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?

"Joining them on the panel will be David Chidester, a prominent and controversial academic at the University of Cape Town in South Africa who is interested in precisely such questions. He has urged scholars looking for insights into the place of religion in culture and psychology to explore a wider range of human activities. Examples include cheering for sports teams, joining Tupperware groups and the growing phenomenon of Internet-based religions. His 2005 book Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture, prompted wide debate about how far into popular culture religious studies scholars should venture.

"Lucas Johnston, the third Florida student, argues the Flying Spaghetti Monsterism exhibits at least some of the traits of a traditional religion -- including, perhaps, that deep human need to feel like there's something bigger than oneself out there."

-- 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.]