Author Archives: Bobby Henderson

Let’s vote

A Message from the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

As a church that values the separation of religion and politics, we’ve always avoided political messaging. However, recent developments concerning religious freedom compel us to remind our members about the importance of civic participation.

Current Concerns

Across the United States, we’re witnessing unprecedented efforts to integrate specific religious teachings into public institutions, particularly schools. While we respect everyone’s right to their religious beliefs, we maintain that public institutions should remain neutral spaces where all beliefs are treated with equal respect.

Recent developments include:

  • Oklahoma has mandated Bible studies in public school curricula for grades 5-12
  • Louisiana now requires Ten Commandments displays in every public school classroom
  • Multiple states have passed laws allowing religious chaplains in schools
  • In the past year, dozens of bills concerning religion in public education were introduced across 30 states

These actions represent a significant shift in how religious content is being integrated into public education, raising important questions about religious freedom and constitutional rights.

The Impact of Your Vote

While our church maintains strict political neutrality, we encourage all members to participate in the democratic process. Every election cycle brings decisions that affect how our society handles religious diversity and maintains the constitutional separation of church and state.

We encourage you to:

  1. Stay informed about local and national policies affecting religious freedom
  2. Research candidates’ positions on separation of church and state
  3. Exercise your constitutional right to vote
  4. Engage in respectful dialogue about protecting religious neutrality in public spaces

Taking Action

To ensure your voice is heard:

  • Verify your voter registration status
  • Mark your calendar for upcoming elections
  • Stay informed about local school board decisions
  • Communicate with your elected officials about religious freedom concerns

Our Position

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster stands for religious freedom and the principle that no single faith should dominate public institutions. We believe that public spaces should remain neutral ground where all beliefs – or none at all – are respected equally.

However, If religion is to be allowed in public institutions, we will demand equal representation for the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Yours in faith,
Bobby

Here is some more reading:

Pasta Strainers and Pirate Hats

I wanted to share an article I came across recently, published in the Guardian a few years back. The author did a good job of getting what we’re about — it goes a into the origins of the Church and also talks about the more recent work of becoming officially recognized.

Pastafarianism differs from other religions in that it doesn’t solicit funds from its followers, having no hierarchy and no physical places of worship to maintain. Its home is in cyberspace. And the only dogma is that there is no dogma. (Instead of 10 commandments, it offers eight “I’d really rather you didn’ts”.)

“We see FSM groups pop up all over the world,” Henderson says. “New groups might ask advice but they don’t ask permission any more – we’ve seen that change over just 10 years.”

The author captured this friendly jab at the Mormons which I have no memory of saying:

“Could it be that people joined up for other reasons, like self-improvement or polygamy? Who knows. But those scams have grown into huge institutions over time, for better or worse.

“I take from this that religion mainly is about community, and also that members shouldn’t have to justify the absurdity of their gospels. To Mormons, I’m saying it’s OK that your gospel story is nuts.”

Anyways… please take a look at the article. Here it is.