Category Archives: Evangelism

Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs.

No more Pastafarian prayers at Alaska Assembly meetings?

Barrett Fletcher leading Pastafarian invocation at Assembly Meeting

As many Pastafarians will remember, the Kenai (Alaska) Borough Assembly has allowed religious groups to offer a prayer/invocation before government meetings. Some less-mainstream groups have taken part, including the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Another group, a group of professed Satanists, has also offered prayers where they encouraged attendees to ‘Hail Satan’. These invocations have not always gone over well (though I think the Pastafarian offerings were accepted by many, as opposed to the Satanist’s) — sometimes even leading to attendees walking out of the meetings.

Latest Developments

The Alaska Watchman has published an article with developments. It seems the invocations – well, just those from diverse groups – may be coming to an end. Mayor Peter Micciche has introduced a resolution to restrict who can deliver the opening prayers, limiting it to official borough chaplains from the fire and emergency services. That will certainly lead to prayers by just the mainstream groups.

For years now, the assembly has endured formal appeals to Satan thanks to a 2018 Alaska Supreme Court opinion that claimed the borough could not bar Satanists from prayer without violating their First Amendment religious liberties.

Multiple satanic prayers have since been delivered by a Kenai resident who uses the invocation time to attack religious belief and offer praise to her Dark Lord.

The current policy allows “private” citizens to sign up on a rotating basis, which opens the door for all manner of “prayers,” some of which have been overtly political, agenda driven, farcical, and even satanic.

-Alaska Watchmen

The Watchmen article is quite salty to say the least.

The inclusion of invocations by various citizens, including unconventional ones, has sparked debates about who should be permitted to deliver such prayers in civic meetings. The Watchman article does not mention it, but the controversy surrounding invocations also suggests a larger point: why are government meetings allowing religious services in the first place? These are official government proceedings after all, these are not places of worship.

A Pastafarian Perspective

As part of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, our participation in the assembly’s invocations extends beyond making a statement on religious diversity or questioning the mix of religion and government affairs. Our aim is to authentically share our beliefs and values, which center on critical inquiry, and a scientific approach to understanding the world. It was our study of observable facts that led us to our conclusions – that these conclusions led us to believe in an almighty Spaghetti Monster and that Pirates were our ancestors is merely the end result. Certainly it would have been easier to join in more mainstream beliefs.

Our invocations are heartfelt expressions of our Pastafarian faith. We feel it is our duty to share our findings with the world, to contribute to the community’s spiritual tapestry and invite reflection on the diverse beliefs that shape our society.

pastafarian-invocation

The Challenge Of Inclusivity

The proposed amendment by Kenai’s officials might streamline meeting protocols, yet it could also exclude many voices, including ours, which goes against the inclusivity that is foundational to our nation’s values. We advocate for a policy that either embraces all expressions of faith or opts for a neutral, secular space that truly accommodates everyone.

As the Kenai Borough Assembly considers policy changes, we underscore the importance of upholding the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution — the freedom of and from religion. It’s crucial to preserve the right for all faiths, including those like ours, to share our beliefs in public forums.

In Conclusion

The Church of FSM is committed to the open sharing of our faith through any channel available. We are hopeful for a respectful exchange that respects both the historical role of faith in public life and the necessity of adapting to our diverse modern society.

We remain ready to engage in Kenai Borough Assembly meetings, promoting tolerance, inclusivity, and enlightenment, in true Pastafarian spirit.

R’amen

[Top photo is of resident Barrett Fletcher offering a Pastafarian invocation to the assembly back in 2019. Alaska Daily News covered this in a great article. Photo ADN.]

Quebec teacher facing displinary action for wearing Colander at work, needs our help

[ Pastafarians wearing official religious headwear in parade, via reddit]

We’re looking for legal help in the Quebec area. I received this message from a longtime member and minister in Quebec:

I am a secondary school teacher living in Quebec, Canada. I am a Pastafarian. On March 28th, 2019 a bill was passed (bill 21) by the very racist and xenophobic provincial government presently in power. The bill prohibits people from wearing religious symbols in the workplace. It specifically applies to government workers, teachers, people in positions of authority or influence, etc.

While, on the surface, this may seem to be a secular move (something in line with Pastafarianism), the reality is that this bill disproprortionately affects religious minorities (muslims, jews) and also disproprotionately affects women. It also puts power in the hands of people who may have specific biases or agendas.

He started wearing a Colander at work around the time the bill was passed. His employer is attempting to force him to remove it under threat of disciplinary action. He has been issued a directive to remove the religious headwear and a threat of suspension or further escalation if he does not comply.

We are looking for help. Is there someone in the Quebec area that would be willing to provide legal advice and assistance? Please get in contact with me and I will forward the information. Thanks very much.

Update 2/25 — Wow this one is more controversial than I realized. More than a few “how dare you” type messages :) … I don’t know that much about this bill. I understand some view the bill as a step forward towards secularization of government, albeit imperfect. Others see it is as legislated racism.

I personally don’t have an issue with people wearing religious symbols/headwear in work, I suspect most Pastafarians don’t either. What we worry about is a religious person using a place of authority to push their beliefs on others, but it’s two separate things.

What do you guys think?

Window Decals

We just got in a bunch of these FSM vinyl car window decals. If you want one you can give me your address here. I only ask that you share the Pastafarian faith with people who inquire about “what is that sticker on your window?” They’re about 4″ across and can be stuck inside or outside the window.

Update 1/8 — stickers are almost gone so let me know soon if you want a few. Lots of people are asking to donate for shipping cost … thank you but not worried about it on these. Next batch maybe we’ll do a collection pot for the postage fund but definitely don’t want to sell these.

Gary Smith, fighting for Pastafarian rights.

Gary Smith, fighting for equal rights. Photo Vancouver Sun.

The Vancouver Sun has a nice article about Pastafarian Gary Smith’s fight to have his driver’s license photo taken while wearing a Colander. He also dresses in Pirate Regalia for formal occasions, as do many serious Pastafarians.

His headgear, a colander, is part of his religion: Smith is a Pastafarian, a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

ICBC has informed him it doesn’t qualify as religious headgear, have refused to accept a photo of him wearing it for his licence, and Smith has now filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

“My religious head covering is an expression of my beliefs,” he said. “I am being denied the right to express myself in a manner afforded to members of other beliefs and other faiths . There is no test of faith that any government agency, including ICBC, can apply to judge whether or not a person earnestly believes what they profess when they ask to be photographed with a religious head covering.”

Canada is, surprisingly, not always tolerant of Pastafarian rights. British Columbia, especially. Besides not allowing us to wear religious headgear in government photos, they sometimes make it difficult for our Ministers to register as wedding officiants.

Vancouver is such a multi-cultural place, I find it difficult to understand the intolerance to religions outside of the mainstream. I’d love to hear if other “fringe” religious groups run into these problems with the BC government.

Big thanks to Mr. Smith for pushing back against religious intolerance. My feeling is that, even when we lose these fights from time to time, it helps in the long run to point out the inequality.

You can read the article here.