Hoe word je een kerkgenootschap? Het @fsm_nl is het in ieder geval gelukt. Zometeen in @DeOchtend @NPORadio1 pic.twitter.com/jXgYrr4SB0 — Martijn Grimmius (@MartijnGrimmius) January 28, 2016

Where’s a colander when you need it?

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has finally been recognised as a religion in The Netherlands.

Two days ago, pastafarians were told by the country’s Chamber of Commerce that they would be granted official status.

They had been trying for several years.


Here’s the official document:

Members of the new church naturally celebrated the news with a bowl of pasta.

A spokesman for the Dutch arm of the group said: ‘The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is since today officially registered as Denomination!

‘Our church stands for equality for all. Therefore, anyone can sign up free of charge and without obligation.



‘To express our faith we put a colander on our heads. Also on official government documents.

‘We come together in local churches and at events. Our services are especially devoted to socialising. So we eat pasta, we drink beer and discuss faith.’

MORE: This ‘pastafarian’ man has just won the right to wear a colander on his head in his driving license

MORE: Woman wins the right to wear a colander on her head in her driver’s licence pic as she’s a Pastafarian

Although a momentous time for the church of FSM – this is not the first time the church has been recognised in some capacity.

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is already recognised in North America after being established by ‘prophet’ Bobby Henderson in 2005 as a protest against creationism.

Pastafarians believe heaven is a beer volcano with a stripper factory, while hell is the same but the beer is stale and the strippers have sexually transmitted diseases.

Explaining more, the ‘hammock enthusiast’ says: ‘We believe the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the world much as it exists today, but for reasons unknown made it appear that the universe is billions of years old (instead of thousands) and that life evolved into its current state (rather than created in its current form).

‘Every time a researcher carries out an experiment that appears to confirm one of these “scientific theories” supporting an old earth and evolution we can be sure that the FSM is there, modifying the data with his Noodly Appendage.

‘We don’t know why He does this but we believe He does, that is our Faith.’

R’amen.