That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore...

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**Albatross**

BBC wrote:
Austrian driver's religious headgear strains credulity

An Austrian atheist has won the right to be shown on his driving-licence photo wearing a pasta strainer as "religious headgear".

Niko Alm first applied for the licence three years ago after reading that headgear was allowed in official pictures only for confessional reasons.

Mr Alm said the sieve was a requirement of his religion, pastafarianism.

The Austrian authorities required him to obtain a doctor's certificate that he was "psychologically fit" to drive.

The idea came into Mr Alm's noodle three years ago as a way of making a serious, if ironic, point.

A self-confessed atheist, Mr Alm says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a light-hearted faith whose members call themselves pastafarians.
Passport photos of Niko Alm with a colander on his head A medical interview established the self-styled 'pastafarian' was mentally fit to drive

The group's website states that "the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma".

In response to pressure for American schools to teach the Christian theory known as intelligent design, as an alternative to natural selection, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster wrote to the Kansas School Board asking for the pastafarian version of intelligent design to be taught to schoolchildren, as an alternative to the Christian theory.
Straining credulity

In the same spirit, Mr Alm's pastafarian-style application for a driving licence was a response to the Austrian recognition of confessional headgear in official photographs.

The licence took three years to come through and, according to Mr Alm, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to check on his mental fitness to drive but - straining credulity - his efforts have finally paid off.

It is the police who issue driving licences in Austria, and they have duly issued a laminated card showing Mr Alm in his unorthodox item of religious headgear.

The next step, Mr Alm told the Austrian news agency APA, is to apply to the Austrian authorities for pastafarianism to become an officially recognised faith.

Enough. Seriously.

**TrollPie**

This willl end well.

**Mr. Self Destruct**

Agnostics > Atheists
/thread

**sillyboy**

I laughed about that....Good for him.

But being recognised as an officially faith...There are criteria that he just can't reach...(in Belgium at least)

**iproxtaco**

Where the feth do you sign up to this religion?!

**daedalus**

Albatross wrote:
Enough. Seriously.

Sounds like someone's jealous he didn't come up with it first. 'Practicing atheists' can be tiring however. I always preferred the Church of Slack to Pastafarianism anyway.

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

If there are Jedi... whatever.

**biccat**

Albatross wrote:
BBC wrote:The next step, Mr Alm told the Austrian news agency APA, is to apply to the Austrian authorities for pastafarianism to become an officially recognised faith.

Enough. Seriously.

Which joke, that the argument "strains credibility" or "pastafarianism"?

What's with the "official recognition" of a faith? Are you not allowed to have certain beliefs until the gummit says it's OK?

I like the system we have here in the States. You can believe whatever crazy gak you want. But if you want us to recognize your belief we will consider whether it's a sincerely held belief. I'm pretty sure this guy wouldn't meet that requirement.

**Frazzled**

Albatross wrote:
BBC wrote:
Austrian driver's religious headgear strains credulity

An Austrian atheist has won the right to be shown on his driving-licence photo wearing a pasta strainer as "religious headgear".

Niko Alm first applied for the licence three years ago after reading that headgear was allowed in official pictures only for confessional reasons.

Mr Alm said the sieve was a requirement of his religion, pastafarianism.

The Austrian authorities required him to obtain a doctor's certificate that he was "psychologically fit" to drive.

The idea came into Mr Alm's noodle three years ago as a way of making a serious, if ironic, point.

A self-confessed atheist, Mr Alm says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a light-hearted faith whose members call themselves pastafarians.
Passport photos of Niko Alm with a colander on his head A medical interview established the self-styled 'pastafarian' was mentally fit to drive

The group's website states that "the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma".

In response to pressure for American schools to teach the Christian theory known as intelligent design, as an alternative to natural selection, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster wrote to the Kansas School Board asking for the pastafarian version of intelligent design to be taught to schoolchildren, as an alternative to the Christian theory.
Straining credulity

In the same spirit, Mr Alm's pastafarian-style application for a driving licence was a response to the Austrian recognition of confessional headgear in official photographs.

The licence took three years to come through and, according to Mr Alm, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to check on his mental fitness to drive but - straining credulity - his efforts have finally paid off.

It is the police who issue driving licences in Austria, and they have duly issued a laminated card showing Mr Alm in his unorthodox item of religious headgear.

