Australians thank You, Noodly One

Fellow Pastafarians, the time is right. The time to take a stand. To take our rightful place in this country. Australia's national dish, after all, is said to be spaghetti bolognese. If that's not A Sign, I don't know what is.

Now, I'm reluctant to get serious with you on a Sunday evening (and at a time when you'd rather be praising His Noodly Greatness for giving us a black and white round ball, and instructing us to kick it from end to end of a pitch, for ninety minutes, plus extra time). But I must get serious for a moment - this is nothing less than Our Mission to bring Pastafarianism to Australia.

The door is opening, and we must put on our eye-patches and scarves and prepare to step through it.

Over the past few months, we've heard about organisations attempting to introduce "Intelligent Design" into the study of science in Australia.

Intelligent Design, or ID, claims that nature is so complex that it could not have evolved by itself. This complexity is a sign that life must have been created by an intelligent designer. Say, God.

These groups are trying to import a theory from the US that has been used (with some success) to attack the teaching of evolution in high schools.

In November 2005, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that one religious group was targeting up to 3,000 schools with free copies of a DVD about Intelligent Design. Some Australian schools are said to be already teaching ID in their science classrooms.

Ted Boyce, the Principal of the Pacific Hills Christian School in New South Wales, told the ABC's Catalyst program: "We believe that our students need to know what different theories there are available for them to understand so that they can then make up their own minds what they believe and why they believe it."

Now, we couldn't agree with Ted more. Students need to be given information about all of the different theories about the creation of life. Including ours.

Pastafarians believe (and I say this for those of you who are new to our number) the universe was created by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. He created the Earth to appear much older than it is and, even today, he intervenes with the touch of His Noodly Appendages to confound our puny attempts to explain the universe with reason alone.

Ted and his cohorts are not ashamed of their beliefs. On the contrary, they are proud. They are proud to say that their untestable personal beliefs deserve a place in the teaching of science in Australia.

So are we. We are proud to proclaim that our belief, the theory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, should also be taught in schools, with the blessing of the community and Australian politicians.

My Brother in the stuggle, Pastor Al Dente, and I are putting out the call to Australia to embrace Pastafarianism. To look around you and see His Touch everywhere. And most of all, to stake our claim for Our Youth to be given the facts about the Noodly One, so they can make up their own minds.

If only they are touched by his Appendage, I have all faith that they will join us.

Now back to the game.

Ramen.