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Spaghetti Strainer Helmet Driver's License Photo Approved On Religious Grounds (immortal.org)

PolygamousRanchKid writes with the news (widely reported, here an excerpt from the story as carried by Immortal News) that [i]n the Massachusetts city of Lowell, a woman identifying herself as a follower of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), otherwise known as Pastafarianism, has been approved by the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) to wear a spaghetti strainer on top of her head in her state issued driver's ID. The approval to wear the helmet was initially denied. However, citing religious grounds, Lowell resident Lindsay Miller filed an appeal. Following intervention by the American Humanist Association's Appignani Humanist Legal Center, the RMV reversed their decision and allowed her to put on her colander and get her driver's license picture taken. According to the church's website, while there are those who perceive the religion to be satirical in nature, it "doesn't change the fact that by any standard one can come up with" the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is "as legitimate as any other" religion. Asks PolygamousRanchKid: "Now what about my tinfoil hat . . . ?"

518 comments

  1. They wouldn't laugh at jebus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But its okay, they have never felt the manifold love of pasta.

  2. Scientology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If a tax evation group makes a billion and a half dollars on the idea that depression is caused by the souls of aliens tormenting the world than some crap like the spaghetti monster is not really surprising.

    1. Re:Scientology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Scientology's requirement for DMV photos is to wear a dildo hat to show what they represent.

    2. Re:Scientology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > on the idea that depression is caused by the souls of aliens tormenting the world

      No, no, no. That is not what the message is. It is: "YOUR FAILURE IS NOT YOUR FAULT".

      Your failure is the fault of the 'souls of the aliens ...' so don't get depressed about it, just give us all your money and we will help you.

    3. Re:Scientology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      >Your failure is not your fault

      That has been the mantra of Christianity for 2,000 years. Being poor is good, rich is bad, ignorance is good, worldliness bad, meekness is good, strength bad, and so and so forth.

    4. Re:Scientology by KGIII · · Score: 1

      Hmm... Sounds a bit like the caricature of the "SJW" or the "Liberals." They want the rich to be as poor as they. They will shout down those who have different views instead of listening and considering alternatives. They don't like that other cultures (or people) have different views. If you look at them funny or anything else they'll find it as a cause to be outraged and become keyboard warriors, pull fire alarms, or complain until someone loses a job. They rely on numbers and noise rather than individual strength. And so on and so forth.

      I originally started my reply as a tongue-in-cheek thing. I think it should be said that I'm probably further to the left than any elected "liberal" in my country. I could go on and all but, I guess, I'd figure that it's much to do about fear and a desire to control and it's not limited to just Christians. The idea that it is your fault is absurd! We can't have that personal responsibility thing. It's just easier to blame something/others than it is to try to change yourself. With some introspection, you'd probably find you're just as guilty - and I suspect we all are.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  3. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Informative

    As long as it doesn't obstruct her face or otherwise interferes with identification, it is of course acceptable...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Re:Athiest Symbol by Great+Big+Bird · · Score: 3, Informative

    There is a subtle but important difference between these two situations. In the OP, the religious garb does not impede identification. In your situation it very much does. The best solution available to my mind, is to have the appropriate picture taken but if identification is required later have it performed by a woman.

  5. Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 3, Informative

    If the religion is sincerely held, accommodation should be made. However a DMV cannot possible evaluate the sincerity. It seems that the correct approach is to allow the photo. Later if the person gets stopped for a traffic violation and isn't wearing their spaghetti strainer, that should be grounds to investigate and charge them with fraud if it were a sham.

    1. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      The Church's beliefs only require the colander for official photos. It's not everyday headwear, it's special-occasion headwear.

    2. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the religion is sincerely held, accommodation should be made. However a DMV cannot possible evaluate the sincerity. It seems that the correct approach is to allow the photo. Later if the person gets stopped for a traffic violation and isn't wearing their spaghetti strainer, that should be grounds to investigate and charge them with fraud if it were a sham.

      Fraud? Prove sincerity with any other religion.

      Even devout followers do not walk around attempting to represent "sincerity" 110% of the time (well OK some zealots do, earning their label). Point is even the preacher removes his collar at some point. This doesn't automatically weaken the religion or its representation.

    3. Re:Not sincerely held by DarkOx · · Score: 1

      Then they will just claim their religion only requires they wear the helment when posing for photos. "Sorry you need to provide me with a spaghetti strainer before we can take these mug shots"/.

      There is no good solution to the problem.

      --
      Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
    4. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if her religion requires her to wear a spaghetti strainer only when having an official picture taken?

    5. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      There is an excellent solution - no special privileges for *any* religion.

    6. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      There may or may not be a good solution for a really determined prankster. However, the courts have historically handled these situations without a problem. They evaluate not the belief itself but the sincerity with which it is held. There may be sincere Pastafarians out there and if they can be accommodated easily, we might as well do it. However, if it is a sham, there should be a penalty. Courts are used to tricky cases. I'm not a lawyer.

    7. Re: Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly. This is why the 9/11 hijackers had porn DVDs in their motel rooms.

    8. Re:Not sincerely held by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Funny

      The Church's beliefs only require the colander for official photos. It's not everyday headwear, it's special-occasion headwear.

      Now you tell me.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    9. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Yes, but when they go ask for special accommodations, they do have to prove it. The best example is back when we had a draft, some people wanted to be conscientious objectors basically arguing that joining the army was against their religion. They were required to provide evidence. This is similar.

    10. Re:Not sincerely held by cnaumann · · Score: 1

      Investigation and fraud? Why? Are we never allowed to change our beliefs once they are 'sincerely held'?

      Accommodation should never be made exclusively on religious grounds. First, it is not fair and secondly it puts the state in the rather uncomfortable position of evaluating the legitimacy of a religion.

    11. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      The government can infringe on religion as long as it serves a legitimate government purpose (to be able to properly verify drivers licenses) and is tailored narrowly to achieve those ends with minimum infringement. So I guess the Pastafarians can provide their own non-official photo that meets the DMV requirements (without the spaghetti strainer) or, if none is available, they'll have to get a standard DMV photo. That makes the situation a lot easier since this is clearly narrowly tailored. However, if it turns out that they aren't sincere in their beliefs there is still a possibility of fraud charges. It may be hard to prove. Again, I've read too much case law, but I'm by no means a lawyer.

    12. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's no more a sham than any other religion. Christian organizations are buying Gulfstream G650s with tax-exempt donations, and their claims regarding the existence of an omnipotent being are equally unprovable.

    13. Re:Not sincerely held by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Eliminate the tax breaks for them, and you'd see many disappear. Too many are operating as for profit businesses to support the leaders, rather than non-profit charitable organizations.

    14. Re:Not sincerely held by roca · · Score: 1

      Courts can evaluate whether a belief is sincerely held. This happens frequently, e.g. in perjury cases. So the DMV could require the applicant to swear that the belief is sincerely held, and then in cases (like this one) where it obviously isn't, they can take the person to court to make an example of them.

    15. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Eliminate the tax breaks for them, and you'd see many disappear. Too many are operating as for profit businesses to support the leaders, rather than non-profit charitable organizations.

      In the US, you would need to eliminate the tax breaks for all non-profits. You can't just single out religious non-profits under the US constitution. As for those that are operating as for profit businesses, then go after the for profit activities. Even churches have to file a Form 990-T and pay taxes for unrelated business income.

      Instead of violating the law or adding new laws, just enforce the existing laws.

    16. Re: Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really, Pastafarianism is a mock religion according to its founders, so it should be religated to such. There may be people who legitimately believe that the Flying Spaghetti Monster (may his noodly appendage ever be upon you) created the universe and demands that its followers wear a collander in dmv photos, but they are not Pastafarians, they are something else. This is a case of a judge wishing to push a point home, not being judicial. Pastafarians and members of the First Church of Satan should noy be given religious accomodation, as according to their founders they are not religions. The FCoS is declared a philosophy, not a religion. Other Satanists may believe/ worship Satan, FCoS do not. Same thing with the FSM church, they do not hold sincere religious belief according to their founders, they exist to mock ID. That is fine, but it is not a religion according to the founders, so no accomodartion.

      Simple enough. Religious accommodation can easily be tested by: Does the act being accommodated cause enough interference in the daily life of an individual to be a detriment to them? If so then they are likely doing it for religious reasons. Example Catholics and Lent, Jews and yamulkes/ tzitzits Muslims and head coverings etc. All cause intererence, all can be accomodated.

    17. Re:Not sincerely held by prefec2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The problem with this is, there is no sincerity test for religion available, as a religion can state any number of weird things and their followers believe only in a part of it or violate rules on purpose or because of ignorance. For example Catholics (at least in Europe) they use condoms. This is not really allowed especially not when having sex with different people. So total commitment is not a necessary criteria. And as they do joke about their religion, this cannot be a criteria either. If you look at the Discordianists, part of their believe is it to make fun of believes (including their own). And Christians believe that a cookie wafer is a part of their beloved god or symbol for his body and that they have to eat it in remembrance. So in the end you have to accept any weirdo with any hat like thing as long as the face is visible..

    18. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      The state already has the apparatus to do this. If I apply for asylum because I'm a Christian in a Muslim country, I have to provide evidence. If I want to get out of the draft (when we have it) because war is against my religion, I have to prove it. This happens all the time. The more accommodation that you request, the more proof that is asked. The courts do not evaluate legitimacy of a religion. They evaluate the sincerity with which individuals hold their beliefs. You're right that the courts shouldn't have to be in this position. But the fact is that there are hucksters everywhere.

    19. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Yes which is why the courts have difficult jobs. But they do it all the time. I've pointed out the cases in other posts. Asylum requests, draft dodging, et cetera.

    20. Re: Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And how do you know that the founder of some other 'mainstream' religions didn't also start them as a joke? Just because there is no written proof of it now?

    21. Re:Not sincerely held by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

      It would be interesting to see a case come up where the plaintiff insists that there be no photo on the driver's license at all due to a sincere belief that a camera steals the subject's soul.

      Of course, that belief needs to be wrapped up in a religious sounding name, perhaps something along the lines of Great Spiritism or something else tying it to a traditional Native American religion.

      --
      This space unintentionally left blank.
    22. Re:Not sincerely held by HiThere · · Score: 1

      IIRC the thing about cameras stealing a person's soul was common in both Polynesian and African cultures. Calling it a religion isn't quite correct however, as religion wasn't separated from the rest of the culture.

      Still, it would be a quite reasonable belief for some religion based on an African or Polynesian belief system. I don't, however, believe that it was ever a part of Vodun. Still, there are enough varieties of Vodun that there might well be a sect that believed that. And it's a quite reasonable belief for any groups that believes in sympathetic magic.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    23. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      courts can't, if they do they are being biased (majority of judges will come from a religious background that will cause them to disregard other religions, if you believe them when they say they don't you are an idiot!) and disingenuous.

      or can they read minds now?

       

    24. Re: Not sincerely held by HiThere · · Score: 1

      There is often proof that, at least at some point, they were serious about their religion.

      OTOH, I've been quite apauled at the way Roman Cathoics take an obvious joke as a serious grounds for saying theirs is the only true Christian Church. I.e., "Your name is Rocky, and on that rock I will build my church." It may have had serious overtones, but that sure isn't clear. ... Well, I don't read either Greek or Aramaic, and the relevant texts were written long after the fact, so maybe there was a reason to take it seriously, but as evidence it's rather poor.

      It's also true that several proto-religions currently extant were founded by trickster figures. This makes it difficult to be certain just how serious they were even with LOTS of evidence being available. How serious was Gurdjieff? Aliester Crowley was serious, but about what? Did Leonard Orr actually believe in rebirthing? If so, WHAT did he believe about it? Etc. Note that in the cases I've cited there is LOTS of evidence that is verifiably valid, and it's still difficult to be certain.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    25. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      no you wouldn't. religions get the religious breaks whether they are one or not. charities have to PROVE their actions are charitable causes and will lose their status if not.

      and churches could STILL get tax exempt on their charitable works. Just not on the non-charitable stuff.

      Just like every other charity.

      So, no, you wouldn't in the least.

    26. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > if it turns out that they aren't sincere in their beliefs

      Beliefs can change, just because they are not sincerely held now does not mean that they weren't sincerely held then, when the photo was taken.

    27. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What fraud would their be if she wasn't wearing the colander? Are you giving the government the power to excommunicate people? Maybe she just started following another religion, or lost her faith. You will never be able to prove her mindset enough to justify an arrest (and waist of state dollars, which would be a loss).

      Fraud usually is thought of as someone lying to make money at someone else's expense. Massachusetts is not losing money and she is not gaining any, so what is the fraud.

      This is a harmless prank. At most it is an offensive (to some) civil disobedience.

    28. Re:Not sincerely held by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      The best example is back when we had a draft, some people wanted to be conscientious objectors basically arguing that joining the army was against their religion.

      Conscientious objectors are held to a higher standard by government because there's always the fear that there might not be enough young people for the politicians and generals to throw into some foreign meat grinder and then those leaders would have to find another way to treat their erectile dysfunction.

      A drivers license photo? Not really that big a deal.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    29. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I invite you to the Church of the Great Pumpkin. We are the most sincere church.

    30. Re: Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought Bin Laden was holding it for them?

      Pornography Is Found in Bin Laden Compound Files, U.S. Officials Say

    31. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      They are subject to more scrutiny due to the strong incentive to lie (most people don't like becoming cannon fodder). But the standard is the same - sincerely held belief.

    32. Re:Not sincerely held by Pinky's+Brain · · Score: 2

      A religion could easily just require it for photographs.

      Also ignoring that, if some Muslim girl took off the shit forced on her by her community once she drove her car far enough away would you really want to sue her for fraud?

    33. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Really? She has to wear a colander for a workplace ID photo? I'm thinking no...

      captcha word: piracy

    34. Re:Not sincerely held by jafffacake · · Score: 1

      So right. You have hit the nail exactly on the head!

    35. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here is a novel idea... Instead of removing tax breaks, give out more. Its not like the government spends it on anything worthwhile for the most part.

    36. Re: Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Irrellivent, take Roman Catholocism as an example. RCC belief is that the Pope is infallible when speaking ex cathedra fromthe holy sea or whatever. So he does so and says RCC is actually a big joke we never neat itt to be serious, then blammo if you are RCC then you are no longer part of a religion. The same way, if the First Chirch of Satan were to suddenly declare themselves a religion, then I would be forced to say that they are a religion.

      It is a matter of who gets to define who is part of a movement and what that movement is. I have simply stated that if a movement claims to be a religion and can demonstrate that their beliefs are sincerely held (see above) then give them accomodation.

      So if you want to be a Jedi, then you had better do what George Lucas said and or what the Mouse says now (since they own it). Likewise if you are a member of XYZ then you had better follow the tennents of XYZ, if you do not, then you are not XYZ...

      Classic example: If you are a member of the Church of the Sub Genius (praise Bob) and you have not paid your dues, then there is no garauntee for you to cling to in the afterlife (triple your money back).

    37. Re:Not sincerely held by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      Conehead hair?

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    38. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sooo... if a person is delusional and sincerely believes in his imaginary sky friend then he can do whatever his delusion leads him to believe is correct, but his fellow churchgoer who just attends out of habit and a desire to be part of the herd (and to be honest lots of moderate religious folks are quite pleasant to hang out with, so I'm fine with that) is restricted from doing so? This is a serious question, as based on my experience many people who profess religious belief in public will admit that they don't believe "it" (specifically the supernatural part) in private and are only there because they like the people and the sense of belonging and agree with the "be good to one another" philosophy.

      Laws should be made based on observable facts and common beliefs in right and wrong. No allowances should be made for delusional types (though obviously they should be free to pursue their delusion in any *legal* manner they choose).

    39. Re:Not sincerely held by Cederic · · Score: 1

      She wore a colander on her head. What more evidence do you require?

      What evidence would you like that a catholic rapes small boys, that a baptist hate gays, that a muslim is an ignorant fuckwit?

      You can't prove these things for a driving licence, so why are you trying to make special rules for people who believe in a flying spaghetti monster?

    40. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There may be sincere Pastafarians out there and if they can be accommodated easily, we might as well do it

      Is it even possible to be an _insincere_ Pastafarian in such a situation? You have to have some pretty strong convictions to insist on a colander on your head in official photos.

    41. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 2

      Amish people can travel between Canada, US, and Mexico without a passport for exactly this reason. https://help.cbp.gov/app/answe.... Accommodations are available for sincere beliefs. It's not available to pranksters.

    42. Re:Not sincerely held by billstewart · · Score: 1

      Are plastic colanders allowed? Or do they have to be metal?

      --

      Bill Stewart
      New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
    43. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only if we can charge all religion with fraud.

    44. Re:Not sincerely held by davester666 · · Score: 1

      On you it looks good...really! Keep wearing it all the time.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    45. Re:Not sincerely held by KGIII · · Score: 2

      For the second time, in one thread, I'm reminded of Emo Philips.

      "So, I was at the library in New York the other day. I told the librarian that I would like to get a card. Well, he said, "You'll have to prove that you're a citizen of New York - blah meah bmeha leamah." So, I stabbed him..."

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    46. Re: Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's the "Holy See" you nitwit. I stopped there. I'm not even a Catholic (or Christian) and I know this. As I type this, I see you can't spell guarantee either. I think we can safely ignore anything you have ever said or will ever say and be the wiser for having opted to do so.

    47. Re:Not sincerely held by KGIII · · Score: 1

      A 'waist of state dollars,' eh? Now I'm picturing Uncle Sam with a big ol' fat money belt. Said belt is probably overflowing and dropping money onto the ground. Various people are sneaking in and stealing some from the back. Some are on the ground fighting for dropped scraps.

      It'd make a good political cartoon.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    48. Re:Not sincerely held by SuricouRaven · · Score: 2

      The magic wafer is mostly confined to catholics.

      It's still a pretty weird religion to outsiders. The central idea is that God had to sacrifice himself to himself in order to appease his sense of justice, otherwise he would have to burn everyone in hell for eternity because they violated rules that he wrote.

    49. Re:Not sincerely held by someone1234 · · Score: 1

      I'm not a practicioner, but i believe, any plastic that withstands boiling water should be allowed. Pastafarianism is a young faith, it wasn't corrupted by money, yet. So cheap replicas and pompous, but impractical accessories didn't took over practical tools.

      --
      Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
    50. Re:Not sincerely held by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      Just because someone is sincere about something, it doesn't make that something true or correct. ISIS are very sincere......

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    51. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The central idea is that God had to sacrifice himself to himself in order to appease his sense of justice, otherwise he would have to burn everyone in hell for eternity because they violated rules that he wrote

      Taking apart several misconceptions from various flavors of 'christianism', here. Also sprinkling in reminders of what God offers even if we had technically "lost the game" on the first turn:
      Justice: 1 Pet 1:16: "For it is written, "You must be holy, because I am holy.""
      Gen. 2:17: "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."
      Romans 5:12: "When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned."

        The first man knowingly forfeit his / our gift and right to a life without death. God's original favor was removed but he still cared to give a new opportunity without proving a liar to his warning to Adam.

