A story so important, they had to print it twice?
In case you missed it ... or is there a more nefarious reason?
Saturday's Journal Times ("Education" page) had a long story, with a six-column headline, about the Flying Spahetti Monster. Written by Justin Pope, the AP's education writer, the story examines the tale spread across the internet of an alternative "theory" to intelligent design ... a satire mocking the idea of Creationism.
The news peg is that proponents (perpetrators?) of the Flying Spaghetti Monster parody have gotten themselves on a panel of the American Academy of Religion's annual meeting this weekend where, Pope writes, perhaps one of the thorniest questions in religious studies will be asked: "What is a religion? Does it require a genuine theological belief? Or simply a set of rituals and a community joining together as a way of signalling their cultural alliances? In short, is an anti-religion like the Flying Spaghetti Monster actually a religion?"
Heady stuff for a made-up religion originated in 2005 just to harass the state of Kansas as it debated whether intelligent design should be taught in school science classes.
But is it so important that the JT had to run the story twice? Yes, here it is again, in Sunday's paper, this time on the "Religion / Horoscopes" page (no joke; c'mon, people!), taking up another precious 60 inches of newshole.
Coincidence? Copy editors napping (or not reading their own paper)? Or a sign from the Flying Spaghetti Monster Himself (Herself)? Something for next-year's annual meeting to discuss.
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster website is HERE.
Coincidence? Copy editors napping (or not reading their own paper)? Or a sign from the Flying Spaghetti Monster Himself (Herself)? Something for next-year's annual meeting to discuss.
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster website is HERE.
This does not surprise me at all. The Journal Times is openly hostile to traditional christianity. Whenever they want an opinion that ask Larsen from Olympia Brown or one of the liberal nuns out at Siena Center.
ReplyDeleteThey print stories about gay marriage on the religion page on saturdays. I have an idea - get out in the community, do a little research, and put stories about RACINE's religious communities on the religion page - just make sure you get more than a few blocks past the newspaper's downtown HQ. There are more churches in town than St. Paul's Baptist and Olympia Brown.
I have another idea - actively recruit other Pastors to write the "Parson to Person" column. I get tired of hearing from the Racine Dominicans, the "Rev." Larsen, and "Father" Bruce.
That is some sweeping statement - "the Journal Times is openly hostile to traditional christanity" - Perhaps some of the other pastoral individuals can volunteer some of their thoughts to the JT. Personally, I find that Tony Larson and those "liberal nuns" have something interesting to say and are much more into the community issues.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. Larsen and the heretic nuns are much more into liberal community issues.
ReplyDelete