You can’t say that scientists don’t have a sense of humor. And when it comes to showing up “Intelligent Design” as the pseudoscientific fraud that it is, it does not hurt at all to possess a good sense of humor.

Enter Bobby Henderson of venganza.org, a 24-year-old unemployed graduate in Physics from Oregon. The Kansas School Board made the decision to promote ID to the status of scientific theory on the premise that students should be exposed to multiple theories so they can choose for themselves. In response to this decision, Henderson most logically proposed that his theory should also be taught in Science classes, so that the students can decide for themselves. Same logic as the school board. So he wrote and sent a letter to the Kansas School Board to urge them to include in Science classes the theory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

According to Henderson’s Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), whose noodly refrain is “RAmen!” the FSM created the universe as it is in the recent past, and that when scientists perform radioactive dating tests, the FSM changes the results with His Noodly Appendage for His reasons to make the fossil seem older than the universe really is.

Henderson also points out that there is a direct correlation between the decrease in the number of pirates and global warming, complete with a graph showing the connection. In short, we need a lot more pirates if we want to get rid of global warming. I believe this environmentalist message will resonate with a lot of students, because they tend to think pirates are pretty cool. And, after all, it is another point of view, and the students should be allowed to decide for themselves.

Henderson also adds three reasons why people should convert to FSM-ism:

• Flimsy moral standards.
• Every Friday is a relgious holiday. If your work/school objects to that, demand your religious beliefs are respected and threaten to call the ACLU.
• Our heaven is WAY better. We’ve got a Stripper Factory AND a Beer Volcano.

Responsible, professional scientists have found themselves unable to refute Mr. Henderson’s theory. One points out how String Theory should in fact be called “Noodle Theory,” most others make clear that the FSM theory has more credibility than ID, and one Ph.D., a Dr. H. Neville, simply said, “MMMMMmmmmm, spaghetti.”

On a more serious note, Dr. Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer explained:

In discussing competing theories, if one is to present ID then it is only fair and logical to teach other theories with commensurate evidence. Based on Mr. Henderson’s letter, it is clear that the FSM theory has evidence comparable in weight to ID. As a scientist and professor, it is often difficult to present differing opinions in an unbiased way. However, it is important to the student to be exposed to these ideas to form their own opinions. This comes right out of the handbook of the ID purporters: present the different “theories” and let the listener decide. If those in favor of ID are so convinced, then they should not be concerned that the presentation of the FSM theory would serve to undermine the credibility of ID.

In due observance of the holiness and scientific viability of his theory, Henderson is selling T-shirts and coffee mugs. You might also want to check out the FSM image gallery.