      The son is not "equal" to the father. He himself says he is less than the father From the lion's mouth: John 14:28: "...you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I"

      There is no hell.
      Jesus' referring to Lazarus as sleeping isn't just a new testament "thing." The condition of the dead is known centuries earlier by Solomon's writings... In Ecclesiastes 9:5: "For the living know that they shall die, but the dead do not know any thing; neither do they have any more reward, for their memory is placed into oblivion."

      Revelation 20:14-15: "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
      Death itself is not an entity that it "suffer" a literal hell framed by the proponents of that concept. The lake of fire is equalized to definitive "destruction" by the bible itself. Then, Revelation 21:3-4 reinforces this when it says "death" and pain will be no more. If death and Hades were to be forever consumed in a fiery literal hell along with human sinners then the true followers of Christ enjoying the promises from God would fail to see how death is indeed... dead and gone.

      There is hope despite the Genesis disobedience:
      John 3:16: 'For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.'
      John 17:3: 'This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.'

    52. Re:Not sincerely held by Maritz · · Score: 1

      It's high time we started seeing some purpose-built, really ornate strainers, with precious stones and metals, etc. Pastafarianism needs a bit more hocus-pocus and pizazz. I was originally exposed to Catholicism, you see, and that was always down pat - incense and all that.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    53. Re:Not sincerely held by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Not to mention the sacrifice in question involved "dying" on a Friday evening, only to go walkabout on Sunday morning. That ain't three fucking days. That ain't even two. When regular, boring humans die for a cause, they don't get to come back to life again 36 hours later. But sure, J-Dawg made the bigger sacrifice.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    54. Re:Not sincerely held by prefec2 · · Score: 1

      What I personally find super interesting is this quote genesis "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.", because humans were like animals once who had no perception of time i an abstract manner and they were not able to talk about concepts, but when they did, they achieved knowledge. Therefore, it is quite fascinating that this development is reflected in the text.

    55. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no good solution to the problem.

      Sure there is.
      Just have the government (and by extension, The People) stop stepping all over people's Rights just because they are paranoid and scared of their own shadow.

    56. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Which is why the courts don't evaluate religions for whether they are true, correct, or even reasonable. The standard applied is sincerely held belief. This seems to offend a lot of the /. crowd but it probably shouldn't. Sure it might mean some extra paperwork dealing with Amish passports, but it may also mean protecting people from working on weapons systems. There's nothing wrong with trying to change people's beliefs, there is something quite wrong with forcing people to violate them. This is a slippery slope that leads to tyranny of the majority.

    57. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or they could just tax less? Seems more efficient to me?

    58. Re:Not sincerely held by silentcoder · · Score: 1

      While you are right the government can NOT infringe on one religion in a way it does not infringe on others - that would be giving preference to other religions which is flagrantly unconstitutional.
      As long as they allow religious headware for *any* religion they must allow it for *every* religion.

      --
      Unicode killed the ASCII-art *
    59. Re:Not sincerely held by silentcoder · · Score: 1

      There is a theory that places the garden of eden in what is now the Persian gulf. It is probably the most scientific theory around, since it has some actual physical evidence to back it up and crucially it is entirely non-creationist.
      It's core is that the genesis tale (and the stories it was based on - eden is not a hebrew word ;) ) are actually a telling of the transition from hunter-gatherer to farming community.
      It also suggests that what was, for humanity, a great leap forward was for those who did it a tragedy. If the theory is correct then the settlers who became the mesopotamians were descendents of a hunter-gatherer community that lived in the lush forest where the gulf is now, which would have been an easy life. When the ice age ended and the gulf was flooded they were forced north into the desert and had to learn to farm to survive. And by the sweat of your brow shall you eat...

      --
      Unicode killed the ASCII-art *
    60. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      The must allow it for every religion that claims the same tenets. As an example, Amish people can travel internationally without passports. They don't need photo IDs to operate their buggies because getting their photo taken is entirely against their religion. However, Catholics do have to have photo ID since the photo ID isn't against their religion. The problem that the (false) Pastafarians are facing is that if they say their religion requires head ware in "official" photos only, there is no other religion with the same belief, so a unique situation will have to be found. What we see here is some creative arguing trying to come up with a set of religious tenets designed to get a particular outcome while avoiding the problems that will occur when those beliefs are found out to not be sincere. It's a dangerous game and I posit that the only winning move is not to play.

    61. Re: Not sincerely held by Megol · · Score: 0

      "... the relevant texts were written long after the fact ..."

      The fact is that there is zero evidence that anything in the Bible is true, old testament and new alike.
      Israelis in Egypt? Not documented while we have documentation about the time period, plagues of Egypt? Strangely not documented at all. Releasing the Israelis? Nope - not documented.

      We have no proof there were ever a Jesus, we have no proof of any miracles or events depicted in the new testament ever happened and we have no proof the Roman government sidestep all rules and crucified anyone for something out of their (self selected) jurisdiction. We do know that the description is wrong as the dates of persons given doesn't match up and we have plenty of documentation of everyday affairs in the area/time. There even are written texts describing _other_ people who claimed to be the messiah in the area/time but no mention of the Jesus dude nor his miracles. Strange that.

    62. Re:Not sincerely held by gary.johnson.535363 · · Score: 1

      What would the standard of seriousness be? "And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness." â" ISAIAH 34:7 Moses parting the red sea, Noah, the world was created in 7 days

    63. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There may or may not be a good solution for a really determined prankster. However, the courts have historically handled these situations without a problem. They evaluate not the belief itself but the sincerity with which it is held. There may be sincere Pastafarians out there and if they can be accommodated easily, we might as well do it. However, if it is a sham, there should be a penalty. Courts are used to tricky cases. I'm not a lawyer.

      So, have you ever met a sincere catholic? They will take you by surprise, because most catholics are anything but sincere; they're mostly a sham when it comes to religion. Most of them use birth control, many get divorced, most of the divorced remarry, etc...

    64. Re:Not sincerely held by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      More importantly, it's not the DMV's place to determine if it's sincerely held, real, or not otherwise silly.

      It's none of their damned business.

      The point is, some religions have some built-in absurdity. And my absurdity is as valid as your absurdity, and as soon as the state tries to determine whose religion is OK and whose isn't ... then suddenly the state is in the business of vetting religions.

      So, if one religion wants to teach that the world is 6000 years old, was created in 7 days, and that evolution didn't happen despite evidence to the contrary ... and they want that taught in school ... then pretty much any stupid shit anybody makes up is fair game to be "religion".

      The FSM is as unassailable and irrefutable as the claims by any other religion.

      Are you suggesting that if any preacher were to go against what he teaches his religion should be investigated and they be charged with fraud? Or are you suggesting that some religions get to have more leeway with being bullshit just because its followers say so?

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    65. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      It's not the DMVs place to make that determination, that is true. But these determinations do get made. Courts do make these determinations. I've pointed out the salient examples other places. When people said that war was against their religion, the courts allowed draftees to perform alternative service. When they said that war wasn't generally against their religion but that the Vietnam was was, they essentially got laughed out of the court room. Courts make these determinations all the time. They also do it in asylum cases. They do it all the time when Amish people apply to travel across the Canada/US/Mexican border without photo identification. I'm not a lawyer, but there are pretty serious penalties for making false statements when applying for government issued identification. Worse, those are anti-terrorism laws which guarantees that the penalties are insane. That's what we have here. Courts don't evaluate objective reasonableness of beliefs, but they do perform tests all the time for whether or not those beliefs are sincerely held. Committing what might be a serious crime in order to play a ridiculous prank makes most religions seem rational in comparison. What we have here is a pretty unsympathetic party who clearly doesn't have sincere beliefs. He's trying to make the news in hopes of proving that religion is stupid and instead has only showed that he's a bit challenged in the IQ department!

    66. Re:Not sincerely held by crow_t_robot · · Score: 1

      You have an excellent depth of knowledge of shit that is completely made up by goat herders. Time well-spent.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    67. Re:Not sincerely held by tehcyder · · Score: 2

      The magic wafer is mostly confined to catholics.

      It's still a pretty weird religion to outsiders. The central idea is that God had to sacrifice himself to himself in order to appease his sense of justice, otherwise he would have to burn everyone in hell for eternity because they violated rules that he wrote.

      The magic wafer is mostly confined to catholics.

      The difference is that Catholics believe in transubstantiation, i.e. the bread and wine become literally the body and blood of Christ. Protestants just take them as symbols.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    68. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      there is no other religion with the same belief

      The Jewish Kippah begs to differ. Well, if it could talk it would.

    69. Re:Not sincerely held by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      I've just done much googling to figure this out, and I can't solve it. I've tried counting from sunset to sunset as was Jewish custom. I've tried counting potential tiny fractional days as whole days. It's not working.

      The best I can manage is three days from death to resurrection by having him die on Wednesday. The story doesn't say what day he died, only what day he was burried - perhaps the Romans left him up the cross for a day before Joseph of Arimathea was able to talk them Pilate into returning the body for burial. That gives him one day corpse-on-a-stick and two days in the cave.

    70. Re:Not sincerely held by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      I assume it turns back into wafer and wine as soon as someone induces vomiting or readies the stomach pump.

    71. Re:Not sincerely held by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 2

      It's not a big surprise that the stories place Eden in the Persian Gulf since all of the people who originally wrote the tales came from the Middle East. They knew that part of the world best. It's not like they knew of North and South America to say Eden was somewhere in the Amazon. If we got the mythology from the Australian aboriginals then Eden (or whatever their version is) would be in Australia.

    72. Re: Not sincerely held by HiThere · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but you overstate your case. The evidence may not be complete, but on certain points the evidence is as complete as one would expect it to be.

      E.g., if the Hebrews were the Habiri (Habiru?) then there is evidence that they invaded Canaan during the time of Ikhnaton.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    73. Re:Not sincerely held by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      I've just done much googling to figure this out, and I can't solve it. I've tried counting from sunset to sunset as was Jewish custom. I've tried counting potential tiny fractional days as whole days. It's not working.

      This is only SLIGHTLY less of a stretch than you are doing, but if you're counting partial days as full days, and "time everything right", you can ALMOST get to 3 full days.

      Friday 12:01AM: Jesus dies
      That gives Friday, Saturday -- 2 days
      Sunday 11:59PM: Jesus is resurrected
      That gives almost all of Sunday.. another almost-full day.

      Even if you go noon-noon Fri->Sun, you get two full days.

    74. Re:Not sincerely held by mattack2 · · Score: 2

      In the US, you would need to eliminate the tax breaks for all non-profits.

      (I read the other response, and think that it reasonably disputes your claim.. but still...)

      GOOD.

      I'd willingly give up a lot of tax breaks (even the mortgage interest deduction), to make the tax code far far far far far far more simple and equal among all people. (I purposely avoided the term 'fair', since some people think it's fair to steal money from one group to give to another.)

    75. Re:Not sincerely held by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Orthodox Christians use the magic something (at the service I was at, it was bread). Some Protestant churches use something like the wafer, except that they typically maintain that the wafer is symbolically the flesh of Jesus, not literally.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    76. Re:Not sincerely held by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure how you'd define what to be sincere about. Does one have to sincerely believe in the FSM, or is it enough to sincerely believe in the basic tenets of Pastafarianism? If it's the latter (and a religion does not have to have a deity), then I'd guess that the colander-wearing people are sincere.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    77. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I feel the US government has the utmost tolerance of religion, but absolutely zero respect for any religious beliefs.

      I believe these two attitudes to be the only possible approach, personally.

    78. Re:Not sincerely held by MercTech · · Score: 1

      Is dressing like a pirate considered formal, semi-formal, or casual attire in the CoFSM?

      Now, let's see if I can wear my cutlass for my next DMV photo!

      --
      NRRPT/RCT
    79. Re: Not sincerely held by silentcoder · · Score: 1

      Well i wasnt citing stories. Theoligians have placed it everywhere from Cairo to lebanon. I was talking about a scientiffic non-creationist theory about events likely to be the inspiration behind the stories

      http://www.ldolphin.org/eden/

      Of course as science it is speculative at best but so is most archeology . Even recent times archeology. The discovery of the atari dump last year led to a radical rethink of the story that ET killed atari because there were only a few thousand ET cartridges no more than any other game. That's a mere 49 years ago and we aren't sure what it really means. 10 thousand years and anything is at best a "good guess".

       

      --
      Unicode killed the ASCII-art *
    80. Re:Not sincerely held by RockDoctor · · Score: 1
      Dressing like a pirate is special occasion clothing. Any time you want to decrease global warming, then you need to wear the pirate regalia ; any time you want to increase global warming, then you don't wear the regalia. For an intermediate effect, partial regalia may be worn - for example, in some locations the cutlass and hand-hook may be impractical or even dangerous (or even fall foul of the TSA), so you can restrict yourself to a frilly (unwashed) shirt and tricorn hat. The intention of piratical regalia is more important than the details of the clothing.

      While I am an ordained minister of the CoFSM, this is not a fatwa(*). Other opinions may be held and can be freely discussed around the beer volcano.

      (*) I'm not sure that fatwas are an FSM concept, but I don't recall any fatwa banning fatwas, so this question is up for debate too.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    81. Re:Not sincerely held by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      What would the standard of seriousness be?

      Since the low ground of utterly incredible claims of fact has already been taken by established religions, then there can be no standard of seriousness.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    82. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Courts sort out similar things all the time, but as far as I know, this would be a somewhat original situation. I'm certainly not in a position to handicap the legal process. However, I wouldn't want to face those charges even if found not guilty. If you get a DMV administrator and a prosecutor who want to go after you, it's a heck of an uphill climb. And there's nothing to be gained. The girl who did this thinks she is making fun of religion and pointing out the absurdity of religious accommodation sensational way. It's unlikely to change anybody's mind. The DMV has a will to live and operate. So now they have an untenable situation. To resolve that, they will go after the easiest target. Fighting against religious accommodation is not a path of least resistance. Looking for an excuse to charge this lady with a crime is easy. That's the course that I imagine will be taken. Again it's pretty clear in this case that the person didn't really want religious accommodation, they wanted to prove a point. If somebody else that isn't an absurd joke, but this isn't that case.

    83. Re:Not sincerely held by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      depends on what they are trying to uphold. i.e. if they believed in stoning adulterers, would you force them to violate their belief by stopping them?

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    84. Re:Not sincerely held by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Of course not. There are some beliefs that simply won't be accommodated at all. There are lawyers who devote their entire careers to this stuff specifically and I'm clearly not one of them. There are two separate issues here. Is the belief sincerely held and is the believer entitled to a reasonable accommodation for the sincerely held belief. If the answer to either of those questions is no, there won't be any accommodation given. The courts are generally free to address things in whatever order they deem most sensible and if a case can be decided without reaching every issue in the case, it's not necessary to do so. For a more relevant analogy, this is the equivalent of short-circuit boolean evaluation. If you want a religions accommodation, you have to have the sincere belief and there has to be a reasonable accommodation available. These cases get adjudicated fairly regularly. In the particular case in front of us, there's no point of dealing with the reasonable accommodation question since the petitioner isn't sincere. This case is fascinating on /. for all of the wrong reasons.

    85. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, the government can infringe on religion if there's a good reason to do so. But any reason sufficient to infringe on one religion would, in all likelihood, apply to all religions. So if the cookware on the head is not acceptable then, in all likelihood, neither is any other religious head covering.

    86. Re:Not sincerely held by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "For example Catholics (at least in Europe) they use condoms"

      On their heads for official photos? I like this better than the colander.

  6. Re:Athiest Symbol by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    Same rights? Of course not, she'd get more!

    An ID photo where you look like any other idiot dressed as a ninja rather defeats the object, does it not?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  7. Re:Athiest Symbol by chipschap · · Score: 1

    The key question is: when do the rights to exercise religious freedom conflict with the legitimate interests of the rest of the people? This is not only a hard question but a potentially dangerous one, with plenty of room to go wrong on either side of it.

    Is a burka -- which objectively speaking prevents identification of the wearer -- in conflict with the legitimate interest of identifying drivers for the sake of accountability? Does that conflict override the tenet of religious freedom?

    Not easy to answer.

  8. I'm kinda torn by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't know if making fun of a delusion is worth looking like a dork on your driver's license.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:I'm kinda torn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2
    2. Re:I'm kinda torn by Ostrich25 · · Score: 2

      Even without a colander, I look like a dork on my driver's license...

    3. Re:I'm kinda torn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ikr? That picture is totes cringy.

    4. Re:I'm kinda torn by thegarbz · · Score: 3, Funny

      I don't know if making fun of a delusion is worth looking like a dork on your driver's license.

      Are you somehow implying that there exists a person in this world who actually looks good on their driver's licence photo?
      They mustn't have followed the instructions of stare straight ahead, empty your brain, and try to look like you just murdered your whole family.

    5. Re:I'm kinda torn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course it is! Everyone looks like a dork on their licenses anyway. Might as well do it on purpose.

    6. Re:I'm kinda torn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't everybody look like a dork on their driver's license?

    7. Re:I'm kinda torn by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      i'd be more worried if one of those policemen that ride around with the God bumper sticker stopped me. he'd be prejudiced against a non-christian by definition.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    8. Re:I'm kinda torn by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      That's legal? I mean, the bumper sticker thing?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    9. Re:I'm kinda torn by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      i don;t think so but they re making stand in some places https://www.washingtonpost.com...

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    10. Re:I'm kinda torn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ikr? That picture is totes cringy.

      Please put bricks into your pockets and walk into the nearest body of water.

  9. Re:Athiest Symbol by unencode200x · · Score: 3, Informative

    It says right in the article that religious head wear is allowed. Other types are not. The lady in the article went though an appeals process that then allowed her to wear her religious spaghetti strainer thing on her head. Sounds legit.

    --

    Chance favors the prepared mind.
    Perfect is the enemy of good.
  10. I would do the same but... by WSOGMM · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now she'll have *no chance* at talking herself out of a ticket when a cop pulls her over and looks at her drivers license.

    1. Re:I would do the same but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Should she be pulled over wearing the strainer, then perhaps she will have a good chance?

    2. Re:I would do the same but... by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      "Now she'll have *no chance* at talking herself out of a ticket when a cop pulls her over and looks at her drivers license."

      If she is melanin-challenged, the head dress doesn't matter.

    3. Re:I would do the same but... by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 2

      Now she'll have *no chance* at talking herself out of a ticket when a cop pulls her over and looks at her drivers license.

      This religious persecution will not stand, man.

  11. Watch this.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    A guy in British Columbia went through that "ordeal" a little while back.

    Great interview here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ajGaIUdboA

    And another I found of him:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-HlcqQK8Oc

  12. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is a burka -- which objectively speaking prevents identification of the wearer -- in conflict with the legitimate interest of identifying drivers for the sake of accountability?

    Yes.

    Does that conflict override the tenet of religious freedom?

    Yes.

    Not easy to answer.

    No it really isn't.

