Spiritually uplifting courthouse installation of Flying Spaghetti Monster

People of all religious denominations will be overjoyed to learn that a statue of the Flying Spaghetti Monster was installed on the Cumberland County Courthouse Lawn in Crossville, Tennessee today.

All Pastafarians, Rejoice!
Statement at Installation Ceremony
March 21, 2008
We are lucky enough to live in a country that allows us, its citizens, the freedom of speech. I have chosen to put up a statue of the Flying Spaghetti Monster to represent the discourse between people of all different beliefs. The many faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds of Cumberland County’s residents make our community a stronger richer place. I respect and am proud that on the people’s lawn, the county courthouse, all of these diverse beliefs can come together in a positive dialogue. Here, we are all able to share the issues close to our hearts whether it is through a memorial to the soldiers killed fighting for our country, the Statue of Liberty honoring our nations welcoming promise to all, a group’s fight to stop homelessness, or powerful symbols of faith. I greatly treasure this open forum between everyone in the community.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster is a pile of noodles and meatballs, but it is meant to open up discussion and provoke thought. Being able to put up a statue is a celebration of our freedom as Americans; a freedom to be different, to express those differences, and to do it amongst neighbors -– even if it is in a noodley way.

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Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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travelina

Excuse me Mark, but how can you say Pastafarianism is unscientific? One of its tenets, if that’s the word I want, is that global warming is directly related to the decline in piracy, which is demonstrated very clearly in this chart:
http://www.venganza.org/2007/10/23/national-geographic- promotes-fsm.htm
eigengrau

I understand that FSM is a hyperbolic satire of religion, but I am just arguing that the way it carries out the satire is disrespectful to the point of being unproductive – it doesn’t invite a discussion, it points a finger.

Hate begets hate. If we want to really see an end to the intolerance, we must be tolerant – even of the intolerant.
trimeta

I’ve got to agree with those who oppose this; yes, Pastafarianism is a satire religion, but it’s still (in some sense) a religion, so putting a statue of its deity in front of a courthouse is no different from the Ten Commandments thing in Alabama. There’s parody, and then there’s sinking to their level; this smacks of the latter.

Also, I’m a devout believer in Russell’s Teapot, so all you newfangled FSM-worshiping upstarts sicken me.
sproing3

In my early twenties I spent some months in a Pastafarian monastery. The Abbot was authentically foreign, but the Abbess was thankfully local.

After many months of mind training, I broke off from monastic obligations to live in an abandoned hunters cabin, an hours hike through knee deep snow. Every week or two I’d hike out for provisions, until after 11 weeks I became a bit lonely.

I kept that lifestyle up for a while, until I knocked some random girl up. A rather wrongly random girl.

Eventually, my notions about his Noodliness changed. They are still changing.

His Sweet Engorged Love Tendrils aside, forests and solitude, long, long solitude, are neato. Mood can be elvated long term through sensory deprivation and introspection. Better than money.
sproing3

To #18 eigengrau: Did you notice that the intolerant have guns?
Cupcake

Where’s the love for the invisible pink unicorn?
Roach

Better buy some guns, then, so you can enforce your tolerance.
jeflaw

New Jersey courts are so boring. We don’t have any protests over a statue, monument, etc, and we don’t have anything like this. You’d think we could at least get a monument to political corruption or smokestacks?
Chris Spurgeon

Hate begets hate. If we want to really see an end to the intolerance, we must be tolerant – even of the intolerant.

Ah… no.
eigengrau

I’m not saying that we should condone intolerant behavior – but in order to be morally consistent, we can’t judge Christians for being judgmental – we become what we hate. Homophobes loath gays, in just the way that liberals loath judgmental hypocrites. It’s the same ugly emotion, just with different details. We can’t allow ourselves to hate anybody, whatever side we are on, because that just propagates the problem.

Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.
– MLK
Zed

the way it carries out the satire is disrespectful to the point of being unproductive – it doesn’t invite a discussion, it points a finger.

Got any examples of the productivity of respectful satire that invites a discussion but is careful to never point a finger?
old geezer

I live just a few miles from Crossville. There are always Christian displays on the courthouse lawn. These are usually (really!) chainsawed statues of Jesus, the disciples and, around Easter, the Last Supper. For some reason, they haul out the Last Supper at Christmas, but oh well.

