An Austrian guy decides to test an Austrian law: Supposedly, head coverings are only allowed in official documents if they relate to religious reasons for the attire. One atheist applies for a new driver's license in the country -- complete with a photo of himself wearing an upside-down pasta strainer on his head. But he's not the creator of "Pastafarian"
Niko Alm tells Austrian officials he's a "Pastafarian" -- that the headpiece he's wearing in his snapshot is a must in accordance with his 'religion'. After all, he's affiliated with the "Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster", so what could be a more appropriate piece of 'religious' attire? Well, something else might have served as more appropriate head gear -- had someone in Austria checked into the religious background.
It took awhile but three years after his application process began, Niko Alm's received his new, Austrian driver's license -- pasta strainer included, to top off the pic.
Neither the "Flying Spaghetti Monster" or its religious organization is the brainchild of the Austrian who's been waiting on that driver's license app since around 2008.
The strange Austrian application may have been missed by officials because the concept didn't actually originate in Austria -- so those whom issue driver's licenses abroad kind of have an excuse. "Pastafarianism" actually originated in the United States, and didn't involve spaghetti strainers as headwear.
The "Flying Spaghetti Monster" is the deity of parody religion the "Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" -- aka, "Pastafarianism". And the "Flying Spaghetti Monster" made its debut in a satirical letter authored by Bobby Henderson, back in 2005 and centered around Kansas. That letter from Henderson was written to protest the Kansas State Board of Education decision to permit a switch to teaching the idea of 'intelligent design' rather than an evolution curriculum in public schools.Henderson provided a parody of 'intelligent design' -- claiming belief in a "creator" which looked an awful lot like spaghetti and meatballs. He then demanded that "Flying Spaghetti Monsterism" be given equal time in public school science classrooms -- to match time given to intelligent design and evolution theories.
It seems Niko Alm has confused principles of Henderson's "Pastafarianism", the concept published by Villiard Press in 2006 -- well before Alm's driver's license app was submitted. In Henderson's version of the 'religion', an invisible and completely undetectable "Flying Spaghetti Monster" created the universe. And the original, revered "Pastafarians" are pirates.
Alm's take on "Pastafarians" does not include pirates. A pasta strainer doesn't make for a very mean looking pirate. But however it happened, Alm got the 'hat' through.
Police in Austria -- a country comprised of many Catholics -- is not as amused as the rest of the world seems to be over Alm's new license photo. In a likely embarrassing situation for the government, they claim religion was never an issue in Alm's instance -- that the 'Pastafarian' successfully got an spaghetti strainer photo issued only by fulfilling the one criterion required: that his face be left fully visible in the Austrian photo.
If Alm believes any Catholics are irritated about his headpiece, the religion's followers may really be upset if they knew what "Pastafarians" really believe: Not only are they fond of beer, the 'peaceful explorers' claim "it was due to Christian misinformation that they have an image of outcast criminals today".
Game on.