  13. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The thing about burka is that face photo is useless because you can't be identified. Take off burka, wear a veil, that should be fine.

  14. Re:Athiest Symbol by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    It's easy to answer.

    If you want to drive on the same road as me, go in the same supermarket as me, and ride on the same bus as me you should be as identifiable as me.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  15. Burka by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What if a woman walked into the DMV wearing a burkah, with only her eyes showing through two very thin slits?

    1. Re:Burka by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, as long as she was wearing a colander on her head as Pastafarians are required to do when getting an identity picture taken, I don't see the problem.

    2. Re:Burka by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But anti-women barbarism like what you're describing isn't allowed in the West.

  16. I'm fine with this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    as long as she is required to wear the colander at all times. Otherwise this would just be silly.

    1. Re:I'm fine with this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, Pastafarianism only requires its adherents to wear colanders whenever they get their picture taken for a driver's license.

  17. License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The rule to allow head wear for religious reasons is stupid, and I can appreciate this stunt as an attempt to protest against it. If your religion doesn't allow you to have your picture taken without head wear, then you can't drive. Tough titties. The "no head wear" rule has a purpose, and just because you believe in imaginary things doesn't mean you get to work around that purpose. Alternatively we could agree that forbidding head wear really serves no purpose as long as the person is clearly identifiable from the picture, but then everybody should be allowed to wear a hat, not just religious people.

    1. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tell that to the Sikhs who wear their head gear instead of protective police gear in the UK, in the name of "religion".

    2. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Alternatively we could agree that forbidding head wear really serves no purpose

      This exactly. Is it really that hard to see this as an example of government overreach? Is there really a pressing identification need that was being disrupted by the wearing of hats, or even, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, smiling in your ID photo? Seriously, they won't let you smile in your ID photo now. Tell me exactly how many fucking terrorists, murderers, or drug dealers have ever evaded prosecution because they smiled in their photo? I'll answer for you. FUCKING ZERO. This is just another example of bureaucrats needing to make bullshit rules to justify their own existence. Security theater. It needs to stop, and if random people claiming to be members of some bullshit religion helps to stop it, I'm all for that.

    3. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The rules aren't bullshit. They're there to make it easier for automated identification systems.

    4. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously, they won't let you smile in your ID photo now. Tell me exactly how many fucking terrorists, murderers, or drug dealers have ever evaded prosecution because they smiled in their photo?

      They don't let smile in your ID photo now because of facial recognition. Probably most of the time, you probably aren't smiling, but just have normal somewhat blank expression on your face. That's the image they want in facial recognition image databases. Next time you get your ID photo taken, try furrowing your brow and maybe grimace slightly. They'll tell you to not do that either.

    5. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Honestly, the government can take 'automated identification systems' and stick them up their ass. We don't need that much government surveillance. It wouldn't have prevented Paris, and fuck you too if you think it would have.

    6. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Back off, bitch. Sikhs are fucking cool.

    7. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by shentino · · Score: 1

      Freedom of religion is in the federal. constitution.
      DMV regulations are a state level mandate.

      I think the DMV gets preempted here if there's a conflict.

    8. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      "That's the image they want in facial recognition image databases. Next time you get your ID photo taken, try furrowing your brow and maybe grimace slightly. They'll tell you to not do that either"

      For my rider's license, they even told my horse not to make a long face.

    9. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I never voiced an opinion if I thought the rules were good or not, simply that there's a reason beyond making the law because someone was bored. You can't properly fix things until you know why they're that way in the first place. Fuck everyone like you who makes too many assumptions and jumps too quickly to conclusions. I think the world would be better off with less of you in it. And why the hell isn't fuck a complement? I'd love to be fucked...

    10. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no conflict. You are free to practice your religion. If your religion forbids taking your picture without a funny hat, then you can't get a license, and without a license, you are not allowed to drive, just like anybody else who won't allow their picture to be taken without a funny hat. This in no way impedes on your right to worship an imaginary being.

    11. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know where you're from, but from where I'm from, smiling is perfectly acceptable. I know this cuz I had to renew my license in September. And I smiled.

    12. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Freedom of religion is fine. Nobody is preventing you from practicing/worshiping. But if you want an optional license, one of the requirements being a clear, unobstructed photograph, you now have a choice to make between your religious requirements and your desire to get that license.

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
    13. Re:License valid only with spaghetti strainer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That argument hinges on "optional". What exactly is optional? Voting is also optional, as in "not mandatory". And you'd be pretty extreme to claim some religions are incompatible with voting. The link between drivers licenses and voting is even stronger: voting requires a photo-ID such as that "optional" drivers license or other "optional" ID cards. Requiring a "clear, onobstructed photograph" on a photo ID following your definition makes it a direct electoral ban.

  18. Re:Athiest Symbol by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

    I'm a Ninja, you insensitive clod!

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  19. Wow. . . by TimSchutte · · Score: 1

    . . .Somebody's off their meds!!!

  20. frat religion by iggymanz · · Score: 1

    so devote panty-raiders can wear silk lace panties on their head for picture?

    1. Re:frat religion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One time I saw a guy buying a copy of that Panty Raider video game at J&R in Manhattan, and yes, he looked as creepy as you imagine.

  21. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Welcome to the world of political correctness, brought to you by limp-wristed pansies.

  22. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The best solution is to keep the insane in asylums. If they're too crazy to take a pic like a normal person they should not be trusted with a car.

  23. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Recommendation: Move to Canada.

    When you're done at the DMV, walk into the Parliament along with all your religious accessories (ex. burkas, suicide belts, etc) and take a selfie with the Prime Minister!

  24. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why is this down-modded? I'll bet a Yamaca is perfectly acceptable, while a Burkah is not.

  25. Re:Athiest Symbol by BradMajors · · Score: 1

    You can't drive with your face covered. So it would be reasonable to require your face uncovered for a driver's license.

  26. Hardly as barmy by dhaen · · Score: 2

    As some religions..

  27. I have to say it's pretty sad.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

    ... when someone can look at an idea whose sole purpose of existing was to illustrate how ludicrous it should be that intelligent design be taught in classrooms, and then start to actually take it seriously, like it is supposed to be a real religion.

    In fact, taking the whole FSM idea seriously, and trying to espouse it as if it were a real religion completely undermines the point that Bobby Henderson was trying to make about teaching intelligent design in classrooms in the first place, using the idea of the Flying Spaghetti Monster as a vehicle to achieve his ends.

    Wanting to make fun of other people's religions and laugh at them for being superstitious is one thing, and not wanting to have intelligent design taught in schools is fine, but then turning around and calling that whole idea a religion of its own that deserves to be taken seriously by society seems nothing less than self-defeating.

    1. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by ScentCone · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Wanting to make fun of other people's religions and laugh at them for being superstitious is one thing, and not wanting to have intelligent design taught in schools is fine, but then turning around and calling that whole idea a religion of its own that deserves to be taken seriously by society seems nothing less than self-defeating.

      You're not getting it. This case (the colander on the head) is pointing out the absurdity of "god makes me wear this" headware generally, and of state-government-level capricious laws/policies with respect to it in particular.

      The only way to point out how ridiculous religion is, is to do something just as ridiculous, and force the government to treat it with the same level of credulity and absurd dignity. So this is just a case of the same tools (satire generally, and the FSM's teachings in particular) to point out another area of nonsense, separate from the intelligent design masterstroke with which it all started.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    2. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      calling that whole idea a religion of its own that deserves to be taken seriously by society

      FSM deserves to be taken seriously by society as much as any other religion. There's a small, but very important, distinction.

      You also don't seem to have understood the point she was making, that giving exceptions on religious grounds is ridiculous. Either the photo should require one to not wear a hat, burka, gas mask, etc, or it should not. Having the requisites depend on the person's religion is ridiculous.

    3. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gosh Scentcone, I'm so glad you're here to mansplain the whole silly religious headwear thing. I'm was very concerned that the Pastafarians wearing colanders on their heads for ID photos was too subtle of a protest for them non-enlightened Slashdotters to appreciate.

    4. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

      I'm not disputing that... but the entire point that Bobby Henderson made in his open letter to the Kansas State school board where he introduced the concept of the Flying Spaghetti Monster was to present a hypothetical scenario that nobody would have ever previously taken seriously... if he had instead of the Flying Spaghetti Monster suggested some other recognized religion that happens to offer a so-called explanation for the origin of mankind, they may have simply agreed with his point, and seriously suggested giving that religion equal time in the discussion of the hypothesis of intelligent design. If one takes the absurd idea that Henderson was trying to use to argue against Intelligent Design so seriously as to suggest it be treated equally to religions that people *are* apparently taking seriously, then it completely undermines the entire reason he wrote the letter.

    5. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by narcc · · Score: 0

      For whose benefit is this being done? Who is intended to receive that message? What makes you think it was effective?

      to point out another area of nonsense, separate from the intelligent design masterstroke with which it all started.

      The whole FSM thing was absurd from the start. The argument from the ID crowd wasn't "I believe this, so it should be taught", as Bobby Henderson seems to believe. It was "there is some legitimate scientific controversy, so it should be taught". That's wrong, but not in any way addressed by the FSM letter that started this nonsense.

      To call this a "masterstroke" is the height of absurdity. It is obviously completely unrelated to the claim it was intended to parody. You'd think that self-described rationalists wouldn't immediately abandon reason the instant something comes along that appears to support one of their positions!

      All the FSM thing did was highlight how irrational atheists and self-described skeptics and rationalists can be. This "masterstroke" completely undermines their image and their efforts. It does the exact opposite of what it was intended to achieve.

    6. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by Cederic · · Score: 1

      It's pretty clear mark-t didn't fucking get it, which makes your condescension look pretty twattish.

    7. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's possible to walk and chew gum at the same time, you know.

      Or to put it in more direct terms you might understand:
      1. The FSM is used to fight against intelligent design being taught in schools
      2. The FSM is used to fight against stupid allowances that government make in the name of religion (with #1 above being a specific case of this).

    8. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by narcc · · Score: 1

      The FSM is used to fight against stupid allowances that government make in the name of religion

      "Fight" in the same way I buy kosher pickles to protest the Chinese occupation of Tibet. It's just as effective.

    9. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

      Except, as you can see... it's not working.

      All that is happening is people who try to take this seriously end up making themselves look like idiots, because the government continually shows itself willing to make such exceptions.

    10. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      So what did you expect ? People giving up religion in droves because someone came up with the idea of FSM? Do you think Henderson expected that either?

      This story shows the best case that could have happened with FSM - by raising FSM to the level of the Christian God in a certain way by DMV, Christian God has been brought down to the level of FSM which is obviously ridiculous. In a small way of course. Other "recognized" Gods too.

      People who have been sufficiently brainwashed might be incurable. The next generation needs some signals of the sensible point of view, at the very least. Just so that some of them might avoid , if other circumstances are also right, making the same mistake as the past zillion generations.

      This is one of those signals. You give out a louder or clearer one if you can or care enough. But so far you have only managed to deride better efforts than you're own.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    11. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

      You don't raise objection to pollution by trying to cause so much pollution yourself that other people have no choice but to see it for how harmful it is.

    12. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      But you do "make a line shorter" by drawing a longer line.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    13. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're not getting it. This case (the colander on the head) is pointing out the absurdity of "god makes me wear this" headware generally, and of state-government-level capricious laws/policies with respect to it in particular. ... The only way to point out how ridiculous religion is, is to do something just as ridiculous, and force the government to treat it with the same level of credulity and absurd dignity. So this is just a case of the same tools.

      No, FSM is the combination of a rather pathetic strawman (that religion is as simplistic as the FSM satire) combined with lying through your teeth (that you genuinely believe it). It might win you some "hey, cool, I'm bigoted against that minority too!" points on Slashdot, but elsewhere, well, you're the one looking like a wally with a colander on your head to show how dickish you can be about cultures and viewpoints other than your own.

    14. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by ScentCone · · Score: 2

      For whose benefit is this being done?

      For all of humanity, which would benefit greatly from a reduction in magical thinking and especially in government endorsement of magical thinking.

      The argument from the ID crowd wasn't "I believe this, so it should be taught", as Bobby Henderson seems to believe. It was "there is some legitimate scientific controversy, so it should be taught". That's wrong, but not in any way addressed by the FSM letter that started this nonsense.

      The FSM letter challenged the state government to either embrace the FSM as another "legitimate" perspective or explain why the more popular mainstream religious mythology WAS "legitimate" while the FSM was not. That puts the burden squarely on the government to explain in detail their capricious embrace of one particular mythology (something they cannot do) or get out of the business of promulgating religious mythology in the science classroom, as they should. Using absurdity and satire as a tool to illustrate other absurdity is a time-honored and very effective tool. And even when that illustration fails to persuade state government officials, it still provides millions of spectators another tool to use in public discourse. It becomes cultural shorthand, just an Jonathan Swift's fictional characters and scenarios did centuries ago.

      It is obviously completely unrelated to the claim it was intended to parody. You'd think that self-described rationalists wouldn't immediately abandon reason the instant something comes along that appears to support one of their positions!

      Wow, you are still not getting it at all, are you. Reasonable, rational people don't REALLY believe in the FSM, just like the vast majority of people don't really believe in the fantastical claims of bronze-age desert mystics as re-interpreted by medieval propagandists. Treating the FSM as a symbol for the absurdity of organized, dogmatic magical thinking requires keeping it present in the conversation. Putting the FSM on the bumper of your car isn't meant to say that you REALLY believe there is an FSM, it's meant to show how silly it is to believe in magic in the first place.

      All the FSM thing did was highlight how irrational atheists and self-described skeptics and rationalists can be.

      Only if you are completely obtuse and are actively trying to miss the point of the satire. You don't think that the people who put on Saturday Night Live really believe that their fake news segment actually IS them soberly reporting the news, do you? Hmmm. Maybe you do!

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    15. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by ScentCone · · Score: 1

      No, FSM is the combination of a rather pathetic strawman (that religion is as simplistic as the FSM satire)

      What's complicated about it? The world is divided into two groups: people who engage in magical thinking, and people who don't. It's that simple. All of the little cultural nuances are secondary to that. The particulars of one religion's own beliefs about how the universe works or what meat is holy or which funny hat or sack of cloth or beard style properly displays one's piety are completely secondary to having given in to magical thinking in the first place. There's no straw man argument involved: satirically illustrating that magical thinkers are not only magical thinkers but also capricious in which other people's magical thinking and thoughts they consider to be valid is dead on. It's accurate observation, illuminated through the use of satire.

      combined with lying through your teeth (that you genuinely believe it)

      What? Who genuinely believes it WHAT? Are you saying that some poor Muslim woman whose husband will beat her if she doesn't wear a bag over her head genuinely believes that a benevolent all-powerful magical being with a flying-horse-riding prophet wants her to live like that? Now THAT is some lying-through-the-teeth. But you seem to think that firmly holding one's ground in satirically illustrating the absurdity of having a government official decide if that poor woman genuinely believes that Allah wants her drivers license photo to be a cloth bag with two eyes looking out of it is someone insincere. Are you even listening to yourself?

      to show how dickish you can be about cultures and viewpoints other than your own

      Who's being dickish - the person who bullies their child into a lifetime of guilt-producing twisted magical thinking, or the person who makes an effort to point out how toxic that is?

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    16. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by narcc · · Score: 1

      For all of humanity, which would benefit greatly from a reduction in magical thinking and especially in government endorsement of magical thinking.

      And you believe you can accomplish this goal by wearing a colander on your head in your drivers license photo?

      The FSM letter challenged the state government to either embrace the FSM as another "legitimate" perspective or explain why the more popular mainstream religious mythology WAS "legitimate" while the FSM was not.

      You mean annoying a few folks at the DMV and, in your best case, wasting tax dollars and the limited resources of our courts. Rest assured, it was not the glorious victory you believe it to be but more along the lines of "we don't want to deal with this, let the nut wear their hat".

      Talk about delusion and magical thinking...

    17. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by ScentCone · · Score: 1

      And you believe you can accomplish this goal by wearing a colander on your head in your drivers license photo?

      No, by doing any number of things that bring attention to the places where irrational/magical thinking and government agency policies intersect. The issue of photo IDs is a very significant one, and the point is that government policies that allow a person to obscure their features while their features are being recorded for legal purposes, and to do so because the government considers that particular person's magical thinking to be officially approved magical thinking, is ridiculous. The woman in question knew that her initial request to have her ID taken with the colander would be denied, and that was her entire point. She then fought it in court specifically in order to shine more light on the capricious way in which government does, and does not, play winners and losers with certain irrational people, and not with others.

      She won in court on exactly those grounds. But because the ruling did the opposite of what she wanted (finding it unreasonable for certain myths to be supported by the government, and not others - and instead granting HER myth equal status), she went ahead with the photo so people like you would have to grapple with the government's position. You, alas, continue to completely miss the point - which is why she did it. So that you'd perhaps talk about it out loud enough until somebody gets the big picture through your head.

      You mean annoying a few folks at the DMV and, in your best case, wasting tax dollars and the limited resources of our courts.

      It didn't have to go that way. The state government could just as easily have looked at her request and said, "You know, she's right. We shouldn't be in the business of propping up one person's imaginary friend while dismissing the next person's - so we'll change our policy that plays favorites." See? They could have done that in a single afternoon's meeting, and been done with it. But no, the state government decided to fight to keep the DMV in the business of supporting specific (but not all) religious idiosyncrasies, and dismissing others. And a judge correctly ruled that the government isn't in that role. Now we just need a LOT of people to wear silly hats to the DMV so that the state government can complete this exercise and conclude that nobody gets to obscure their features with headwear in their official ID photos.

      Rest assured, it was not the glorious victory you believe it to be but more along the lines of "we don't want to deal with this, let the nut wear their hat".

      But they've already BEEN making the decision to let nuts where things on their heads in official ID photos. Just not all nuts. That's a violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution. That you consider concerns about that to be "delusional" shows how uninformed you actually are on this topic. You're obsessing about one rhetorical device and deliberately covering your ears whenever anyone talks about what's actually at stake.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    18. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by narcc · · Score: 1

      The issue of photo IDs is a very significant one,

      I should have stopped reading there. If you think this issue is significant, you're crazier than the average suicide bomber.

      But they've already BEEN making the decision to let nuts where things on their heads in official ID photos. Just not all nuts. That's a violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution.

      No, it's not. Religion, as you know, is specifically protected by the first amendment. Your desire to wear a silly hat is not afforded the same protection as a hat worn for religious purposes. The exceptions to the no-hat in your photo ID rules exist specifically to keep the government out of the religion business. This is a first amendment issue, with the relevant part being "or prevent the free exercise thereof". Exemptions must necessarily be made to accommodate religious beliefs.

      If you don't like it, lobby for an amendment to remove the protections afforded to religion. Wearing a colander on your head isn't going to get you anywhere. It's not even going to make anyone think that "religion is silly" or even that "religious protections are silly." The only message it sends is "atheists are silly".

      You're obsessing about one rhetorical device and deliberately covering your ears whenever anyone talks about what's actually at stake.

