Wednesday Night, March 14^th , we will be discussing the emergence of a New Religion. A while back, I received in a mass mailing to pastors – a color brochure advertising a New Religious Group – the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.  Their website is http://www.venganza.org/

       The Flying Spaghetti Monster is (allegedly) exactly what it sounds like: a large, hovering mass of spaghetti with meatballs and eyeballs that, according to this church, created the universe. The religion also has its own gospel, the 192-page-long Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

      The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is also known as Pastafarianism. Their beliefs are cited in the brochure as :

            “We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe.  None of us, of course, were around to   see it, but we have written accounts of it. We have several lengthy volumes explaining all details of His power.

            Most of us do not believe a religion – Christianity, Islam,  Pastafarianiasm – requires literal belief in order to provide spiritual enlightenment. That is, we can be part of a community without becoming  indoctrinated. There are many levels of belief.

            By design, the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma. That is, there are no strict rules and regulations, there are no rote rituals and prayers and other nonsense. Every member has a say in what this church is and what it becomes.

            To outsiders it makes us hard to define, but here are some general things that can be said about our beliefs:

 -We believe pirates, the original Pastafarians, were peaceful explorers and it was due to Christian misinformation that they have an image of outcast criminals today

 -We are fond of beer

 -Every Friday is a Religious Holiday

 -We do not take ourselves too seriously

 -We embrace contradictions (though in that we are hardly unique)

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