ID and FSM

Well, I lied. I am posting one last entry (today) that involves ID…though of a slightly different tone and tenor. I have recently found a religion that meshes well with my world view, mores and general sense of the universe and, interestingly, they are becoming a major force in the ID debate. If you have not had the opportunity to learn and explore the theology, please take some time, with an open mind, to read and contemplate His Noodly Goodness. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster received a reasonable amount of publicity after they sent an open letter to the Kansas School Board (and the boards of other areas that have “endorsed” ID) requesting equal treatment for their beliefs and creation theory (which involves midgets and pirates). I excerpt some of that open letter here:

I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.



Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others 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. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.



It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.
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I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; One third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence.

It is well worth noting that “The Gosple of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” is being published February 14, 2006. All praise His Noodly Goodness.

This touch of the surreal aside, I think it is worth thinking about (and being frightened by) a recent report by the National Academy of Science in which they find that there is a waning interesting in math and science, that several “developing” countries are producing more PhDs than the US, that many of the PhDs the US is producing are going to foreign nationals who then take those degrees (and brain power) back to their countries of origin and that, basically, we are in a really bad way on the education front (N.B. this is a wildly generalized summary). It is, I think, a sad commentary that instead of striving to rebuild/evolve or science and math programs at the HS level, our focus is on the debate as to whether we should bring mythology back into the classroom. Then again, perhaps we should just ask WWFSMD?