The Univeristy of South Carolina Pastafarians organized a successful counter-protest of the hate group Westboro Baptist Church’s demonstration at the South Carolina State House on Tuesday.
We’ve mentioned (and counter-protested) Westboro Baptist Church before; they’re an extremist Christian sect best known for their godhatesfags website (alluding to a Leviticus verse taken out of context) and protests of American soldiers funerals. They tour around the country spreading their message of intolerance, generally to the disgust of onlookers. It’s unclear what exactly they were trying to accomplish in SC.
Here is a picture of some Westboro demonstrators, so you can get an idea of what they’re about:
One more:
If anything good has happened as a result of these hateful small-minded people it’s that the tolerant nonsecular community has so often come together in response. The USC Pastafarians did an amazing job of staging this counter-protest of the Westboro crew.
Here are some pictures:
I think I spot a pirate. Crowd was estimated to be in the hundreds.
Amusing signs are something of a tradition in these counter-protests.
It’s true, Leviticus outlines a variety of stuff God hates. Shrimp is on the list. I think some of these are speculation (but that’s fair game in religion).
I’m told this gentleman was wearing very short shorts, for the cause.
This one took me a while.
Thomas Jefferson would have approved of this, I am confident.
I’m with God. Jenga sucks.
So many people. You can really feel the love in the air.
Pastafarians love everyone …
Even (especially) gay robots
Nice work, guys.
Gay robot love.
Pastafarians are longtime supporters of Gay Robot Rights
You guys did an amazing job and I wish I could have seen the show.
More pictures, videos, information regarding this event:
Facebook event page with pictures, video, etc
USC Pastafarian counter-protest event press release
Local WOLO News video coverage — There was a clash of ideals on the State House grounds Tuesday. The radical Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas came to Columbia. The group is known for protesting at soldiers’ funerals and spreading a message of hate against homosexuals and Jews. But dozens of counter-protestors outnumbered Westboro Baptist fifty to one.
MidlandsConnect local News video coverage
A final note
I want to point out that the majority of the counter-protesters were non-secular, as is often the case. It is a disturbing reality that the conservative members of a religion are often silent in response to the extremist members. This more than anything is the big evil hanging around organized religion. It’s true that most members of any religion are good people; it’s also true that those good people often remain silent when nutjob members do crazy shit.
I don’t know the solution, but I have to believe that these types of counter-protests are a step in the right direction.
Awesome work, guys.
Update 3/30/10
Dead Marine’s father ordered to pay protesters’ legal costs.
The father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church says an order to pay the protesters’ legal costs in a civil claim is nothing less than a “slap in the face.”
“By the court making this decision, they’re not only telling me that they’re taking their side, but I have to pay them money to do this to more soldiers and their families,” said Albert Snyder, whose son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in action in Iraq in 2006.
Members of the fundamentalist church based in Topeka, Kansas, appeared outside Snyder’s funeral in 2006 in Westminster, Maryland, carrying signs reading “You’re going to hell,” “God hates you” and “Thank God for dead soldiers.”
Among the teachings of the church, which was founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps, is the belief that God is punishing the United States for “the sin of homosexuality” through events such as soldiers’ deaths.
I tried to check out their website so I could email them about how fucking retarded they are, but none of their contact links worked. Do they have a page that works, or are they all as broken as their morals and messages?
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It is great that you guys mounted this counter-protest. The jibe at the end against conservatives wasn’t necessary or appropriate, however. Just because folks didn’t show up at your demonstration, doesn’t mean they aren’t doing anything. For example, for the past several years before this, the Patriot Guard has been shielding bereaved families, and although they are apolitical, a lot of them are conservative. I think if you actually did your homework you’d find a lot of those you accuse of silence have been standing up for a long time and, indeed, shielding families and showing respect day after day is more meaningful than holding a one-off protest at the capital.