The next step, Mr Alm told the Austrian news agency APA, is to apply to the Austrian authorities for pastafarianism to become an officially recognised faith.

Enough. Seriously.

I just want to see a pic of the guy with a speghetti strainer on his head. A few errant strands of angelhair pasta would be perfect.

**Grimtuff**

Albatross wrote:
BBC wrote:
Austrian driver's religious headgear strains credulity

An Austrian atheist has won the right to be shown on his driving-licence photo wearing a pasta strainer as "religious headgear".

Niko Alm first applied for the licence three years ago after reading that headgear was allowed in official pictures only for confessional reasons.

Mr Alm said the sieve was a requirement of his religion, pastafarianism.

The Austrian authorities required him to obtain a doctor's certificate that he was "psychologically fit" to drive.

The idea came into Mr Alm's noodle three years ago as a way of making a serious, if ironic, point.

A self-confessed atheist, Mr Alm says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a light-hearted faith whose members call themselves pastafarians.
Passport photos of Niko Alm with a colander on his head A medical interview established the self-styled 'pastafarian' was mentally fit to drive

The group's website states that "the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma".

In response to pressure for American schools to teach the Christian theory known as intelligent design, as an alternative to natural selection, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster wrote to the Kansas School Board asking for the pastafarian version of intelligent design to be taught to schoolchildren, as an alternative to the Christian theory.
Straining credulity

In the same spirit, Mr Alm's pastafarian-style application for a driving licence was a response to the Austrian recognition of confessional headgear in official photographs.

The licence took three years to come through and, according to Mr Alm, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to check on his mental fitness to drive but - straining credulity - his efforts have finally paid off.

It is the police who issue driving licences in Austria, and they have duly issued a laminated card showing Mr Alm in his unorthodox item of religious headgear.

The next step, Mr Alm told the Austrian news agency APA, is to apply to the Austrian authorities for pastafarianism to become an officially recognised faith.

Enough. Seriously.

Maybe your God can strike him down for his insolence.

**mattyrm**

It was NEVER funny.

Basically unlike me, most people are not blessed with a rapier like wit, and as a result people who think they are funny rarely are.

Same goes for writing Jedi, or somesuch nonsense.

I hate organised Religion and Im a pretty aggressive atheist socially (I will gladly tell people in the pub that the Catholic church has helped spread aids and child abuse and don't even start me on Islam) but I still write "C of E" on paperwork.

I mean, sure im not practising, but id rather keep a label that doesn't interest me or affect my life than write some quirky gak down and look like an unoriginal unfunny dill weed.

And what about people that demand to be "unbaptized" ?!

People need to get a fething hobby.

**Monster Rain**

mattyrm wrote:It was NEVER funny.

We can agree there.

There are several hysterical instances of religion-bashing, Life of Brian springs immediately to mind as an example. Pastafarianism serves only to illustrate how far our standards for comedy have fallen.

**daedalus**

Honestly, if I recall, it wasn't really SUPPOSED to be funny in the beginning. It was supposed to be a thought exercise in which someone was desperately trying to keep Christianity out of our schools.

**Sasori**

If an officer pulls him over, and sees that photo, I'm sure shenanigans would ensue.

**halonachos**

Sir, do you know why I pulled you over?

Was I speeding?

No son, I have this pot of boiling spaghetti in my car and I need to strain it.

Although it would be funnier if he was required to wear the strainer at all times because of the photo, kind of like a bureaucratic FU.

**4M2A**

Good on him. Being able to get special allowances because your religions says you must is ridiculous and he has made the point well. It isn't about being funny it's about pointing out that believing something very strongly isn't a justified reason to get special treatment.

**Asherian Command**

Wait what?

**Frazzled**

4M2A wrote:Good on him. Being able to get special allowances because your religions says you must is ridiculous and he has made the point well. It isn't about being funny it's about pointing out that believing something very strongly isn't a justified reason to get special treatment.

Sure it is and happens all the time. In fact its generally the only way something gets passed as a law.

**4M2A**

Laws are the same for everyone.

If I strongly believe I have to wear a hat why can't I when you can because you strongly believe god says you have to. A religious view is no more important than a non religious view.

**Frazzled**

4M2A wrote:Laws are the same for everyone.

If I strongly believe I have to wear a hat why can't I when you can because you strongly believe god says you have to. A religious view is no more important than a non religious view.

