[güttsfükk]

Austrian driver's religious headgear strains credulity

An Austrian atheist has won the right to be shown on his driving-licence photo wearing a pasta strainer as "religious headgear".

Niko Alm first applied for the licence three years ago after reading that headgear was allowed in official pictures only for confessional reasons.

Mr Alm said the sieve was a requirement of his religion, pastafarianism.

The Austrian authorities required him to obtain a doctor's certificate that he was "psychologically fit" to drive.

The idea came into Mr Alm's noodle three years ago as a way of making a serious, if ironic, point.

A self-confessed atheist, Mr Alm says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a light-hearted faith whose members call themselves pastafarians.

The group's website states that "the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma".

In response to pressure for American schools to teach the Christian theory known as intelligent design, as an alternative to natural selection, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster wrote to the Kansas School Board asking for the pastafarian version of intelligent design to be taught to schoolchildren, as an alternative to the Christian theory.

Mental fitness check

In the same spirit, Mr Alm's pastafarian-style application for a driving licence was a response to the Austrian recognition of confessional headgear in official photographs.

The licence took three years to come through and, according to Mr Alm, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to check on his mental fitness to drive but - straining credulity - his efforts have finally paid off.

It is the police who issue driving licences in Austria, and they have duly issued a laminated card showing Mr Alm in his unorthodox item of religious headgear.

The next step, Mr Alm told the Austrian news agency APA, is to apply to the Austrian authorities for pastafarianism to become an officially recognised faith.

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14135523

[5umguy24]

he must have worship the flying spaghetti monster.

[NaTaS]

May he be embraced by his many garlicky noodily arms.

[Zodiak]

Praise Jah. And oregano.

[Wolf]

How is he not laughing in that pic.

[Drusilla]

He's smart.When I read the term 'pasta strainer' I imagined some huge wobbly bucket type collander.By using a small one,they can't argue that it obscures his features.Good one!

[Flaka]

Oooookkkk

[nihilissimo]

Originally Posted by güttsfükk ↗

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14135523

is clever but why the hell go out of your way and make yourself problems like this to prove a point with humor. "hehe, fuck the system." then sit back and pat yourself in the head for how clever you are. i don't understand why this was necessiry. if he want to change something with society, join an organization, do real work... not this sort of ego-masturbation. and last I heard we atheists have it good in Austria, compare to places like Iran and Turkey, lol. seem this guy wanted his 15 minute of fame. no wonder they require his head checked. lol

-i am atheist too.

[nihilissimo]

okay i admit i just read the first paragraph of the article. so nvm my above post. man the heat is making me lazy

[Christian-M]

HA!That's awesome!