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Wow, South Carolina is starting to looks sort of OK. (Sorry, but you have to admit SC even beats out Texas in some areas.) Great job guys. Funny, and a great message. If news of this gets around the WB folks should start expecting larger and larger counter protests wherever they go.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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It’s hate that kills it. It’s hate. We must learn not to hate. Not to discriminate. We must learn to understand. And move forward. Not to look back. Because moving forward is all we can do…
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Kevin – I agree with you. I am Conservative – and a Christian. I don’t support Westboro in any way, shape or form. I wouldn’t even try. They are some sick folks. I don’t “protest” at such events because I am a father of 3 children, work 40 hours a week, coach baseball, and don’t have the ability to take time off to show up and protest at such events. I know of no fellow Conservatie Christian like myself in my circle of friends that would find Westboro’s cheap antics anything but disgusting. But many of us simply don’t have the time or ability to show up at protest events, etc..
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haha, I was apart of the gay robot quintet. Who put up the gayrobotrights.com site? that just made my week. <3<3 Beezz boop beep isuxdix beep boop <3 <3
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I’m Christian and live in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I moved back here (home) I was told I moved back to “Sodom and Gomorrah”. Just want to say, “Long live the Pastafarians!!!!!” Had you been where I was living I’d be marching right along side you, costumes, signs and all. You guys ROCK.
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Think we can all chip together if the soldier’s father’s case isn’t looked at with 2 brain cells? I’d love to help him out. $20 from me.
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kevin(52) and barry(56), why don’t you go back and read that part of the post again, there is no indication that he is referring to members of a conservative politcal group which i believe would be considered to be republicans in the USA, rather he used the literal definition of the word conservative, which has nothing to do with any political party, but simply means the members of religions who generally aren’t active in supporting it or are happy with just going to church 1 time a week et cetera but don’t actually do anything to forward the church’s or religion’s goals.
on another note the post was great! what an awesome counter protest.
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ANYONE FROM AROUND TAMPA FL!!
Westboro Baptist Church is coming here April 17-19! They will be at the Bon Jovi Concert Saturday, Church Without Walls Sunday, and 2 high schools and USF on Monday! Anyone who is available to come out and do one of these please do! I do not know any fellow Pastafarians in this area, but if you do, please send reinforcements!! Look forward to seeing you all there!
RAMEN!!
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D&WC
Protesting against Bon Jovi or Westboro?
G
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Awesome work! God hates chicken!
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I am a Iraqi Freedom Vet, a conservative, and a christian. I want to thank all of of the Pastafarians for thier counter protest. Making thier protest a second rate to your own is a awsome idea. To this point I have not seen a successful way to stop these nut jobs because every thing that was tried just gave them more media attention. It takes a lot of guts and a good sense of humor to stand up to the nutjobs. The christians on here that think God doesnt have a sense of humor need to check out the duck billed platypus. Again thanks so much!!
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Bon Jovi is a classic! Who would protest Bon Jovi? Well, other than crazy, ignorant Christians… :)
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Dennis
Do you play ‘living on a prayer’? (Sorry it was either that or a joke about you having bad taste in religion and music)
G
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My bigoted comments? Really now? Even though that was in direct reference to the actual crazy Christians who protest at soldiers’ funerals and high schools, hates Jews, hates atheists, hates Muslims, hates _____________ (fill in the blank) and think we deserved 9/11? I’m the bigot? Then you must agree with WBC? Hmmm… If that is the case pot calling kettle? And you need to get your head examined. If not, how about not coming after me and going after the actual crazy people?
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Lest anyone think fundamentalist Christians have the market cornered on crazy, this just in !
“Women who dress provocatively and tempt people into promiscuity are to blame for earthquakes”, a leading Iranian hard-line cleric has apparently said.
You know, he may have something there. Years ago I hooked up with a provacative woman named Connie, and the next morning my room looked like an earthquake hit it.
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In all relevancy, I’m with the robots here. FSM believers are the best, and everyone should find out about it.
