The free market of ideas, religions, Ouija and Al Dente deities

Ask and ye shall receive, the saying goes. Religious proclamations in the public square? No prob. Bring it on, there's always room at the inn! (Proprietor not responsible for lost or damaged articles/sanity.)

The carpetbagger reports, you decide:

In Pleasant Grove, Utah, for example, a Ten Commandments memorial, donated by the Fraternal Order of Eagles in 1971, sits in a secluded area of city property that is intended to honor the city's heritage. Pleasant Grove is now facing litigation about the display, not from civil libertarians, but from another religious group that wants equal treatment.

The Summum religion has sued the city of Pleasant Grove for the right to display the other set of laws they say Moses brought down the mountain.

The city has refused to allow the Salt Lake City-based religion to erect a monument enumerating the Seven Aphorisms, principles they say underlie creation and nature, with a public memorial that includes the Ten Commandments.

Summum leaders believe these were initially passed only to a select few who could understand them, but that Moses also delivered a lower set of laws, the Ten Commandments, which were more widely distributed.

I'm not an expert in the Summum, but as I understand it, the group's Aphorisms include statements such as "Summum is Mind, Thought; the Universe is a Mental Creation," and "Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates," and "As above, so below; as below, so above." I haven't a clue what any of this means, but that's not really the point.

Everything vibrates, eh? Quite right, not the point. So on with the show, as above, as below....



Yea, verily, venganza speaketh...

OPEN LETTER TO KANSAS SCHOOL BOARD

I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.

Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith....

Be you not uplifted and emboldened? No? That's because we saved the rapturous epiphany for last. Cast aside the flummery of hydrocarbon emission, banish the false idol of deep ocean current cycles. Behold, the truth behind the falsity: Avast, ye! Batten down the mizzen

...You may be interested to know that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes,and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of Pirates since the 1800s. For your interest, I have included a graph of the approximate number of pirates versus the average global temperature over the last 200 years. As you can see, there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between pirates and global temperature.

Amen! Al dente! Arrr! Welcome to 2005, neither intelligent, nor designed, nor very well accessorizied. Up ahead, mateys, there be monsters.