US Pastafarians demand equal rights to place a public holiday display

[cornsail]

I don't think anyone actually believes in the flying spaghetti monster.

 

[Blobbenstein]

People have a deep need to believe...some people anyway.....so I can see people might start to believe in the FSM......it is a bit like a cartoon character, that develops, like Homer Simpson's character has developed, only pastafarianism masquerades as a religion, if only for comedic effect, or to make political points, but some people might cross the line a bit, and take it too seriously...after all, from my point of view, there is a God, and if people start to see that as the FSM, then a religion actually could spring from it.

 

[Mr Crunchy]

I guess I thought that Pastafarians are just atheists having a jab at religion. I didn't know they take it seriously. Maybe we need a new thread for this.

The faux sincerity is an essential part of the satire. Since people with religious beliefs are assumed to have an inalienable right to not be offended, their beliefs must be taken seriously, no matter how absurd or removed from reality. It's sort of a co-dependency; I won't point out the fallacies in your convictions if you don't reveal mine.

At least, that's the way I interpret it. But who am I to questions someone else's beliefs?

 

[yakherder]

In 6 days when the spaghetti monster rises, and flaming meatballs are falling from the sky, it won't seem so funny anymore.

 

[beancounter]

I demand equal time for the Invisible Pink Unicorn and the Celestial Teapot!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_pink_unicorn

"Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This is, of course, a mistake. If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time.[1]"​

 

[yakherder]

I demand equal time for the Invisible Pink Unicorn and the Celestial Teapot!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_pink_unicorn

North Korea found it's lair, and I hate to break it to you but it's not pink.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/50058129/ns/today-today_news/#.UMDfn3f4KSo

FYI, the date of the Korean words for "Unicorn Lair" were claimed to have been carved in front of the unicorn lair at a date preceding that which the Korean language was created to replace the then used Chinese writing system. Not that this is the smoking gun by any means, but I guess I'm just nerdy enough to find it amusing that the article doesn't mention this.

 

[FortyTwo]

Ack! So many posts!

Well, there it is then. I'm one of those atheists that don't agree with their point I guess.

Is the pirate thing part of pastafarianism or is that unrelated? Cause what is the point to dressing up like a pirate?

Sounds to me like pastafarianism as you are describing it is the start of a religion, which is ****ing disturbing because scientology started as some guys lark not long ago and now people dedicate their lives to it earnestly. And it's at least as stupid as have a flying spaghetti monster as a deity.

You think it's okay to have the government teaching Judeo-Christian Creationism in schools along with unbiased scientific facts? If you don't, then you agree with the guiding principle of Pastafarianism. Maybe not the execution, but that's the original point.

Pirates are a huge part of Pastafarianism. For more information see here: http://www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/

Not the start of a religion, but an actual one. And not even remotely comparable to Scientology, because, well...

I don't think anyone actually believes in the flying spaghetti monster.

...that. We might goof around quite a bit, and swear to our graves that we truly think there's an FSM, but it's the principles we agree with.

I guess I thought that Pastafarians are just atheists having a jab at religion. I didn't know they take it seriously. Maybe we need a new thread for this.

Granted, there are definitely some atheists who misinterpret it as a straight-out bash on religion and jump on the bandwagon because they want to be cruel, but for the most part there's an actual intelligence behind this.

Yes! Pastafarian thread! That should be a thing.

The faux sincerity is an essential part of the satire. Since people with religious beliefs are assumed to have an inalienable right to not be offended, their beliefs must be taken seriously, no matter how absurd or removed from reality. It's sort of a co-dependency; I won't point out the fallacies in your convictions if you don't reveal mine.

At least, that's the way I interpret it. But who am I to questions someone else's beliefs?

Yeah, that's a large part of what we go for.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

 

[Josh James xVx]

That sounds blatantly unconstitutional.

It is, which is exactly why 'preachy, militant atheists' are needed.

 

[ledboots]

From last Christmas in Leesburg, Virginia USA:
Beside a Christmas tree and creche sits a large banner with a nativity scene in which baby Jesus has been replaced by a plate of spaghetti with googly eyes. A crowd that includes pirates and gnomes surrounds Jesus. At the bottom its message reads "Touched by an Angelhair." The scene is the work of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters.Near the courthouse fence is another display whose sign reads "Greetings From Your Friendly Local Atheists." It's message is about celebrating the Constitution and honoring the separation of church and state.Elsewhere on the lawn, a skeleton in a Santa suit hangs on a cross.This has all become part of a battle that has many outraged."People are just horrified by this. It's just created a lot of division, a lot of angst and a lot of people are upset," Kenneth Reid, Loudoun County supervisor-elect for the Leesburg district, told ABCNews.com.Reid has been vehemently fighting the atheist groups that are behind the decorations and says the displays are destroying people's holiday spirit. Reid is Jewish and says he is very open to other faiths. But he believes the Leesburg atheists are forcing their beliefs on others."Nobody is out there preaching like these guys. They're out there in a blatant attempt to try to stamp out religion and ruin people's Christmas," Reid said. "The atheist groups over the past two years have used it as an opportunity to try to ban everything. It's no longer sufficient to be an atheist, they have to go out there and proactively try to deny and make sure other people don't believe in God." http://abcnews.go.com/m/blogEntry?id=15205774

 

[Calliegirl]

That banner is destroying holiday spirit and horrifying people? Maybe they could put up a few pictures of factory farmed animals or the kids shot in Connecticut, to help put things in perspective for those people.

