Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

[Sheenar]

I have an online friend who is an atheist and she has mentioned this Flying Spaghetti Monster many times in our conversations.

From what I understand, it was created as a spoof of religion several years back. But I don't understand completely what the purpose of it is or why several people that I know ascribe to Pastafarianism.

Does anyone have any experience with this? What is a good way to open discussion with someone who follows this trend?

[Nate]

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is a parody of Intelligent Design.

Basically, some Christian groups think Intelligent Design should be taught in science class, despite the fact it is not science but theology. So one guy said "Well I believe in a god that created the universe that looks like spaghetti and meatballs and I think my Pastafarian beliefs should be given equal teaching time to Intelligent Design in the classroom."

The fact is that of course Intelligent Design uses the phrase "intelligent designer" rather than God (so they can try to get around separation of church and state), and so conceivably anything could be this intelligent designer, including a flying spaghetti monster.

The FSM started out as a parody of Creationism and Intelligent Design but has since come to be a parody of religion in general.

[armeck]

it can also be reference to Scientology

[Sheenar]

Thanks for explaining, Nate! I had seen and heard the FSM come up many times, but didn't know much about it.

[Atria35]

it can also be reference to Scientology

Or not. It has no relation to the Church of Scientology.

to Sheenar- Yeah, what Nate said. I personally was on the site and thought it was absolutely hilarious. I'm a particular fan of their adopted symbol

[Nate]

I like FSM okay but my personal favorite Intelligent Design theory is that Slash from Guns N' Roses is an alien from another dimension who came to this universe and created it with the power of rock and sweet guitar solos.

[ShiroiHikari]

I like FSM okay but my personal favorite Intelligent Design theory is that Slash from Guns N' Roses is an alien from another dimension who came to this universe and created it with the power of rock and sweet guitar solos.

I could get behind this.

[Nate]

The platypus was created when Slash was going all out on a guitar solo and it got pretty crazy.

[Beau Soir]

I've never heard of the FSM's Church before, but I've heard of a very similar phrase used by some of the atheists I've met- "a giant spaghetti monster in the sky." How I've heard the phrase been used, the people were saying that believing in God's existence is equivalent to believing that such a nonsense thing exists... Or that it's as likely that God exists as a giant spaghetti monster in the sky exists.

[Furen]

I've never heard of the FSM's Church before.

I bet you could if you looked for a Pastafarian church instead of an FSM church.

[Dante]

It's a parody developed by an atheist made to mock the "intelligent design" option validated by the Kansas School Board. The idea being that, instead of an intelligent designer, there could be a Flying Speghetti Monster that created the universe just as much as an intelligent designer. As to what the argument is trying to get at, it implies that there are an infinite number of stories that could lead up to the creation of the world, so if you must teach all because you can't mathematically make a perfect proof of evolution, then you must teach all of them, which would take forever, or teach none of them because of a lack of time.

But the FSM didn't end here, in fact it supposedly has it's own "bible" now. Link. Supposedly it's rather funny to atheists and perhaps even VERY open minded theists. A related concept is the pink invisible unicorn, which (because it is invisible) one cannot say whether or not it is pink (It's an argument by atheists where they say that, because we can't gain any physical evidence of God (as it's all by faith), then how can we ascribe properties to him, that would be like saying an invisible unicorn is pink, even though no one has ever seen it).

You may or may not be offended by all of this, but honestly, if you think about it. What would you prefer? A boring concept trying to prove their ideas with letters, or something fairly comical. If I ever have to enter one of these miserable conversations, at least I am granted the opportunity of laughing.

That stated, this strays a little into political territory, so I won't continue any farther then saying this. Please do not prompt for further info or thoughts except via PM.

Thanks,
Pascal

[Sheol777]

If you think the FSM is bad, have you heard of The Church of the SubGenius? It's a parody religion that is pretty wacky and encourages humor. Interesting read.

[Doubleshadow]

I like FSM okay but my personal favorite Intelligent Design theory is that Slash from Guns N' Roses is an alien from another dimension who came to this universe and created it with the power of rock and sweet guitar solos.