I’ve often commented to my wife that it would be interesting to see if they would allow a pentagram or something. It looks like they are open-minded enough to allow the FSM. They’ve gone up a looong way in my eyes.
Keneke

A protest by any other name…
sproing3

Our lord FSM represents multiculturalism? I thought He represented the end of P.C., and open war on stupidity.
Chocolatey Shatner

FSM is not really aimed at “true believers” of other faiths, anyway: it’s more to shine a light on their behavior to those people who may be more on the fence (i.e. not crazy-religious). I agree that intolerance breeds intolerance, but this is about satire and show, not faith. Personally, I know a few decent Christians: people who try to help the poor, caretakers of the earth, loving (non-sexually) their neighbors: you know, crap like that. They are kind of amused by the whole FSM concept… but that’s because they aren’t assholes who pervert their faith to gain power and money by fomenting hate and anger.
Pipenta

I’m with #34 on this.

Tolerating the intolerant does what, exactly? Not help. Tolerating the intolerant enables hate.

The FSM is a whimsical poke. The religious can’t seem to tolerate that. They will, however, pass laws based on bigotry based on ancient tribal legends.

I can handle jokes about dykes who hang drywall and drive trucks. I can’t tolerate the culture of hate and fear fueled by most religions. I can’t tolerate a culture in which queers and atheists have to hide what they are and what they believe, all the while any kind of religious b.s. is considered just dandy.

So I am supposed to be tolerant of that, but be worried that the adorable and amusing FSM who is, by his very nature, less threatening and hostile than even Barney (Who is, after all, a T. rex.) might offend some religious bigot?

NO.

This is a double standard we face every day. This is one set of rules for the religious and another set of rules for the rest of us (and there are a lot of the rest of us).

NO. I’m not having any of that.
Jelf

This is most unorthodox!

The inscription reads ‘May You Be Touched By Its Noodly Appendage’

‘His Noodley Appendage’, surely?!
Jeff

It’s too bad the FSM isn’t something really interesting, like a big, tall, powerful phalic symbol, with multicolored streamers shooting out of the head and blowing in the wind like an ejaculation of rainbows–the Maypole in all its pagan glory. And just for fun, have some young women dancing around the base, each grasping a steamer, weaving it around the pole, binding themselves to the giant member and waiting for impregnation.

I love spring :)
Antinous

Religious arguments aside, it’s quite handsome. Perhaps BB should purchase it for the atrium of the BoingBoing Central Services Administration Complex.
jonathan_v

this seems like an affront to the separation of church and state

or should i say ‘sepastaration’

(groan)
Santa’s Knee

I give it three days before someone rips it down with a pick’m-up truck (bearing a fish decal, of course).
Antinous

It’s the same ugly emotion, just with different details.

Anger and fear are evolved traits. They trigger fight and flight. They are functional. Do not diss them. Appropriately expressing them gets you out of situations in which you and others are in danger. Repressing them turns them into hatred and vengeance. If you don’t get angry at repression in Tibet or the Iraq war or Fred Phelps, it’s time to back off on the meds. If Americans hadn’t become enraged at pictures of dead soldiers on the nightly news, we’d still be in Vietnam. Why do you think we see so little news from Iraq? Anger is powerful. Own it. Use it for good.
zipster

@36 except that y r kk. But that is a whimsical poke right? If you allow people to define what offends them that would be horrible right? Unless they are Christians that is, then you get to decide what is offensive. I mean I say rape, you say “forced copulation” right? You are the one making the definition of offensive. You are making your own double standard.
Don’t like Christianity, fine, say so. Dont like all of it’s trappings? Ok, never use them. But be honest, your problem isn’t with xtianity, or even the religious, it is with morons. Stop type casting.
Antinous

Zipster,

I’ve been trying to figure out if your comment is offensive. But I can’t, because your comment is unintelligible.
scottfree

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion… .

I mean that’s more vague then it sounds because a courthouse or school or whatever doesn’t require a law to put up a Christmas tree so when it comes down to it, courts tend to rule as #38 said, against an exclusive established religion, but not against all recognition of religion.

