment on the Letter, the FSM movement as a whole, or whatever you like. Thanks,
-Bobby
Love Brapples post. Total fairytale like all religions throughtout the ages.
Christianity is only 2000 years old, other older, what makes that one the right one? Didn’t the ancient greek fervently believe Apollo drove the sun across the sky?
J’ai trouv
Hello everybody, my name is Damion, and I’m glad to join your conmunity,
and wish to assist as far as possible.
Well, if Chris was the third or…fourth…or…third to last poster on the comments, whatever way will suit what I am about to say to him and the people running this site, I havea friend who had a near death experience, no word of a lie of any sort, and HE said that he saw someting squiggly, not in those exact words, but he said something about a swishy, almost wiggling thing
Sorry about the sudden line break, my alarm went off. Where was I? Oh yeah, I’m not fully convinced by the FSM, but I must say ‘He’ does leave intruiging evidence behind. I must ask, are noodles ‘His’ favourite food, or would that make ‘Him’ offended, ‘He’ has a favourite costume, but there also may not be any need to eat I suppose, just thkning back on myself, excuse me if my letter starts becoming confusing, as you just see I called it a letter, when it’s clearly a comment and I must shut myself up.
Okay new line, new topic, I would like to know more about the FSM, although I cannot be bothered scourng the pages to find out, one reason is that I’ll be reading the School Board responses. I can feel the noodly appendage almost touching me, but I cannot really know until more evidence is given.
From Sam.
Sam, if you believe in Him, you can see Him by pressing your fingers against your closed eyes
:-p
RAmen
Sam P,
.
I would have thought that just the possibility of heaven with a beer volcano and stripper factory would be enough incentive for you to make at least a minimal effort to find the truth, but I suppose I am wrong. There is only one way for the seeker to find the sought. That is to seek. Sam, you are on your own. No one can learn for you. You have to do it yourself.
.
Fortunately, there is a way. Buy our Holy Book, “The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.” Read it, especially the Eight I’d Really Rather You Didn’ts and you will be touched by His Noodly Appendage.
.
RAmen
You should have the freedom to choose not to be a jedi, or muslim or other sphetti monster, but sometimes they coerce and jibe. The only good cultist is on that isn’t in one. I’m a spaghetti monster follower.
Love the graph.
a true spaghetti monster is obviously a devoted lover of fine flour and chocolate balls. I worship “HIM” like a dog follows master, for food. Oh fuck it. I have to confess to him now. I HAVE SINNED. No it’s OK the spaghetti monster is fine with that. However, the evolution theory put forward by Darwin is that, if you don’t believe in my theory you’re stoopid. Survival of the best adapted etc. HE WAS A BEARDY. Therefore I conclude man was borne of monkeys, to worship the TV. AMEN.
Yeah I know that already.
WWFSMD = What Would the Flying Spaghetti Monster Do? I will try to ask myself that question each day and live my life in a way that will honor The Flying Spaghetti Monster.
I LOVE YOU.
is this stuff for real?
I am speachless…
I now know that everything I’ve been thought is a lie, and that The “Flying Spaghetti Monster” is the one and only god… I can feel it!
Me declaro una pastafari… Repartiré la palabra de nuestro señor el Monstruo Volador de Espaguetti ante aquellos que carecen de iluminación, ante los heréjes y paganos…
Salve o gran Monstruo Volador de Espaguetti!
… i love how the christans always freak out. “your so retarded” …. i guess ignorance is bliss though
The way that these christians are replying IS ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. Our Noodle Deity has NEVER HURT ANYONE. Your stupid christian religion has killed MILLIONS of people over the centuries. Everything from the crusades to modern day killings. Christianity is a profit making war machine that should just die out. Those fucking people on the first page were trying to shove their religon down our throats. Our noodle deity is NO MORE UNBELIEVABLE than your false god.
YOU HAVE WASTED YOUR ENTIRE LIVES WORSHIPPING A PRODUCT OF A GREEDY CHURCH AND PREPARING FOR A FALSE AFTERLIFE. I LAUGH IN YOUR GREEDY REPUBLICAN FACES.
We, and ALL creatures, evolved from another. Have a nice time wasting your time you primitive Christians.
This new religion is bringing me close to tears of joy.
That was the most amazing letter that I have ever read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it. There are so many things wrong in the educational system in America, and that was the perfect way to handle it. The comical approach clearly grabbed the attention of many powerful people, and all in all, I think that was utter brilliance and perfection. Thank you so much for enlightening me.
Egack abergack
moots malfa fuki
Khai hudicci delat
eska menna menna
Thus sayeth the Lard.
In response to Christians posting bad things about the great FSM, I would like to post a quote.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
I think Jesus would have been a pastafarian.