The Flying Spaghetti Monster

[bendk]

Tis the season to believe. Well, here is another option for those of you who want something a little different, but equally plausible, to conventional faiths. And for all of you skeptics out there, this video should put all doubt to rest concerning His existence. Yes, he has been spotted.


http://www.venganza.org/

YouTube - Flying Spaghetti Monster spotted in Germany

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[unknown]

apparently there was a riffle in florida where a schoolboard was thinking of bringing in Intelligent Design into the science classroom, so of course the Pastafarians demanded their ideas of creation be taught as well

[bendk]

Quote Originally Posted by unknown

apparently there was a riffle in florida where a schoolboard was thinking of bringing in Intelligent Design into the science classroom, so of course the Pastafarians demanded their ideas of creation be taught as well

I read about that. I am pretty sure that is how this parody religion got started - in response to a similar instance in Kansas. No doubt the popularity of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is due to riding the PR campaign of the Intelligent Design movement. Both Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins have mentioned FSM in their speeches, and if I remember correctly, Dawkins even mentions it in the book The God Delusion. I like the idea of a parody religion; although it might be said that orthodox religions are adept at self-parody and don't need any help. But a few extra laughs can't hurt. The only other mock religion that I can remember is the Church of the Sub Genius, but that was a while back. Luckily, my local library had The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, so I was able to read the book. It was decent. I wouldn't go so far as to recommend it - it was a little too silly for my tastes - but I am not sorry I read it, because some of it was really funny. They satirized some of the ID proponent's arguments very effectively.

[Spotbowserfido2]

I distinctly heard "Swedish" uttered in the video clip. Although spaghetti is quite different from Swedish meatballs, both dishes are sacramental. The great demigod Gluten shall not be daunted by differing sauces, noodles, and meat nonsenses. Damn, I'm hungry...

[unknown]

Quote Originally Posted by bendk

Quote Originally Posted by unknown apparently there was a riffle in florida where a schoolboard was thinking of bringing in Intelligent Design into the science classroom, so of course the Pastafarians demanded their ideas of creation be taught as well I read about that. I am pretty sure that is how this parody religion got started - in response to a similar instance in Kansas. No doubt the popularity of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is due to riding the PR campaign of the Intelligent Design movement. Both Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins have mentioned FSM in their speeches, and if I remember correctly, Dawkins even mentions it in the book The God Delusion. I like the idea of a parody religion; although it might be said that orthodox religions are adept at self-parody and don't need any help. But a few extra laughs can't hurt. The only other mock religion that I can remember is the Church of the Sub Genius, but that was a while back. Luckily, my local library had The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, so I was able to read the book. It was decent. I wouldn't go so far as to recommend it - it was a little too silly for my tastes - but I am not sorry I read it, because some of it was really funny. They satirized some of the ID proponent's arguments very effectively.

yeah it was the whole Kansas thing that got the FSM movement started. the only other mock religion besides Pastafarianism and Sub Genius that I can name off the top of my head is Discordianism.

[dm]

This sort of thing is sad to me, it only works into the hands of the status quo. The fact that it was started by graduate students is even worse, Alfred Jarry wrote the Ubu plays while in highschool to mock one of his teachers. The FSM is no Ubu Roi. For graduate students to waste their time on this when the world is approaching a major turning point is ridiculous and just shows how solipsistic and propaganda driven American society is. Even worse for supposed "thought leaders", such as Richard Dawkins, to consider it something worth addressing or pertinant to their positions.
Intelligent Design, Creationism, Evolution, these are all frame works set against each other and have no basis in day to day reality. Its a fight of academic ideologies and there is no possible winner, its all just posturing and mental masturbation...and the representatives on both sides don't appear to be the most inspired examples of humanity.
If there is a red apple sitting on the table and one person says its green and another person says its yellow there is no end to the argumentation because both sides will have to elevate the proposterous claims of their theory to combat the proposterous claims of the other's theory since the apple is neither green nor yellow. Neither argument bears any relation to eating the apple or leaving it alone for someone/something else to eat.
If the person is speaking from academia they are working on their tenure, and if they are speaking from an ideology they don't need any external facts to prove their idea only dogma and they have to talk alot to maintain that dogma. So what really happens? Those who perpetuate the situation, on either side, make money or gain fame and find a meaning in their struggle while the rest of us have to listen to innane arguments and perpetuate the demagogues by taking one side or the other.

