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.
Nice work everybody. These scumbags even tried to come over to England last year. BTW I am sure that God hates the new FB too. I haven’t had ANY updates from Wall since they changed it. But Yeast? I heard he was ok with Yeast now, they kind of patched it up…but that has gone RIGHT off barley.
I’d add that he apparently hates Sweden too (but, er, oh yeah, WBC actually believe that, and Mexico too…).
Message to moderator – sorry this replaces typo strewn previous post!!
Nice work everybody. These scumbags even tried to come over to England last year. BTW I am sure that God hates the new FB too. I haven’t had ANY updates from his Wall since they changed it. But Yeast? I heard he was ok with Yeast now, they kind of patched it up…but that he has gone RIGHT off barley.
I’d add that he apparently hates Sweden too (but, er, oh yeah, WBC actually believe that, and Mexico too…).
If You Don’t Stand Behind Our Troops, Feel Free To Stand In Front Of Them
Words cannot express my love for pastafarianism! I will just have to eat a lot of noodles to honor its great noodly goodness.
On the founder of Westboro Baptist Church’s funeral: The HOMOS are coming! You fill in the rest.(what are the HOMOS doing while coming?)
Did the author mean non sectarian rather than non secular? Just wondering.
Pastafarians rock, they really do.
Seriously, who the hell wants to spend their life worrying “where your soul is gonna go” in this so called “afterlife”, i’m happy being without the fear of a deity, living my life as i want, besides, these religions are a burden as they keep people on edge all the time about conformity and all that crapola.
Anyway i’ve had many a giggle reading up about people spreading the love of his noodleness and all his noodly cheer!!
Free your mind, have some pasta, and enjoy what you do without fear of something “Watching over you” which isn’t real, unlike the FSM which is real, i’ve seen him and he once told me “once you consume some of my ever present self, you will be content”, he also said “you will be filled with my noodly love.”
Stay righteous, and rock on pastafarians
Hmmm, according to the schedule on their insane website, they won’t be picketing here in Topeka for at least the next month. Apologies, rest of the country. Have fun dealing with them.
Quote from said schedule: “The SPUEING time, she comes!” Not entirely sure what a spue is, but I think it’s a Mattel toy from the early 90′s.
Final note of interest: Apparently Jews are rebels against Christians. Feel free to figure THAT one out.