 

[ledboots]

That banner is destroying holiday spirit and horrifying people? Maybe they could put up a few pictures of factory farmed animals or the kids shot in Connecticut, to help put things in perspective for those people.

I think people who are Christian are probably upset. They want their children to be able to celebrate an important holiday, and just because worse things happen does not rule out people being upset. We have food, housing, internet access, refrigeration.....Should we put up photos of the millions that don't?

And no one cares about discussing the dead children or their families anyway. The thread here on a veg forum about the Connecticut murders is all about gun control. I put up a photo of a dead child, a story of another, in that thread, no comments about that. Just more gun talk. Put up pictures of guns with a red circle and line through them, and we can pray to that.

 

[Envy]

From last Christmas in Leesburg, Virginia USA:
Beside a Christmas tree and creche sits a large banner with a nativity scene in which baby Jesus has been replaced by a plate of spaghetti with googly eyes. A crowd that includes pirates and gnomes surrounds Jesus. At the bottom its message reads "Touched by an Angelhair." The scene is the work of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters.Near the courthouse fence is another display whose sign reads "Greetings From Your Friendly Local Atheists." It's message is about celebrating the Constitution and honoring the separation of church and state.Elsewhere on the lawn, a skeleton in a Santa suit hangs on a cross.This has all become part of a battle that has many outraged."People are just horrified by this. It's just created a lot of division, a lot of angst and a lot of people are upset," Kenneth Reid, Loudoun County supervisor-elect for the Leesburg district, told ABCNews.com.Reid has been vehemently fighting the atheist groups that are behind the decorations and says the displays are destroying people's holiday spirit. Reid is Jewish and says he is very open to other faiths. But he believes the Leesburg atheists are forcing their beliefs on others."Nobody is out there preaching like these guys. They're out there in a blatant attempt to try to stamp out religion and ruin people's Christmas," Reid said. "The atheist groups over the past two years have used it as an opportunity to try to ban everything. It's no longer sufficient to be an atheist, they have to go out there and proactively try to deny and make sure other people don't believe in God." http://abcnews.go.com/m/blogEntry?id=15205774

now that's what I like to call edgy.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I just can't understand why the Christians feel like their "rights" are being violated? The atheists aren't trying to stop Christians from celebrating Christmas, just to have, you know, separation of church and state, and for everyone to have their beliefs respected.

Those poor, poor Christians. How will they force their beliefs on anyone if they have to allow other religions (and non-religions) to have equal representation on government property?

 

[ledboots]

Christmas is magical for children. These symbols of Santa and baby Jesus in a manger are special to many children, and I know this ↓ would have frightened and upset my daughter when she was little. Is politics more important than children, or old ladies who treasure their religion and do the setting up of the tree each year? No one is outlawing atheism or FSM, so let the kids who celebrate Christmas (the majority) have a normal holiday season.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

No one's outlawing Christmas, either. But religious decorations have no place on government property. And I do think that's more important. Children and old ladies can still see Santa and the baby Jesus at the mall, in church, in their own homes.

Government properties should have no religious displays, or welcome religious displays from all religions.

 

[Calliegirl]

My 5 year old granddaughter celebrates xmas and absolutely loves Santa, and hears about Jesus nonstop from her other (fundie) grandmother. If she saw the skeleton hanging on the cross, she might say he scares her, but her xmas would certainly not be ruined. She'd probably think someone left up a Halloween decoration.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

If she saw the skeleton hanging on the cross, she might say he scares her, but her xmas would certainly not be ruined. She'd probably think someone left up a Halloween decoration.

People around here all try to out-do their neighbors with the most terrifying Halloween decorations. I don't see how a skeleton in a santa suit is any worse. (People down the street from me still have their Halloween decorations out. Ghosts hanging from their tree and skeleton hands reaching out of their flower beds. Shrug.)

 

[Calliegirl]

Christmas is magical for children. These symbols of Santa and baby Jesus in a manger are special to many children, and I know this ↓ would have frightened and upset my daughter when she was little. Is politics more important than children, or old ladies who treasure their religion and do the setting up of the tree each year? No one is outlawing atheism or FSM, so let the kids who celebrate Christmas (the majority) have a normal holiday season.

Everyone has the same right to put up decorations that they feel fits in with what they celebrate, and it isn't anybody else's right to decide what is appropriate (meaning it fits what they believe). Not everyone celebrates Christmas, so I don't see why it would have been okay to have only those decorations and leave everyone else out. My family is Jewish, and had my parents seen a display with only a baby Jesus and a Christmas tree when they were kids, they would have felt very left out.

 

[FortyTwo]

The skeleton Santa is just friggin' weird, and kind-of threatening. Reminds me creepily of the warning signs left by the KKK and similar groups (not that I think anyone is going around lynching Christians or anything). Good for the Pastafarians and the Friendly Local Atheists, though.