JT of the Missouri State University Pastafarians has told me about some troubling discrimination.
The MSU campus is displaying a Holiday Tree and Menorah - but requests to put up a FSM Holiday display were denied, then false hurdles put in place, and now it seems that communication is being ignored.
It should be noted that Pastafarians are an officially recognized student organization at MSU, with the support of many of MSU’s finest faculty members.
It seems clear that the denial of the FSM display is due to the Dean of the Humanities Dept. and building coordinator, Dr. Lorene Stone.
The display is spectacular, and tasteful by anyone’s standards.
Take a look:
JT and MSU Chemistry professor Dr. Mark Richter have documented their correspondence with Dean Stone. It’s an extremely interesting read; everyone should take a look: JT’s blog post about this.
A note to Dean Stone: you’re running a school, NOT a religious organization. It’s not your place to push your personal beliefs on anyone, nor is it your place to reject beliefs that you don’t subscribe to or take seriously. Jesus would not approve of what you’re doing.
–UPDATE —
It seems the MSU administration is unwilling to discuss the matter. Dean Stone’s most recent correspondence said “I am VERY busy and do not have time to continue this e-mail dialogue with you.”
MSU President Dr. Michael Nietzel has been notified of the issue.
We need your help. We’d like the administration to get a sense of the number of people concerned about this issue. If you choose to write the administration with your views, PLEASE be courteous and respectful. The issue here is equality, not whether Pastafarianism is better than any other belief system.
Dr. Lorene Stone:
lorenestone@missouristate.edu
417-836-5529
Dr. Michael T. Nietzel:
President@missouristate.edu
Thanks for your help.
– UPDATE 2 –
I’ve been forwarded some replies by MSU President Dr. Michael Niezel, which, if accurate, indicate that the administration offered to allow the Pastafarian display to be placed in a different building.
I would like to know why the Pastafarian display is not allowed to be placed next to the other religious displays.
I believe Dr. Stone made the decision to deny the placement of the Pastafarian display based on her biased personal views, and that her decision is being upheld by the administration above her for political reasons.
My view is that a building administrator who allows a Christian and Jewish display, but denies a Pastafarian display has acted inappropriately.
What do you think? Is it enough to be allowed to place the display in another building?
I did my part and emailed the eminent doctors. Everyone else should follow suite and they will back down.
I recieved a reply from the University President claiming they offered to let the display stand. Text of my email and reply below:
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to express my worry upon reading of MSU’s disgraceful treatment of the Co The Flying Spagetti Monster. I feel that your attempts to block a display of our diety alongside several other holiday symbols reflects badly on your entire university. I was under the impression that federal law had already set the precedent for religious and secular freedom in our great country. If you had set out to project an image of close-minded intolerance, I can’t imagine a better way. Continuing your opposition to the display hurts only yourself and your institution. Please review your policy and hopefully this matter can be brought to an acceptable end for all.
Mr. _______: You have been misled, unless you were also informed that the University offered to put up the requested display in the student center, with other holiday displays, but that this group refused that offer because they said they did not want it there. If your contention is that the only way we can honor religious freedom is to put up displays in the exact location each student group might insist on, than I am afraid you will continue to find our policy disgraceful.
Mike Nietzel
I think a petition and mass emailing would work the best, at least for something faster, choke their email up with a ton of support, causing them a massive PITA, and the petition would show that there’s lots of support in the local student population.
I know why its not allowed up!
Its appendages are not noodly enough!
I’d go with the petition idea…as storm petrel suggested.
love the fine art taco photos. I say build one, and put it up anyway, then If they try to remove it, film them and then take down the other displays.
petitioning is a good idea before resorting to my extreme measures. Petitioning may also convert more into followers of Pastafarianism, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Honestly, I think if he doesn’t have the time to write a short email explaining the reasons behind his actions then i say he doesn’t have time to disagree with it at all. Do it to it man.
Happy Holiday from the MSU Chapter. I made a video Holiday Card for everyone. Enjoy, and feel free to spread it around shamelessly like a prostitute with the clap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xgFbcSn1zY
or www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xgFbcSn1zY
I like the ideas of email campaigns, petitions, ACLU and even lawsuits if it comes to that. Some have suggested contacting the local media. May I also add the school paper. And blog if the school has one (my university does). Get the word out about the blatant discrimination. RAmen.
