h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A US court ruled this week that Flying Spaghetti Monster worship is not a religion, but a parody:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/308299698/Cavanaugh-v-Bartelt

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/14/flying_spaghetti_monster_is_not_god_rules_mortal_judge/


It's a very carefully worded and detailed judgment.

Is this the end for Pastafarianism?

I think we can string it out a while longer and if we cook it right, we can make it stick.

Yes, but for how long?

I'll check my colander...

I'm farfalle upset by this.

Would you like my thoughts on this? They'll only cost you a penne...

Deb

I have reservations about letting judges determine what is and isn't a religion. Obviously, they in fact do that. Pastafarianism is gone, but Scientology still roams free.

I heard that Scientology was invented as a joke. Someone bet its creator that he couldn't invent a new religion.

Does anyone know if this is true?

I don't know if *anything* about Scientology is true.

Hmm having looked this up, it seems not to be true. Scientology appears to have been invented to make lots of money for its creator by exploiting gullible people.

As opposed to organised religion?

With the humour and 'competition' of some of the SciFi writers of the day, the dare sounds plausible. But other looking around seems to indicate that it was a two-fold idea: simple tax evasion and ego (to expound on his own beliefs and "studies" or research notions).

Most of the organised religions I've encountered seem to be made with the intention of persuading gullible people to believe the odd things that you believe, not specifically for making money.

Traveller in Time on his head
"I do not believe in 'Money' . . .

I do believe in he monopole attraction of gravity "

I'm not so sure. Maybe the original philosophers, but these things rapidly become organised into means for subjection (and by logical extension taxation).

Its the disorganised religions that really don't get the respect they so clearly don't deserve. And everything was going so well, it probably was a mistake, coming down from the trees.

I'd like to see you up in the trees, 2Legs. You'd be like a slow loris - careful and graceful.

I prefer 2legs when he's clearly out of his tree.

I generally avoid walking under trees in the ripe-2legs season ... You never know what what drop out ...

Strange fruit..... me in a tree I'd certianly be all graceful and careful in a tree... I'd not want to ladder my pantyhos... or get my garter snagged on a mysterious branch... and woudln't want any nasty insect going all gloopy sticky bleedy on my corset would I Some of my best childhood friends were trees... I doubt I'd recognize them now

"persuading gullible people to believe the odd things that you believe" [Gnomon]

This seems like a mixed bag to me. What's "odd" about honoring your parents and not killing people? The Golden Rule is said to have equivalents in a lot of religions, as well as modern concepts of empathy.