      What, exactly, is at stake? These protections have existed since the nation was founded. Whatever imaginary harm you think this has caused is minimal compared to the damage should those protections be removed, and the government was free to involve itself in the business of religion.

    19. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by ScentCone · · Score: 1
      Really? You don't think that government-issued identification, which is key to everything from boarding an airplane to cashing a check (just not for voting, of course - anyone can do that using any name they like!) is insignificant? You think that someone simply invoking magic should be able to obscure their features in that government record, and that you - as, for example, a retail merchant - should have to use someone's obscured face on a government document as the basis for whether or not to accept a check? Or rent out a car?

      And no, the first amendment is completely silent on whether or not your professed belief in magic should grant you more power of self expression than would your sense of humor, or a family tradition, or your politics, or anything else. You are completely backwards on that. The government is, by the first amendment, explicitly barred from propping up one person's religion over another person's world view. Having capricious rules that say a devoted Yankees fan can't wear a Yankees ball cap in an ID, but a 16 year old girl that's been bullied by her Dad's imam can wind up with a driver's license photo that identifies her as a cloth sack with eyes ... that's NOT how the constitution works - that's explicitly counter to the constitution, in more than one amendment. That's establishment of religion, and unequal protection.

      These protections have existed since the nation was founded.

      Right. Which is why when they are applied unevenly and capriciously, it flies in the face of the constitution.

      should those protections be removed, and the government was free to involve itself in the business of religion.

      By picking and choosing which lifestyle clothing (religious or otherwise) is more important than another, and thus deserving or not of government sanction and support, the government IS in the business of religion. How are you not getting that? That's the entire point! The first amendment prohibits the government from looking at two people and saying: person number one, your relationship with the government is different and more important than you, person number two, because of your religious differences.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    20. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by narcc · · Score: 1

      And no, the first amendment is completely silent on whether or not your professed belief in magic should grant you more power of self expression

      What a waste of my time... "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

      This issue isn't about self-expression. (Apparently, you haven't managed to puzzle that out.) It's about specific religious prohibitions or requirements. It's yet another thing the colander wearing morons got wrong. One sensible civil servant denied one of these yahoos their silly hat when they couldn't show that their "religion" prohibited it from being removed. At least in that particular jurisdiction, if your beliefs allow the hat to be removed, there was no exemption. This is the most sensible response I've seen yet.

      You don't think that government-issued identification, which is key to everything from boarding an airplane to cashing a check [...] is insignificant?

      These pastafarians don't seem to take it very seriously. They treat the whole thing like a joke. You can't have it both ways. To answer your question, yes, it's not that important. As long as the persons face is visible, there isn't any reason to deny them their constitutionally protected rights. Face covering is a more complex issue, though it's been ruled to not be a violation so your fears are groundless for the time being. The face of all those scary Muslims (the one's you're afraid will jump out and get you) will be visible in their passport and ID photos.

      Which is why when they are applied unevenly and capriciously, it flies in the face of the constitution.

      The only people treating it like it's some kind of a joke are the one's donning colanders at the DMV. By not making exemptions, they'd be violation those individuals constitutionally protected rights. Your solution to this alleged affront to the constitution is to directly violate it!

      By picking and choosing which lifestyle clothing (religious or otherwise) is more important than another, and thus deserving or not of government sanction and support, the government IS in the business of religion. How are you not getting that?

      You're the one who's confused here. By not making exemptions, they'd be violation those individuals constitutionally protected rights. There's bound to be conflict, which is why exemptions exist. It's not the government getting in to the business of religion, it's the government trying its best to stay out of it!

      Your solution seems to be to abandon those exemptions, which would then violate the constitutionally protected rights of others. You either care about the constitution or you don't. You clearly don't. If you don't like it, lobby for an amendment. Don't waste our tax dollars and limited public resources on nonsense like this.

      The more we dig at this, the more fundamental problems with this absurd movement we seems to find. As I've said before: it actively works against the interests of those involved. It's completely irrational.

    21. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by tibit · · Score: 1

      Frankly said, you're the only one thinking that they "try to take this seriously". Nobody does take FSM "cult" seriously, other than as a tool in pointing out the absurdity of religion in general, and the interface between law in religion in particular. You're either trolling or just dense :(

      --
      A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
    22. Re:I have to say it's pretty sad.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

      And how is pretending to follow a religion that they don't take seriously, but the government is still willing to make exceptions for supposed to make other religions, or the exceptions that the government makes for people who *DO* sincerely follow other religions look ridiculous, exactly?

  28. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So we live in a world where perfectly normal right thinking people think that it is only natural that the state should have a picture of what every single person looks like so that they might be identified and removed from a crowd at any given time if the situation warrants.

    Your grandparents / great grandparents are rolling in their grave. We do not need a facial / finger / genetic database of every single living citizen so that they might be rounded up at the convenience of the state for not paying their parking ticket. What we need is citizens that are empowered to combat criminal (with force if necessary) when they are doing something messed up.

    Drivers licenses did not always have pictures on them. We have become the enemy we once mocked. I terrified of loosing my drivers license / social security card. Without my papers I am a non entity and have no right to walk the streets

  29. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can't drive with your face covered. So it would be reasonable to require your face uncovered for a driver's license.

    Tell that to the people of Winnipeg who might drive with a balaclava on.

  30. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't think there's any law that says you can't drive with your face covered, as long as you can still see well enough to drive safely.

  31. Re:Athiest Symbol by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

    The US has confiscated Athiest and Lesbian equipment sent through the postal service.

    Atheist and Lesbian 'equipment'?

    Do tell ....

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  32. Do you look like your photo? by petes_PoV · · Score: 2
    Just so long as this person makes a habit of wearing the same garb when out in public and driving.

    Plus, you never know when you're going to need to strain some spaghetti.

    --
    politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
    1. Re:Do you look like your photo? by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      Just so long as this person makes a habit of wearing the same garb when out in public and driving.

      Do you wear the same clothes every day that were in your license photo? How about the same hair style? If you grow a mustache or dye your hair, do you make a pilgrimage to the DMV to get it updated?

    2. Re:Do you look like your photo? by Pinky's+Brain · · Score: 1

      Her religion only requires it for photographs.

    3. Re:Do you look like your photo? by guruevi · · Score: 1

      That's why I'm always late for work.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    4. Re:Do you look like your photo? by petes_PoV · · Score: 1

      Do you wear the same clothes every day that were in your license photo?

      My clothes aren't religious symbols - an outward expression of my beliefs. Your argument fails.

      --
      politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
    5. Re:Do you look like your photo? by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

      Do you wear the same clothes every day that were in your license photo?

      My clothes aren't religious symbols - an outward expression of my beliefs. Your argument fails.

      A priest's collar is an outward expression of his beliefs, but he is not required to wear them at all times. Your argument fails.

      --
      I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  33. Re:Athiest Symbol by AK+Marc · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Drivers licenses did not always have pictures on them. We have become the enemy we once mocked.

    It was our parents generation that screwed it up. They abused the pictureless licenses, passing them amongst friends and faking them. So when they got in power, they changed the rules and laws to what we have today. The hippies grew up into fascists, and blamed their children for their actions.

  34. Arrested photos by xushi · · Score: 1

    What if they were arrested and needed to be photographed, would the law require to wait until a strainer is available else face religious backlashes? Would the culprits be required to have strainers available at all time? And if there are non available, would the culprits get away with the crime?

    1. Re:Arrested photos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the person drove a car, got out of the car, and then put on the colander, then the person has no business expecting the colander to be on the person's head for the driver's license.

      If the person drove a car wearing the colander, and the colander isn't strapped under the person's chin, then the person probably doesn't deserve to have a driver's license because there'd be a high risk that the person may need to look in a direction quickly, causing the colander to slide off.

  35. The little things by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Later if the person gets stopped for a traffic violation and isn't wearing their spaghetti strainer, that should be grounds to investigate and charge them with fraud if it were a sham.

    And why is this? Why should the DMV care, why should the police be on the lookout for this, and why should society embroil someone's life in the legal system over something that has no effect on anyone, whatsoever?

    People seem to think that we need to uphold some sort of justice against the *intent* of some rule or another(*).

    Why bother? Can't we just let little things go?

    (*) The one that comes to mind first is the "If you can't be bothered to vote, you can't comment on the voting proceedings", but there are others. People seem caught up in enforcing some sort of "just universe", and take it to absurd extremes.

    1. Re:The little things by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      There are two reasons. Because if you commit fraud, you should be prosecuted for fraud. That's pretty easy to understand. The second is that, if we don't prosecute the frauds, DMV will be overloaded with ridiculous requests. The next person will insist that they have to wear a Mario Brothers costume. And then it will be a competition who can be the most innane.

    2. Re:The little things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly. Would you arrest a Christian who wasn't wearing their crucifix necklace?

    3. Re:The little things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Where is the fraud? Or the ridiculous requests? The person can still be identified. We don't require men with beards to keep having them, if their official photo does. Nor do we require Jews to keep their same level of observance if they have a kippah in their photo. Sometimes over zealous rulemaking is just that.

    4. Re:The little things by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      No but I would prosecute a Christian who said that they needed an extra 15 minute break at work to pray and then we find out that they are actually using that time to do social networking. Now if they had just said that doing social networking was really important to them and they'd like an extra break, I would probably approve it. It's the dishonest means that is the problem here. Heck people take breaks for all kinds of reasons. Who cares? I have an uncle who works at a retailer where employees aren't allowed to possess their mobile phones while clocked in. Lockers are provided. You can put your phone there and check it during breaks and mealtime. Of course there are violations all the time. Most people get caught, look sheepish, and come up with a plausible excuse. Their managers look the other way. Once in a while somebody gets caught red handed and turns a harmless situation into one where they vehemently deny despite the evidence and then they get fired. If this guy went to DMV and said "I want to wear a spaghetti strainer on my head and it doesn't harm anybody," I could support that argument. There have been instances, for example, of people having their photos taken with fake beards. DMV doesn't really want to police this stuff. Are you going to ask a teenager if their pimples are real? The problem is that once you cross the line to deceit, there's a bigger issue at play. What's the harm if I lie about my income on this loan application? I'm going to make all the payments on time.

    5. Re:The little things by Panoptes · · Score: 1

      "Are you going to ask a teenager if their pimples are real?"

      No, because it would put them on the spot.

    6. Re:The little things by khallow · · Score: 1

      No but I would prosecute a Christian who said that they needed an extra 15 minute break at work to pray and then we find out that they are actually using that time to do social networking.

      Prosecute that person for what?

    7. Re:The little things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess I don't quite understand why someone with a sincere religious belief should have more freedom to express themselves than anyone without them. What kind of freedom is that?

    8. Re:The little things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You've correctly described religion.

    9. Re:The little things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe they're tweeting to @God.

    10. Re:The little things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No but I would prosecute a Christian who said that they needed an extra 15 minute break at work to pray and then we find out that they are actually using that time to do social networking.

      Bad example (how do you prove that they weren't perusing social media in order to determine who to pray for?), but I do get what you are saying.

    11. Re:The little things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      " I would prosecute a Christian who said that they needed an extra 15 minute break at work to pray and then we find out that they are actually using that time to do social networking. "

      My definition of "pray" equals your definition of "doing social networking".

      Now what do you say?

  36. Re:Athiest Symbol by AK+Marc · · Score: 2

    One covers the face, preventing identification, the other does not.

  37. Re:Athiest Symbol by Bert64 · · Score: 3, Informative

    You can drive wearing a helmet with a visor which obscured visibility of your face, and many people (like racing drivers) do just that...

    --
    http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
  38. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No gr8 b8 m8.

  39. Re:Athiest Symbol by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As with most things not amenable to being hammered out in syllogism, it's a trifle fuzzy around the edges; but the basic outline(which I think we owe to Locke and derivatives heavily influenced by him) that 'if there is a suitably compelling interest behind some requirement, like making 'IDs' that actually identify, the fact that your objections are religious is irrelevant; but if the requirement is imposed to inconvenience some unpopular sect, without compelling interest, or with compelling interest that could be achieved by some less inconvenient means, then it's effectively just harassment with a greater or lesser degree of dishonesty.' has always seemed pretty compelling to me.

    The 'not easy' part isn't so much in the theory, as in the myriad ways people can come up with to develop 'suitably compelling interests' that just so happen to rub sects they dislike the wrong way.

    Where available, chronology clues are always useful: if the policy was in place before the people who feel excessively burdened by it were even a matter of much thought among the policymakers; it is substantially less likely that the policy was devised primarily to harass them. It might still be possible to amend it to suit people better without harming the interest it was put in place to achieve; but that's a good sign that it was imposed with some non-sectarian objective in mind.

    If, by contrast, the arrival of some new and controversial sect prompts an...unrelated...interest in achieving some purportedly non-sectarian goal that just happens to ruin the new guy's day springs up; you should probably look more carefully at the idea.

    (By way of example, 'making photo-IDs that are actually useful' is a fairly obvious matter of state interest, and dates back about as far as the techological viability of taking and reproducing photographs at acceptable cost; which makes the idea that it was concocted as a scheme to outrage modesty and crack down on assorted religions' preferred funny hats difficult to take seriously. There is a strong argument to be made that, given the easy and pervasive use of haircuts and dye jobs to change the appearance of hair, there isn't any good reason to crack down on headscarves, colanders, etc. while allowing people with dyed and styled hair to go about their business; either hair isn't a core ID feature, or you should be putting greater effort into worrying about any way of concealing or modifying it. By contrast, when people with no prior interest in slaughterhouse standards start freaking out about the chilling barbarism of kosher or halal butchery, it's worth a raised eyebrow. Such practices may well be incompatible with acceptable standards of animal welfare; but if you didn't care about any of the delightful things done in meatpacking plants because they are the cheapest, fastest, methods; some skepticism is in order when you develop a sudden interest in the subject.)

  40. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm a Ninja, you insensitive clod!

    Nah, I doubt it.
    In fact I'm not even sure you're a mammal.

  41. Re:Athiest Symbol by agm · · Score: 1

    There is a subtle but important difference between these two situations. In the OP, the religious garb does not impede identification. In your situation it very much does. The best solution available to my mind, is to have the appropriate picture taken but if identification is required later have it performed by a woman.

    You would support institutionalised and government sanctioned sexism? For what? So someone's imaginary friend doesn't get annoyed?
      No thanks. Freedom is far more important that supporting crazy, harmful and dangerous ideas.

  42. Flying Spaghetti Bullcrap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Church of the Flying Spaghetti monster is for children. The Church of the Sub-genius is where it's at.

    1. Re:Flying Spaghetti Bullcrap by prefec2 · · Score: 1

      No have a real religion like the Disconrdianists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      Have a hot dog on Friday man.

    2. Re:Flying Spaghetti Bullcrap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's the diff, Bob?

    3. Re:Flying Spaghetti Bullcrap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have a hot dog on Friday man.

      Yes, do. But we goddamn well better not catch you eating a hot dog any other day of the Gregorian week or you get the Turkey Curse.

  43. Tinfoil hats are normal madness by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 1

    Not of the religious kind.

    --
    Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
  44. Re:Another attack on Christianity by agm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Stupid ideas should be attacked. Reason should always win over insanity.

  45. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Non-sequitor much?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  46. Re:Athiest Symbol by Aighearach · · Score: 2, Insightful

    http://www.americasfreedomfigh...

    Quit your whining, we already have religious freedom for real religions. This is about religious freedom for satirical fake religions.

  47. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What the FUCK are you talking about?

    Could you please provide any kind of model where a license of any kind works where it is impossible to find out whether a person holding said license is the rightful holder of it?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  48. You cannot sue without damages by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There are two reasons. Because if you commit fraud, you should be prosecuted for fraud. That's pretty easy to understand.

    And here I thought we prosecuted fraud because of the damage it does to others.

    You can't sue someone unless you can show damages. Shouldn't the legal system work the same way?

    Are we to completely circumscribe behaviour now, prosecuting things that have no effect on others whatsoever, based on a petty definition?

    1. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      That's not my preferred method at all. I would argue that if somebody really wants to wear a kitchen utensil in their photo, since it doesn't cause any harm, we should let them do so. And if they make this argument, I will support them. If they make the disingenuous argument that they are doing it due to a sincerely held religious belief and they have no such belief, I can't support it. Nobody is requiring maintaining the same level of belief. Only that it was sincerely held at the time that application for religious accommodation be made. In the alternative, we are opening the floodgates to simply ask for any accommodation at all and there's no way to handle that. It's against my religion to drive on the right hand side of the road anybody?

    2. Re:You cannot sue without damages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1. get a sense of humor
      2. all religions have idiotic stuff that people don't adhere to!
      3. who are you to judge how sincerely they hold a belief?

    3. Re: You cannot sue without damages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amen. This guy is a wanker.

    4. Re:You cannot sue without damages by bingoUV · · Score: 2

      If they make the disingenuous argument that they are doing it due to a sincerely held religious belief and they have no such belief, I can't support it.

      Who cares if you support it? The topic of discussion is if the government should care enough to enforce "fraud" laws where no one is possibly affected. Driving on left side of road in the US is dangerous for practical reasons, colander is not. Does that have to be spelled out for you?

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    5. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      The issue is that *you* are not the arbiter of somebody being affected or not. And I gave a great example. Bankers felt the same way when they overstated customer's incomes on their loan applications and you see where it got us. If you think that the rules are wrong, work to change them. Fraud is *intrinsically* harmful because if something is truly harmless you can find a way to achieve it without the deception. As a better example, I'm a member of the Nexus program so I can travel between US and Canada without talking to customs. I once went up to the machine and indicated that I had no food while holding a bag of groceries. Our customs guys rightly yelled at me. I was thinking "nothing to declare" since I knew that everything in the bag was allowed. But their argument is that program members aren't qualified to decide what is and isn't allowed. You have to declare all food even if you know it's allowed and they make the final decision. It's the same principle here. You're declaring yourself to be the final arbiter of whether or not something is harmless and then once in your infallible wisdom you decide that it's okay, you are willing to use fraud and deception to do it. Then, when you're wrong, others suffer the consequences. This type of thinking can only occur with a severely over-inflated sense of self.

    6. Re:You cannot sue without damages by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      No I'm not being any arbiter. Your support is not being discussed and your statement about your own support is idiotic here.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    7. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Well then let me make it clearer. The reason that we enforce fraud laws is because the original rules were put in place for some purpose and it's not acceptable for any individual to decide that they know better and are exempt. In a fraud case, first you are violating the rule and second you are engaging in a deception as a means of doing so. This could be because (a) the fraudster has malicious intent or (b) the fraudster thinks that their fraud is harmless. Both of these are problematic. In the first case prosecuting the fraud may allow the fraudster to be stopped before they carry out their evil plan. In the second, it allows the fraudster to be stopped before they carry out their stupid plan. The only reason there is any support around here is that a lot of people seem to like this particular fraud because they think it makes some sort of profound social statement and maybe it does, but ends don't justify means. I can't foresee any harm in this at all, but I have no special qualifications to evaluate DMV photos so there very well may be something that an expert knows that none of us do.

