Kansas School Board Responses to the Open Letter

Response from Mrs. Janet Waugh - District 1 - Received 6/25/05

From: JWaugh1052@[xxxxxxx]
To: bobby.henderson@gmail.com
Date: Jun 25, 2005 6:34 AM
Subject: Response from a member of the Kansas Board of Education

Thanks for your comments about the Flying Spaghetti Monster and all the supporters who have sent their support to members of the Kansas Board of Education. I am supporting the recommendations of the science committee and am currently in the minority. I think your theory is wonderful and possibly some of the majority members will be willing to support it.

Thanks again,

Janet Waugh District 1

Response from Mrs. Sue Gamble - District 2 - Received 6/26/05

From: msgamble@[xxxxxxxxx]
To: bobby.henderson@gmail.com
Date: Jun 26, 2005 6:34 PM
Subject: Reply

Dear Mr. Henderson, Thanks for your message. Thanks for the laugh. Your web site is fascinating. I will add your theory to a long list of alternative theories I intend to introduce when it is appropriate. I am practicing how to do this with a straight face which is difficult since it’s such a ridiculous subject; it is also very sad that we are even having the discussion.

I will be one of the four member minority who will be voting against the flawed science standards currently being proposed by the six member majority.

Sincerely,

Sue Gamble

Response from Mrs. Carol Rupe - District 8 - Received 8/16/05

From: Carol Rupe
To: bobby.henderson@gmail.com
Date: Aug 16, 2005 8:19 AM
Subject: Kansas State Board of Education

Dear Mr. Henderson,

In the midst of the sad circumstances of having our science standards lowered, you and your legion of fellow FSM followers have offered wonderful comic relief. Rather than the form letters which we often receive on other topics, each FSM letter has been clever and unique. I responded to several at first, but now there have just been too many. I am a member of the Kansas State Board of Education and have voted repeatedly to maintain excellent science standards. Last week was the vote to send a new draft (written by the 6 conservative members) out for external review. The four of us on the board who are moderates were in the minority on the vote. The group of science teachers and university professors who had written the original standards (before they were changed) have now asked that their names be withdrawn from the document. The new version changes the very definition of science from “seeking natural explanations” to “seeking logical explanations”. That is why I think FSMism is able to be included. It is as “logical” as any other theory.

The final vote on the standards will be in October. We will be in Lawrence, Kansas for that meeting. Those of us who are moderates on the board are trying to have the meeting in the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas. We think that would be an appropriate setting for the occasion. We welcome you to be in attendance.

We have received thousands of emails from scientists around the world. At first, they all tried to explain good science to us. After the vote last week, however, they have resorted to calling us hillbillies and morons. And those are the nice letters!

Thank you for adding levity to this situation. You have developed quite a following. I was wondering if we could reverse the effects of global warming if we started breeding pirates.

Sincerely,
Carol Rupe

P.S. I ordered a Kansas Museum of Science t-shirt. I may just have to wear it to a board meeting.

From: Mrs. Kathy Martin, District 6

“It is a serious offense to mock God.”

1170 Responses to “Kansas School Board Responses to the Open Letter”

Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 59 » Show All

21 - September 24th, 2006 at - cpu Says:

It’s a strange thing that only people who believe in God in a some what fundamentalist way seem to have problem with evolution? The scientits who are trying to prove evolution wrong with thease ID-theories and such are also christian. Doesn’t it strike to you more a thing to do with God and a desperate need to prove his existanc in fundamental rather than an actual flaw in the evolution theory. Besides, as I understand ID has been proven false. The supporters of evolution theory aren’t biased against God or anything, because most of them aren’t biased to any direction in the matter, most the believe in God propably, so in that way of course. Unlike, the people who try to prove evolution wrong, who definately have more at stake here and are willing cut corners to achieve their goals, so I’d much rather believe the people who aren’t so desperate proove their views right.
22 - September 24th, 2006 at - Ted from Maine Says:

