In the latest issue of the Eagle, I was surprised and disheartened to see the insensitive and hurtful remarks of Nathan Hunerwadel, besmirching the good deeds of heroic Pastafarians and Prophet of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Bobby Henderson. When Mr. Hunerwadel described the missionary work of our Evangelical Pastafarians as "a shameless and intolerant attack on Christianity," he drastically mischaracterized the intentions and values of Pastafarians the world over.
I am sure Mr. Hunerwadel did not write his editorial with malice in his heart, but rather did not fully understand the delicate intricacies of the Flying Spaghetti Monsterism (FSM) faith. This was most notable when Mr. Hunerwadel questioned the tolerance of Pastafarians.
Central to the FSM faith are the tenets of inclusion and tolerance. In fact, the religion itself hinges on the idea of exposing school children to differing beliefs as to the origin of life and the creation of species. While we Pastafarians believe that in the beginning, a Flying Spaghetti Monster created all that we see and feel, we firmly contend that the theories of evolution and Christian intelligent design be given equal time in biology classrooms. Even though we know, in our heart of hearts, that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe, we respect the faith of intelligent design proponents and the staggering mountain of observable evidence supporting evolution cited by scientists the world over.
I must admit that I was not entirely shocked to see the way Mr. Hunerwadel responded to our Pastafarian evangelizing. When people are confronted by things of which they are ignorant, they will often react out of fear. Perhaps I could clear up some misunderstandings if I provided some history of FSM. You see, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster came about in early 2004 when our Prophet, Bobby Henderson wrote his now famous Open Letter to the Kansas School Board. At the time, the board was considering changing the biology curriculum to include alternative theories to evolution, the most prominent of which being intelligent design. In his letter, Bobby requested that FSM intelligent design be taught alongside the other theories. From this simple and respectful request, the Church was born. One of the fastest growing religions, today there are over 10 million practicing Pastafarians across the globe who each have their own deep and personal relationship with their Noodly Lord and Creator, the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Of course, there is infinitely more to FSM than what I can convey in this one article. If FSM is something that appeals to you, I would highly recommend visiting the digital hub of our Maker at www.venganza.org. Also, I would encourage you to keep your eyes peeled next semester for the newly created AU chapter of the Church of the FSM. We will look to continue spreading the good word of the FSM to the masses, so that hopefully they too can be touched by His noodly appendage, just as we have.
Flying Spaghetti Monsterism is a religion of acceptance and tolerance. We Pastafarians gladly welcome other ideas being taught alongside our own, be they literal interpretations of the Bible or logical conclusions based on overwhelming amounts of physical evidence. I hope this article can be a stepping stone for bridging the divide that has arisen between Mr. Hunerwadel and us.
Lastly, in a heartfelt and sincere display of civility, the Flying Spaghetti Monster has requested to be Mr. Hunerwadel's friend on Facebook. We eagerly await his confirmation.
May we all be touched by His noodly appendage this. RAmen!
Matt Kent is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs
