Columnist Laurie Roberts has one word for the Chandler 'Pastafarian' who insists his religion requires him to wear a colander in his driver's license picture. Hannah Gaber/azcentral.com

The state of Arizona actually issued a driver's license to a guy exercising his "religion" by wearing a colander on his head.(Photo: Courtesy of ABC15)

Congrats are in order, it appears, to Sean Corbett.

ThisChandler Uber driver has succeeded in what is apparently his lifes mission.

After two years of trying two years of trying he has succeeded in getting the state of Arizona to issue him a drivers license that features a photo of him with a colander on his head.

Yep. A colander.

It seems Corbett is a devout Pastafarian and as such, believes he has the right to have his government ID feature his mug in all his kitchen gizmo glory.

To do otherwise, apparently, would be a violation of his religious beliefs.

"Pastafarianism is part of the church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which says the World was created 5,000 years ago by a Flying Spaghetti Monster," Corbett told ABC15.

Who knew that the path to spiritual enlightenment runs through a spaghetti strainer?

Corbett took his crusade to several MVD offices over the last two years until finally he found an office dumb enough to respect his religious beliefs and issue a license featuring Corbett in his colander.

"The whole process is intimidating, especially when people are yelling at you and scorning you for making a mockery out of their system," he told ABC15. "This has been this type of discrimination, and religious persecution that I've been going through for the last couple of years."

Generally speaking, your head must be bare in your drivers license photo but most states, including Arizona, make exceptions for religious headgear.

Corbett says his religion should be treated like every other religion and if the MVD is going to let Muslims and Sikhs wear headgear, well then it should let Pastafarians wear it, too.

The problem: a federal judge in Nebraska last year ruled that the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster -- created in 2005 to fight the teaching of creationism in schools -- isnt a real religion.

This, after a prison inmate sued the state alleging religious discrimination because unlike inmates of other religions he wasnt allowed to dress in religious garb (read: like a pirate) and was denied communion (read: spaghetti and meatballs).

Arizona MVD, by the way, plans to void Corbetts drivers license. Naturally, he plans to sue.

"It's kind of been a personal mission to keep pushing and not let the naysayers say I can't," he told the TV station.

While its a little unsettling to have the government declare what is and isnt a religion, its difficult to seriously take up for guy whose religion promises an afterlife featuring a beer volcano and a stripper factory.

Still, Ive got to admire Corbett for the sacrifices hes willing to make in the name of his religion.

I mean, seriously. If I call for an Uber and my driver shows up with a colander on his head, I know exactly whatd Id say.

Taxi?

MORE FROM ROBERTS:

Kathy Griffin's punishment is ironic, really

Is the Arizona Corporation Commission corrupt?

Is UA scrapping its plan to hire speech police?

Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/2rJO2ks

See the rest here:

Roberts: Arizona issues driver's license to a guy wearing WHAT? - AZCentral.com