[Bug 21941] Spaghetti Monster reference is provocative

https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=21941

--- Comment #8 from heydon <heydon@heydonworks.com> ---
(In reply to comment #6)
> interesting IRC conversation... 
> 
> I'd rather we choose something that isn't, as stommepoes says, a "goofy"
> example that pokes fun at people... but since it seems there is an
> attachment to doing so, I think the crocoduck offends fewer people, because
> it seems to limit itself to young earth creationists. 
> 
> Contrary to what Robin suggests in the IRC, the Spaghetti monster throws a
> much wider net...  it also goes after anyone who understands the world is
> over 4 billion years old, and who agrees the theory of evolution explains
> many of the great things in nature, but who happens to think there might be
> something beyond this beautiful world, besides a bunch of molecules bouncing
> against each other.

(In reply to comment #7)
> (In reply to comment #6)
> > Contrary to what Robin suggests in the IRC, the Spaghetti monster throws a
> > much wider net...  it also goes after anyone who understands the world is
> > over 4 billion years old, and who agrees the theory of evolution explains
> > many of the great things in nature, but who happens to think there might be
> > something beyond this beautiful world, besides a bunch of molecules bouncing
> > against each other.
> 
> I understand your concerns, but I assure you that's not the case. See for
> instance in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster#History:
> "I don't have a problem with religion. What I have a problem with is
> religion posing as science." That's where the FSM comes from.
> 
> I'm happy with using a crocoduck instead though.

Thanks for the support!

To my mind, the crocoduck - which is emblematic of a poor understanding of
evolutionary theory - does not directly attack a religion or religions. In
fact, the "crocoduck" is much loved by creationists because they believe its
nonexistence disproves evolution. Atheists, like myself, likewise have
affection for the crocoduck because the absurdity that two disparate species
should somehow be fused is amusing to us. I imagine this is why Richard Dawkins
wears a "crocoduck" tie.

I see nothing wrong with a "goofy" analogy since I believe humour can aid
apprehension. I simply think that crocoduck is superior to spaghetti monster
because the idea of taking two things and making a new whole (two images with
respective alts) is better illustrated by a zoological hybrid. Reaching out to
touch a right or left flank of tentacles is a somewhat contrived choice of
action in the original example.

In addition, the "crocoduck tie"
(http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/342825-crocoduck) is reportedly (according to
Wikipedia) created by a Web Designer (Josh Timonen). I think this ties things
up nicely, no pun intended.

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Received on Thursday, 9 May 2013 13:55:19 UTC