Quotation marks strained respect

To the Editor:

I would like to thank the Times for running the story about me having the right to wear the religious headgear of my faith for my driver’s license photo. In this case, since I am a Pastafarian, and an ordained minister in the church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), it was a colander.

This issue about the right to wear a colander as religious headgear has been litigated in states throughout this country, as well as in the legal systems of countries around the world. As far as I know, California, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, and Massachusetts allow it — Denmark allows it, and Australia recognizes Pastafarian weddings.

While I thought the article was well written, humorous, and mostly accurate, I realized that Pastafarians still have a way to go before we are truly accepted.

I couldn’t help but notice that the words “Pastafarian,” and “Flying Spaghetti Monster” were in quotes in the online posting. (I do appreciate the capitalization.)

It is widely accepted that quotation marks around a certain word imply sarcasm or an alternative meaning.

An example:

We have a great president.

We have a “great” president.

We have a great “president.”

The placement of the quotation marks or the lack of them clearly imply a different meaning in each of the above statements.

I would very surprised if The MV Times were ever to put Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, or any other religious figure in quotes. Nor would the practitioners of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, or any other religion appreciate their religious affiliation being put in quotes.

I know that my religion’s version of how the universe, the earth, and life came to be is improbable. I will be the first to acknowledge that.

I know that some people will think I am nuts, or will laugh a little. A little humor is a good thing. In our modern society, we dismiss the beliefs of the ancient Romans and Greeks as “mythology.” Did we somehow prove their gods did not exist?

Millions of people read their horoscopes, believing that on the day they were born, the angle between various planets determined their personalities and the course of their lives, and that when the planet Mercury appears to be moving backward, that apparent motion affects the functionality of mechanical objects on earth.

Throughout the history of mankind, there have been countless theories about how we came to be, and which gods have controlled our destinies. Sadly, many people have thought it is OK to kill or be killed in the name of their god.

Unfortunately, that mentality still persists, with horrific consequences that we see in the news on a daily basis.

OK, you can think I’m nuts for believing the FSM was the force behind creation; that’s fine by me, I will do my best to be respectful of whatever you believe.

Please keep in mind, though, that this is not about whether your religion or mine is correct. It is not about if you think if I am nuts — or if I think you are.

It’s about religious freedom, the First Amendment, tolerance, inclusiveness, and most of all, respect.

Donald Keller
Vineyard Haven