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?
Just sent. Again thanks for the e-mail info.
Dr. Nietzel and Dr. Stone,
This is about your providing “space” for the Flying Spaghetti Monster holiday display.
In regard to your claim that this location satisfies some legal requirement, I submit to you that even if there was limited space, notice should be given as to available space with all interested parties being given an equal amount of space with the “same prominence”.
Is it O.K. to have to sit in the back of the bus? This is an obviously “inferior location” meant to demean a religion that you are not comfortable with.
I say let the lawsuits proceed! Again I would hope that when you are personally sued that no University funds would be provided for your defense or judgements because discrimination cannot be their policy
Reverently,
Fizzmick PaChee
@Momi Pink Shoes
“ I don’t see why it’s not up.”
Viagra shortage?
@JT Eberhard
If they are acting like they don’t care about the ACLU getting involved they are bluffing. That would get some sort of national press, and not much of it could be positive. Please don’t give up! Pastafarians shouldn’t back out of a fight like this. If you need help (other then a few E-mails from me to them) post it on here. Also, have you posted the addresses of ALL of the administrators involved? Maybe there is a sight with their addresses? If we can bug more than a few of the hardcore people we have a better shot at this.
On another note, it might be a bit late for Holiday, but don’t miss Pastover, Friday, or other holidays, make a stink about it each time. Just make sure you don’t do anything against policy so they can disband the group.
@Perna de Pau
I don’t see how the can classify those things as not religious affiliated. It’s not a slam dunk for them in court. Even if it was, there’s nothing in the Gospel about statues or any of that, so this could easily be argued as being a secular symbol.
@Red DutchPasta Wench
A portable statue? Brilliant!
this is the e-mail i might send her i’d like some feedback first
_____________
why do you refuse to let JT display an Flying Spaghetti Monster decoration? Do you have something against our religion? if you think we are a “fake” religion, you are wrong. Are you a justice of the supreme court? do you have the authority to decide what religions are credible and what aren’t? Have you considered displaying items of other religions at all? is there a Buddha on display, or a Tri-Horn of Odin for the Norse Pagans? You work for the state and have no authority to say what religions can and cannot be displayed
@JT and Mark Richter
Front row seats right next to the beer volcanoes and the stripper factory dressing rooms for JT & Mark.
RAmen
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@Red Dutch
Great idea Red. Good way of drawing attention to the story of the religious discrimination too…when people ask about it.
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@Aesi Dec 18th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
“Hopefully seeing enough non-americans sending their support for the Pastafarian display should help :).”
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Will send one from a concerned Australian Pastafarian!
Aesi Dec 18th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
“Now i’ve got designs for sandwich boards flying through my head…”
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Ouch! :p
Oops, appears I need to retract my earlier statement. It was neither a student or faculty member who complained…merely a series of events (about inclusiveness, etc.) with a lack of communication resulting in the present mess.
Ah, what fun,
~Mark
You could make a Grinch style ChriFSMas childrens book featuring Dean Stone, who steals all the ChriFSMas trees from the good little Pastafarians to prevent the drunken debauchery on ChriFSMas day.
Another thing would be to complain about the displays that are up… if that’s how they’re gonna fight.
@Mark–I hope you read this. Thank you for fighting the good fight, and sticking up for the little guy/pasta dish. It’s cool to see someone in some sort of position of authority doing something like that, rather than just cowtowing to the powers-that-be. May you be further blessed by his noodly appendage. RAmen.
rmw: Thanks, I appreciate it. ~Mark
Just sent this:
Dr. Nietzel and Dr. Stone,
I’m writing you as a concerned citizen about the restrictions placed on the Pastafarian holiday decoration MSU. Although I applaud the decision to allow it to be displayed in public, I’m worried about the precedent of forcing it to be placed away from the other decorations.
If you allow - or in this case, cause - discrimination against a group that you find personally objectionable, then you’re sending a very bad message to the students at your university. The Pastafarians have the same rights as any other group, regardless of the popularity of their beliefs.
I respectfully request that you allow the decoration to be displayed with all the others.
Thank you for your time,
Do we have any idea how many e-mails have been sent?
Indeed, I too have noticed such discrimination. Go ChriFSMas!
@Ephriam A.
I like the Grinch idea. It certainly gets the point across and avoids any defamation suits because it’s literature.
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I am working on a similar idea using Dante’s Divine Comedy. Sadly I am a horrible writer and only have “Inferno” done. :(
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@Mark (of the Dr. variety)
R’Amen dude, R’Amen.
Oh, to answer the question about putting the display in another building, I say only if a fair drawing is conducted where all groups who want to have displays have equal chances of getting the more desirable locations.
Okay, here is wat I sent to the closed-minded adminstreatos at MSU:
Please allow space along side the other religious displays for the Pastafarian version of Yuletide Celebration. As I write, I am consuming my dinner of Alfredo sauce with whole wheat pasta, in His name. Pastafarianism is the ONLY religion I know of based in scientific fact, simultaneously appealing to the human sense that there is something bigger than humanity turning the wheels of the universe.
If we cannot count on America’s university administrators to be nonjudgmental of the panoply of beliefs, then we may as well live in communist China. I hope you are more more sensitive to the beliefs of the masses than that.
Thank you very much, Andrew D Pohlman, RN.
So, what’s up? Any new developments at MSU?
Well, i’m still waiting for a reply here and if I havn’t recieved one by tonight i’ll send off another e-mail. I think Dr. Stone is one of those “ignore the problem and it goes away” type people.
Don’t lose the chance to display in the other building. It’s a good chance to spread our message, and we can use it to our advantage! Because we don’t have any competition in the other building, we can make an even bigger super awesome display! We can make such a statement and such a great impression among the students that NEXT year the administration will have no choice to admit us. Keep fighting for equality, but dont risk this great opportunity.
bombadil writes in part, asking for feedback;
Are you a Justice of the Supreme Court?
I would hate to even float the notion that they could rule on what is or is not a religion. The adherents of an organization should have that right reserved. Also at a time of erecting disparate religious displays, all religious viewpoints should have an equal opportunity.
Sincerely,
Fizzmick PaChee
Keep up the good work. You might be interested in an e-mail I just sent to the MSU addys mentioned:
Gentlemen,
I’m appalled at your insensitivity and lack of respect for the religious feelings of all denominations.
I beg you; I urge you, to end this un-American and discriminatory attitude that offends not only freedom of religion but the very principles of equal rights under the law upon which America was founded.
I’m sure America’s founding fathers would join me to the last in expecting you to revise your biased and prejudiced attitude and to respect other human beings religious beliefs as much as you would expect your own to be respected.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this religious intolerance puts the administration of the Missouri State University much morally closer to the muslim Taliban than you would like to be. Gentlemen, that’s not good company.
So, in order to correct this error that offends the religious sensitivity of all, please allow the Missouri State University Pastafarians to place our display together with all the other religious displays in a show of tolerance and respect for the religious freedoms of others as one has every right to expect from such a prestigious institution as the one you have the privilege of being part of.
You can count on the blessings of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and be sure that you and your loved ones will always be in our prayers while we eat our noodles.
Gentlemen, I commend you to His Noodly Appendage and may all our tables never lack our Holy Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Ramen.
Thank you, very much.
Jorge Banner
Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA