Artifact: God on the Lawn

Jesse Walker from the June 2008 issue

Behold the Flying Spaghetti Monster, noodle-god of the Pastafarians. In March, He manifested Himself on the lawn of the Cumberland County courthouse in Crossville, Tennessee, where He took the form of a statue built by Ariel and David Safdie.

The monster was created—or revealed?—by Bobby Henderson when Kansas decided to teach “intelligent design” alongside evolution. “I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster,” he wrote to the state board of education in 2005, urging that this theory receive equal time. The joke caught on, especially online.

And now in Crossville. After a chainsaw-carved Moses appeared outside the courthouse in 2006, the American Civil Liberties Union reminded local authorities that allowing “the statue to remain indicates the creation of a public forum for free expression.” More icons followed, including the Safdie siblings’ monster.

Ariel has called their creation “a celebration of our freedom as Americans; a freedom to be different, to express those differences, and to do it amongst neighbors.” That suggests a subtle distinction between her monster and Henderson’s. “She’s not using this as Henderson was—that is, as a device for ridicule,” says religion scholar Luke Johnston. “At least in the public eye, she is portraying it as a tool for pluralism.” The statue was intelligently designed, but the monster it represents may be evolving.

Comments

Paul|5.16.08 @ 12:15PM|#

he wrote to the state board of education in 2005, urging that this theory receive equal time.

Wait, are liberals against equal time now?

/irony

D.A. Ridgely|5.16.08 @ 12:17PM|#

I look forward to a picture next month of URKOBOLD™'s statue. (Failing that, how about a nice statue of Jayne?)

Travis|5.16.08 @ 12:19PM|#

How dare someone make a graven image of my Lord The Flying Spaghetti Monster this is idolatry. If people thought Denmark had it rough wait til I'm done with Crossville, Alabama.

|5.16.08 @ 12:28PM|#

Stood up to the man and he gave him what for.

the innominate one|5.16.08 @ 12:33PM|#

Paul: I think you got your tag wrong. You need to replace the "end irony" tag with an "end idiocy" tag.

Paul|5.16.08 @ 12:53PM|#

t.i.n.

Your browser's not working.

Krazy Komedy Hour|5.16.08 @ 12:56PM|#

Well, at least an "end idiocy" tag would have prevented your post! Sock it to me!

Paul|5.16.08 @ 1:12PM|#

Krazy,

All following posts.

|5.16.08 @ 1:16PM|#

ummm...... Tennessee. Not Alabama. There is no Cumberland County, Alabama.

LarryA|5.16.08 @ 1:20PM|#

The statue was intelligently designed, but the monster it represents may be evolving.

Evolution is the most intelligent design.

Taktix&#174|5.16.08 @ 1:30PM|#

Praise be to Him and our forepirates!

RAmen!

I've been mulling about buying a FSM car decal (like the Jesus fish), but since I live in Florida, I genuinely fear being messed with by cops because of it...

The Reasoners|5.16.08 @ 1:32PM|#

ummm...... Tennessee. Not Alabama.

Fixed. Thanks!

Faustino|5.16.08 @ 1:34PM|#

As an Italian-American I object to the characterization of spaghetti as "monstrous," although I do believe it is worthy of worship.

jtuf|5.16.08 @ 1:36PM|#

People redefine symbols more often than the converse.

|5.16.08 @ 1:40PM|#

D.A. Ridgely | May 16, 2008, 12:17pm | #
I look forward to a picture next month of URKOBOLD™'s statue.

I agree that there should be room for a 30ft high withered taint on the lawn.

gorgonzola\'s foil|5.16.08 @ 2:06PM|#

@jtuf

Just because the Chuck Taylor was introduced in 1917 doesn't mean it needs to be changed!

|5.16.08 @ 2:37PM|#

Isn't Gorgonzola a giant, fire breathing T-Rex that attacked Rome?

|5.16.08 @ 3:53PM|#

How dare someone make a graven image of my Lord The Flying Spaghetti Monster this is idolatry. If people thought Denmark had it rough wait til I'm done with Crossville, Alabama.
BEHEAD ALL OF THOSE WHO INSULT FSM

the innominate one|5.16.08 @ 4:11PM|#

Paul, who is t.i.n.?

|5.16.08 @ 4:26PM|#

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is the one and only true god.

And by "true" - I mean as far as there is any real objective proof.

|5.16.08 @ 4:37PM|#

Jonathan Hohensee,

I thought the whole point of the FSM was to make graven images as often as possible on plates smothered with marinara sauce and then eaten. With a dry red wine.

Like a sacrament, only much, much betterer.

Paul|5.16.08 @ 4:42PM|#

Paul, who is t.i.n.?

Someone I know who wears it on their head.

|5.17.08 @ 4:56PM|#

Thank FSM for Reason. There are some kook libertarians who would call the magazine Treason, but that is because they are all Paultards.

This website bans Atheist libertarians:

www.nolanchart.com

zoltan|5.18.08 @ 8:19PM|#

How do they ban atheist libertarians exactly?

Convert|5.20.08 @ 10:16AM|#

I'm just wondering, but how does one go about in becoming a religious minister qualified to officiate in weddings?

Say, if someone was interested in ordaining over his friends' wedding ceremony, in the name of Its Holy Deliciousness, the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Is this possible in the States, or is it just some cliche sitcoms would have as believe?