Religion vs officialdom

[xilman]

It's not often that I celebrate a victory of religion over officialdom but this one which just has to be brought to wider attention.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14135523


Paul

[ewmayer]

Ha, you beat me to it ... an Austrian relative sent me a link to a German-language version of the story, I was delayed by the effort of translating the first few paragraphs into English during my lunch hour.

Here in the original German:

Im Namen des Spaghetti-Monsters: Drei Jahre hat Niko Alm für seinen Führerschein gekämpft. Nun hat er recht bekommen. Das Wiener Verkehrsamt wollte sein Foto zunächst nicht akzeptieren - weil der Mann ein Nudelsieb auf dem Kopf trug.

Wien - Wenn Niko Alm eine Lücke sieht, quetscht er sich hindurch. "Ich suche nicht danach, aber ich nutze sie gerne", sagt der Wiener. Die Sache mit dem Führerschein etwa - wieder so eine Lücke. Seit Dienstag besitzt der 35-jährige Alm eine Fahrerlaubnis in Kreditkartenformat, ausgestellt vom Wiener Verkehrsamt, gültig überall auf der Welt. "Führerschein Republik Österreich" steht darauf, die goldenen EU-Sterne umringen das blaue A für Austria. Und auf dem Foto darunter trägt Niko Alm ein Nudelsieb aus Metall auf dem Kopf. Er hat für dieses Sieb lange gekämpft.

Als er im Jahr 2008 den neuen Führerschein beantragte, fiel ihm eine Informationsbroschüre des damaligen FPÖ-Verkehrsministers Hubert Gorbach in die Hände. Kopfbedeckungen auf Passfotos für den Führerschein seien nur aus religiösen Gründen erlaubt, schrieb der Minister darin. Das war der Moment, in dem Niko Alm ahnte, dass er auf eine Lücke gestoßen war, wieder einmal. Religiöse Gründe findet Alm persönlich nicht sehr überzeugend. Er ist Atheist, behauptet er jedenfalls. "Ich traue mich zu behaupten, dass ich nie an Gott oder irgendetwas Übernatürliches geglaubt habe", sagt er.

Aber kann einer gleichzeitig Atheist sein und das FSM anbeten? Alm ist bekennender Anhänger des "Fliegenden Spaghetti-Monsters". Der amerikanische Physiker Bobby Henderson schuf diese Gottheit im Jahr 2005 und taufte seine Anhänger Pastafaris. Die Bezeichnung hatte er sich von den Rastafaris abgeguckt, deren Name gefährlich gut mit dem italienischen Wort "Pasta" harmonierte. Es war die Geburtsstunde des Spaghetti-Monsters.

Sie entsprang einer religiösen Stimmung in den USA, die Henderson missbilligte. Es war dem Religionsstifter ein Anliegen, mit dem Quatsch-Glauben die Lehre des Intelligent Designs amerikanischer Kreationisten zu verhohnepipeln. Sie wollten die Evolutionstheorie an amerikanischen Schulen ablösen. Henderson ging es auch um ein wenig Entspanntheit, er war ja gerade 25, als er das Spaghetti-Monster schuf. Während die radikalen Christen auf ein friedliches Leben nach dem Tod nur hoffen können, können die Pastafaris nach dem Tod mit einem Biervulkan und einer Stripperfabrik rechnen.

My Translation:

In the Name of the Spaghetti-Monster: For three years Niko Alm fought for his driver`s license. Now he has won his case. The Vienna Traffic Bureau at first would not accept his photo - because the man was wearing a colander on his head.

Vienna - When Niko Alm sees a gap, he squeezes through it. "I don`t go looking for them, but do take advantage when they present themselves", says the Vienna man For example, the matter of the driver`s license - again such an opening. As of Tuesday the 35-year-old finds himself in possession of a credit-card-sized driver`s permit issued by the Vienna Traffic Bureau, valid everywhere in the world. "Driver`s License Republic of Austria" reads the card title, the gold EU-Stars encircle the blue A for Austria. And in the photo beneath Niko Alm wears a metal colander on his head. He fought long and hard for this sieve.

As he applied in 2008 for a new driver`s license, an informational brochure of the former FPÖ [Freedom Party of Austria] traffic minister Hubert Gorbach came into his hands. Head coverings on passport photos for driver`s licenses are only allowed on religious grounds, it stood in the brochure. That was the moment in which Niko Alm guessed that he had happened upon a gap, once more. Religious Grounds are not something Alm finds very convincing. He himself is an Atheist, or at least professes such. "I have no qualms asserting that I have never believed in God or anything supernatural", he says.

But can one simultaneously be an atheist an worship the FSM? Alm is a professed acolyte of the "Flying Spaghetti Monster". The American physicist Bobby Henderson invented the deity in the year 2005 and dubbed its followers "Pastafarians". The appellation was inspired by the Rastafarians, whose name harmonizes nicely with the Italian word "pasta". It was the birth-hour of the Spaghetti Monster.

It was prompted by a religious mood in the USA which worried Henderson. For the religion-founder it was a matter of using the nonsense-belief to mock the teachings of Intelligent Design by American creationists, who wanted to replace the teaching of evolutionary theory inn American Schools with ID. For Henderson it was also to some degree youthful hijinks, as he was just 25 at the time he created the Spaghetti Monster. While the fundamentalist Christians can only hope for a peaceful afterlife, Pastafarians look forward to a beer volcano and a strip club.

As a fellow follower of the FSM, I take communion by way of eating-these-pasti-for-they-are-my-body most every evening. (Best with a garlicky sauce and a glass of robust red wine).

"May the glutinous touch of His noodly appendage comfort you, o my brethren and sistren".

[cheesehead]

Only since 2005??

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by cheesehead

Only since 2005??

According to Wikipedia, 2005 it is. Hey, every religion has to start sometime, right? It's not like ordering new checks at a bank, where you can specify a high check-start number in order to fool your check-kiting-scam victims into believing you've been banking with First Fooderall Savings & Loan for years and years.

[only_human]

It's hard to tell sometimes which fights are good ones. I mentioned this incident yesterday to my girlfriend and remember feeling a bit disapproving about the taunting or toying with officialdom -- but the blogosphere seems to approve of it.

[ewmayer]

Where I come from officialdom which is too rarely taunted or toyed with is called "tyranny". (And that includes religion).

[imwithid]

Bravo! I applaud Mr. Alm for his courage and sense of humour. It'll give pause to all others who think that their hats and head gear are not silly. Now all he needs is a Pasta-mobile.

[gd_barnes]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

According to Wikipedia, 2005 it is. Hey, every religion has to start sometime, right? It's not like ordering new checks at a bank, where you can specify a high check-start number in order to fool your check-kiting-scam victims into believing you've been banking with First Fooderall Savings & Loan for years and years.

I read the whole writeup from Wikipedia on FSM. I loved every bit of it. I might even have to read the book. Thanks for sharing guys.