Given their antic and piratical culture, not to mention their tendency to pray "In the Name of the Pasta, and of the Sauce, and of the Holy Meatballs," I asked Desky if Pastafarians should be regarded as authentic worshipers of His Spaghettiness or just in it for the, uh, saucy fun.

Whether or not you think the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a joke, the stakes are quite serious. Indeed, they go right to the heart of two essential questions: What is nature of religion, and what is the role of government?

In a move that has rankled many in this predominantly conservative Christian state, the Satanic Temple in New York has formally applied with the Oklahoma Capitol's grounds committee to build a statue of Baphomet, a goat-headed depiction of Satan, in the state's capitol building.

Christopher Schaeffer, a Pastafarian minister, was sworn into the Pomfret, N.Y. Town Council last week wearing a colander, the Observer reported on Friday.