Bobby Henderson's Blog, page 27
April 10, 2011
Argentina FSM Cake
Fellow Pastafarians,
Since my girlfriend Dafne and me are devote followers of His Noodliness, I decided to make a FSM cake for her birthday.
Special thanks to my mom for helping me make this a delicious religious experience :)
Yarrr!
Ignacio.-
April 9, 2011
A Warning
While I am not of your "religion". I will not trash your website like the majority of the blundering baboons around here, instead I am here to support not your religion, but your attempt to keep religion and education separate. The constitution gives the people not only of freedom of religion but freedom from it. By teaching religion in any public school you are effectively taking away that right. Many, however argue that it is by "majority rules" that the teaching is decided. This argument is stultifying to many of the proponents of this argument, because if this was true, slavery would still be legal.
I am a Hindu and have an open mind to virtually all religions. I know that this religion is not a real religion; but an attempt to show the errors and flaws of most organized religion and those who support it's full integration into state affairs. I support your attempt to show how religion should not be taught in public education. The majority of people ranting on your website are not venting against the concept of separation of religion and public education, but against your satire of their religion.
Yet, I must warn you not to take this to far. You're tab with the word hate mail is almost doing this. I am not worried too much about this, but the whole thing will make some people very irate. It might push some maniac over the edge and cause them to grab a gun and go after you. This has happened in the past, remember Malcolm X? Thus, I propose that you put somewhere on your front page of the site, that this is not an actual religion but an attempt to keep religion out of public schools.
Thank You,
A concerned supporter
Nikhil
I don't think Nikhil meant direct criticism (or veiled threat) with this message.
I take issue with the idea of real religion, as if such a thing can be defined and agreed upon. I've said it in the past and I still believe strongly that there is no classification of religion without agenda. I don't expect mainstream religion (or a government influenced by mainstream religion) to see ours as a real religion because there is every incentive to see us as something else. A joke, a way to mock their beliefs. They will see us in terms that serve their purpose.
Most Pastafarians do want to keep religion out of schools, most of us are against tax exemptions (and indirect subsidies) for religious institutions. We object to the power religion is allowed in government, and the excuses made for leaders of religion. We're saddened that it's still seen as improper to criticize anything related to mainstream religion.
But this isn't just because we're Pastafarians. It's because Pastafarians are rational, reasonable, intelligent people who are not driven by any particular dogmatic thinking. We are individuals who reject the concept of faith-over-reason, of indoctrination, and the fact that we've formed a group does not mean that we've come to these conclusions because that's the group opinion.
Why does humor invalidate our beliefs? I see this argument all the time and don't understand it. The idea that FSM is not an actual religion because it's satire or this or that is obviously a joke – so what? I'd argue that for the same reason Jon Stewart's Daily Show has value as actual news, FSM has value as actual religion. Different, yes, but that is the point. Not everyone gets it – but again, that is the point. We reject lowest common denominator indoctrination in favor of nuanced thinking.
Is it just that mainstream religion is so utterly humorless? Most religious people I know have a great sense of humor but I think they would agree that the institution of religion is rigid and stifling. There are obvious areas where it's not ok to make a joke. One of the creepiest things I find about religion is that feeling that everyone is trying to act very serious.
Our religion may not fit the definition of real religion as defined by outsiders. But make no mistake – we have no ambition for FSM to be similar to mainstream religions. How we're classified is not important to us. And while we understand that not everyone will get what we're doing and why we're doing it, it's not our intention to offend – but nor is it our highest priority to avoid offense.
April 7, 2011
Indiana Abortion Drama
"I mean, do a group of old white ladies govern what goes on with my balls? No. They don't. But this is what happens in America. Old white men who believe in an invisible man in the sky get to say what goes on in all women's vaginas." – Ned Hepburn, Death and Taxes.
Old white men
Death and Taxes magazine has an enlightening article on the showdown in Indiana over abortion you might want to check out.
Some background information: Indiana republicans are attempting to pass a bill to make abortions illegal after the 20th week. Democrats are opposed, and back and forth discussions have turned nasty – at one point Eric Turner, a republican House of Representatives member, suggested women may fake a rape in order to get an abortion.
As much as I want to stay away from political (and emotionally charged) issues, it seems that there is something more insidious happening here that needs attention. It's plain this is less about governing and more about pushing a conservative, religious, agenda. More and more we're seeing this brazen attitude where government officials are doing "God's work" – not always explicitly declared, but not uncommon, either – and more worryingly, no longer is this seen as an extreme position by many. A disturbing number of people don't see anything wrong with this, they somehow think that state capitals and courtrooms are a proper venue for these ideological battles.
Regardless of personal views on abortion, we all have an interest in keeping these discussions out of government. At a time when the economy is on the edge of collapse, when we are fighting multiple wars, when millions are unemployed or underemployed, our government is spending time arguing over personal ideology. This is precisely why religion was meant to be kept out of government.
What do Pastafarians think about the abortion issue? I for one believe that Life begins at the Creation of the sperm, and that sperm, as potential human lives, deserve equal protection given to fetuses and grown children. Think of the billions of sperm needlessly killed by such things as hot tubs and tight-fitting underwear. In the future we will learn to save every sperm Created, so these potential lives can each develop into human adults as the FSM intended. Who's with me?
Join me at Save-Our-Sperm.org (a work in progress).
April 6, 2011
Pasta Lord – a poem
Hi. So, I'm new to Pastafarianism, but I'm finding the transition easy enough. I was eating some awesome ravioli the other day, and it occurred to me to make an FSM-inspired poem for National Poetry Writing Month. I thought I'd share.
—Judd, Philippines
Pasta Lord
Slippery tendrils lash above the sea
In a frantic manner to save what be
A crew of pirates, stranded, latching on
To his noodly appendages a'dawn.
His Noodliness holds two spheres of meat
Muddled in the tangle of pasta, neat.
In Him, I find true mirth; my solace, joy!
The Pasta Lord, He taketh me—ahoy!
He promises a Kingdom grand, so long
As we abide by Captain Mosey's song:
Yon, beer and ale spurt out of mountaintops;
A stripper factory that does not stop.
Rejoice, for He has boiled for our sins!
And now his wheaty sauce runs 'neath our skins.
My Pasta Lord who flies with wholegrain love,
Invisible in the heavens above.
April 5, 2011
Noodly sky sighting
Not long after I learned about Pastafarianism I was taking pictures of fireworks and captured the attached picture. I never got around to sending it in but I figured better late than never!
–Zoe
(Taken in PA)
March 31, 2011
Petroglyph evidence of the FSM
We have this picture of His Noodliness from a spot North of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, from some petroglyphs in las Labradas and here it is.
-Antonia
March 29, 2011
March 23, 2011
Minecraft Pastafarian Temple
Dan created this Pastafarian Temple in Minecraft – the massively popular multiplayer sandbox survival game in which you place and destroy blocks. Religious people often build churches and mosques on the landscape. Dan put them to shame with this masterpiece:
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