Check out this article about this letter to the Kansas School Board regarding the Intelligent Design debate.

"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."

Go ahead and read the rest, because it is pretty funny, especially the part about global warming and pirates. While this letter is partly just making fun of creation science (and this appears to be the main focus of reports on it in the news), there is a deeper theological/philosophical/political point being made. The Intelligent Design theory that is being advanced primarily by the Evangelical Empire (and some Catholics) argues that the nature of the universe is such that by observation alone it is obvious that such a universe, including the process of "evolution" or something like it, must have been created by an Intelligent Designer. Ah yes...God of the Gaps meet the worst of modern arguments for the existence of God meet public education.

So, the best part of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) is that it forces evangelical Christians to admit that the very theory they are advocating is not Christian at all!!! Ah the fun of it. You see, even if the universe requires a designer, who knows if it was the triune God? The argument does nothing to show that the world was made by the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit. It is just as likely that the universe is made by the FSM.

The problem with FSM, especially the proposed law suite if it is not included in the discussion of evolution, is that it is just one form of Intelligent Design. Just as the students will not learn of the creation of the world by the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit, they will not learn about the creaiton of the world by the very angry FSM. Luckily, though, the true believers can where their FSM shirts to class and defend their believes, just like I was supposed to do with the evil evolution teachers at my public school...

More Sufjan to follow...where's our Cleveland report?

posted by Jake Sikora @ 3:25 PM