Bobby Henderson's Blog, page 21

Paper ordination certificates are almost ready

Here is one of the first paper certificates with the new embossed gold foil seals.  I think they look pretty good.   Any suggestions? 

Look at these embossed gold fsm seals

For official church business. 

People have been asking for paper Certificates of Ordination for a while and I've said we could only do it if we got some real embossed foil seals, like the ones universities have made for their diplomas.  Rubber Duck Design understood the importance and created these for us:

I think they look awesome.   I have honestly felt that not having gold embossed seals put us at a disadvantage.  Now what official church things shall we undertake? Ideas?

Give me a few days to get the paper ordination certificates figured out and then we can start making them.   

Gen-Con noodle hat

I created this image of His Noodliness to help spread the good word among the many GenCon-goers this year. May his Noodly Appendage touch us, every one. :)

- Liz Bodle

FSM spotted in Paris

His Noodliness has blessed the walls of Paris!

- zazou

We shouldn't live with absolute frivolity

While life should not be taken too seriously, this doesn't mean we should live with absolute frivolity. Yes, so-called religions attempt to mandate all sorts of opinions and behaviors about morality and social conformity. This does not mean that actual religion — the sincere attempt to understand the unknowable — is inherently stupid or necessarily bullshit.

Quantum mechanics tells us that all possibilities exist simultaneously until foreclosed by inconsistent observations. So, with regard to what we truly cannot know or observe, it's possible that all beliefs are equally "true" and very much real. It's an incredibly powerful thought: that we can design our own eternity simply by imagining it.

Personally, I'd want much more from my eternity than to party on a pirate ship with a bunch of beer and strippers. The ability to have that experience at any time and for any duration? Sure, that would be great. But plain old life has plenty to offer that's much more sublime and extraordinary than simple hedonism. And it's not even a very ambitious vision of hedonism.

World history is replete with terrible evils committed in the name of "religion." Certainly, it's an important message that moral and social "values" should not be elevated to the level of religious beliefs. But our ability as humans to recognize the fundamental unknowable questions — where are we from, why are we here, and where are we going — creates a fundamental human need to discuss and confront these questions.

Pastafarianism does indeed celebrate the power of the individual to choose his or her own answers to these questions. Some might like the idea of choosing answers that are deliberately silly or absurd. But to do so simply to make a point about the beliefs of others is to degrade and dishonor one's own spirit.

-Tom

This crop circle resembles the FSM

 

[From http://www.slate.com/slideshow/arts/crop-circle-art?GT1=38001#slide_3]

What does this mean? This is VERY clearly the FSM.

-Liam

Gaze upon this glorious ceramic creation

It's high-fire ceramic, and I made it a couple of years ago.

It adorns a sacred niche by the front door, and serves as protection from evil, evangelists, and other threats.

-Samuel

Australians: Remember to mark Pastafarian on this year's census

The Australian census is here and now is the time to mark Pastafarian as your stated religion, if you like. 

I won't make a long argument and I won't say that you should absolutely do this.  But I do believe it's a reasonable and legitimate choice.  If there are things in the Pastafarian religion that you identify with, and if you would like to see the Pastafarian religion gain formal legitimacy, then please designate Pastafarian as your religion.

Applique evangelism

I am a recent convert to Pastafarianism. I saw the news about the guy in Austria getting his official ID picture with a pasta strainer hat, and had to know more about the Flying Spaghetti Monster.  I dimly remember mention of FSM in the past, probably in 2005, but didn't then realize the good work that was being done in keeping ID out of the schools using humor and reason, but am now completely converted.

I wanted to share a picture of the applique I just completed, especially since I won't be able to wear it for quite some time. (It's on a fleece vest and the heat index was over 100 most of the time I was working on it.)  I wish your store had jackets or coats so we could show our FSM pride all year long here in the north, t-shirts just aren't visible for much of the year in the upper Midwest.

Thanks!

Lucy the 'splainer

Des Moines, Iowa

Is this the FSM in an ancient cave painting?

On my last vacation on Corsica, I managed to take a photo of an ancient cave painting.

The tour guide told us the paintings are dated back to 22.000 – 23.000 BC.
Let this be a sign to all who doubt the existence of the noodly one,
depicted here giving blessing to humans, deer and what seem to be flying penguins.

And let those who dare call this photoshopped see the errors of their minds and eat more pasta.

Arrrr,
Torsten

As is the custom with significant religious discoveries, I suggest we all have faith in the legitimacy of this painting now, before there is evidence to form a reasoned opinion (and after, in the case of contrary evidence shedding doubt.)  I Believe.