Sweetjoni’s Weblog

http://www.wired.com/culture/education/news/2007/11/flying_spaghetti_monster

“Flying Spaghetti Monster Inspires Wonky Religious Debate” by Randy Dotinga

This article was about the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It talked about the debate about the legitimacy of this religion. Bobby Henderson created this religion to protest Kansas’ Board of Education’s decision to teach intelligent design in schools. The number of followers, also known as Pastafarians, has increased because of the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s presence on the internet. I think the most relevant aspect of the article was the part that talked about relgious debates, involving “the secular versus the profane, the fake versus the real, and the roles of communities and parody in religion.”

The secular versus the profane relates to our class’ discussion about liminality and communitas, as well as intent. Some people are very offended by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. They say it mocks god and religion. Others say it is worth taking a look at. People’s perception of Pastafarianism is very much related to communitas. People see that it instills value with a lasting quality, but they also see it as temporary. It temporarily makes fun of religion, demonstrates a point, and the community of those observing it benefit. I think those who are offended by the Flying Spaghetti Monster think that the intent behind it was to mock god. I can understand that, but I really think that the intent behind it was to show a couple of points, those being 1) Separation of the church and state are important, and 2) All religions should be equal, regardless of how silly they might seem.

Personally, I am rather fond of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Often, funny things that draw people together via the internet have no point. This is really cool because it was created by an activist to keep religion out of schools. Its really great when smart people do cool and funny things. This wasn’t just some viral video online, it was a protest. The Flying Spaghetti Monster symbolizes the importance of keeping religion separate from science.

-Joni Sweet