All written theology has a form of the Golden Rule . ” Bibles” were all written ” after the fact” by humans . They set guide lines to keep people in line . If a creator exists, FSM is just as good a name as God,Allah,etc.If a creator created life on our remote sphere ; then part of the humanoids body included a brain to reason with . These ” guide books ” eliminate the need to think for ones self .
There are more important things to argue or discuss than how things came to be and why?
WHO cares! The important thing is that we’re here; no matter how it came about.
Meanwhile,back at the ranch, the human species keeps over-populating and devouring the artificial means that provide for its’existance.
Kansas & DC aren’t the only places exhibiting the phenomina of brain freeze.
ARRRRRG !
23 - September 24th, 2006 at - Channing Says:

Dear Miss Kathy,

I am rather surprised by the fact that an educator, rather that any educated person, such as yourself could fail to see the humour in the FSM.

I am even more stunned by the fact that you could consider creationism a tangent of science. The fact that the bible exists does not prove the existance of an almighty being. The fact that the bible exists proves nothing more than the bible does indeed exist. It is a story, rather an anthology that was written by mortal hands and has been followed by those not intelligent enough to distinguise fiction from fact.

The fact is that the study of science is and will remain a respectable practice, if individuals such as yourself mature and realized that your views are not only illogical, but rather pathetic. For example, your christian faith follows that leadership of a Pope, whom you believe is a figure head whom Christ willed to be in charge of his church, when, in fact, the pope was a figure head created by the Franks in the early 700’s to help link the clergy to the crown.

However, I assume as an educated individual, you are aware of this and have cleverly chosen to follow his leadership. I ask, where is the science in that?

Channing
Lethbridge, AB CA
24 - September 25th, 2006 at - Dumpling Says:

Dear Miss Kathy,

If you truly belive in God, why would you try to spread your belief in disguise of science, instead of preaching fair? Do you have something to hide? Are you ashamed to spread the words of your God for some reason to the extent that you have no choice but to disguise? If I were your God and saw somebody like you demeaning me in the way you are doing, you should be truly afraid of my wrath.
25 - September 25th, 2006 at - Kuroneko Akira Says:

hehehehe… religion is never open to question… remember that… and pirates are a direct result of the myth that everything used to be better…

hope you all get educated and realise how little you really know…
26 - September 25th, 2006 at - Ken W Says:

In reference to the last response from Kathy Martin: “It is a serious offense to mock God.”

One of the biggest problems in the world today is that people think that just because they believe something without proof (i.e. on faith), others have to take it seriously. If you have a problem with the Flying Spaghetti Monster to the point where you react as such, you shouldn’t have any problem with the Middle East’s reaction to the Pope’s recent comments.

Everyone has the right to have faith. But, somewhere, someone is going to think it’s silly if you don’t have real (scientific) proof.

If you can’t handle that, you’re faith is simply not sincere nor real.
27 - September 25th, 2006 at - gentleRebel Says:

I think it is a lot harder to mock God than we think. If God didn’t have a sense of humour, we’d all be dead by now.
28 - September 25th, 2006 at - liz Says:

when did it get to the point that we need to put others beliefs down to justify our own..?
wait….IT’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY!!!! Kathy, if you would just pull your head out from under the rock, you would see that Not only FSM, but all religion teaches compassion and tolerance. The thought of having religion in public schools is dated, that’s why we got rid of it in the first place. We have religious schools in Canada, where people can choose to learn ID. Perhaps we should open an FSM school to teach the future generations the doctorine.
and to you Kathy….. ARRRRRR!
29 - September 25th, 2006 at - Matthew Says:

clearly there aren’t enough pirates in the world
30 - September 25th, 2006 at - Morhyte Says:

Have other work to do - so enjoy this monster paragraph:

