Invisible pink unicorn

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An illustration of the invisible pink unicorn in the style of a heraldic animal

The Invisible Pink Unicorn (English unicorn invisible pink , abbreviated IPU ) is the female deity of a parody religion , which thus theistic beliefs will parody. The central element is the unicorn figure of the goddess, which paradoxically is said to be both invisible and pink . The idea comes from the English-language newsgroup alt.atheism , where the figure was first mentioned on July 18, 1990.

The phenomenon achieved a certain popularity, especially on websites and in online discussion forums with an atheistic background, which is based on the one hand on the humorous element, but on the other hand on the intended satirical criticism of theism . The “confession” to the invisible pink unicorn is also intended to show that it is difficult or even impossible to refute belief in phenomena that are outside the normal human perception.

The invisible pink unicorn is intended to draw attention to the poor logical underpinning of belief in the supernatural, for example by simply replacing the word “God” in theistic texts with the words “invisible pink unicorn”. In the FAQ from alt.atheism it says:

"The point of this silliness is to show the theists that their sermons probably seem just as credible and serious to the atheists as the preaching of the invisible pink unicorn by the atheists [...]"

history

The IPU apparently became popular mainly in the net culture : In addition to alt.atheism , where the IPU still often appears in discussions, there are some websites dedicated to the deity. The earliest verifiable written mention took place in 1990 in the Usenet group alt.atheism , where the goddess was "revealed". But there are also other reports according to which the IPU was discussed in talks before 1990. The deity was probably known before 1990.

The concept was from 1994 to 1995 by some college - students on the ISCA - Mailbox developed. They wrote a manifesto (presumably lost by now) establishing a detailed, nonsensical, yet internally consistent religion based on a plurality of invisible pink unicorns. From this manifesto comes one of the more famous quotes:

“Invisible pink unicorns are beings of great spiritual power. We know this because they are able to be pink and invisible at the same time. Like all religions, belief in the invisible pink unicorn is based on belief and logic: we believe it is pink, but logically we know that it is invisible because we cannot see it. "

- Steve Eley

Eleys Manifesto explained some more bizarre aspects of believing in the IPU, such as a fondness for raisin bread (symbolizing the expanding universe ) and the connection with lost socks. Eley called himself the "Supreme Advocate and Speaker" of the religion and named a number of high priests based on the belief that he who writes the Gospels has real power and is never tortured . The first of these high priestesses was Natalie Overstreet, who also made the above quote known through her Usenet signature .

Beliefs

Usually, when discussing the unicorn, it is pointed out that because of its invisibility, nobody can prove its non-existence. The two defining properties "invisibility" and "pink color" are inconsistent and contradicting which is part of satire.

There are disputes among the alleged followers about other attributes of the invisible pink unicorn, for example whether the invisibility only exists for those who do not believe in the unicorn. In these sometimes intertwined debates, artful arguments are often used, parodying the seriousness of the complicated theological disputes of different religions. There is usually a consensus about the alleged properties that appear most inappropriate for a goddess. The unicorn is said to have a preference for pizza with ham and pineapple . However, some vegetarians deny this and claim that the goddess prefers mushrooms to ham, but there is broad agreement on pineapples. It is also generally accepted that the invisible pink unicorn disdains salami .

Another view shared by most followers is that the invisible pink unicorn "raptures" socks. This is supposed to explain the otherwise allegedly inexplicable disappearance of socks. The disappearance of socks from the laundry is interpreted by "believers" as a sign of affection for the goddess, but also as a sign of their resentment by others. For some, what matters is the type of raptured sock. "Sect critics" recommend, however, to look for the reason for the missing items of clothing in the washing machine.

The position occupied by the devil in the Abrahamic religions is occupied by the purple oyster in the religious worldview of the unicorn believers.

"And I saw the unworthiness in YOUR eyes, for I was a sinner, condemned to eke out my existence in the presence of the unholy purple oyster, polishing its shell and massaging its despicable slimy feet. For she truly has feet and also legs and toes that give her dominion over the seashells and allow her to walk to the children of the human race in order to seduce them to the point of destruction. "

- The Revelation of Saint Bryce the Long-winded (Partial), chapter 1, verses 9-11

The purple oyster (English Purple Oyster , sometimes Purple Oyster of Doom "purple oyster of damnation") is said to have been a servant of the invisible pink unicorn, who was cast out when she seduced believers into the heretical view that salami pizza with mushrooms of the goddess I like it better than those with pineapple and ham. On the last day, the “day of oats and hay”, the followers of the faith await the settlement of enmity and the re-entry of the oyster into the service of the goddess.

According to Eleys' manifesto, the invisible pink unicorn is said to punish unbelievers with stinging his horn. Insect bites, commonly attributed to mosquitoes , would not be caused by them. The mosquitoes only buzzed around the goddess and did not sting themselves.

iconography

Depictions of the invisible pink unicorn usually show either a fading pink mythical beast or simply nothing. In photos of “sightings” that were published as a joke on the web, nothing else can be seen than an unspectacular view of the place where the sighting is supposed to have taken place - the goddess herself is always “invisible”.

Alt.atheism users also designed a logo with a stylized unicorn head. Various providers now sell T-shirts, coffee mugs and other items with this symbol. One vendor of this article describes the unicorn logo as a subtle means for atheists to identify like-minded people without having to use a symbol that could offend religious people.

The name of the invisible pink unicorn is always accompanied by affirming epithets in the joking discourse, which is reminiscent of the Islamic custom of adding eulogies to the names of the prophets . These are often abbreviated. Common formulas follow with their translations and abbreviations.

  • Blessed Be Her Holy Hooves ("Blessed Be Her Holy Hooves") / bbhhh
  • Peace Be Unto Her ("Peace be with you") / pbuh
  • May Her Hooves Never Be Shod ("May your hooves never be shod") / mhhnbs

Similar phenomena

In his book The Dragon in My Garage , the science author Carl Sagan developed the idea of ​​an invisible kite that spits heatless fire.

It is known from the American free-thinker movement that in the lessons of their summer camps ( Camp Quest ) for comparable religious-critical purposes, a hypothetical “invisible green dragon” is discussed alongside two inaudible unicorns.

See also

Web links

Commons : Invisible Pink Unicorn  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Scott Gibson: 'Proof' of God's Existence (English) - first mention of the IPU on Usenet, July 18, 1990
  2. ↑ Logo
  3. ↑ Carl Sagan: The Dragon in My Garage or the Art of Science of Debunking Nonsense. Droemer Knaur, Munich 2000, ISBN 978-3-426-77474-8 .