    8. Re:You cannot sue without damages by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      OK, which fraud law is being violated here?

      I guess you are equating any and every deception to "fraud". Which may be correct, only as long as you don't argue that it is illegal too. Because any and every deception is NOT illegal.

      PS: my name is not bingoUV. I committed fraud there.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    9. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      I'm certainly not making that inference and I'm also not a lawyer but, from what I can tell, when dealing with the government, almost any false statement is a fraud. The only defenses are that you didn't make the statement or an affirmative defense that you believed the statement at the time you made it. Government doesn't like being deceived. DMV is not known for it's sense of humor.

    10. Re:You cannot sue without damages by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      So government not "liking" something is ground for prosecution?

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    11. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      No the grounds for prosecution are laws written that explicitly make certain false statements grounds for prosecution. But these laws have been written for just about every statement that you make to the government. Even if you don't know of a specific law that makes a particular false statement to government illegal, it probably exists. And ignorance of the law isn't a defense. So here we have a guy going into DMV making a false statement that may or may not be grounds for prosecution (but most likely is) so that he can wear a spaghetti strainer on his head! And his purpose is to make fun of other people's religious beliefs? Believing in a flying spaghetti monster sounds rational compared to this kind of stunt. Making misrepresntations to government is almost always illegal and carries sever punishment. Not being a lawyer, I can't comment on specific laws in specific states. But you can be pretty sure there is a law, for the stated purpose of preventing terrorism, that makes it a serious crime to provide a false or misleading statement when applying for government issued identification such as a drivers license. And if you piss the wrong person off you very well may get prosecuted for it. I'm not saying this *should* be the law. I'm saying that this particular behavior by this person is counter-productive and stupid.

    12. Re:You cannot sue without damages by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      No the grounds for prosecution are laws written that explicitly make certain false statements grounds for prosecution

      But you can't name the law.

      Not being a lawyer, I can't comment on specific laws in specific states

      Not having a clue, why do you insist on possessing an opinion? Prosecution doesn't happen because "there might exist a law which I don't know". Prosecution happens because "this is the law that was violated, and this is the proof".

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    13. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Well here's a link *from a lawyer* about it being perjury in California. Anything else that I can Google for you? http://www.shouselaw.com/perju...

    14. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Here you go another link for the state in question. http://www.bostoncriminaldefen... Again, I'm not a lawyer. I don't like on applications to government entities. I have done quite a few of them and had people encourage me to be dishonest in the past (for example stating that an investment property is a primary residence). Fortunately I've had the sense not to go down that path. What we have here is somebody committing what looks like a serious crime (again, I don't think you're quite understanding that I'm not a lawyer, just a guy with some sense) in order to show that other people are stupid!

    15. Re:You cannot sue without damages by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Fraud is not violating the "rules" by deception. Fraud is using deception as a way to harm others for the fraudster's gain. If there's no harm, there's no fraud.

      In this case, the Pastafarian did not violate the rules. Instead, the church of the FSM went through the legitimate process of submitting to the courts. It's perfectly reasonable, in the US, to petition for religious exemptions for certain rules.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    16. Re:You cannot sue without damages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anything else that I can Google for you?

      Sure, look up the difference between fraud and perjury, because you seem to have the two confused.

    17. Re:You cannot sue without damages by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      This is what happens when you read Shakespeare without knowing elementary grammar. Legally, "falsifying" applies to material information. So if the officer at the DMV gets chatty and asks you about your cold and tries recommending Vietnamese remedies- you can lie about having already tried them and them not working.

      Believe it or not. Shocking isn't it? It is not a crime at all. DMV is not part of kindergarten- even if your mindset is still infantile. Government is NOT your nanny, grow up.

      So yes, try to get specific references about this particular thing being illegal. To generalize information you'll need to be aware of basic idioms used in legal context in which you are woefully ignorant.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
    18. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      I don't think the church of the FSM was involved here. As others have pointed out, the church of the FSM doesn't believe in the church of the FSM. It's a parody. Another poster has brought up the legitimate case of somebody who doesn't realize that FSM is fake and adopts the tenets. If the FSM were involved, there could now be a perjury and/or contempt charge. People on /. seem to think that the legal system is a game and you can "win on a technicality." No judge wants to make that kind of ruling and they work pretty hard to ensure that the *intent* of a law is upheld. There is a purpose for religious accommodation laws. Not everybody like those laws or their purpose. But we have separation of church and state in this country and those laws exist to implement one of the tenets of our constitution. In order to make those laws work, you have to respond to the legitimate petitioners and harshly reject those who demand accommodation under false pretenses. I would expect the courts to try to achieve this. There is a far-fetched scenario where this thing goes all the way to the Supreme court and a constitutional question is reached about *how much* the government can infringe upon religious liberties and the outcome is that DMV can require everyone to be photographed without head ware (which seems to be what the prankster is advocating for) and the government is generally given more latitude because more narrowly tailored solutions are unworkable. As you point out, a situation like this is ambiguous and harder to decide. The normal government reaction is to increase the penalty for a false application so that the risk/reward equation precludes all but the most mentally feeble from trying this sort of thing. At first this is done through creative prosecution and then more specific legislation.

    19. Re:You cannot sue without damages by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      So there's legitimate religions who can request some special consideration, and illegitimate ones that should be harshly punished? Isn't it simpler just to allow some requests and deny others, rather than allow some and punish some others? Do we want to create religions that are anathema, in that people doing things based on them should be punished? How does that get along with the First Amendment?

      At worst, our Pastafarian filed an unnecessary lawsuit. Lots of people do that. You can't punish people for filing unnecessary lawsuits without punishing people who file lawsuits for reasons you approve of.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    20. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      We allow and deny *sincere* request all of the time with no punishment. The issue here is that the prankster doesn't actually believe in the religion. The crime is lying on the drivers license application. When it comes to the court, we only punish people for the most egregiously frivolous suits. This would be a good example though. There is no sincere belief. It's an attempt to make a mockery of the system.

    21. Re:You cannot sue without damages by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Of COURSE it's an attempt to make a mockery of the system. Why should we not make a mockery of a system we disagree with? If parody is a protected category in copyright law, why can't we file a lawsuit or two in that spirit?

      I will grant you that the woman filing the request does not believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. How do you know she doesn't adhere fiercely to the basic ideas of Pastafarianism, such as evidence-based thinking?

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    22. Re:You cannot sue without damages by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Protection of religion is a central tenet of the US system of government. If you want to change that, you can convince 2/3 of both house of congress to propose an amendment. Or you can get 2/3 of the states to call a constitutional convention. Then you need 3/4 of the states to ratify it. Until then, separation of church and state is the law of our land. There are many legal ways that you can mock the system. You can write an editorial. You can post on /. You can stand outside either a church or the DMV with your spaghetti strainer on your head. What you can't legally do is to file a petition claiming that you have a sincerely held religious belief when you have no such belief. Now maybe she thinks that she is the Rosa Parks of spaghetti strainers and that suddenly everybody who is deeply devout will see her and give up their convictions. Her case is going to go to the supreme court and her stunt so creative that suddenly the court will be willing to overturn centuries of well established case law with regards to separation of church and state? The DMV has to provide religious accommodation when it's legitimate. And they have to avoid spiraling into chaos by providing it under false pretenses. And the only way to do that is to ensure that those making these types of claims are punished severely. I'm all for protesting. And I respect willingness to get arrested for the cause. But in this case, it was just a stupid an ineffective thing to do.

  49. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions. As a Christian I find this offensive, but I expect no one cares since I'm also a white male.

    And a great many people find Christianity and other religions offensive, and consider them to be a thinly veiled attack on rationality. The great thing about society in the more enlightened parts of the world is that we have these things called freedoms, which protect our rights to do, say and believe things which others may find offensive.

    As a corollary of this while anyone can consider something to be offensive, NO ONE should have the right to demand that other people do not offend them. As a christian you ought be particulary willing to defend this freedom; particularly given the persecution those of your religion face in some parts of the world.

  50. Re:Athiest Symbol by Aighearach · · Score: 1

    I will fight that civil war on the side of the Union, I refuse to be you, to make myself identifiable as you, or even to make myself identifiable to you. And if you want me out of the supermarket because I refuse to tell you my name, you're welcome to bring it up with the store manager. I have a feeling one of us is going to get kicked out of the store. ;)

  51. Tired old meme - invent something new by hjames · · Score: 0

    really, this sadly tired old joke is still making the rounds? At least folks claiming to be a jedi are FUNNY ...
    FSM wasn't ever particularly funny and now its just like unimaginative people have snapped it up by the pound ...
    go back to chthulu ... its at least relevant as an elder gawd!

    1. Re:Tired old meme - invent something new by Cederic · · Score: 1

      FSM wasn't ever particularly funny

      It was fucking hilarious, and a work of genius.

      Still is.

  52. Re:Athiest Symbol by Dereck1701 · · Score: 1

    Its a "drivers license", its intended purpose is simply to prove that you have the skills to control a certain class of motor vehicle. Its disturbing that more and more they are becoming a de facto national ID card which is requiring an ever increasing amount of identifying data (photo, eye color, weight, ss number, etc), something generations of our forefathers fought to prevent.

  53. Re:Athiest Symbol by Hognoxious · · Score: 0

    If you're dressed as a terrorist? It's you, pal - no matter what belt you have in keyboardarate.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  54. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're offended. Are you going to kill someone now?

  55. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How does this get referred to as an atheist symbol?? I have read about the Pastafarianism religion enough to understand that it is NOT atheistic. It does believe in a higher power, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a god by any other name.

    Atheist means a belief that there is NO god, not a belief in a god that happens to be different from the Judeo-Christian-Islamic one.

  56. Re:Athiest Symbol by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

    If you want to drive on the same road as me, you should be as identifiable as me.

    FTFY. The other two scenarios are on the other side of the line.

    --
    This space unintentionally left blank.
  57. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Until a decade ago, my British drivers licence was a simple piece of paper with no photograph.

  58. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Religious and offended so he probably will.

  59. Re:Athiest Symbol by Aighearach · · Score: 1, Interesting

    And of course the counter point is that it is illegal for a police officer to order you to remove religious attire, (they would need a court order even if they have a compelling interest) so for the purpose of identification prior to any probable cause for an invasive search they have a hard time showing that the attire is not included in what they have to identify. If they can't tell her to take it off, how is having a picture of the naked skin underneath going to assist in identification? If they were requiring the license to have electronic biometric data, such as a fingerprint, and to provide that to the officer for scanning, that would clearly be legal. And since measures like that are possible, that don't violate the known and bona fide religious restrictions, then that is what they would have to do under the traditional requirement of taking the least suppressive action when balancing against 1st amendment concerns.

    The main reason there isn't extensive case law and precedent here is that most women with a religious prohibition for covering their faces are not allowed by their husbands to drive. Generally speaking, if her family lets her drive they're usually going to let her just wear a hijab, which leaves the face uncovered. And the other reason, biometrics are new, even in the case of fingerprints where it is new that the police could do that using a non-invasive scanner, and have a digital version stored in the license. I don't think there are any recent cases that explored the actual alternatives that the government has and how that affects the required balancing.

  60. Re:Another attack on Christianity by whoever57 · · Score: 1

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions. As a Christian I find this offensive, but I expect no one cares since I'm also a white male.

    If you or your religion cannot withstand parody, then you and/or your religion is weak. It's attitudes like yours that result in people being killed for printing cartoons that depict Mohammed with a bomb on his head.

    Free speech goes both ways. If you want to have the freedom to express your religion, then you must allow others to express views that oppose your religion. But perhaps what you really want is for the government to adopt and enforce your religion?

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  61. Re:Athiest Symbol by HiThere · · Score: 1

    This gets tricky. While emotionally I get your argument, do you *really* want to trust the current crop of politicians to write an amendment?

    Protection of religion is written into the bill of rights. Sexism is quite a bit later. And, honestly, does it seem unreasonable to you that women would prefer to be stripped by women when identification was necessary? Men might also prefer to be stripped by men. And in either case a lawyer should be present. The tricky part of that is that the lawyer should be paid by the state, but responsible to the subject. Unfortunately, public defenders have a very poor record of honorable behavior. And I'm not just talking about incompetence.

    --

    I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  62. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This battle has already been irretrievably lost. Driving is considerd a privilege, not a right. Fall back to a sane defensible position or be overrun and ignored.

  63. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But perhaps what you really want is for the government to adopt and enforce your religion?

    No, just protection from the toxic hate speech inciting verbal violence directed at religious followers. We deserve our safe spaces too.

  64. Not the same by Sam36 · · Score: 0

    "while there are those who perceive the religion to be satirical in nature, it "doesn't change the fact that by any standard one can come up with" the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is "as legitimate as any other" religion"

    It is not the same, it doesn't have 2000+ years of tradition behind it, which should be what the definition is. At least then we can get rid of mormons, JWs, and other modern wackiness.

    1. Re:Not the same by Dereck1701 · · Score: 1

      "it doesn't have 2000+ years of tradition behind it"

      And neither does most Christian sects. Even going back a few hundred years the religion was VERY different from what it is today. Christians often tout "Christmas" as one of these traditions, but what they celebrate today only goes back about 150 years. In early America "Christmas" wasn't celebrated in any real way, in fact in Boston you were fined if you showed any holiday spirit. Going back further to the Middle ages it was much more in common with Oktoberfest then what we know as Christmas.

    2. Re:Not the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Christianity is a recent offshoot of Judaism.

    3. Re:Not the same by Sam36 · · Score: 0

      Well that is very "modern" of you to think so. The facts are 2000 years ago:

      Acts 11:26 (KJV) And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

      Acts 26:28 (KJV) Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

      1 Peter 4:16 (KJV) Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

      And from this same book, you get the definition of what a "Christian" is. I don't care what you think, what other "sects" think, what the pope thinks, or what the media has done with "Christmas" (which is not in the book anyway)

    4. Re:Not the same by Cederic · · Score: 1

      Wait, you're quoting a work of fiction written between 50 and 200 years after the events it's bullshitting about and pretending that's some form of historical record?

      I may have some meatballs to sell you.

    5. Re:Not the same by russotto · · Score: 1

      In early America "Christmas" wasn't celebrated in any real way

      George Washington celebrated it by rowing an army across a half-frozen river in small boats during a storm at night, so there must have been plenty of eggnog involved.

      in fact in Boston you were fined if you showed any holiday spirit

      Now there's a bit of Puritanism I can get behind. Corporal punishment for caroling, too.

    6. Re:Not the same by Sam36 · · Score: 0

      Not fiction at all. No one disagrees with the "historic Jesus" depicted, nor any of the historical events presented in either the old testament or new. The bible has never been discredited through archeology either.

    7. Re:Not the same by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      "And from this same book, you get the definition of what a "Christian" is. " strange you didn't include the genocidal, homophobia, misogyny or the stoning to death parts in your definition of a christian - very selective as most christians are about their interpretation.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    8. Re:Not the same by Sam36 · · Score: 0

      Ah, again. Yet another "modern" argument. The old "Lets pull stuff out of the old testament given to the Jews and wave it in the face of non-Jews (Christians)". I am not selective at all.

    9. Re:Not the same by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      its in your bible so its fair comment. so yes, you are being very selective. Nothing in the new disavows or repudiates the old. You either take it all or you cherry pick the good bits

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    10. Re:Not the same by Sam36 · · Score: 0

      There is an argument about that in Acts 15:10 "Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"

      The context is "What does God want with the newly created non-Jewish Christians?". And it was decided:

      Acts 15:19 "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood."

    11. Re:Not the same by Dereck1701 · · Score: 1

      "The bible has never been discredited"

      Buwahahahahahaaahaha, Ah. Either you're lying or you have some very selective perceptions of reality. First of all science is based on proving something did exist/happen, you don't "prove" your argument by someone else not disproving it. It is the burden of the person making the claim to back up that claim with facts & evidence, especially when it is about events that supposedly occurred around/over 2,000 years ago when we can't keep our history from around a hundred years or more ago perfectly straight. Secondly the "Noahs flood" stories in the bible would pretty much blow your statement out of the water, millions of years of global geological/biological evidence with hundreds of years of empirical scientific study show that it is impossible that the entire planet flooded, and we're not even getting to the fact lumber isn't physically capable of taking the stresses necessary to build an arc as described in the Bible.

    12. Re:Not the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      let's make it 5k years instead. Ra Ra Ra!

    13. Re:Not the same by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      if you've turned to God, you've accepted the old testament. if you don't, you'll have to throw out the 10 commandments etc but seeing as Mark and John (interesting Jewish names for that time) attribute them to Moses

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  65. Re:Not a religious requirement of Pastafarianism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If belief in god is religion, then why is non-belief in god considered a religion. The religious grounds belief in the title is pure BS. FSM/atheism is not a religion, but a belief that religions should not exist, if atheists had their way, that is.

  66. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Wallick · · Score: 1

    As a Christian I find this offensive, but I expect no one cares since I'm also a white male.

    No one cares because Christians will be offended by anything, as demonstrated by the great Starbucks cup controversy of 2015.

  67. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Dereck1701 · · Score: 2

    Is that anything like the multitude of thinly veiled attacks by Christians on pretty much everyone else? The "war on Christmas" is the first thing that comes to mind, somehow celebrating the time of year without including numerous references to Christianity draws the ire of their fundamentalist branch. Despite of course the fact that this time of year historically speaking has nothing to do with Christianity, beyond the attempt by the church to bolster their numbers hundreds of years ago by absorbing the winter solstice celebrations of pagan Europe. Constantly trying to attach religion to various government institutions ("In God we Trust" on money, "10 Commandments" in Courthouses, etc).

  68. If you can make a cop laugh.... by wonderboss · · Score: 1
    --
    more cowbell
  69. Re:Athiest Symbol by agm · · Score: 1

    Stripped? We're talking about showing a face.
    Treating people as equals trumps protection of fairy tales, er, I mean religion.

  70. Re:Another attack on Christianity by leomekenkamp · · Score: 1

    You are offended? What is your point? You think you have a reason to be offended because someone makes fun of a belief system? How about being offended because of things that are actually harmful and bad? https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    --
    Wenn ist das Nunstueck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
  71. Re:Another attack on Christianity by radarskiy · · Score: 2

    Nope... no veil at all.

  72. Re:Another attack on Christianity by vivaoporto · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions.

    No, it is not. It is actually a very clever way to highlight the importance of the separation between church and state.

    The very first part of the First Amendment is that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" and, making explicit exceptions for religious attire in legislation breaks not only the spirit but also the letter of that text.

    Making an exception in the law for religious reasons (like in this case, no head gear except for religious reasons) undermine that very principle and opens the door for other kinds of abuse and, in the future, even in the establishment of a state endorsed religion, one that may not even be the one you profess if you think about it.

  73. Re:Enjoy a Haiku by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Downvoting. Your haiku lacks an evocative appeal to the senses.

