The Flying Spaghetti Monster Goes Mainstream

In 2005, during the debate in Kansas over the teaching of intelligent design in public school science classes, Bobby Henderson weighed in with an interesting perspective. Claiming to represent 10 million followers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, he demanded that the school board recognize their unique brand of creation theory as well; basically that everything that is known to man was created by a monster made out of spaghetti.

Of course, Henderson's demands were made with tongue placed firmly in cheek; however, he hoped to raise important questions through his ridiculous claims. Mainly, he hoped to show that if proponents of intelligent design could demand equal time in science classes, then anyone else could, too.

His solution to the problem? Teach only the best science available and leave the rest to more suitable forums. What an excellent idea!

Since that dramatic inception, Flying Spaghetti Monsterism has grown into an internet phenomenon and is now moving into the academic mainstream. The AP reports that the psuedo-religion was presented in a panel discussion at the American Academy of Religion's annual meeting this past weekend. From the article:

"'For a lot of people they're just sort of fun responses to religion, or fun responses to organized religion. But I think it raises real questions about how people approach religion in their lives,' said Samuel Snyder, one of the three Florida graduate students who will give talks at the meeting next Monday along with Alyssa Beall of Syracuse University.

The presenters' titles seem almost a parody themselves of academic jargon. Snyder will speak about "Holy Pasta and Authentic Sauce: The Flying Spaghetti Monster's Messy Implications for Theorizing Religion," while Gavin Van Horn's presentation is titled 'Noodling around with Religion: Carnival Play, Monstrous Humor, and the Noodly Master.'"

Also from the article:

"the tale of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and its followers cuts to the heart of the one of the thorniest questions in religious studies: What defines a religion? Does it require a genuine theological belief? Or simply a set of rituals and a community joining together as a way of signaling their cultural alliances to others?"

These are certainly interesting questions to consider as the world continues to become more globalized and people have ever-increasing access to new sources of information, cultures, and ideology.