Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

"Indeed, the tale of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and its followers cuts to the heart of the one of the thorniest questions in religious studies: What defines a religion? Does it require a genuine theological belief? Or simply a set of rituals and a community joining together as a way of signaling their cultural alliances to others?

"In short, is an anti-religion like Flying Spaghetti Monsterism actually a religion?

-- From the Associated Press story for which CNN's headline was "Religious scholars mull Flying Spaghetti Monster", 2007-11-16

[And to everyone celebrating on the US holiday calendar, whatever your religion or lack thereof, Happy Thanksgiving! Uh, unless it's been entirely swallowed up by the shopping season of the War On All The Other Holidays By Christmas, that is.]

"Indeed, the tale of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and its followers cuts to the heart of the one of the thorniest questions in religious studies: What defines a religion? Does it require a genuine theological belief? Or simply a set of rituals and a community joining together as a way of signaling their cultural alliances to others?

"In short, is an anti-religion like Flying Spaghetti Monsterism actually a religion?

-- From the Associated Press story for which CNN's headline was "Religious scholars mull Flying Spaghetti Monster", 2007-11-16

[And to everyone celebrating on the US holiday calendar, whatever your religion or lack thereof, Happy Thanksgiving! Uh, unless it's been entirely swallowed up by the shopping season of the War On All The Other Holidays By Christmas, that is.]