As a science teacher of the gifted and talented, I find the whole argument to be somewhat useless in regards to what we need to teach our children in public schools. Perhaps we can instead focus on how to properly aim and fund the science education that will inspire our children and allow them to think for themselves as they mature into the next generation of adults. With the math and English focus of the NCLB act, science education is falling behind and we will ultimately reap what we sew - an even more scientifically illiterate group of adults than we currenly have in the US. We graduate masses of students who have no employability skills and need significant additional (and expensive) education in order to have half a shot at a 1st job, after which most can expect to have many more - good luck at finding a lengthy career anywhere without becoming a lifelong student. When my students speak of this creationism vs. evolution argument, the ones that can think for themselves can’t understand what all of the fuss is about - the former is a topic for home and religious institutions and the latter belongs in PUBLIC schools. The private schools in which I taught had no dilemma with this - both could be spoken of in any classes - and as Miroslav wrote above - science answered “how,” religion “why.” If I am allowed to finish with my naive and idyllic rant: Let’s spend our time focusing on the science that will occupy the other 99% of our students’ time in PUBLIC schools.

Wish I had time to be more coherent, but lesson planning beckons . . .
31 - September 25th, 2006 at - Cody Says:

I don’t think Pastifarians are taking a strong enough stance on this issue. I am the religous leader for my fellow pastifarians at my private catholic middle school. We believe that FSMisn should be taught in schools. Every bit of “learning” that is done in my school has a large amount of biblical “history” and “propoganda” in it. We must take this strong stance to oppose the extremly one sided teaching that is insued here.
AARRRGGG
RAmen
32 - September 25th, 2006 at - Divine Mother Says:

Ah, my dearest children,

I do believe that the Beatles had it right when they said,
“All you need is love.”

I suggest you all take up meditation. When you then merge with the infinite and realize that this entire universe lives inside of you, you will relax. You can then sit back and enjoy the whole drama as I do. Your sense of humor will return and all relalities will be seen with their own inherent validities. Learn to love the drama and each of the players. It is all you really have until you merge back into the infinite.

Love and kisses,
Your Own Divine Mother
33 - September 26th, 2006 at - emily Says:

thank you kathy
34 - September 26th, 2006 at - Cyberatog Says:

Science:
To find the truth in nature and everything around us- creatures, plants, fungus, rock, metal, air, fire, water, earth and space.
Religion:
To look up “truth” in the wrong dictionary. And then hear voices.
“What is the difference between the eccentric artist, the religious and a madman? The artist has a berret, the religious a bible and the madman a straitjacket.”
35 - September 26th, 2006 at - Apple Pie Says:

Hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
36 - September 27th, 2006 at - YaK Says:

Sorry Kathy, it is you who is being mocked, not your god.
37 - September 27th, 2006 at - raMa Says:

Yar yar!
38 - September 28th, 2006 at - Pirate JJ Says:

As one great Pirate (if he wasnt he should have been!) once said…
“good people do good things”,
“bad people do bad things”,
“when good people do bad things - they call it religion!”
39 - September 28th, 2006 at - Gerald Jenkins Says:

Yaharg Lassie! Ye be insultin’ ma’ Faith!?
Death comes for ye!

And Pirates.
Love,
Gerald Jenkins Pirate Apprentice

How am I doing?

1-800-258-0855 Ask for Gerald Jenkins
40 - September 28th, 2006 at - Conor Says:

Dear Mrs. Kathy Martin, District 6, its a serious offense to mock FSM, and i’m not just speaking to you i’m also speaking to the other repliers from the Kansas State Board of Education.

>:P

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An elaborate spoof on Intelligent Design, The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is neither too elaborate nor too spoofy to succeed in nailing the fallacies of ID. It's even wackier than Jonathan Swift's suggestion that the Irish eat their children as a way to keep them from being a burden, and it may offend just as many people, but Henderson, described elsewhere as a 25-year-old "out-of-work physics major," puts satire to the same serious use that Swift did. Oh, yes, it is very funny. -- Scientific American