Blessings for Australia's soccer crusaders

Brother DaveL has left a comment with us on this blog, and his remarks deserve wider attention among the faithful in Australia. In particular, he has again been in direct contact with the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Who is "mighty impressed with the feats of the Socceroos in this years' World Cup".

Brother Dave added: "A trusted source snapped this shot of The Great One over Uluru, well into the World Cup festivities."

I trust Brother Axel will not mind us reproducing the image here, in order to strengthen the faith of Pastafarians around Australia. As a small and somewhat uncertain nation, we do like to be noticed...

Graced with a visit by the noodly one...?

The image seems clear - but can the noodly one have dangled an appendage over the wide brown land?

If any other pastafarians out there have any other sightings to report or even evidence of being visited we are keen to hear.

"Qualified" support for ID

Dr Brendan Nelson, then Australia's Minister for Education, Science and Training, spoke at the National Press Club in Canberra on 10 August 2005.

Dr Nelson, also a medical doctor, was asked whether Intelligent Design should be taught in Australian classrooms. He replied that Intelligent Design should not replace evolution in schools, and he went on:

"I mean as far as I'm concerned students can be taught and should be taught the basic science in terms of the evolution of man, but if schools also want to present students with intelligent design, I don't have any difficulty with that... it's about choice, reasonable choice. And there are something like a million children and their parents who've already exercised that choice and they've gone to a whole variety of schools for a lot of reasons and this is one of them."

Earlier, in his prepared speech as part of Australian Science Week, Dr Nelson said:

"Science is many things I suppose. It's about knowledge; it’s about curiosity, intellectual rigour and the testing of evidence. But it's also, for those of us perhaps who are not scientists, also about hope and about trust.

"Hope is arguably the most fragile, yet powerful of human emotions and in many ways it drives our faith and our confidence in enhancing the human condition and improving the lives of all of us, but more importantly those of the next generation.

"But it's also about trust. Trust from those of us who are not perhaps as scientifically literate as many of you," he said.

We give thanks to the Noodly One for intervening to move Dr Nelson to his current position in the Government as Minister for Defence. He is presumably better suited for a role that requires less 'curiousity', 'intellectual rigour' and 'scientific literacy'.

RAmen.

A creed indeed

As you know, we strive to maintain theological rigour and unity in the Australian Pastafarian community (apart from some unease about the Stripper Factory - which could yet be an Edifying Metaphor to guide our spiritual progress). So we are grateful to the salty sea dog Aussie DaveL for pointing us towards the creed of the Pastafarian faith. We offer it here to guide the Noodly Followers and encourage those who are yet to dip their fork in.


I believe in the One Monster, Creator of Goodness and of Nourishment, and of Sustenance.

I believe in the Pasta, and the Sauce, and the Meatballs, for they provide me all that I need.

I believe in the Many Beverages that the Flying Spaghetti Monster provides, for they engender true fellowship, and will quaff them heartily, whether it be Beer, or Wine, or Sweet Ice Tea (in the South) or even Milk or Kool-Aid, for it is not good to withhold fluids, and we need to take care of our Bodies, the Beneficiaries of His Holy Goodness.

I believe that in his Creamy Deliciousness, He has given us the healthful Green Salad, the Yummy Garlic Bread, and the Blessed Cheese for the top of our Spaghetti, and If we eat All our Dinner, a Dessert of Extreme Chocolateness will surely follow, preferably Dark Chocolate, for it is Good. (That part's my idea, the dark chocolate part.)

I believe that Our Wonderful Flying Spaghetti Monster is neither Male, nor Female, but is instead beyond the reaches of the gender confusion of Man and Woman Kind, yea, the FSM is ageless, timeless and all-encompassing.

I believe that FSM has created all there is for our entertainment and sustenance, and has given unto us the mental capacity to adapt the mythologies of This Universe to aid and comfort us here, until that day we are able to join together at the foot of the Beer Volcano and enumerate our specifications at the Stripper Factory so that happiness and contentedness and good cheer be present for all, forever and forever,

RAmen.

Presented unto you as instruction in the Faith, and to answer some questions up front.
===============================================

Actual theological progression of Pastafarianism, the largest sect of the Pasta-based denominations, is--

Pasta--leader of a congregation
Bishop--oversees several congregations within a geographic area
ArchBishop--for when there are more groups that the Bishops alone can deal with
Pastriarch--Head of the Pastfarian church in a country. Very large countries may have Vice Pastriarchs.

Power is vested in the Individual Pastafarian, and flows from there to the Pasta, to the various Bishops, and then to the Pastriarch.

The nurturance of the believers by the Pasta, the Bishops and the Pastriarch is a key element. This is not technically a hierarchy, as the power flows upward, not down from the Pastriarch. These are serving positions, not power positions, and are advisory to the individuals "below" them on the chart.