  74. Re:Athiest Symbol by lorinc · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This photos shows how absurd the world is getting. Religion has to bend over the law, not the other way around. It the law says "no hat", it should be no hat, and fuck religious zealots that want to have their hat of the photo.

    If sate laws and your religion laws are incompatible, then forget about your religion laws, they just don't apply.There are many religions - all of them incompatible, and pretty irrational to say the least -, whereas there is only one state law at a given place, and in many decent countries it gets decided by collective discussion. So the state law always applies while the religious laws are just a pile of bullshit.

    Sadly, people that are not OK with that are bombing Paris, and our response is to make more space for religious bullshit. At some point, it has to be enough. Religions have to get the fuck off politics. You are free to believe whatever bullshit you want, to do whatever fucking dumb rituals you like, but it has to have no impact whatsoever on society. Simple, reasonable, and safe for everybody.

  75. Re:Pastafarian fuckwads by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Butthurt christian detected!

  76. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's not thinly veiled, it's a glaringly obvious attack. Good job too.

    The attack vector is not Christianity, nor any other religion in particular, for that matter; it's the fact that by making a certain class of absurd claims, you can circumvent the rules that'd otherwise apply to you as they do to everyone else.

  77. Re:Another attack on Christianity by f97tosc · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you are offended by a woman wearing a spaghetti strainer on her head, perhaps you should critically examine some of your own beliefs and whether your religion really offers a compelling source of information about the mysteries of the world.

  78. Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "If you or your religion cannot withstand parody, then you and/or your religion is weak."

    So, I guess the atheists who cannot tolerate Christianity or Judaism have a weak belief system. Furthermore, by your reasoning, the Christians who've allowed their fish symbol to be abused by Darwinists, one of their most-famous paintings to be endlessly mocked and converted into a spaghetti god, and their rainbow flag to be stolen and desecrated by homosexual activists must have the strongest belief system...

    Muslim political manipulations of weak-minded liberals aside, when talking about all these things we are not discussing race/ethnicity but rather voluntarily-chosen belief systems.

    Islam is not a race. Christianity is not a race. Hinduism and Pastafarianism are not about race. These things are all about the beliefs people choose to hold.... and, yes, that applies to atheism as well, unless somebody has absolute proof of the non-existence of any/all gods, godesses, demigods, demons, angels etc claimed or postulated by any belief system. Agnosticism gets off the hook here because it's really more of a claim of skepticism rather than positive belief in something unseen or unproven. The atheist (or "A-Theist" for those less-educated and in need of a clue) is standing on the claim of NO God which is an unprovable, and therefore by-definition unproven, position every bit as unproven as the wackiest claim by the craziest religious nut or UFO-alien-hugger.

  79. Re:Athiest Symbol by jonbryce · · Score: 1

    Lesbin equipment I understand - vibrators, strap-ons and stuff like that. But atheist equipment?

  80. Re:Athiest Symbol by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    Without my papers I am a non entity and have no right to walk the streets

    That's not true......more than once I've been pulled over while on foot at night. I had no need to bring my wallet, so I didn't have my driver's license. It wasn't a problem at all. In one case, the policeman looked up my license on the computer, in the other case, he just let me go.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  81. Re:Athiest Symbol by jonbryce · · Score: 2

    I suspect that most pastafarians don't wear their colanders in day-to-day life, just for official photographs.

  82. Re:Athiest Symbol by nospam007 · · Score: 2

    "The pasta strainer is obviously an atheist symbol."

    Everybody is an atheist.

    Since Sumerian times, people have invented 2780 gods, you don't believe in 2779 of them while others don't believe in 1 more.

  83. Re:Athiest Symbol by Hognoxious · · Score: 0

    If you still want to wear a gimp mask, wear it at home.

    I hoped it was a phase and that you'd have grown out of it by now. Your mom's disappointed, go upstairs and ask her.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  84. Old news... by sconeu · · Score: 3, Informative

    Former porn star Asia Lemon (aka Asia Carrera) did this in Utah back in 2014.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    1. Re:Old news... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      This has been done all over the world. Just do a Google image search for colander driver's license.

    2. Re:Old news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you for posting this.

      My last girlfriend was a friend of Asia's and her husband. After my breakup and since Asia stopped posting to her personal blog in preference to Facebook I haven't really been able to keep up with whats going on in her life.

      Good to know she hasn't changed. :)

  85. Re:Athiest Symbol by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    Nice post.....I think your first paragraph matches federal law, too (at least as far as I understand it).

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  86. Re:Another attack on Christianity by HiThere · · Score: 1

    You've got safe spaces. Lots of them. Too many. But this isn't one of them.

    --

    I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  87. Re:Athiest Symbol by cold+fjord · · Score: 2

    It's not "impossible" and that is how it was done for decades. The question may not be fully settled yet.

    Amish challenge photo i.d. requirement for gun purchases

    --
    much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
  88. Re:Athiest Symbol by AndyKron · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Study: Packages Sealed with ‘Atheist’ Tape 10 Times More Likely to Disappear http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/...

  89. Already done LAST YEAR, so why is this news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Out in Utah, former porn star Asia Carerra-Lemmon did it LAST YEAR!!
    http://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/2014/11/16/church-flying-spaghetti-monster-pastafarian-makes-statement/19123337/

    Oh wait, it's news because it's is Mass-a-fuckin-chusets, not some backwards state out west...

  90. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But the law doesn't say "no hat" so why force people into it? There is no legitimate need to remove the hats for the ID, face covering may be another matter, but the rest not so much.

    Much like the state motto on your license plate. Numbers and letters being clear is one thing. The motto is another.

  91. Re:Another attack on Christianity by GrahamCox · · Score: 1

    I find this offensive

    Suck it up. You have no right NOT to be offended, and in any case your lot have been committing myriad offences for two millennia.

  92. Re:Athiest Symbol by Intron · · Score: 2

    Gun license has no such requirement, since it is opposed by the NRA.

    http://www.in.gov/isp/images/N...

    --
    Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
  93. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Piloting a tonne of metal at speeds of up to 70 mph in close proximity to other vehicles and their occupants - let alone pedestrians, cyclists and private property - should definitely be considered a privilege and not a right.

  94. Re:Athiest Symbol by Intron · · Score: 1

    The pasta strainer is obviously an atheist symbol.

    If my Muslim wife went to the DMV wearing a burka would she be afforded the same rights? I doubt it.

    It is because of your Muslim wife that the exception to the "no headgear" rule exists, so spare us your made-up indignation.

    --
    Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
  95. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Without cars, how will the muslims get around to carry it their jihad?

  96. I Care Very Much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions. As a Christian I find this offensive, but I expect no one cares since I'm also a white male.

    I care very much and I say; FUCK YOU! You have no right to not be offended.

    Your position indicates that you regard Christianity and the only allowable or acceptable religion. That it should be some right that no one else offend you and your selfish beliefs. Fuck you!

    No one mentioned Christianity, God, Jesus or you. You have no justification for being offended and you have no right to not be offended. This is a suit about a driver's license picture and a completely other religion. It had nothing at all to do with Christianity, until you chose to make it about your own self-centeredness.

    Pastafarian is about mocking all religions in general. It is a belief system, and therefore a religion, whose central tenet is that the belief in omnipotent magical beings is illogical and absurd. Your resentment of Pastafarianism is as unacceptable as Muslims and their insistence that no one create images of the prophet Mohammed.

    Do you think that American Indians smoking peyote, taking spirit journeys and worshiping a Great Spirit and totems is ridiculous? To the Pastafarian and atheists and agnostics, worshiping God and the totem(Jesus on the cross) is exactly the same. Exactly the same.

    But, what you completely fail to understand is that you would have Pastafarianism outlawed, banned, negated, stifled while they are making absolutely no such attempts on your own bizarre primitive rituals. They are simply saying that they feel that if you get special treatment, then they should too, because your system is as absurd to them as theirs is to you.

    This is my issue with all religions except possibly Buddism and Sikhism. They all try to convert or persecute non-believers, especially Christianity and Islam. It's their way or eternal damnation. Meanwhile the atheists are very reasonably saying, that's not for me and I don't think that your sky fairy should entitle you to any more than I am entitled to.

    1. Re:I Care Very Much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But, what you completely fail to understand is that you would have Pastafarianism outlawed, banned, negated, stifled ...

      psst... no, that's not anywhere in the parent post. Just in your fevered imagination.

  97. Re:Athiest Symbol by Scarletdown · · Score: 0

    Aw, how cute. A timmy has arisen from his basement lair. Sorry kid, your Hot Pockets are not ready yet.

    Better hurry back down to your XBone before another timmy starts teabagging your corpse.

    --
    This space unintentionally left blank.
  98. Where in the Koran is the burka? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's not part of Islam. It's a SOCIAL or CULTURAL garb, NOT a religious one.

    Funny how "your missus" is a Muslim, but you don't appear to know what the hell her religion actually says. And she seems equally clueless, or deliberately misleading you.

    But go check yourself.

    Where is the Islamic text that says she has to wear it? And why do so many not?

    1. Re:Where in the Koran is the burka? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, it is cultural. There are many cut, shape, colour and motif representing different culture. But the Quran explicitly state that women need to cover their hairs to be modest. e.g.: not being whores. It is therefore both, a religion and a cultural item. But for our purpose we don't care about the cultural aspect of it. That is completely irreverent because all piece of cloth that hide the face are equally undesirable in identification application.

      Stop bring a muslim apologist. You are playing the terrorist game.

      This is exactly what they want to happen when they kill peoples; having apologist, like you, promoting Islam as a acceptable ideology that deserve respect.. They don't care if you do it because you are afraid of them or afraid of being called racist. They want you to promote hateful ideologies. So please stop. Stop promoting Islam. Stop bring a muslim apologist.

    2. Re:Where in the Koran is the burka? by KGIII · · Score: 1

      *in best Souther drawl*

      Now, I ain't never been no scholar of Mooslims but it says in the Crayon, Haji Al Quadia, verses 15-22; "Achoo Akbar and blessed is his Profit (PBUH). Bitch, you so ugly that you've doomed all women from here to the hereafter. You shall go and covereth your ugly mug so as to stop the dogs from howling in pain whenever you pass. And if thoust doth remove thy covering then thoust shall be neigh more than a prostitute and the punishment shall be swift and mighty. For lo, doth Allah and the Profit (PBUH) despiseth the ugly ones and need to protect our vision so that we might be holy in front of the LORD."

      See? It is too! It's right there in the Crayon.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  99. Re:Another attack on Christianity by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions. As a Christian I find this offensive,

    So fucking what?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  100. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't feel singled out. It's an attack on all religions. Also I didn't care before I found out you were a white male, and still don't.

  101. Re:Athiest Symbol by meglon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Apparently someone figured out how to bottle rationality. I'm aware of many places that are in desperate need of it, but it'd have to go by supertanker to make a dent in the problem.

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  102. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dressed as a terrorist? What exactly do terrorists wear, then? I'm pretty sure the Unabomber, Timothy McVeigh, the Tsarnaevs etc all wore jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies - standard male western casual dress.

  103. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    So if I'm John Smith, any John Smith (or even anyone at all, or at least anyone passing as male?) may use the "license" to get a gun?

    Convenient.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  104. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Kjella · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's an attack on a special privilege only granted to religious people. If everyone could wear whatever headgear they wanted, we wouldn't be having this argument. The church of the FSM isn't making fun of your or anyone else's beliefs, it's just making sure that if the government recognizes one of them it must recognizes all of them as equally valid. That the government got no right to say that your religion is "true" so you can wear your headgear and my religion is "false" so I can't, or that you can teach your religious beliefs about the creation of the universe or the human race but I can't. I know you have faith in your religion, here's a newsflash: So does every other religious person. Maybe you as a person can dismiss everyone else's beliefs. But as a society with freedom of religion, it can't. Even when they don't comply with your ideas of what a religious conviction should look like.

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  105. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    And how did they find out whether the license you present is actually yours and not that of your dad?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  106. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Islam started as a satirical fake religion too, and look where it ended up (praise be to the prophet and his many tentacles)

  107. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    Since it is apparently possible, please enlighten me how I should find out whether a license you present to me is actually yours and not that of your dad or some random stranger and you just found it.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  108. Re:Athiest Symbol by meglon · · Score: 1

    Wait... our forefathers fought being able to identify a person as being who they say they are? Really? All those mass graves of unidentified pilgrims are where again? I really don't think the quote was: "Give me liberty or give me death, just so long as you don't try to identify me." I think, perhaps, you've co-opted reality to fit into your very strange narrative.

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  109. Re:Athiest Symbol by meglon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Oddly enough, "real religions" and "satirical fake religions" are equally valid, not only in the eye's of the legal system, but in their "truth."

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  110. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People didn't invent God, He invented people. Maybe they don't teach that at your mosque...

  111. Re:Athiest Symbol by narcc · · Score: 1

    You missed the bit about the colander on her head.

  112. Re:Athiest Symbol by Intron · · Score: 2

    A picture is not adequate identification. Next step will be a DNA sample.

    --
    Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
  113. Re:Another attack on Christianity by sconeu · · Score: 1

    Years ago, my sig here read, "People who need government to enforce their religion must not have much faith in the power of its message".

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  114. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Slashdot is a cesspool of toxic hate and intolerance of religious folk no matter what particular religious beliefs they hold, and the same pervasive hate here is spreading into public life and hurting people. At some point, the government will be required to protect religious believers via speech laws like they have in Europe. Hopefully, there will be arrests made against those that direct verbal violence here in the US like the ones recently in Germany against those that spread hate against Muslims.

  115. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And a great many people find Christianity and other religions offensive, and consider them to be a thinly veiled attack on rationality.

    Actually there are probably relatively few people that think that, and it is irrational with a streak of hubris thrown in.

    As a corollary of this while anyone can consider something to be offensive, NO ONE should have the right to demand that other people do not offend them.

    Perhaps, if it is evenly enforced, but it seldom is.

  116. Re:Athiest Symbol by meglon · · Score: 2

    Lesbin equipment I understand - vibrators, strap-ons and stuff like that. But atheist equipment?

    I didn't miss what wasn't there.

    As far as the colander headgear from the main story, yes, it's absurd.... which is the intentional meaning (the absurdity) of it by the person wearing it. It's certainly no more absurd than the trappings and dogma of most religions, who do not have those trappings and dogma because they're absurd, but because they live in some warped fantasy land where reality never enters.

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  117. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sounds a lot like you're white.

  118. Re:Athiest Symbol by Intron · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because it is in your possession, how else?

    --
    Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
  119. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is no difference, they're all satirical. Have you read half that shit? Made up fairy tales.

    I have no problems with religions with peaceful philosophies that don't need to make shit up or oppress people for millenia.

  120. Re:Another attack on Christianity by DRJlaw · · Score: 1

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions. As a Christian I find this offensive, but I expect no one cares since I'm also a white male.

    Do you have a similar problem with open attacks on each of of homosexuality, gay marriage, atheism, secular humanism, and evolution?

    Just curious, because I repeatedly see Christians who fully endorse attacking the beliefs of others because, by God, Christians are right and those others are wrong.

  121. Re: Athiest Symbol by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    Because I get pulled over while walking on the street at night? I'm sure that happens all the time to white people.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  122. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's a tenet of our religion that we dress appropriately for official occasions.

  123. Re:Another attack on Christianity by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    If find the fact that your delusional belief in an imaginary friend has a direct impact on my life offensive.

    We'll stop attacking Christianity once you start keeping it to yourselves and stop letting your beliefs dictate our schooling, our laws, and defining our companionships.

    Oh and go to hell.

  124. Furthermore... by msimm · · Score: 1

    Furthermore...what percentage of Christians (or practicing members of other faiths) do you assume find this offensive. Do you presume to speak for all of them? Because otherwise you might be right to assume that no on cares regardless of your religion or the color of your skin. An important part of a modern society is the ability to peacefully coexist within a group with dissimilar beliefs. If your outlook is so threatened by a person wearing a colander, or a cartoon, or a editorial, or a different religion, perhaps you should more closely examine your own beliefs.

    --
    Quack, quack.
  125. Re:Pastafarian fuckwads by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just stupid atheists that think their smug ham-fisted take on religion qualifies as satire. The Westboro Baptist Church is more caustically satirical than these spaghetti strainer wearing idiots.

    So true.

  126. Has anybody considered this? by reboot246 · · Score: 1

    Stupid people should not be driving anyway!!!!

  127. Re:Athiest Symbol by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

    Let me guess... You spoke respectfully to the officer, stopped when he said stop, answered his questions, and when it was obvious you were doing nothing wrong, he let you on your way, because actually that is what most cops do.

    Not all, mind you, but most.

  128. Praying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone can pray to a god they believe in, but praying to a god you DON'T believe in is true devotion.

  129. Re:Athiest Symbol by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

    And of course the counter point is that it is illegal for a police officer to order you to remove religious attire, (they would need a court order even if they have a compelling interest) so for the purpose of identification prior to any probable cause for an invasive search they have a hard time showing that the attire is not included in what they have to identify. If they can't tell her to take it off, how is having a picture of the naked skin underneath going to assist in identification?

    Are you so sure of all that? Everywhere?

  130. Re:Another attack on Christianity by narcc · · Score: 1

    It's true that he has no right to not be offended. He's also free to express his discontent when he's offended.

    Equally, you are free to say and do offensive, inconsiderate, or just plain mean things. You're under no obligation to do so, however. The choice is yours.

  131. Re:Athiest Symbol by narcc · · Score: 1

    Yes, it is absurd. There's nothing rational about going around wearing a colander on your head. It's not even particularly sane.

    To equate atheism with rationality in this context undermines your point considerably.

  132. Re:Athiest Symbol by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    Yes, that's roughly how it went. It was kind of spooky getting pulled over, with bright lights shining on me, I couldn't see who it was, etc

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  133. Re:Athiest Symbol by Dereck1701 · · Score: 3, Informative

    You might want to actually read history beyond a decade or two. When Social Security numbers were created they explicitly placed requirements (virtually ignored) making it illegal to use for unique ID for citizens. Some of these requirements have quietly been removed in the name of "fighting terrorism". Virtually every attempt at the federal level to openly create a national ID card has been crushed. If you want to go really far back several of the Founding fathers and influential authors made pushes for independence via pen names (Benjamin Franklin, Washington Irving, John Adams).

  134. Misguided Pastafarians by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All Pastafarians are just smug atheists that think their ham-fisted take on religion qualifies as satire. The Westboro Baptist Church is more caustically satirical than these spaghetti strainer wearing idiots.

    1. Re:Misguided Pastafarians by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      no, the WBC are the true christians who follow their religion literally.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    2. Re:Misguided Pastafarians by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Yes. Now, if their religion had some smidge of resemblance to anything Jesus would recognize, I wouldn't dislike them as much.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    3. Re:Misguided Pastafarians by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      thats the problem, conflicting messages throughout the bible. i don't know why they don't extract the good stuff and throw away the crap, making changes to a made up book should not be an issue.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  135. Re:Athiest Symbol by mysidia · · Score: 2

    Is a burka -- which objectively speaking prevents identification of the wearer -- in conflict with the legitimate interest of identifying drivers for the sake of accountability?

