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professors who had written the original standards (before they were changed) have now asked that their names be withdrawn from the document.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.”

1154 Responses to “Kansas School Board Responses to the Open Letter”

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821 - August 4th, 2007 at 4:55 pm - Pastor Fussycat Says:

“for the first of your posts. i have but 1 word to say. CONTEXT.
you take it out of context with your post. the point is, this is a reply to the open letter. not a fact, however false or true”

isn’t that more than one word? nonetheless, even more seem needed to glean your point. perhaps you can elaborate further?

I didn’t seek to prove or disprove any fact.

My inquiry was about the many long responses (some of them pretty vitriolic) to Mrs. Kathy Martin’s one-line response, “It is a serious offense to mock God.”

I don’t see in what sense I took anything out of context. I mean, I’m posting right here on the thread, where all the previous posts are here for anyone else to read. How much more “in context” could a response to many responses to a response to a letter be? what would that look like?
822 - August 4th, 2007 at 5:05 pm - Pastor Fussycat Says:

heres another one: Leucine, who also got jumped on pretty thoroughly early in this thread, also didn’t proclaim any creationist beliefs. She/he merely advocated for rigorous science.
.
Leucine: “Why must any theory (ID, FSM, or evolution), be immune from scientific criticism? Why is it a problem to point out shortcomings in the theory of evolution? No alternative is required to challenge the conclusions posed by valid scientific theory. Why then, is an alternative required to challenge the theory of evolution?”
.
Yes, theres strong evidence supporting macroevolution, and it has provided a useful framework for research, but the same could be said for Newton’s treatment of gravity, before Einstein turned it on its ear.
the fact still remains that macroevolution hasn’t been observed, only extrapolated. Theres *lots* of room for new theories and for shaking up old ones.
.
every pirate loves a good row, but lets at least have solid reason.. (especially if we’re going to be mocking other people’s flimsy reasons).

Arrr
823 - August 4th, 2007 at 10:36 pm - just some follower of the FSM Says:

@Pastor Fussycat

i did use but 1 word. the sentence after it was but an explanation.

if Kathy Martin’s sentence was just a plain fact as you described it. then what does it reply too?
what you are doing is this.

1:hey how are you
2: i’m fine, how about you
1: i’m not that good
2: what’s happening then?
1: i lost my cat.
2: how did it happen.
1: first we were together on a toilet (not very logical but this is for the sake of explanation)
2: and after that.
1: well, i looked down and my pussy was gone.

from the conversation between number 1 and number 2, you can see that they are both quite normal people with a normal conversation. but what you are doing is just taking 1 part of it, and reason with that alone.

i looked down and my pussy was gone.
that girl must be on drugs or something. will then your conclusion be. but if you read the whole thing, you’d jump to the conclusion that it isn’t drugs. but that she’s sad about losing her cat.

a conversation is exactly the same thing as a reply to an open letter. so treat it the same way.
824 - August 5th, 2007 at 4:59 am - Alchemist Says:

@ jsfotFSM
“but what you are doing is just taking 1 part of it, and reason with that alone.
i looked down and my pussy was gone.”
.
“you’d jump to the conclusion that it isn’t drugs. but that she’s sad about losing her cat.”
.
.
To be honest I’d be be going down the gynaecological path of double-entendre with the inevitable coffee snorting hilarity that brings.
.
Please tell me I’m not on my own in this :)
825 - August 5th, 2007 at 6:46 am - Jean Bart Says:

@Alchemist Aug 5th, 2007 at 4:59 am “To be honest I’d be be going down the gynaecological path of double-entendre with the inevitable coffee snorting hilarity that brings. Please tell me I’m not on my own in this :)”
.
Ah, the traps of analogies. Dangerous path, the analogue one. Well, in language, that is :)
826 - August 5th, 2007 at 8:53 am - Lord of the Pirate Fish Says:

can sombody explain why there is these pingback things at the bottom of each page? it’s starting to piss me off.
827 - August 7th, 2007 at 9:42 pm - adrian Says:

you failed to include johnny depp (cpt long john underpants) in your study, thus casting the scientific basis of FSM into serious question
828 - August 9th, 2007 at 2:31 pm - Bill Kilpatrick Says:

I am very pleased to read Bobby Henderson’s arguments regarding the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I always thought meatballs were a little creepy. Now I know why.

It’s wonderful to see so many people ready, willing and able to take back our country from Elmer Gantry, Incorporated.

If ever there were a need for a Manifesto, this Open Letter fits the bill. All hail to our side!
829 - August 9th, 2007 at 2:36 pm - ۞ Says:

RAmen Bill.
You have been touched by his noodly appendage for sure.
830 - August 12th, 2007 at 2:08 pm - Michael Kerr Says:

I was so happy to read the three enlightened letters from the school board. I was amused by the the fourth. I have to agree with the person who wrote that it is the Universe that is mocking “God” and not Mr. Henderson. After all hasn’t shaming the natural world always been an important part of Christianity and the worshiping of other Gods?

Thank you FSM for your light and your wisdom and your starchy cold touch.

Hats off to the minority on the school board who have to contend with ignorance, idiocy and arrogance in their struggle to educate.

Sincerely,

Michael Kerr
http://www.namesforpeace.com
http://www.wideeyeweb.com
831 - August 16th, 2007 at 2:21 pm - Roto-Rooter Guy Says:

well, what can i say, all these christian fundys seem to be behind the times, ive been worshiping God2099 and our super-saviour Cyborg Jesus with the Robot Arm for years now and my lifes improved no end. except the alternative theory of creationism is that God2099 created the universe in the future and sent it back in time but Robo-Satan tripped up Cyborg Jesus into the time machine but it was actually God2099 because he… anyway its a long story but in the end God2099 turns out to have created Robo-Satan and actually posed himself as Cyborg Jesus and went back in time to save us all…. PHEW!
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834 - August 27th, 2007 at 11:44 am - JKS Says:

i think that the FSM is just as good as other religions, and it is rude to mock it just because it is not your religion. I think that everyone may think as they will, but no one may judge others believes.
835 - August 30th, 2007 at 11:21 am - WM Says:

I just try to keep my faith and my science separate. That sounds hypocritical, I know, but it works for me. Respect others, and let’s live in peace.
836 - August 30th, 2007 at 12:09 pm - DutchPastaGuy Says:

Hello WM,
.
I think you’re not the only one to do so. I think all religious scientists must keep their scientific mode of thinking well away from their faith. The latter wouldn’t last very long if inquisitiveness, rational thinking and critical questioning are allowed a free reign, I think you will agree? But it amazes me how people do it. How do you keep yourself from questioning your faith in the way you do in science without any fail ever? (serious question btw, not meant to stir things up)
837 - September 5th, 2007 at 9:48 am - James Rybolt Says:

If either Thor or Zeus was the subject material being pondered by the all-enlightened ones of the Kansas school board, this ‘debate’ wouldn’t exist.

To describe the majority as ‘morons’ or ‘hillbillies’ does a galactic dis-service to normal, decent morons and hillbillies everywhere!

I would like to lead a movement back towards refreshing honesty … when and where will the first witch-burning take place?
838 - September 6th, 2007 at 1:32 am - Kobra Says:

I found this to be thoroughly entertaining. Down with religion.
839 - September 6th, 2007 at 2:29 am - ☠DutchPastaGuy☠ Says:

@Kobra
Welcome to the church of the FSM. Sounds like you’ll fit in with us very well. Please stick around if you like.
840 - September 6th, 2007 at 6:14 am - Alchemist Says:

Hi Kobra - welcome to the site of the one true religion. Well - sort of.
Get down and dirty :D

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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