Pastafarianism does not support the use of the word "flock" when referring to a body of believers. That is a Sheparding term, and Our Delicious and Nourishing Monster has not been caring for us by following us around with a crook and a couple of dogs. If you're looking for a flock to fleece, study Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell. Not Jim Bakker, because he got caught. THOSE guys. FSM is not one of them.

Seeking rank and power is contrary to the example of the FSM. All His children are equal in his Noodly Eyestalks.

RAmen. So be it by the Revelation of FSM to His servant.

These guys need some canelloni

Yaaaaaar!

Greetings to all swashbucklers and spaghetti munchers out there. Ironically in our sights tonight is "Sight Magazine" and this article in particular which seems to contravene, oh I'm not sure, but most of the 8 I'd really etcs...

There seems to be an irreducably complex logic behind Mr Nyhuis's article. He has spent 15 years in Victorian class rooms, perhaps he has a time machine and uses it to whizz back to 1856, because it seems a bit of a worry for him to be teaching "science" in modern Australia.

Still he probably needs a nice steaming bowl of ravioli and a couple of sea shanties before bed time (can I mention bed, is that OK?) and that would see him right. Anyway, will keep you posted on Sight, they have a fascinating Symposium coming up in Melbourne soon - oh to be in Melbourne with a cutlass that day..

RAmen

Australians thank You, Noodly One

Fellow Pastafarians, the time is right. The time to take a stand. To take our rightful place in this country. Australia's national dish, after all, is said to be spaghetti bolognese. If that's not A Sign, I don't know what is.

Now, I'm reluctant to get serious with you on a Sunday evening (and at a time when you'd rather be praising His Noodly Greatness for giving us a black and white round ball, and instructing us to kick it from end to end of a pitch, for ninety minutes, plus extra time). But I must get serious for a moment - this is nothing less than Our Mission to bring Pastafarianism to Australia.

The door is opening, and we must put on our eye-patches and scarves and prepare to step through it.

Over the past few months, we've heard about organisations attempting to introduce "Intelligent Design" into the study of science in Australia.

Intelligent Design, or ID, claims that nature is so complex that it could not have evolved by itself. This complexity is a sign that life must have been created by an intelligent designer. Say, God.

These groups are trying to import a theory from the US that has been used (with some success) to attack the teaching of evolution in high schools.

In November 2005, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that one religious group was targeting up to 3,000 schools with free copies of a DVD about Intelligent Design. Some Australian schools are said to be already teaching ID in their science classrooms.

Ted Boyce, the Principal of the Pacific Hills Christian School in New South Wales, told the ABC's Catalyst program: "We believe that our students need to know what different theories there are available for them to understand so that they can then make up their own minds what they believe and why they believe it."

Now, we couldn't agree with Ted more. Students need to be given information about all of the different theories about the creation of life. Including ours.

Pastafarians believe (and I say this for those of you who are new to our number) the universe was created by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. He created the Earth to appear much older than it is and, even today, he intervenes with the touch of His Noodly Appendages to confound our puny attempts to explain the universe with reason alone.

Ted and his cohorts are not ashamed of their beliefs. On the contrary, they are proud. They are proud to say that their untestable personal beliefs deserve a place in the teaching of science in Australia.

So are we. We are proud to proclaim that our belief, the theory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, should also be taught in schools, with the blessing of the community and Australian politicians.

My Brother in the stuggle, Pastor Al Dente, and I are putting out the call to Australia to embrace Pastafarianism. To look around you and see His Touch everywhere. And most of all, to stake our claim for Our Youth to be given the facts about the Noodly One, so they can make up their own minds.

If only they are touched by his Appendage, I have all faith that they will join us.

Now back to the game.

Ramen.

Time to teach some controversy

Greetings to the faithfullish. In the spirit of the 5th I'd Really You Rather Didn't, it's just after lunchtime and no better time to get down to some serious Sunday afternoon theology, remember just because "most Australians don't care about Darwininism" (http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/1213.htm) doesn't mean it's not lurking out there undermining our faith and overcooking the tagliatelli. Time to teach the controversy in Australian schools, and at the risk of encouraging theophagy, time to serve lasagne in the canteens too.

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum to all your noodlacious pirates out there. Ramen

Pastor Al Dente

Welcome

Welcome to the Australian Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM). With talk of importing Intelligent Design into Australia, we know 2006 will be a big year for our movement and our Noodly Creator. We see the work of His Noodly Appendage behind this debate, and we look forward to donning full pirate regalia and taking our rightful place - teaching the truth of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in classrooms across the country. We hope you will join us in our quest.

RAmen