Ok, tolerant vs intolerant. First of all, I hate the word tolerate, because it implies tension. I mean I don’t tolerate different cultures, that would imply I don’t like them, I just put up with it; I’m more or less indifferent unless something interesting happens. But I like to frame arguments according to star wars, because it makes it easier on my poor mind. Basically, Obi Won always respected the varied perspectives of the Republic, and the problem of that philosophy was amply illustrated by Anakin, who turned around and said that the jedi were evil from his perspective, and so Obi Won had to die. But Obi Won didn’t kill Anakin, even though Anakin would have killed him. Instead, Obi Won worked to demonstrate the greater fallacy of the Sith, which was that concentrated military might can not stand against the will of the entire galaxy…maybe not so relevant, actually.

Anyway, as nice as it is to say, don’t limit free speech, encourage debate to defeat wrong points of view, I heard a really great quotation on house the other night: “rational arguments don’t work on religious people; otherwise their would be no religious people”.
ill lich

I’m done with “Pastafarianism”– stupid Flying Spaghetti Monster hasn’t answered ANY of my prayers. How is he any better than Jebus or Allah or Xenu?

All I wanted was a Pepsi, and he wouldn’t give it to me.
nightlyt

The reason this was submitted to be put on the lawn is the fact that for the past year we have been bombarded with all kinds of Christian symbols on the courthouse lawn.

The creators of this statue are heroes to many of us in this town that had gotten fed up with the whole thing. From Moses to the Nativity to the Last Supper, it is about time another view was put forth.
searconflex

i’m mad as hell, and i’m gonna take it for bit more cuz those iphones have got to make it to canada eventually
eigengrau

I honestly don’t really like the whole FSM thing, because it isn’t used in a way that is inclusive or respectful to different religions – I might think astrology is a crock, but I won’t make fun of you for believing it – there are a lot of unknowns out there, and there’s every possibility that the atheists and evangelicals and the wiccans and the buddhists are all wrong. I generally find that most religious traditions have a lot of worth and significance, even just as a beautiful part of the human experience, and the essential message of FSM is that an arbitrarily decided imaginary being is somehow equivalent.

I think everybody should have more intellectual humility – why does it matter if everybody else believes as we do? Why don’t we just live according to our opinions and let others do the same?

I know there’s a lot of people out there that will try to push beliefs on you, but you can’t treat hate with hate, or mockery in this case, while hoping to improve anything.
baltimoregal

@santa’s knee
…and sportin’ a gun rack…
scottfree

Almost a shame FSM took over from the Jedi. But then the Jedi were super prudes and preachy after all.
greatsaints

As far as a piece of art, i think this looks good. But i find it slightly ironic and hypocritical that this effigy of a specific religion’s central figure is meant to be a celebration of multiculturalism and different beliefs, but yet statues of the Ten Commandments get taken down in front of judicial buildings. How does that make sense at all?
greatsaints

As far as a piece of art, i think this looks good. But i find it slightly ironic and hypocritical that this effigy of a specific religion’s central figure is meant to be a celebration of multiculturalism and different beliefs, but yet statues of the Ten Commandments get taken down in front of judicial buildings. How does that make sense at all?
zuzu

I honestly don’t really like the whole FSM thing, because it isn’t used in a way that is inclusive or respectful to different religions – I might think astrology is a crock, but I won’t make fun of you for believing it – there are a lot of unknowns out there, and there’s every possibility that the atheists and evangelicals and the wiccans and the buddhists are all wrong.

Theological noncognitivism. At least Buddhism has the parable of the poisoned arrow.
Mim

@#6ill lich: Are you very tall? Maybe he ran out of noodley appendages before he could get to you.
pffft

Eigengrau @18

I understand that FSM is a hyperbolic satire of religion, but I am just arguing that the way it carries out the satire is disrespectful to the point of being unproductive – it doesn’t invite a discussion, it points a finger.

FSM was thought up specifically to counter the point that Intelligent Design proponents make that schools should teach “all sides of a debate”. The point is that all religious beliefs — including athiesm — are opinion and have no place in a science class. Thus the FSM was created to make the point that if science classes teach intelligent design (a religious belief) then EVERY religious creationist myth should get equal time. It’s easy to see how quickly that whole line of thought gets absurd.

