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Pastafarianism
Driving Licence Photos
Pastafarianism
Do you think we should be allowed to wear religious items in driving licence photos and passports?
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In 2015, after a very long legal battle, Lindsay Miller was the first person in the USA to be legally allowed to wear a colander in her drivers licence and passport photo.
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She wanted to wear the headgear as she claimed it was the official religious clothing of her religion: Pastafarianism.
How did we get here?
Pastafarianism
As the world become more developed and more industrialised people began to understand how the world worked in much greater detail.
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As people became better educated they realised that a lot of the old ideas were wrong e.g., tests showed that the world was over 4.5 billion years old, not the 4,000 years old as the Bible claimed.
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As people became more interested in science there arose more conflict between religion and science.
Science Vs. Religion
Pastafarianism
As science evolved so too did religion.
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With many new ideas forming which attempted to merge religion with science e.g., The Creationist Theory.
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Creationists claimed evolution was true, but it is God who controlled it.
Creationists also believe:
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The Earth is 6,000 years old and science is lying about it.
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Dinosaurs and humans lived together.
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Dinosaurs went extinct because they did not fit on Noah's ark.
Do you think there is anything wrong with the Creationist ideas? Why?
Task 1
Creationism vs. Science
Pastafarianism
While the popularity of the Creationist Theory grew it was widely criticised by Scientists.
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Scientists said that it was pretending to be scientific, but aws really based on belief, not evidence.
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In 1997 a judge ruled that the Creationist Theory could be taught in RMPS classes but not in a science one.
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However, in 2005 the southern State of Kansas passed a law stating that the Creationist Theory could be taught in science lessons as an alternative theory as to how life started on Earth.
Response
Pastafarianism
A 24 year old scientist called Bobby Henderson sent an open letter to the Education Board.
He stated that both the scientific and Creationist theory were wrong about how life began.
The real creator was 'a supernatural creater that closely resembles spaghetti with meatballs.'
Henderson argued that his beliefs were just as valid as the Creationists and he had just as much proof.
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He believed that if Creationism was going to be taught in the science classroom then students should also be taught that:
'The universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Meatball Monster.'
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Do you agree with the Kansas State Education boards' decision?
Give at least one detailed reason for your answer.
Task 2
Task 3
Pastafarianism
You will be investigating one section of Pastafarianism.
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You will be reading over one of the four slides in your Classroom.
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You have 10 minutes to read over AND write down at least five fun facts about this part of the religion.
Task 4
Look over the note you have made on Pastafarianism.
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Do you think Pastafarianism is a 'real' religion?
Give at least one reason for your anwer.
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