At the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster we value interconfessional dialogue. Our approach to the topic is rather liberal. The Loose Canon, one of our Holy Books, says:
I am the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Thou shalt have no other monsters before Me (Afterwards is OK; just use protection).
Suggestions 1:1
Making good use of the liberties of our faith, I have recently been ordained as a Dudeist priest. Since I am also a priest in the Church of the FSM, this means I am now able to conduct interconfessional dialogue even within myself. The nice thing about this is that while the Church of FSM is the fastest growing religion in the world, Dudeism is the slowest growing religion, so it all keeps me rather well-balanced.
As I am not one to take such a serious step as my second ordination lightly, I have embarked on an ambitious (but relaxed) study course, to deepen my knowledge of various spiritual, theological and philosophical issues, and to improve upon the elaborate skills one needs to be a good priest. After much deliberation, I have chosen to pursue my studies at the Abide Univerisity (AUI). The AUI is an online learning facility, founded upon the modern philosophical tradition of Dudeism. According to its credo, AUI is “oriented towards real-world pragmatism, with an objective towards increasing quality of life”. Which is pretty much how I would describe myself, so I felt it is the right place for me. In the course of my laborious studies, I have acquired the following (honorary) degrees:
- B.A. in Dudeist Studies – The study of Dudeism as a both a historical religion under different names, and an emerging world philosophy
- M.A. in Abidance Counseling – The study of coaching others to abide, that is to live life more stoically
- Ph.D. in Ministry Science – The study of ministering a religion or philosophy
- D.D. (Doctor of Divinity) in Agricultural Theology – The appreciation of nature as a spiritual discipline
The approach of the Abide University is different to traditional institutions. The student is first provided with the free degree, and then the responsibility is on the student to study and contribute to the knowledge base. It is my stated goal to develop a Pastafarian philosophy and a worldview, so I believe my essays on this website qualify as a contribution to the knowledge base. I hope you, my readers, agree with me on this.
Ramen!