[bendk]

I have to disagree, dm. Bobby Henderson, the founder of FSM, was upset that the Kansas School Board was considering corrupting the science curriculum with religion. This is a clear violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He chose to stand up for his beliefs and do something about it. His method of protest just happened to be satire. He exposed these people to the ridicule they deserved, and his protest has been largely successful. The fact that FSM picked up steam to go beyond what it was originally intended to do is just a reflection of many like-minded people who object to ID, which is superstitious nonsense being passed off as science. As far as wasting his time, he got paid $80,000 to write The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Not chump change. But the money is hardly the point. His fight is a matter of principle. And Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris only mentioned FSM in passing as an effective use of satire. None of these people, obviously, take it seriously - or the truth claims of religion either, for that matter.

[dm]

I have no doubt that it was a successful rhetorical move in the academic/political tete a tete, what I doubt is its value to human existence. My example of Alfred Jarry was to put in perspective the possibilities of students joining in on larger ideological battles through satire, and I would repeat again the FSM is no Ubu Roi, nor is it Maldaror, another student satire.
The original intent of satire was not to rebuke, but to elevate, and the FSM does nothing to elevate the argument; all it does is point out rhetorical fallacies with enough kitch to make t-shirts. Comedy is an initiatory model, thus Dante's Divine Comedy, thus the Mason's riding around in tiny cars with Morrocan hats. Even the Discordians have a better base in RAW's works since he was working with satire as an initiatory device.
I'm saying that these sorts of arguments and counter arguments, between "liberal" and "conservative", "intelligent design" and "evolution" merely muddly already confusing waters, the real questions are never asked nor addressed. Adding a satirical edge, and one as absurd as the FSM, just makes it a tasty bit of propaganda to move the PR campaign. As Kierkegaard pointed out, the real struggle in life is to get to the point where you can even begin asking the question what is life about, and too often people forgoe the initial steps and leap right to the questions.
Bobby Henderson has been paid well for his role in continuing the argument, and his form of payment reflects who truly valued his contribution.

[paeng]

In other cultures (probably in most developing countries) religion is an important aspect of society. Although its presence might be due to poverty or ignorance, I'd like to think that it is so because it is part of what is irrational, and that together with emotion, intuition, and so forth are inalienable aspects of the human condition. Bear in mind, though, that I speak as one who comes from one such culture where different ways of thinking exist.

Also, from what I remember, Dante's Commedia is entitled such not only because some parts are funny or satirical but because the whole journey serves as an allegory of the human condition. That is, the latter is filled with all sorts of ways of thinking and actions, from reason to faith in the same to belief in God to various emotions ranging from compassion to wrath, and so on.

Perhaps it is this complex combination that allows an individual to raise difficult questions about his existence and tries to address them in the most sobering manner possible. Given that, I'm thankful for the reference not only to Dante but also to Kierkagaard, whose works I was able to read in university (which is a rare opportunity in poor countries!).

[Cyril Tourneur]

Quote Originally Posted by Spotbowserfido2

I distinctly heard "Swedish" uttered in the video clip. Although spaghetti is quite different from Swedish meatballs, both dishes are sacramental. The great demigod Gluten shall not be daunted by differing sauces, noodles, and meat nonsenses. Damn, I'm hungry...

Dont get me started on my old Swedish girlfriends... My eyes are watering at the memory.

Still, SOMEONE spent a weekend in the South of Germany with a nineteen year old Swedish girl just two weeks ago. And I swear, she wore a Boston Redsocks t-shirt to bed....

How about that for mixed stimuli? I didnt know whether to bang her or bang her head!