Stupid question. I gave more money to the guy in power than you did.

**halonachos**

Its true, which is why catholics are allowed to wear the biggest hats of them all.

**assultmarine**

this is going no where good...
but, as a former atheist and evolutionist and im now a christian, i find this a bit OTT. im all good with muslims wearing the turban and such. this was really quite uncalled for

**dajobe**

i think the point that the guy is trying to make is decent enough, but people like him do tick me off, i have no problems with atheists or agnostics, but most of them that I have met always ask "how are you a christian? thats so dumb" or try to convert me to atheism.

**Monster Rain**

dajobe wrote:i think the point that the guy is trying to make is decent enough, but people like him do tick me off, i have no problems with atheists or agnostics, but most of them that I have met always ask "how are you a christian? thats so dumb" or try to convert me to atheism.

Ironically, one of the problems that they have with "religious" people. Attempting to convert others.

**dajobe**

very true, there are always Dbags on both sides of the spectrum

**Albatross**

biccat wrote:
Albatross wrote:
BBC wrote:The next step, Mr Alm told the Austrian news agency APA, is to apply to the Austrian authorities for pastafarianism to become an officially recognised faith.

Enough. Seriously.

Which joke, that the argument "strains credibility" or "pastafarianism"?

The whole 'Pastafarianism' thing. It's for dorks. They make us look bad.

What's with the "official recognition" of a faith? Are you not allowed to have certain beliefs until the gummit says it's OK?

A) It's not my country. I'm British. This is a story from Austria.

B)The government not recognising one's beliefs in an official capacity isn't the same as the government not allowing you to believe something. You anti-government types in the States are so cranky sometimes!

I like the system we have here in the States. You can believe whatever crazy gak you want.

Oh, you mean like we do here? Sweet.

But if you want us to recognize your belief we will consider whether it's a sincerely held belief.

Oh, you mean like we do here? Sweet.

I'm pretty sure this guy wouldn't meet that requirement.

He meets the requirement for being a total dweeb, though in truth, I'm not sure that's the same thing...

Grimtuff wrote:
Maybe your God can strike him down for his insolence.

I'm probably the most militant secularist on this forum. But good effort.

4M2A wrote:Good on him. Being able to get special allowances because your religions says you must is ridiculous and he has made the point well. It isn't about being funny it's about pointing out that believing something very strongly isn't a justified reason to get special treatment.

Yes, but surely there's a better way of highlighting the issue. Secularism is important. VERY important. It deserves to be treated seriously, not used as an excuse to take the piss out of the religious. I have no interest in that. I believe passionately in individual choice - if someone wants to live their life a certain way, as long as they aren't hurting anyone, and as long as they accept that religion has no place in politics or governance, then they should also have the right to be free from insult and abuse. It's crass and childish, more than anything. We are supposed to be taking people with us, because I believe that history will ultimately place us on the side of right. The whole 'pastafarianism' thing cheapens our struggle and reduces it to childish joke. We will not take anyone with us like that, and I think the fact that even I, as a 100% commited secularist, am growing increasingly weary of this 'joke' bears that out.

**alarmingrick**

mattyrm wrote:It was NEVER funny.

Basically unlike me, most people are not blessed with a rapier like wit, and as a result people who think they are funny rarely are.

Same goes for writing Jedi, or somesuch nonsense.

I hate organised Religion and Im a pretty aggressive atheist socially (I will gladly tell people in the pub that the Catholic church has helped spread aids and child abuse and don't even start me on Islam) but I still write "C of E" on paperwork.

I mean, sure im not practising, but id rather keep a label that doesn't interest me or affect my life than write some quirky gak down and look like an unoriginal unfunny dill weed.

And what about people that demand to be "unbaptized" ?!

People need to get a fething hobby.

I feel the same, just not "agressive" about it. and trust me, living in America's "bible belt", it's more peaceful for me.

I got to ask, what's "C of E"?
i always use to put protestant or nondenominational. but it hasn't come up since i was in the military.

**Albatross**

Oh, and no-one got my Smiths reference.

I am disappoint.

**LordofHats**

I don't no Biccat. The Church of Body modification always sounded like a woman's lame attempt to get tax free status for her tattoo/piercing palor to me.

**Scrabb**

"C of E" is "Church of England".