by the Way . . .

Adherents to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster maintain that the SPM created the universe and everything in it, and have formally requested that the Kansas school board teach their theory. The founder, Bobby Henderson, who describes himself as a person of negligible education (physics), wrote that SPM was based on scientific theory, and that "We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.", and that this theory is no less worthy to be taught than Intelligent Design.

The web site of the movement provides evidence for its view and claims to have over 10 million members. The letter to the school board includes a promise to sue if the appeal is rejected. Responses from the board, reprinted on the site, appear favorable.

We can't help but wonder if this is just a minor schism, as we see so often in churches of broad appeal. The SPM does bear a striking resemblance to an alien.