I know I'm a bit late in posting this but it's just too juicy…
Metro.co.uk reports, “A student has been suspended from school in America for coming to class dressed as a pirate. But the disciplinary action has provoked controversy – because the student says that the ban violates his rights, as the pirate costume is part of his religion. ” The article goes on to explain that this North Buncombe, North Carolina school remains adamant that their decision to suspend the student for a day has nothing to do with his religion, and quite a lot to do with his repeated refusal to heed warnings against wearing pirate outfits.
While some schools accept the beliefs of their students, it's important to point out that the majority remain intolerant.
Bobby Henderson took it upon himself to write an Open letter to the Kansas School Board defending the alternative theory and formally request that it be taught in schools, along with evolution and Intelligent Design. It's worth a read… but Bobby's evangelism has not gone unnoticed. In fact, it's stirred up quite a controversy, especially with Christian folk. You can read some of the hate mail he receives on a regular basis here.
Praise ye the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
More links of interest:
Flying Spaghetti Monster Preacher
USA Today
FSM – The Game
I'm just curious if the guy in the video was the one who was charged.
I can kinda understand where he's coming from and all that, but he is fairly belligerent and attacking in his view. Obviously an attempt at parody of religion, and seems to be Free Speech, but I donno. The pirate costume to prevent Global Warming is what really gets me. First off the chart is silly because there are still pirates in the world today, they've merely adapted, and aren't around America anymore. Also it's taking a problem that is a very real possibility and trivializing it. Aside from that it was relatively humorous.
As far as the charges go, it's obviously a farce to say that the Pirate costume is part of their religion. It kind of mocks the protection of religious freedom in my opinion. I mean, if they don't want to believe in a god, that's cool, but that doesn't mean they should try to attack me for believing in one. Also, Intelligent Design, while being truly silly, doesn't really imply a god. I'm going to laugh when it was some Alien species that built Earth.
Every once in a while I see someone with a FSM badge on the back of their car amid all the christian fish and Darwin fish and it just makes me laugh when I see its noodly appendages.
It is beautiful. It is a picture which imagines the wind bedspread [lop] to ( I cannot English well.)
I've never heard of a religion that has this weird habit so I did some research on the matter and discovered a similar case with a happy end to it. The person in cause luckily had the support of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association and intended his cause in court. Amazingly, he won!