The Museum of The Flying Spaghetti Monster!!

[James Belman]

...if all else fails we could erect a FSM information stand outside the Museum of Creationism...

Get people to take a "Free Stress Test" or somethin'.

And sell T-shirts/mugs/inflatable-FSM's.

[NeferKa]

Are there inflatable FSMs? That would be awesome. A friend of mine knits little ones, which are great. We have the office decorated with them. I made a giant one out of cloth and stuffing for sculpture class - the noodles are 10 feet long. However, I think the inflatable ones would be fun!

[kat]

Of course, we'd have to get the several thousand dollars (just for the US) to become a legit church.

Nope.
Churches with budgets under 5K just incorporate locally, and that's cheap.
even 501(c)3 status, which churches do not need, is under $600.

[James Belman]

Well what're we waiting for?
Everyone knows you can't take a religion seriously if it hasn't got an inflatable version of it's deity!

...Hmmm, there must be bussinesses that make inflatables...but whom? ....

[Goat Starer]

my brother makes animatronic dinosaurs, alien tentacles, giant pinball machines, exploding generators, beating hearts, giant snowballs etc for UK theme parks, museums, music videos, shops etc. The ideal man to undertake this work (he has a darwin fish on the back of his skoda). I would suggest we need museums in the US and the UK.

[Twice Baked]

Of course, we'd have to get the several thousand dollars (just for the US) to become a legit church.

Nope.
Churches with budgets under 5K just incorporate locally, and that's cheap.
even 501(c)3 status, which churches do not need, is under $600.

501(c)3 is for any nonprofits, even nonreligious. It's good, in that fsm could collect donations that would be tax deductible for the donors. And, as long as bobby's pirate ship was going to arguably be used for the public good somehow, the money could be directed towards that if you'd like. Or an educational waterslide theme park across the street from the creationism museum. It could fund that, too.

I worked on the board of a nonprofit that had 501c status. I don't remember paying $600 for it. There are a bunch of rules that would be pretty easy for us to comply with, involving the minimum number of board meetings per year, etc. It turns out pretty good, because once you have nonprofit status, people are much more willing to make donations to the cause. For example, with tax deductible status, we could get a noodle manufacturer to donate a million noodles, since they can then write them off as legit charity. I don't know if anyone needs a tax break big enough to give us a pirate ship or a theme park, but hey, some richie rich must need the deduction! But our nonprofit was able to do fundraisers and get the venues to donate the space and other businesses to donate various raffle prizes, etc. Even a local brewer donated a couple of kegs to the cause for one fundraiser!

[NeferKa]

I was looking online to see what I could find for inflatable toy manufacturers that take custom orders. (I’m at work at 4:00 AM, and I’m pretty bored.)

I think you have to order a minimum of 500 with this company.

This is more for giant product advertisement.

This company can make small ones, I think.

I think this company can make actual toys, which may be what we're looking for now.

For a cheap, do it yourself project, I just say get some beach balls, add a custom paint job, and attach noodles and eyes.

[Huchahucha]

Hello - I'm a new member, recently touched by his noodly appendage (although I must pledge my allegiance to the one TRUE religion - Church of the SubGenius and the prophet J.R. BoB Dobbs).

Anyway, I was laying awake last night contemplating this very concept, except from a different perspective. I think there should be a museum, but it ought to be a FSM Science Museum. Except here is the kicker - have all the exhibits be based on the most flawed, bullshit "science" and magic imaginable. It could be similar to Scientology, except where they hide their bullshit science from the general public, the Church of FSM could proudly display their bullshit science for the whole world to see. Then at the exit you could take some sort of quantifiable measurement to prove that quests are actually dumber now than they were when they got there.

Also, I have an off topic question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. What is the reason for seeking tax exempt status for the church? It just seems to be a step backward from the stated goal of the church. If you become a bona fide religion then it will be easier to dismiss you in the ID discussion. The Christians are getting away with their nonsense because they haven't directly interjected Jesus into their "theory". By becoming a government acknowledged religion you will be exempting yourself from the arguement because you will be blatantly trying to force your religious views onto people.
Besides, isn't it more pirate like to NOT be a government recognized religion? Back in the day when our holy bretheren would hijack a ship, one of the tactics they used was to fly the flag of whatever nation would be most advantageous to their goal. Then at the last second they would show their true colors with the Jolly Roger. If anyone says the Church of the FSM isn't to be taken seriously because it isn't a "real" religion, the proper response would be "that's right, we're not a real religion ('wink' 'wink' - 'nudge' 'nudge'). Millions of Pastafarians can't be wrong.

[Qwertyuiopasd]

1) there are some of us who take the FSM as our bona fide Deity, regardless of its original intent.
2) unless I am mistaken, IDers are saying that god intelligently designed everything. or they're saying a higher supreme being figure of some better wording did that, but they're all christian, and its the same thing as the monkey trial basically, and they were using God, because they weren't afraid. its not that hard to figure out.

besides, if we're loud enough, they can't exempt us from anything.

[Huchahucha]

1) He can still be your bona fide Diety regardless of whether the Church pays its taxes or not.

2) Most people that favor ID being taught in science class are Christian(of multi denominations). Christians in general are believers in Christ. The ID movement implies that an all powerful intelligent being (God) created the universe. They have never suggested that Jesus Christ created the universe. In comparison...
Members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster believe the FSM created the universe. They call this theory Flying Spaghetti Monsterism and want it taught along side Intelligent Design in the designated public school systems. As long as Monsterism stays nothing more than a popular idea then the argument is valid. Once you move into an organized religion with tax exempt status then your argument is groundless because it is unconstitutional. As a grassroots organization you can keep this ship afloat indefinitely. As an organized religion it's straight to Davy Jones's locker. Yarr!

[Qwertyuiopasd]

christians believe in chirst, but also god. I think certain denominations believe that chirst and god are the same or something. but christians certianly believe in the God the IDers are saying created the universe.

and it being unconstitutional is the POINT. its satire. if we do become a bona fide tax excempt church like the IDers, then we're just as valid as them.

being, NOT valid.

so if they do get ID in (which is some places they have) but won't accept FSMism, we can prove we have just as much evidence as they do.

being, NO evidence.

actually teaching kids about the FSM in school probably isn't the best course of action, but if it did happen it at least might tip the kids off.

[Dr. Otis Lansa]

The other possible strategy... break off from the religion aspect of FSM, and pursue Spaghetti Monsterist science to give evidence for his Noodlyness.

If Intelligent Design wants to do the science thing, we've got a model* of the universe that is WAY more in line with "logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence" than anything the ID movement has come up with, and as a bonus it's not readily debunkable by laypeople.



*yeah, I know it's called Hyper Spaghetti Monster Theory, but it's not predictive. Yet.

[Huchahucha]

and it being unconstitutional is the POINT. its satire. if we do become a bona fide tax excempt church like the IDers, then we're just as valid as them.

I guess I can see the point there. But my point is that where ID has been found unconstitutional, it has never been on the grounds of there being a Church of Intelligent Design. That is the church that should be started to derail the ID train. Make the concept so blatantly religious nobody in their right mind would try to defend it as science.