Slash is Valhallahn?

[Dante]

Slash is Valhallahn?

No, no no... you're getting your mythologies up, only the warriors resurrected for Ragnarok survive to go to Valhalla and that's in Nordic mythology. You know, with Fenrir, Loki, Zarn Ishtare... We're talking about "other" types of "silly" religions here, like the Church of the Jedi, or Scientology.

[Nate]

She was talking about Valhallahn from the Justice Friends. He was the blonde haired guy with the sweet axe who lived with Major Glory and the Infraggable Krunk.

[Fish and Chips]

She was talking about Valhallahn from the Justice Friends. He was the blonde haired guy with the sweet axe who lived with Major Glory and the Infraggable Krunk.

I still hate that Justice Friends was never its own show.

[mysngoeshere56]

Wow - I've never heard of any of this before... I still find it kind of confusing, though.

So basically, some people wanted to mock the idea of intelligent design, even though they couldn't disprove it. So, they came up with the flying spaghetti monster and invisible pink unicorn as parody-deities so that they could still teach "intelligent design" through other means which couldn't be disproved? Is that the basic idea or am I missing something?

[Mr. SmartyPants]

It's mocking intelligent design because intelligent design can't be quantified as a science despite people lobbying that it ought to be taught in schools. Finding flaws and holes in a scientific theory does not mean you always add in a theistic and unsubstantiated alternative or explanation.

And it's true. Much like how philosophy is not scientific, neither can theology be. Now of course sometimes they do mesh together (i.e. cognitive sciences and neurology) but they generally just in two different ballparks of study.

[mysngoeshere56]

It's mocking intelligent design because intelligent design can't be quantified as a science despite people lobbying that it ought to be taught in schools. Finding flaws and holes in a scientific theory does not mean you always add in a theistic and unsubstantiated alternative or explanation.

And it's true. Much like how philosophy is not scientific, neither can theology be. Now of course sometimes they do mesh together (i.e. cognitive sciences and neurology) but they generally just in two different ballparks of study.

Hmm... All right, I think I get it now. Thanks.

[ShiroiHikari]

I still hate that Justice Friends was never its own show.

Me too.

[Nate]

Actually the invisible pink unicorn existed before the Flying Spaghetti Monster did, I believe. That's because FSM was made in response to the teaching of ID in science classes (which was only a few years ago) whereas the invisible pink unicorn is a parody of religion in general.

According to wiki, the earliest known written reference to the IPU was on July 7, 1990, whereas the FSM was created in 2005.

[Rusty Claymore]

Home video of an FSM service in Japan.

[Fish and Chips]

Those of you who read Franken Fran also get a chapter dedicated to the FSM.

Home video of an FSM service in Japan.

Think you linked the wrong video dude.

[Atria35]

Those of you who read Franken Fran also get a chapter dedicated to the FSM.

I read that chapter. It was awesome

[Nate]

Home video of an FSM service in Japan.

I don't get it.

[Sheenar]

I don't get it.

She's throwing spaghetti, so maybe that has something to do with it? Flying spaghetti?

I don't know. *shrugs*

[mysngoeshere56]

I don't get it.

I don't either... I was just afraid to say so because I thought I was the only one. XD

But yeah, I noticed she was throwing cheese that got all stringy at some point, so I was wondering if that had something to do with it...

[Nate]

She's throwing spaghetti, so maybe that has something to do with it? Flying spaghetti?

She was? The video quality was bad enough that I couldn't tell what she was throwing exactly. Plus it doesn't help that I don't like the song "Pretty Woman" so I closed it after about 30 seconds.

[Rusty Claymore]

Yes, the throwing of the spaghetti.

[Atria35]

She was? The video quality was bad enough that I couldn't tell what she was throwing exactly. Plus it doesn't help that I don't like the song "Pretty Woman" so I closed it after about 30 seconds.

Watch it again with the sound off. It's actually pretty awesome.