Recently during a quiet dinner in TDR my train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a wonderfully tolerant American University student who decided that it would be clever to place flyers touting "Flying Spaghetti Monsterism" (FSM) on the tables around the cafeteria.
"What in the world is Spaghetti Monsterism?" I thought. Well, it turns out that this is nothing more than a blatant, perverse and shameless mockery of Christ.
I did a little research and discovered that the flyers had been taken from the website, venganza.org. The site was put together by Bobby Henderson, age 24, who lives in Oregon. Mr. Henderson uses the website to publicize for his "Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsterism" which was created in an open letter that he sent to the Kansas School Board. In the letter Mr. Henderson mocks intelligent design by inferring that it is comparable to his FSM. He states that, "Many people around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel". The intent of the letter is to challenge those who support teaching intelligent design in schools. But is that all that he is doing?
I would make the argument that he is doing much more then simply poking fun at intelligent design. No, Mr. Henderson is not merely mocking intelligent design. He is mocking Christ and Christianity. Consider the following examples found on his promotional materials:
"WWFSMD" (What would Flying Spaghetti Monster Do?)
"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery"
"Obey your noodly master"
"Join our church or burn in Hell"
"His word is coming: The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster"
"Intelligent Design with Balls - Two holy meatballs and omnipotent noodly appendages"
"I was touched by His Noodly Appendage"
"This mug holds coffee AND [his emphasis] pisses off Jesus" (In reference to a promotional mug)
These statements do not create an intellectually advanced challenge to intelligent design rather they make up a shameless and intolerant attack on Christianity. Mr. Henderson says so himself; he is attempting to "piss of Jesus".
Perhaps some can read this material and simply pass it off as comical, throwing it aside after a good laugh. Yet, I cannot. I cannot simply sit by and watch students irreverently attack the God in whom I put my faith and trust.
Now, I could react by defending intelligent design. But that would miss the point. Mr. Richardson's comments point towards a larger issue, the mockery of Christ. Should I then step up and defend Christ? It is not necessary. Christ does not need my feeble words to defend him. His creation speaks for itself, pointing to his existence and majesty.
Thus, I will not set out to defend Christ from Mr. Henderson's attacks. However, I will stand up and voice one concern.
One of the cornerstones of modern intellectual thought is the concept of liberty. From liberty we get the term liberal, which retains the root "liber" meaning free. During the Enlightenment period, a period whose influence reaches deep into the foundations of current intellectual thought, liberal was taken to mean - "free from prejudice, tolerant" (www.etymonline.com). Considering this definition of liberalism, my concern is this; Mr. Henderson's comments are in direct violation of liberalism. His comments, while they are protected under the first amendment, do not reflect the liberal spirit of the amendment. FSM is intolerant and prejudiced; a perverse mockery of what many hold sacred. If we stand by and let our peers follow Mr. Henderson's example then we are allowing them to slowly chip away at the foundations of liberty itself.
The student(s) who placed the FSM fliers should be reprimanded. Not only did they break university guidelines by placing unauthorized materials in the Terrace Dining Room, but more importantly the literature they promoted is blatantly prejudiced and intolerant; in violation of the very liberal ideals that are foundational to modern intellectual thought.
These students must realize that they are at a university setting. A setting that is meant to foster education in a liberal atmosphere where intellectual diversity and freedom is supposed to be the goal. Thus fliers which tout an ideology that is a mockery of any belief should not be tolerated. It is not o.k. to single out any belief system and simply mock it. If the goal is to challenge a belief system, the challenge should be done through proper devises, such as intellectual forums and debates, not through shameless and gutless mockery of those with whom you disagree.
In the discussion area of the FSM website the main rule is, "Civility, no denigration of the beliefs of others". Mr. Henderson, you are in direct violation of your own rule. You mock Christ and Christianity even while you call for civility and respect for others beliefs. You have no concern for civility when Christianity is concerned. You do not hesitate to denigrate Christianity. This is a glaring double standard.
I ask you this; why does it seem o.k. to mock Christ and Christianity even while calling for civility and respect? What would happen if I, in the name of liberty and civility, publicly said similar comments but instead of mocking Jesus Christ I mocked Allah or Muhammad? What would happen if I openly mocked the beliefs of other groups here at AU? Homosexuals? Feminists? Environmentalists? If I shamelessly mocked your beliefs what would you do? Would you all sit and watch. Just laugh and carry on as students did as they read the FSM literature? I doubt it.
In background of the flyer that was placed on my table was the painting, The Creation of Man, by Michelangelo. Yet, in the respectful spirit of the flyer, the painting had been changed. Michelangelo's image of God had been replaced with the image of FSM; a hideous looking spaghetti monster consisting of "Two holy meatballs and omnipotent noodly appendages".
Tell me that this does not attempt to denigrate Christ and Christianity. Tell me that whoever placed these fliers did so in a civil, liberal spirit. I am not convinced, rather I am disgusted.
Nathan Hunerwadel is a sophomore in the School of International Service.
