A word in defense of the Church of the FSM. As I understand it, they came into existence at least in part in opposition to Kansas's decision to require the teaching of creationism in science classes, as an alternative to evolution. The argument from Kansas was that creationism was the belief claimed by a significant number of people. The FSM folks corraled a bunch of people to proclaim the belief that a FSM created the universe, and therfore should be taught along with creationism and evolution. Disingenuous, yes. But in my view, a clever and lighthearted, if roundabout, defense of science.
Yes, that's my understanding too. That it started about as a way of protesting creationism in schools, and more broadly any church/state separation issues. But even more broadly, it functions as a satire of religion in general, with the implication that religious people envision God as a humanoid white guy in the sky, no less absurd than the FSM. Here is where I part ways with the Pastafarians, both on the understanding of God and the strategy of satirizing other people's meaning structures.
I can't help feeling the members of this church have been disappointed and disillusioned by traditional religion (which is easy to understand) and yet...they belong to the church of the FSM because they really do have a yearning to be connected to a church community.
In Yoruba mythology, Obatala was drunk on palm wine when he created humans (hence the misfortunes we suffer), so an inebriated creator did not start with Pastafarians.
Destabilizing for sport is the fate/pastime of failed Abrahamists. They should destabilize for truth instead.
I have found that many people who abandon their Abrahamic faith end up holding on to some/many Abrahamic concepts. The major thing they jettison is the concept of a creator deity, along with that deity's blueprint for creation.
They then engage in sniping at their former deity--what you term destabilizing--since while they still like some/many of the premises of Abrahamism, they do not like the authority Abrahamism grants its creator deity.
I am not sure that this practice is nihilistic--Buddhism gets that slur thrown at it all the time, so I may be over-skeptical when it is made--but it is destabilizing in a limited/sportive way since some/many Abrahamic tenets are still maintained.
Hence my hope that if people are going to destabilize that they do it not for sport, but for truth.
A word in defense of the Church of the FSM. As I understand it, they came into existence at least in part in opposition to Kansas's decision to require the teaching of creationism in science classes, as an alternative to evolution. The argument from Kansas was that creationism was the belief claimed by a significant number of people. The FSM folks corraled a bunch of people to proclaim the belief that a FSM created the universe, and therfore should be taught along with creationism and evolution. Disingenuous, yes. But in my view, a clever and lighthearted, if roundabout, defense of science.
Yes, that's my understanding too. That it started about as a way of protesting creationism in schools, and more broadly any church/state separation issues. But even more broadly, it functions as a satire of religion in general, with the implication that religious people envision God as a humanoid white guy in the sky, no less absurd than the FSM. Here is where I part ways with the Pastafarians, both on the understanding of God and the strategy of satirizing other people's meaning structures.
I can't help feeling the members of this church have been disappointed and disillusioned by traditional religion (which is easy to understand) and yet...they belong to the church of the FSM because they really do have a yearning to be connected to a church community.
Indeed. You can build some kind of community around anything, as the internet has shown.
In Yoruba mythology, Obatala was drunk on palm wine when he created humans (hence the misfortunes we suffer), so an inebriated creator did not start with Pastafarians.
Destabilizing for sport is the fate/pastime of failed Abrahamists. They should destabilize for truth instead.
Fascinating about the Yoruba myth! Very cool. And believable. I'm not sure what you mean by your second sentence. Can you elaborate?
Apologies for my delay in responding.
I have found that many people who abandon their Abrahamic faith end up holding on to some/many Abrahamic concepts. The major thing they jettison is the concept of a creator deity, along with that deity's blueprint for creation.
They then engage in sniping at their former deity--what you term destabilizing--since while they still like some/many of the premises of Abrahamism, they do not like the authority Abrahamism grants its creator deity.
I am not sure that this practice is nihilistic--Buddhism gets that slur thrown at it all the time, so I may be over-skeptical when it is made--but it is destabilizing in a limited/sportive way since some/many Abrahamic tenets are still maintained.
Hence my hope that if people are going to destabilize that they do it not for sport, but for truth.
This makes a lot of sense. Thank you.
And thank you for inspiring the the thoughts and the post.