Here’s the letter I sent to that Stone person.
—Who watches the watchers?
Who makes sure the checks equal up to the balances?
Who, if not you, decides what is acceptable to display and what isn’t?
If you allow one, then you must allow all.
Allowing a Christmas Tree/Holiday Tree and/or the Menorah and not allowing a visage of a deity; a deity that is the basis of a student organization, is, in one simple word, unacceptable.
What if “your” Christmas tree wasn’t allowed but the Menorah was?
Who would watch the watchers then?
Put aside your own bigotry and prejudices and allow the Pastafarians to display their deity, the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Sent an email to Dr. Stone. Short and to the point. Not as much fun to write as the Polk County one, but I hope I got my point across nonetheless.
.
“Dr. Stone,
I am writing in concern about your refusal to allow the MSU Pastafarians a holiday display with other religious displays. This is in violation of the spirit of not only the First Amendment, and the ideals of a university and the exchange of ideas. I hope you reconsider your position and allow this display. Thank you for your time.”
Maybe you can’t be a part of the offical display, and we can’t over come disbelief just yet, because it is easier to keep things the way they already are than to change them. But there might be another way to stand up. Lots of decorative fliers or window decorations (NOT VANDALISM) could really Pastafarianize the place and the management would be the ones that need to fight legal battles. It would show that we can be accepting of other peoples obsurd paranoias and power crazes, and still be true to our religion. It would be a shame to have that work on the noodle tree go to waste though. Keep fighting (peacefully and lawfully, of corse), and look at all your options, which are surely as numerous as His Noodly Appendages. Ramen.
I think we should all chip in for legal council, it would be a perfect way to spend my ChriFSMas bonus :)
Make it mobile and take it with you all over the place :) They can’t complain to that now can they? You are not putting it up anywhere, just keeping it safely with you :)) Plus a lot more people will see it that way!
In response to this:
“Mr. _______: You have been misled, unless you were also informed that the University offered to put up the requested display in the student center, with other holiday displays, but that this group refused that offer because they said they did not want it there. If your contention is that the only way we can honor religious freedom is to put up displays in the exact location each student group might insist on, than I am afraid you will continue to find our policy disgraceful.
Mike Nietzel”
The e-mail I got about this is present in my blog, but I’ll re-post it and my response:
From Dean Stone:
“I do not grant permission for student organizations to put up holiday displays in the Atrium of Strong Hall. I suggest that your organization talk to someone in Student Affairs about a display in the Plaster Student Union.
Dean Stone ”
My response:
“Dr. Stone,
The PSU would be a fall back option for me, as I feel our display belongs in the same location as other displays in the same category - regardless of who elects to put them up. Surely you can understand that from my vantage point it appears that other symbols (the Holiday Tree and the Menorah) are receiving preferential treatment to others, including my own. Surely you can make an exception to your policy in the interest of diversity on this campus?”
The offer to put it up in the PSU was made with about two days of finals left before the campus would be deserted (of which, I only had one more day of being in town), which is why we elected not to hang it in the PSU. It would have been superfluous, and after 10 days I would have had to remove it and I would have been out of town.
Ordinarily, I would have been happy to hang it in the meantime, while I continued to spar with Dean Stone.
The source of my frustration is that somebody (rumored to be a teacher) complained about the lack of diversity, at which point the tree was taken down for three days before being erected again with the Menorah, while our display was taken down and our requests summarily denied and petitions ignored.
What do you guys think? Is that sufficient?
JT
Ha! I sent her a ChiFSMas card!
@Red DutchPasta: I really like that idea. It’s almost like rubbing it in their faces.
Well. I’ve done my bit and sent a nice (or at least, nice when compared to my normal mood :D ) e-mail. Hopefully seeing enough non-americans sending their support for the Pastafarian display should help :).
I’d be worried if I was in her place and started getting mails from foreigners, hehe.
@Red DutchPasta: Hmm, Now i’ve got designs for sandwich boards flying through my head…
Actually JT, it was a student who complained.
Ironic, isn’t it?
~Mark (or Dr. Richter if you want to annoy me)
and to ‘cabin girl’ thanks, your comment made my day!
I agree with Red Dutchpasta! It is unfortunate that we may not be able to erect the dispaly along side the other arrangements, but something about flaunting it around campus seems almost a bitter sweet victory to me. May His Noodly Appendage guide your way!!
Ramen.