    Yes, and people should not be allowed to drive, if they will not remove the burka to have their picture taken, And remove the burka while operating a motor vehicle.

    Does that conflict override the tenet of religious freedom?

    No it does not, because you are free to not drive. This might limit your options and choices in other areas (For example.... taking on certain jobs and living in certain places might be out of reach without driving), however, you have the religious freedom.

  136. F*ucking idiot by Simonetta · · Score: 0

    See the comment subject. Lindsay, girl, this is really ill-advised. Not only to you make yourself look like a f*ucking idiot, but you are insulting religion. Which is a dumb thing to do considering how many -millions- of people take this stuff seriously. Like maybe the cop who pulls you over for a busted tail-light and decides to throw in an extra $300 speeding ticket (37 in a 35 zone) just because she goes to Mass every week and doesn't get the joke that you're a Pastafarian.

    Plus this driver's license is a legal document. It's not the proper place for this shit.

    Grow up, girl, Get a cute boyfriend to hump your brains out on a regular basis and you won't feel the need to go around with a fucking pot on your head.

    1. Re:F*ucking idiot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless the whole point is to get a cop to violate her First Amendment rights....

    2. Re:F*ucking idiot by j-beda · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Grow up, girl, Get a cute boyfriend to hump your brains out on a regular basis and you won't feel the need to go around with a fucking pot on your head.

      You do know that while sex is enjoyable and all that, it really is not the solution to all of life's problems, and not everyone you disagree with is suffering from sexual frustrations. This is not totally unlike telling a woman to "get back in the kitchen (or bedroom)", or telling a young person to "go back to the kid's table", or telling a black person to "get back out into the fields". While it might be an effective technique to belittle others, It is dismissive, petty, rude, and does little to actually advance the discussion.

      While you might like to think that you can tell what everyone's sincerely held beliefs might be - you really can't. While you might like to be the arbiter of what is important and what is not important - others are going to disagree with you. Clearly in this case, this person does sincerely believe that this issue is important to them - important enough to go through all the legal necessities to get this type of ruling.

    3. Re:F*ucking idiot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >sex is enjoyable and all that

      So sorry you never have had enjoyable sex.

  137. Re:Athiest Symbol by meglon · · Score: 1

    You are conflating the point of the article (religious freedom even in the absurd), and the specific question i was answering (but atheist equipment?).

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  138. Re: Athiest Symbol by ememisya · · Score: 1

    Ramen to that!

  139. And god said... by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 2

    You're not getting it. This case (the colander on the head) is pointing out the absurdity of "god makes me wear this" headware generally.

    Dude, if no one thought "god wants me to cut off the end of my dick" was absurd, this one won't even get noticed.

    1. Re:And god said... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude, if no one thought "god wants me to cut off the end of my dick" was absurd, this one won't even get noticed.

      And don't forget that the Mohel has to give the baby a blow-job, yielding a hard-on, in order to make an estimate of the 'right' amount of penile tissue to be circumcised (i.e., mutilated). That, plus the blood-sucking bit after the cut...

    2. Re:And god said... by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      I think "God wants me to cut off the end of my baby son's dick" is worse. At least if it's your own dick you can consent to it.

      The deference to religious believe is so ridiculous that it overrules even child protection law - you're allowed to mutilate babies if your religion compels it.

  140. Re:Athiest Symbol by Khyber · · Score: 1

    Thank you for demonstrating what a fucking racist fool you truly are.

    Terrorists don't have a specific means of dressing.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  141. Re:Athiest Symbol by meglon · · Score: 1

    And yet, we're not talking about Social Security cards... are we. We're also not talking about a federal identification card, we're talking about state issued licensees. As for federal ID, you could probably mention a passport, but we don't require people to have a passport (unless they want to reenter the country, because it verifies citizenship)... EXACTLY like we don't require a person to have a drivers license unless they want to drive.

    The problem here, really, is the fact that most people that appeal to the authority of "our forefathers" usually finish that thought with something incredibly stupid; and your premise that they fought for our right not to have to have pictures on our drivers licensees is at it's most basic level, stupider than shit. There is no inalienable right to drive your car, so the licensing authority that deals with cars can develop rules they deem needed to ensure safety. Now, you can go out and protest being required to have your picture on your drivers license, but if you tel people that's how our founding fathers wanted it, all they're going to do is think of you as another rabid anti-government nutcase who probably needs to be in a psych ward instead of a car in the first place.

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  142. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, for having no I.D. at night and not being beaten and possibly shot to death by said cop because you're white.

  143. Re: Athiest Symbol by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    Has that ever happened?

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  144. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ask Sureshbhai Patel. Oh wait, was that at night?

  145. Re:Another attack on Christianity by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 1

    ...but I expect no one cares since I'm also a white male.

    Oh no, is there a war on white males too? You poor thing.

  146. Any standard... by harlequinn · · Score: 1

    'it "doesn't change the fact that by any standard one can come up with" the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is "as legitimate as any other" religion.'

    Challenge accepted.

    Was your religion invented in living memory such that it's un-authenticity can be verified?

    I believe Scientology and Pastafarianism both meet this criteria. Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism don't.

    Of course it doesn't make the latter mentioned religions "true", only non-verifiable, whereas recent religions are verifiably "false" - making them not "as legitimate".

    (they did say "any standard"...)

    1. Re:Any standard... by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Suppose now that I founded an actual religion, and people actually agreed with me and joined my religion. Everyone could be sincere about my beliefs, and the religion could be real, and it would be founded after Pastafarianism. You can't discriminate among religions by how recently they appeared.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    2. Re:Any standard... by harlequinn · · Score: 1

      I'm not discriminating based on age.

      I'm discriminating based on verifiability of authenticity. I.e. Do we know they just made it up and no supernatural events occurred?

      A factor of verifiability is time, but only in the sense that people die. If you had an immortal who could verify the aforementioned religions as false then they would be in the same basket.

    3. Re:Any standard... by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      So, you're saying that if I founded a religion and destroyed all the records of its foundation and early growth before I died, my religion would be presumed legitimate?

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    4. Re:Any standard... by tibit · · Score: 1

      How can you claim that these are not authentic? What makes a religion authentic? Just think about it.

      --
      A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
    5. Re:Any standard... by harlequinn · · Score: 1

      Possibly yes. And then you would meet the standard that Pastafarianism and Church of Scientology do not meet . The whole point of this exercise was to make a standard that they don't meet and others do - so go for it.

      That said, there are certain generally accepted criteria for a religion versus a cult (e.g. you need to have enough followers that other people agree you are a religion - similar to census rules). And you'll need to be super thorough wiping all records, pretty hard these days.

      Will you have one god or many?

      (PS - you'll have to get a friend to do it - you've already made the postulation public)

    6. Re:Any standard... by harlequinn · · Score: 1

      Because Pastafarianism has a clear founding based on it being a false religion as an example to show how insane the belief systems of other religions are. I.e. it was specifically made to take the piss out of other religions.

      "Just think about it" - Lol. Reread my first post.

  147. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How do you get pulled over while walking?

  148. Only one thing to say: by Sir+Holo · · Score: 1

    R'Amen!

  149. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No more or less than any other religious headgear. The only real difference is time. If in 100 years most people have colanders on their heads it will certainly seem normal.

  150. All driver's license photos look bad. by billstewart · · Score: 3, Funny

    My first one looked like I had a beard - I didn't back then, it's was just really bad lighting at the DMV. (And one of my recent DLs said I needed to be wearing glasses - I don't need them for distance, and didn't use them for the eye test, but I put them back on to read the forms.)

    What you really need as a driver's license photo is one that shows you looking like you're extremely tired and someone's shining a flashlight in your face, because that's how a cop will really see you. If that includes wearing a colander on your head, then go for it.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
    1. Re:All driver's license photos look bad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What you really need as a driver's license photo is one that shows you looking like you're extremely drunk and someone's shining a flashlight in your face, because that's how a cop will really see you.

      FTFY

  151. Re:Athiest Symbol by narcc · · Score: 2

    No, no. Your "equipment" was "bottled rationality". The implication being that atheists are necessarily rational; should any such equipment exist, bottled rationality would be standard issue. The absurdity being that we're clearly dealing with an irrational atheist, which undermines your implication.

    Though the implication is absurd on it's face. Atheists are, I shouldn't need to point out, no more or less rational than theists. It's simply a delusion held by a minority of atheists. The one's who "live in some warped fantasy land where reality never enters." You'll find no shortage of those irrational or laughably delusional atheists at the forefront of modern atheism, just as you find no shortage among popular/media savvy religious figures. This is simply reality.

  152. Re: Not allowed to smile? by billstewart · · Score: 1

    Maybe you're smiling because you got through the line at the driver's license bureau in less than two hours. But they want a photo that looks like you do when a cop pulls you over and shines a flashlight in your face.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  153. Re:Athiest Symbol by Sir+Holo · · Score: 1

    Without my papers I am a non entity and have no right to walk the streets

    That's not true...

    CORRECT. If you are not operating a motor vehicle, you have no legal obligation to present a Driver's License.

    Name and address ONLY. Nothing more.

  154. Re:Aluminum Foil hats are normal madness by billstewart · · Score: 1

    The reason people think they're crazy is that aluminum foil hats don't work - they need to be Real Tin.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  155. Re:Athiest Symbol by Sir+Holo · · Score: 1

    You can drive wearing a helmet with a visor which obscured visibility of your face, and many people (like racing drivers) do just that...

    You mean like motorcyclists wear?

    Correction: What most US States require motorcyclists to wear while operating a motorcycle.

  156. Re:Athiest Symbol by Sir+Holo · · Score: 1

    Aighearach: Quit your whining, we already have religious freedom for real religions. This is about religious freedom for satirical fake religions.

    Oddly enough, "real religions" and "satirical fake religions" are equally valid, not only in the eye's of the legal system, but in their "truth."

    Precisely. I challenge anyone here to describe the difference between a "cult" and a "religion".

    I'll be reading War and Peace while I wait...

  157. Re:Athiest Symbol by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

    Insightful? Clearly the next sensible choice when "+1 Hilariously Sarcastic" isn't an option....

  158. Re:Another attack on Christianity by narcc · · Score: 1

    I seriously doubt any religious person is offended by this, or the many other, lunatics wearing colanders on their heads in their photo ID's. If anyone should be offended, it's atheists as these folks make them look so damn foolish.

    Christians don't want to be associated with the WBC, nor Muslims with ISIS. They know that those crackpots make them all look bad. Why any atheist would want to be associated with these people is beyond me. Why the American Humanist Association stepped in and helped to make atheists look like morons is completely inexplicable.

  159. Pastafarianism protects other religions' rights by billstewart · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm a Christian, and Pastafarianism is mocking aspects of people who share my general corner of the religious world, and I'm just fine with that. Not only do some of my fellow believers sometimes act in ways that deserve mocking, we often do it ourselves (at least friendly mocking.) And more importantly, by doing things like this, Pastafarians are protecting other minority religious beliefs and practices. The US Army still hasn't quite figured out how to cope with Sikhs wearing turbans (and sometimes they even have trouble with Orthodox Jews, even army chaplains, because they violate critical military doctrines about gentlemen not wearing hats indoors), the TSA harassed them because they're different even before they decided to start harassing other hat-wearers, schools don't let students wear head-scarves (or mini-skirts) because that's Not How Proper American Girls Dress, Muslim-hating idiots beat up Sikhs, the list goes on.

    I attended Quaker meetings for a few years, and we'd occasionally get the question about those hats the oatmeal-box guy wears. Quakerism came from England, where it's beastly cold and rainy and Anglos are prone to male pattern baldness, and moved to Pennsylvania and New England where it's also beastly cold and rainy much of the year, and many of them believed in wearing plain durable clothing instead of wearing flashy stuff to draw attention to themselves. But English social custom and legal practice was big on forcing lower-class people to acknowledge the importance of higher-class people, and taking off hats to your betters (especially government officials and nobility) was a big part of that, and Quakerism believes very radically in equality, so Quakers would often get thrown in jail for not taking off their hats around their betters. I wear hats to keep my head warm (as an Anglo who went bald early), and when my beard was longer I could pass for Orthodox if I was wearing a dark suit and a hat.

    Back when the TSA were new, they didn't make people take off hats or coats in security lines, but out here at San Jose airport, the main people who wore them were Mexicans wearing cowboy hats heading down to Mexico, and the TSA were the white guys who'd replaced the previous mostly-immigrant screeners, and they decided to make a local rule telling the Mexicans to take their hats off. My first reaction was "if they tried this at LaGuardia the Hasidim would been in the mayor's office in an hour telling him to fire the bigot who thought up that nonsense", but as a Quaker I felt I ought to argue with them because they're clearly just doing it to bully people, and I was successful at making it difficult for them to avoid the bigotry issue for a while.

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
    1. Re:Pastafarianism protects other religions' rights by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      And more importantly, by doing things like this, Pastafarians are protecting other minority religious beliefs and practices.

      I'm not sure that's what they're trying to do...

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    2. Re:Pastafarianism protects other religions' rights by rioki · · Score: 1

      Generally the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is an atheist gathering that tries to show that when strict laws collide with exemptions for religious freedoms, nonsense ensures. Either you implement a strict rule set and enforce it irrespective of someone's religion or you loose regulations to a sane level.

    3. Re:Pastafarianism protects other religions' rights by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Originally, Pastafarianism was a reaction to a proposal to teach some fundamentalist Christian nonsense in science classes: the originator proposed that schools be required to teach the fundie Christian version, the FSM version, and the theory there's actually evidence for. Since then, much of their behavior has been to take advantage of laws about religion to do harmless things, and by establishing that wacko religions can do unusual things they are de facto helping other minority religious beliefs.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  160. Re:Another attack on Christianity by narcc · · Score: 1

    It's an attack on a special privilege only granted to religious people.

    What frightens me is that you actually believe this is the message that wearing a colander on your head in a photo ID sends to others.

  161. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All it takes is the one cop who doesn't and bad things happen.

    Not everybody is as lucky as James Blake.

  162. Re:Athiest Symbol by Galactic+Dominator · · Score: 1

    I see someone isn't familiar with reductio ad absurdum.

    --
    brandelf -t FreeBSD /brain
  163. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Terrorist pretty much all look dress alike.

    You are the racist one that assumed that terrorist dress like Arab peoples. You brought race (Arabs) in by calling the GP a racist. The GP did not mention anything about Arab culture or any other culture. He only said that terrorist dress alike which is verifiable.

    Stop being a muslim apologiest. Fuck off.

  164. Re:Athiest Symbol by j-beda · · Score: 1

    Stripped? We're talking about showing a face.
    Treating people as equals trumps protection of fairy tales, er, I mean religion.

    Stripped of the covering that they feel is properly modest.

    Just because YOU are fine with uncovering your face for all to see does not mean that everyone is. Similarly, some people do not want everyone to see their naked chest, and many (but not all) are uncomfortable exposing their genitalia. There is no "logical" reason to keep these covered up, and there are examples of cultures where covering these body parts is no big deal.

    Potentially, treating people as "equal" could mean placing equal importance on people's feelings of privacy and/or modesty, it does not necessarily mean treating everyone identically.

    With all that said, I don't have any Solomonic solution to this type of situation where a person's desire to remain covered could work against a legitimate "state" desire for ease of identification. I suppose it is fortunate we don't typically identify each other by the shape of our penises or vulva, but I suppose if we did than there would not be as much of a social taboo against allowing them to be seen....

  165. Bzzt...wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're clueless. Try reading the Bible some time, dumb ass.

  166. Re:Not a religious requirement of Pastafarianism by j-beda · · Score: 1

    A similar case happened recently in Canada. The courts denied a man's right to wear a colander in a government ID photo.

    Why?

    The official verdict stated that nowhere in Pastafarian dogma does it say that adherents must wear a colander at all times. Seems pretty reasonable to me.

    I'd love to see a reference. Of course one could easily counter that while Reformed Pastafarians do not require the colander, the Orthodox Pastafarians do. Or maybe it was the other way around.

  167. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why would you think he learned that in a mosque? Clearly, it was learned in a place of education, such as a school.

    Where you learning your made up shit? You didn't get the memo Genesis is made up?

  168. Re:Another attack on Christianity by j-beda · · Score: 1

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions.

    No, it is not. It is actually a very clever way to highlight the importance of the separation between church and state.

    The very first part of the First Amendment is that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" and, making explicit exceptions for religious attire in legislation breaks not only the spirit but also the letter of that text.

    Making an exception in the law for religious reasons (like in this case, no head gear except for religious reasons) undermine that very principle ...

    Not always. Sometimes the First Amendment gives grounds for challenging legislation to prove that there is a legitimate reason for "prohibiting the free exercise therof". If there is a law, regulation, or other governmental requirement that can be shown to unreasonably impact the "free exercise" of someone's religion, then the First Amendment comes into play, and the courts might correctly strike down such laws and/or do whatever other things courts can do to prevent such unreasonable impact.

  169. Re:Athiest Symbol by bingoUV · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Religion has had the first mover advantage. Law has had to ask for permission of religion for its very existence. Bending over is nothing in comparison.

    --
    Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
  170. Re:Athiest Symbol by Aighearach · · Score: 1

    There was one locally who wore it every day, back in the `80s. He was known around the neighborhood as Zeus. There were Pastafarians even before there was a manifesto or a fake founder. It goes back to the 1960s, at least.

  171. Re:Athiest Symbol by Aighearach · · Score: 1

    Precisely. I challenge anyone here to describe the difference between a "cult" and a "religion".

    I'll be reading War and Peace while I wait...

    The problem isn't in any difficulty coming up with an answer. The problem in fact is somewhat opposite; almost everybody will find an answer, and they'll all be different!

    Even the real religions don't want to agree. Some Christian factions refuse to agree that it is a "religion." That is why "creed" is protected, even though legally it just means "religions that don't agree to be called religions, or other similar things that people don't want to call that."

  172. Re:Athiest Symbol by narcc · · Score: 1

    Where to begin? The question I have here is what you believe they're taking to an absurd conclusion? I'm not convinced you know. There's also the implication here that what other groups are doing is necessarily less absurd than wearing colanders in their ID photos. Is that intentional or did you simply not think this all the way through?

    Moving on, if there is some message here, it's certainly not being communicated to the audience they're intending to reach. (I say "if" as it look a lot more like a cry for attention than a serious attempt to do ... whatever it is they're trying to accomplish.) The obvious end result being that they make atheists look foolish, rather than the religious. It's counter to their goals.

    Actively working against your own interests is just as ridiculous as going around wearing cookware on your head. They're doing both in tandem.

  173. Re:Athiest Symbol by Aighearach · · Score: 1

    Goodness, "everywhere?" No. I'll leave it up to you to find the context, but I can promise you the discussion of laws and rights is never in the context of "everywhere," at least not anywhere on Earth.

