Dispute over information signs
“Flying Spaghetti Monster” wins against Kirchen in Brandenburg
Rüdiger Weida from the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” next to the sign for the “Noodle Fair” in Templin. The photo was taken in 2016, the dispute had started two years earlier
© Patrick Pleul // Picture Alliance
A dispute has been raging in Templin in Brandenburg for years, which has now come to an end. Much to the delight of a fun religion. The “Pastafari” are officially allowed to advertise their “pasta fairs” with signs.
The followers of the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” originally started in the USA as a satirical movement. In the meantime, the members of this fun religion keep making people talk about serious legal and political disputes around the world. The latest dispute was decided in Templin at the end of October by the deputies in the town hall – in favor of a handful of “Pastafari”.
Because at the entrances to the 16,000-inhabitant city in the north of Brandenburg they will in future be allowed to put up their signs for their so-called pasta fair, which accordingly takes place on Friday mornings at 10 a.m. The references to services of the Catholic and Protestant Churches as well as the Protestant Free Church are posted at the entrances to the town – this is exactly what sparked the dispute.
Because the “spaghetti monster” disciples do not belong to any church and are not recognized as a religious community in this country. The “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Germany eV” is, as the name suggests, an association. According to its own statements, the movement sees itself as a worldview.
Narrow vote for signs of the “Flying Spaghetti Monster”
The vote in the city council took place a little more than a week ago – and the decision is now also receiving some international attention. A handful of pasta disciples with invented religious rites wins against long-established churches and other opponents of the bizarre association. That’s something.
The dispute in Templin has been raging since 2014 and has already ended up in court, at times the “spaghetti monster” followers had hung their “worship notices” under those of the regular churches, which they were forbidden to do. As a compromise proposal, Templins had suggested the mayor to attach the signs on the masts, which also refer to the town twinning of the place. According to the decision of the city council, this solution will remain so.
Amazed and a little amused, local and national media have repeatedly reported on the dispute for years. On the part of the Templiner “Pastafari”, a man named Rüdiger Weida, alias “Brother Spaghettus”, now 70 years old and a satirist, blogger and action artist, who looks a bit like a pirate in photos – is this too a distinguishing feature of the noodle believers.
He, his wife and his son mainly make up the Templin Association, as reports on the case show. In the case of the Brandenburg spaghetti monster movement, one cannot speak of a phenomenon in ecclesiastical dimensions. But it is effective in the media, which apparently also liked the local politicians of the Left and the Uckermärker Heide faction. Because these brought in the application for the permission of the billboards, which was finally approved. Among other things, because the local politicians of these parties are of the opinion that Templin has “gained a considerable amount of awareness” as a result of the case. In addition, with the approval of such a sign, the place could express tolerance and cosmopolitanism.
They are really present in the media, the “Pastafari”. There were legal proceedings in which it was a question of whether followers can be shown on passport photos with a pasta sieve on the head. When it comes to the “spaghetti monster” disciples, the dispute over the question of ideology and “religious” headgear will be decided at some point by the Federal Constitutional Court or the European Court of Justice. In 2015, a message went around the world, according to which the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” in New Zealand is allowed to hold weddings.
The noise in the small town of Templin was also an expression of a global phenomenon. The decision in favor of the sign was made with a very tight vote: ten votes in favor, eight against and four abstentions. Representatives of the recognized churches had recently put up considerable resistance and accused the noodle disciples of denigrating other religions and of making fun of religious symbols, texts and rites.
“Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” makes use of religious elements
This cannot be completely dismissed: Many of the components of the “pasta mass” are reminiscent of liturgical elements of other religions: there is a pasta communion and also a reading from a rolling pin, during which one is involuntarily reminded of the Torah scroll. In addition, the “Pastafari” holidays such as Passtah Festival, Ramendan or Cooking Friday – echoes of Judaism, Islam and Christianity are probably intentional and polarize.
It is obvious that some religious people do not find the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” funny. And so the report of the decision of the Templin sign dispute will probably not be the last of this weird fun religion.
Sources: City of Templin, “Heise Online“,”Hans Albert Institute“,”Market Research Telecast“”MOZ.de“,”Sat1 breakfast television“
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