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Bill O’Reilly (yes, THAT Bill O’Reilly!) volunteered to pay the $16,500 in attorney fees to the Westboro Baptist Church that the court ordered Matthew Snyder’s father to pay. In this one instance, at least, one has to concede that O’Reilly did a Good Thing. The power of the FSM is indeed awesome.
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Colledge students in US imperialism really live in happiness.
The only fun we have is just the castrated WOW and some stupid local MMORPG here .
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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It still befuddles me why you think that is an insult.
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What? the US or the UK version of ‘faggots’ I only ask as in the UK it’s a small meat dumpling with gravy which would be quite an odd accusation to make.
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I propose a new rule: from now on, anyone who worships a dude who spent His entire adult life hanging out with a dozen other guys, was known to be kissed by them and wash their feet, and is frequently portrayed in a nearly-nude S&M glamour shot, isn’t allowed to have a problem with gay people.
Sound fair?
RAmen
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Ramen
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I think the Pastafarian movement is a great thing. I remember vaguely reading something about the Flying Spaghetti Monster a few years back, but recently Dan Brown (http://www.yourube.com/pogobat) brought it back to my, and countless others’ attention.
I support this cause.
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The Patriot Guard Riders came into existence due to the Uglies showing up at funerals of soldiers. Within a year and a half, the commitment to not grant the group of lawyers any satisfaction of publicity or sue-able actions had it so no one even said their name.
The Patriot Guard went on to become an organization of healing and participation–always showing up for bereaved families. Some of my friends who served in Vietnam are the most committed (and often ill) people who unstop-ably show respect for people and families who serve in the military.
It is all so anti-Ugly in a profound sense.
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I would like to clear something up about his reference to conservative religious members. It was not a slam to political conservatives. It was a statement that the members who stay quiet and subdued (i.e. conservative) are allowing themselves to get a bad name by allowing the more extreme (i.e. liberal) members to claim the support of their entire faith. If no one speaks up on behalf of the various slandered faiths, many people will just lump them in together with the rest of their religion, and assume they are all nuts.
Thought process: Well, these “Christians” are claiming that all of their brethren hate homosexuals, and they are doing it openly. No one else from their flock is denouncing them, so they must be telling the truth…
The above obviously over-simplifies the concept, but something to this affect does go through the minds of many people, especially young people.
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This church shames the name of God. God is not mad – if he is judging the world, then he better apologize to Jesus for dying for the world.
I strongly suspect this is a group set up to cause the classic “divide and conquer” in society. It is ridiculous and completely illogical.
Sadly, free speech is free speech. If you eliminate free speech for the “crazies”, then who is next? You? All it takes is for someone to not like what you say!
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Slimy oxygen thieves at it again. (no offense meant to actual slime organisms)
“Westboro Baptist Church Announces Picket of Constance McMillen’s Graduation”
WBC – released this as part of their statement:
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Speaking of signs, just a little mind freshener to remove that WBC foul stench from the senses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf1ZIMcTlW0
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Try reading the bible you’ll find all the hate you can handle in there, the word of god is HATE!
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You are building your entire argument on a belief in god. Not everyone here does believe in god. So, yes, I am here even though there is no god, I have a lover without god, I don’t have children yet but we are working on it! But I will still have those without the existence of a god.
And you are right. God does not hate even the most despicable things in this world: rape, subjugation of women, murder, destruction of entire towns, taking people’s property (after they have destroyed their town), slavery, contradicting itself… Yup. Your good old god. Lover of all things! Except those who don’t agree with you, right Stephaniee? We are all going to HELL!!!
However, I would suggest for future arguments that you actually speak with at least some intelligence, offer some facts to back up your claims (like the existence of god), and for the love of my head learn how to spell and punctuate. I am assuming you are from America, so please stop embarrassing the rest of us with your pathetic attempt at writing our language.
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