[moe.ron]

Cartoon fans start Spongebob church

Click to enlarge photo
Fans of the hit nautical cartoon Spongebob Squarepants have set up their own church.

The cartoon features a kitchen sponge who lives with his friends in a place called Bikini Bottom in the Pacific Ocean.

The cartoon is designed for children under four but has already won star fans like Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Kelly Osbourne and Mike Myers.

Now it has its own officially registered church, in the US, which teaches its own spiritual way of life.

Members of the Church of Spongebob meet up for services everywhere from New York and California to Texas.

The 700-strong membership have taken an official conversion sacrament to pledge their loyalty to the church.

There is also an intense study course for the church based on the Spongebob scriptures.

The church's manifesto says it promotes "simple things like having fun and using your imagination".

Recently 5000 people applied to watch the cartoon, which is broadcast on Nickelodeon and being turned into a movie, to work out why it is so funny.

Nickelodeon spokesperson Reeta Bhatiani said: "Spongebob's appeal is extraordinary."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040718/344/ey8x1.html