FSM was not created to mock religion in general.
greatsaints

Ok , maybe, just maybe i am reading this the wrong way. Is the fellow who put this statue up and saying it is a celebration of different beliefs and meant to provoke discussion, satirizing other religious groups that claim their statues are celebrations of different beliefs (even thought they never can be, i.e: the aforementioned Ten Commandments)? I would just like to hear what others think.
Bouncy Bouncy

It’s too bad the didn’t have the courage to forgo all that bullshit they said.

FSM and pastasfarianism are a satirical gesture whose targets are religion and religious credulity. It has nothing to do with, “[representing] the discourse between people of all different beliefs…”, commendable though that may be.
Wulf

The absolute best thing about this is that it wassn’t some clandestine, hit-n-run statue-ing, but a formally authorized official installation! Isn’t bureaucracy wonderful?
skullduggery

Note: This is for all the people who are complaining about this because they’re too lazy to understand the issues.

Courthouses (and other government entities) can publicly display the Ten Commandments (or other religious objects). The problem is when they choose to display only the Ten Commandments. If you open up a courthouse lawn for a Christian display, as Crossville did, then you legally have to accept displays from every other religion. Governments aren’t forbidden from acknowledging religion; they’re prevented from promoting one over another.

Or something like that.
greatsaints

#42, that doesn’t make sense. If you are tired of Christian symbols being there, why should FSM put a statue of their deity there, that is just sinking to the low level of the Christians. Yeah, sure it is a change of scenery, i agree with that, but it is still just another religious symbol put up.
crwatson21

Wow. I live pretty close to Crossville, TN and actually commute there to work. Imagine my disbelief when I saw it on boingboing. I have to go tomorrow for work, and I am curious to see if it is still up. I’ll let you know!
Takuan

A point of concern: when the next census comes around, will my “Pastafarian” write-in for “Religion?” be misconstrued as a typo for “Rastafarian”? Do you think we need to put say “Pastafarian,CFSMRORYM&WTA? (Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster,Reformed – Orthodox Rite, Young Men & Women Too Association?

Or will that confuse the government?
Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator

Bouncy Bouncy, why shouldn’t the FSM represent that as well? Religions accrete meanings.
Takuan

“Let no man pull you low enough to hate him. ”

man, I HATE it when somebody says that. Not only is it an unworkable platitude, it’s an indispensable truth.

Hate is a tool. Tough to master and it usually kills the student, but I haven’t yet got even close to being able to pass it by. The problem is that in my unskillful life, all too frequently the abandonment of hate means giving up on justice.

Is the administration of hate to correct the balance of things justice?
Roach

Saw a new fish decal the other day to beat all fish decals. It said “Freud” inside and the fish’s head was shaped to look like, ahem, another type of head.

Considering most of FSM’s supporters are against the installation of the Ten Commandments at courthouses on First Amendment grounds, yet claim that FSM is a religion in order to argue against creationism in schools, this seems rather cutesy, snarky and contradictory, which is all FSM is as far as I can tell.

Now to find that orbiting teapot and smash it…
squib

Is anyone else thinking what a good water feature that would make?
Zed

FSM and pastasfarianism are a satirical gesture whose targets are religion and religious credulity. It has nothing to do with, “[representing] the discourse between people of all different beliefs…”, commendable though that may be.

Another of the FSM’s targets is religious hypocrisy. I took all of that language to be a clear satire of the pretense that an explicit religious display is anything other than an explicit religious display. Pastafarianism can’t play the “Pastafarian values defined our nation and we’re just recognizing the value of Pastafarianism’s historic contributions” card, so they’re playing the “open a discourse” card, instead.
Mark Frauenfelder

Pastafarianism is hypocritical, inconsistent, bullying, lying, dogmatic, unscientific, and intolerant because it is a parody of religions that are hypocritical, inconsistent, bullying, lying, dogmatic, unscientific, and intolerant.
Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator

Someone with the monicker “GreatSaints” is verging on iconoclasm?
Takuan

Don’t misunderestimate this earthly clay mommet of his Holy Noodliness. Reccomember that iffn you can keep a straight face, you can demand EXACTLY THE SAME degree of apparent respect from others for our Pure Durum Wheat Lord as they demand from you for their lumber toting and sheep bothering deities.