Can I build a Church?

[Sane Lunasea]

Aye, there be already well established taverns and houses of ill repute aplenty. Let them indeed be sacred places of worship. Spend your money not on building churches, but rather pirate ships, that we might spread the word of his noodly goodness far and wide!

ラーメン!

[Trampledbygeese]

That would be great to build a church for Pastafarians in my area since I am a Rev. now. Can I do that? If I can't make it an official church, could I just build a little hang out and call it something like "United Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" or "United Church of Pastafarianism" or something?

I could totally see a place that honours the FSM. Only for some reason I imagine it inhabited by people who enjoy beer and serve free pasta to the needy (homeless and starving students) every Friday. Actually, I had a dream about that last night... is it good or bad if the almighty FSM appears in a dream?

[Sane Lunasea]

How about a chain of Italian Resteraunts/Strip Clubs called "The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" where midgets eat for free? Non-stripper employees could dress up as Pirates and Wenches. Maybe even Stripper/Wenches...

[Tigger_the_Wing]

How about a chain of Italian Resteraunts/Strip Clubs called "The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" where midgets eat for free? Non-stripper employees could dress up as Pirates and Wenches. Maybe even Stripper/Pirates...

FIFY.

[Valen200]

I have been looking into the legal requirements to actually perform weddings or any of the other functions of a minister in my State of Missouri. I believe, and I could be wrong, that the letter of good standing must come from a church in missouri. While it is possible to be ordained by multiple churches, and still meet the legal requirements , it seems like there is the a reasonable need that people in some areas might acutally need a "church" to fully use their FSM ordination.

I do agree that trying to make it as informal as possible is good, and that it would be against the spirit of Pastafarianism to try to make tax-exempt institutions. I will have to look ito the legal aspects more, but this is something that I am thinking about.

[Sminthian]

I don't know, when I think of a gathering place for followers of the FSM I think of like a pirate ship. I thought the whole point of this was to not be like other religions?

[Roland Deschain]

I don't know, when I think of a gathering place for followers of the FSM I think of like a pirate ship. I thought the whole point of this was to not be like other religions?

It is all about trying to be decent people, and yes, especially not like other religions can be (or at least end up being). I believe Bobby is saving up for a real pirate ship, as I read something about that on the main site. I can see the appeal of maybe hiring a small hall to meet in, or meeting in other people's houses, but not in paying for the building of a church. That really does sound like other religions.

[Sane Lunasea]

it seems like there is the a reasonable need that people in some areas might acutally need a "church" to fully use their FSM ordination.

I would steal a page from the Catholics and argue that "Where two or three are gathered in His name, the FSM is there in their midst." thus eliminating the need for a physical structure. It would be un-ethical to discriminate against a fledgling church just because we do not have well established places of worship.

On a side note, I have bought a Pirate ship in Second Life, if anyone is interested in helping me "deck" it out, or gathering there on a regular basis. You can find it in Sonyo. Should be pretty easy to spot.