  174. Re: Athiest Symbol by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    Policeman shines his lights on you and tells you to stop and come over.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  175. Re:Enjoy a Haiku by KGIII · · Score: 0

    *sighs* Do I have to do everything around here?

    Winter is coming.
    While I play with my penis.
    I am coming too.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  176. Re:Athiest Symbol by KGIII · · Score: 1

    Apparently someone figured out how to bottle rationality.

    It's called Vodka. Unfortunately, overconsumption has the reverse effects.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  177. Re: Athiest Symbol by KGIII · · Score: 2

    I am not white. I've had very similar things happen - even recently. Even very recently. Hell, I've been caught driving without my license. They just look me up, confirm my SSN, and I'm on my way. Worse, not too long ago, I drove straight across a park (it was raining and looked like a one way street) and was just let go before I even found my license.

    Err... I'm a little white? I'm a mutt. The largest percentage of me is Amerindian, then comes Western European, and then some Black African. I actually look Asian or Hispanic and am kind of a chameleon. But no, I'm definitely not white looking - except in the summer when everyone else gets dark.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  178. Re:Enjoy a Haiku by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But, where's MOM?

  179. Re:Athiest Symbol by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

    You're the one who made the absolute statement...

    I'm not aware of anywhere in the US where a police officer cannot ask a woman wearing a face covering to remove it, if he has stopped her for a traffic violation...

    If you know of a place, I'm all ears...

  180. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What the FUCK are you talking about?

    Could you please provide any kind of model where a license of any kind works where it is impossible to find out whether a person holding said license is the rightful holder of it?

    The kind where everyone knew everybody by name and face, like 1960s New Zealand. Not that I have a problem with photo drivers licenses (though I think genetic and fingerprints are taking things altogether too far), but in closed communities like the rural communities that existed in the 1950s and 1960s before the commonness of long distance travel, and probably many island communities today, the local constable probably knows everyone's face, and knows you're bullshiting if you try and use someone else's drivers license. Also I suppose in an honest community where people don't routinely lie and cheat for their own convenience, but I don't know if that exists anywhere in the world.

    My point is that there are places in the world where ID isn't required because everyone knows everybody, not that I'm opposed to ID (I am not the GP).

  181. Re:Athiest Symbol by KGIII · · Score: 1

    I'm rather disappointed by your reply. Think of the poor Juggalos in their make up!

    Seriously, for the purpose of driving a car - I agree, to some extent. For everything else, I disagree. I think that should be setup by the owners of the facilities. If they wish to disallow facial coverings then, by all means, they should be able to do so but it needs to be enforced consistently and equally - the same with a bus, be it municipal of private. I don't think you should be telling those facilities how they must operate their business.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  182. Re:Athiest Symbol by Aighearach · · Score: 1

    If you don't know enough about the subject to engage on it, then just asking general questions that are disbelieving but ignorant is not really useful. It doesn't convince there is utility in attempting to get into the details with you.

  183. Re:Athiest Symbol by KeensMustard · · Score: 1

    Except for Atheism of course, which is real and genuine! (thumbs up)

  184. Re:Athiest Symbol by KGIII · · Score: 1

    I had an old Saab 900S Turbo that was set up to rally. Well, more a cross between rally and still being street legal. We have something called "The Golden Road" in Maine.

    You can read a little about the road here:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    Anyhow, the car had helmets that affixed to the rear of the seats and five point restraints, etc... It was loads of fun. Wearing a helmet was optional while on the main road but was mandatory when we left the pavement or got onto private drives.

    The car developed severe mechanical issues that were more effort to repair than it was worth so the bits were stripped out and it was junked. They've not yet made their way into a new automobile but I'm actually thinking about putting a skid plate under an R model Volvo from the mid 1990s and stiffening it up, adding the cage, and changing the seats and restraints.

    Point being, yeah, you can wear a helmet. We wore them in the car all the time. It was just too fun. Sure, sometimes we'd get the cops following us but it was worth it and having them waste time following us was a bonus.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  185. Re:Athiest Symbol by KGIII · · Score: 1

    They could always stand on the side of the road and pray for a ride. I'm reminded of Emo Philips, at this point, and as digression is the name of the game, you too will now be reminded of him. To paraphrase...

    All summer long, I wanted a bicycle just like Jimmy Peterson's. So, every night, I prayed and prayed and prayed for God to give me a bicycle. Then, I realized God doesn't work like that. So, I stole it and prayed for forgiveness.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  186. subjectgoeshere by Falos · · Score: 1

    Don't care about demanding a single standard, reasonable enough on the surface claims, boondoggle away.

    More concerned about legal aid going where it's needed. Particularly in today's world of arbitrary enforcement and arbitrary judgement. Particularly when those who aren't Our Betters have shit support and shit access.

  187. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hm. There's a lot of [citation needed] up there, in your post.

  188. Re:Enjoy a Haiku by KGIII · · Score: 0

    Fine... Just for you...

    Autumn is ending.
    My beat meat is getting sore.
    Mom, stop knocking now!

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  189. Re:Another attack on Christianity by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

    Christians in the US have something of a persecution complex. They want to be persecuted - their holy book tells them to expect it - but they are really a powerful majority. They solve this problem by imagining persecution wherever they can see a hint of it.

    Stores not saying 'merry christmas?' Persecution.
    Requiring a government clerk to process all marriage forms, even those her religion forbids? Persecution.
    Christian parents facing legal action because they believe schooling of any kind for their children is pointless when Jesus is on his way? Persecution.
    A town government threatened with legal action for erecting a nativity scene on public property and using tax money? Persecution.

    They tend to ignore actual persecution going on in other parts of the world in much the same way that their political opposites will scream about trivial or outright imaginary sexism in the US while ignoring the dismal state of womens' rights elsewhere.

  190. Re: Athiest Symbol by jsh1972 · · Score: 1

    Can you even see well enough to drive while wearing a Burka?

  191. Re:Athiest Symbol by Barsteward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There is nothing rational about religion and this is just a parody of religion. Whats rational about wearing an instrument of torture/death (crucifix) around your neck or a turban on your head or a burka etc etc

    More people should have their photo taken with a colander on their head to highlight the absurdity of religious symbols.

    --
    "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  192. Re:Athiest Symbol by Barsteward · · Score: 1

    I'd hate to be mistaken for the age of my dad..... :o)

    --
    "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  193. Re: Athiest Symbol by Barsteward · · Score: 1

    the hat could be hiding an identifiable feature

    --
    "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
  194. Re:Athiest Symbol by bingoUV · · Score: 1

    Anyhow, the car had helmets that affixed to the rear of the seats and five point restraints, etc

    While I probably haven't understood the design completely, but this appears dangerous. Some structural bend in the car which directly doesn't impact the driver fatally can now uproot his head because of this helmet?

    --
    Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
  195. Re:Athiest Symbol by KGIII · · Score: 1

    Sorry - that was for storage purposes. However, they do make special restraints (called a Hans device) that tie one into the vehicle (since the death of a famous NASCAR racer they've been mandatory) that tie you into the vehicle, this was not the case with mine. No, the helmets were affixed to the backs of the seats when not in use. My bad. I probably should have been more articulate.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  196. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No problem. Gonna need to take some of these gun brochures with me... ohh baby...

  197. Re:Athiest Symbol by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    http://www.americasfreedomfigh...

    Quit your whining, we already have religious freedom for real religions. This is about religious freedom for satirical fake religions.

    What's the difference? They both look the same from over here.

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  198. Re:Another attack on Christianity by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    But perhaps what you really want is for the government to adopt and enforce your religion?

    No, just protection from the toxic hate speech inciting verbal violence directed at religious followers. We deserve our safe spaces too.

    Why don't you try praying for it?

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  199. Re:Athiest Symbol by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 2

    If you want to drive on the same road as me, go in the same supermarket as me, and ride on the same bus as me you should be as identifiable as me.

    I'm an identical twin, you insensitive clod!

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  200. Re:Another attack on Christianity by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    It's an attack on a special privilege only granted to religious people.

    What frightens me is that you actually believe this is the message that wearing a colander on your head in a photo ID sends to others.

    You appear to be alone in your interpretation of the message. Just about everyone with enough brain cells to rub together gets that this is parody. Regardless if they are offended or entertained by it, they agree that FSM is parody.

    The point of parody is to act exactly like the object of the parody, minus the context, thereby displaying the stupidity of the object of the parody. In this case, the object of the parody is religion. FSM appears to have worked beautifully as a parody of a belief in an invisible all-powerful sky-friend who has no power.

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  201. Re:Another attack on Christianity by bingoUV · · Score: 1

    If anyone should be offended, it's atheists as these folks make them look so damn foolish

    Why any atheist would want to be associated with these people is beyond me

    Luckily for atheists, they don't have to "be associated" with other atheists. They don't have to congregate in communes to "practice" their "persuation". Nor is it a cohesive group where one has any direct way of communication with others, or some "leaders" have any direct way of communication with most atheists.

    So all morons here are only making themselves look like morons. Just like you are "associated with" any /. poster with user name starting with n. Or moron posters with user IDs divisible by 12 make you look like a moron.

    --
    Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
  202. Re:Another attack on Christianity by narcc · · Score: 2

    The point of parody is to act exactly like the object of the parody, minus the context, thereby displaying the stupidity of the object of the parody.

    You don't seem to realize that it has failed to convey that message.

    FSM appears to have worked beautifully as a parody of a belief in an invisible all-powerful sky-friend who has no power.

    Nonsense. All it's done is to give a few attention-starved people a few minutes of fame and to make atheists, not theists, look foolish. It has had the exact opposite of it's intended effect. By any measure, it's an abject failure.

  203. Re:Athiest Symbol by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

    So in other words, you were talking out your bottom end and can't back it up with anything.

    Got it...

  204. I use my bike helmet to rinse my pasta by TechnoCore · · Score: 1

    since i don't like stray hair in my food, often problematic when using my sacred coliander

  205. Re:Athiest Symbol by cerealito · · Score: 0

    +1 !!!

  206. Re:Another attack on Christianity by narcc · · Score: 1

    Luckily for atheists, they don't have to "be associated" with other atheists.

    Well, that's where you're wrong. Like it or not, as a member of a group, you'll be judged by the actions of other members of that group. Don't like it? Neither do Muslims, who have suffered no end of harassment and discrimination post 9/11. Ask any Christan how they feel about the idots complaining about red cups at Starbucks. I'll bet a nickle that you didn't think about the complaintants in individual terms, just a few select nuts, but as Christians in general. A few morons made them all look foolish.

    Nor is it a cohesive group where one has any direct way of communication with others, or some "leaders" have any direct way of communication with most atheists.

    That's no different than any other religion. No central authority, singular group, or means by which to communicate directly with most adherants. Even the Moroms, small and young as they are, have multiple groups that don't answer to the same central authority. There are groups and people influential across multiple groups, naturally, but, again, the same is true for atheism. There are media personalities that speak on behalf of atheists, just like there are media personalities that speak on behalf of Christians. There are even organized atheists groups, just like there are organized groups for virtually every religion. There are even atheist churches.

    You may not like it, but that's reality.

    So all morons here are only making themselves look like morons.

    That's just delusional. Particularly in this case as the Pastafarians appear to be exactly what you think doesn't exist: an organized atheist group with a central authority. It could be argued that is just that, offering ordinations, handing down edicts, and providing a way for followers to interact -- even organized in-person meetings.

    As an atheist, these people make you look foolish. There's simply no way around that. You can deny it, as you've been doing, or stand-up and face reality.

  207. Re:Another attack on Christianity by bingoUV · · Score: 1

    Well, that's where you're wrong. Like it or not, as a member of a group, you'll be judged by the actions of other members of that group. Don't like it? Neither do Muslims, who have suffered no end of harassment and discrimination post 9/11. Ask any Christan how they feel about the idots complaining about red cups at Starbucks. I'll bet a nickle that you didn't think about the complaintants in individual terms, just a few select nuts, but as Christians in general. A few morons made them all look foolish.

    So you are a member of the group with UID divisible by 12 and are judged by the actions of other members of that group?

    And donate my nickel to EFF on my behalf.

    Nor is it a cohesive group where one has any direct way of communication with others, or some "leaders" have any direct way of communication with most atheists.

    That's no different than any other religion

    Just like snake is no different from any other mammal.

    As an atheist, these people make you look foolish

    Is there a nickel available to me for you suggesting incorrectly that I am an atheist? If yes, add it to the EFF pile.

    --
    Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
  208. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Quit your whining, we already have religious freedom for real religions. This is about religious freedom for satirical fake religions.

    And the difference is?

  209. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who the hell are YOU?

    I say, if you don't like it, YOU can leave, or conform to some ridiculous Law YOU don't like.

    When did it become the norm that people must somehow conform to other's lifestyles/preferences/etc.?

    I'd suggest during the Crusades, but I'm fairly certain it happened centuries prior.

    But it boils down to, if you are so scared to be out in public that you must have everyone marked, cataloged, and watched, then I say YOU are the problem here, and must remove yourself from society. For your own safety, of course.

  210. This is why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...we can't have nice things. There's always someone out there that just has to be an idiot. *Facepalm*

  211. Re:Athiest Symbol by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

    The pasta strainer is obviously an atheist symbol.

    If my Muslim wife went to the DMV wearing a burka would she be afforded the same rights? I doubt it.

    The burka is not required by Islam.

    http://www.quran-islam.org/art...

    --
    blindly antisocialist = antisocial
  212. A Lot Of Effort by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just so you can look like a jackass on your driver's License.

  213. Re:Another attack on Christianity by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

    It's an attack on a special privilege only granted to religious people. If everyone could wear whatever headgear they wanted, we wouldn't be having this argument. The church of the FSM isn't making fun of your or anyone else's beliefs, it's just making sure that if the government recognizes one of them it must recognizes all of them as equally valid. That the government got no right to say that your religion is "true" so you can wear your headgear and my religion is "false" so I can't, or that you can teach your religious beliefs about the creation of the universe or the human race but I can't. I know you have faith in your religion, here's a newsflash: So does every other religious person. Maybe you as a person can dismiss everyone else's beliefs. But as a society with freedom of religion, it can't. Even when they don't comply with your ideas of what a religious conviction should look like.

    At what point do you draw the line?

    You cannot control someone's belief. They are therefore free to believe whatever religion they choose and the clothing they wear will not limit this in any way.

    They are not free to kill people in the name of that religion, so there is a line drawn somewhere - it's just a question of where we choose to draw the line.

    --
    blindly antisocialist = antisocial
  214. Everyone's taking this so seriously by LaurenCates · · Score: 1

    And here I thought this was just some idiot thinking she was clever and ever-so-quirky by using defense of religion to get around the rules for having a goofy picture taken for her driver's license.

    I'm not quick to call someone an idiot, but if you're going to make a legal case for trying to get a government-issued ID photo done by wearing a colander on your head, it's because you're a bored idiot who can't come up with better things to do with your time besides clogging up the legal system with your petty need to be special.

    Now, I'm no religious expert, since I don't follow any one of them, and I don't know the reasons that evolved for wearing a hat for religious purposes, but, much like the Quaker example posted elsewhere on this page, I'm willing to extend the notion that there's a practical reason built from thousands of years of tradition for it. Not that I agree with wearing the hat for the specific purpose of the photo (law >>>>> religion), BUT, if you're going to go around wearing a colander on your head, it doesn't matter what the reason is, I'm going to call you an attention-seeking drama-whoring idiot, no matter what pseduo-intellectual and/or obscurel logical reason you might give.

    This woman should not have even been given a driver's license at all.

    --
    Some people don't believe in fairies. I don't believe in The Patriarchy.
    1. Re:Everyone's taking this so seriously by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      The main purpose of Pastafarianism is to make religious claims as a way of showing how silly they can be. The Pastafarian in this case didn't want to be a special snowflake, she wanted to show that allowing religious exceptions for official ID photos could lead to ludicrous results.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    2. Re:Everyone's taking this so seriously by LaurenCates · · Score: 1

      Oh, I know all about Pastafarianism. I rather appreciate it. I still think her point is off-base, though.

      Unless she's walking around with a colander on her head all the time, or more to the point, driving, I'm sorry, but this comes off as more slacktivist douchebaggery than demonstration of fallacy.

      --
      Some people don't believe in fairies. I don't believe in The Patriarchy.
    3. Re:Everyone's taking this so seriously by tibit · · Score: 1

      it's because you're a bored idiot who can't come up with better things to do with your time

      This argument can be applied to any religion that requires a particular dress code or practice that runs afoul of law such that it requires a special exemption from compliance.

      --
      A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
    4. Re:Everyone's taking this so seriously by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if you're going to go around wearing a colander on your head, it doesn't matter what the reason is, I'm going to call you an attention-seeking drama-whoring idiot

      Sure, but that can be said of any fashion choice that isn't strictly functional, especially including religious garb.

  215. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Everyone knows this is just an exercise in snark and a supposed intellectual superiority. People who go to such lengths to ridicules others pretty much shows that the reason they oppose Religion is that they would fail the basic tenets of most religions because they are self righteous assholes.

    The reality is that people that are anti-religious tend to be that way because they place THEMSELVES in the position of a supreme being. This has often ended up as all out repression and mass murder. Just read up on Stalin and Mao as well as any number of other Communist dictators that replaced the the Church with the government, and by extension, themselves.

  216. Re:Athiest Symbol by sycodon · · Score: 1

    The NRA opposes the very concept of needing a license to license to own a weapon. Which makes sense, because you don't need a license to post on Slashdot or publish a news paper.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  217. If you can sing to the glory of G-d... by jacobsm · · Score: 1

    As Robert A. Heinlein said "“Look, Ben, a roller skating rink is a church—as long as some sect claims that roller skating is essential to their faith and a part of their worship. You wouldn’t even have to go that far—simply claim that roller skating served a desirable though not essential function parallel to that which religious music serves in most churches. If you can sing to the glory of God, you can skate to the same end. Believe me, this has all been threshed out. There are temples in Malaya which are nothing—to an outsider—but boarding houses for snakes . . . but the same High Court rules them to be ‘churches’ as protects our own sects.”

  218. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know you have faith in your religion, here's a newsflash: So does every other religious person.

    Except, of course, the FSM adherents doing it out of satire, and thereby rather undermining the point they were hoping to make by pretending there isn't a difference.

  219. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stupid ideas should be attacked. Reason should always win over insanity.

    Brave though it is of you to volunteer yourself to be attacked, it's a little defeatist of you.

  220. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oddly enough, "real religions" and "satirical fake religions" are equally valid, not only in the eye's of the legal system, but in their "truth."

    Get your free mod points here! Roll-up, roll-up, no thought necessary. You, sir, you look like you'd like a few mod points. All you have to do is write about how you're atheist, in a slightly oblique way. Writer's block? No matter, try our patented Bash-A-Theo generator! Guaranteed for at least three mod-points for its inventive vilification of those horrible outsiders who just don't fit the mold of the clique. Roll-up, roll-up, every insult wins a prize!

  221. Using Her Noodle by xtbmlguy · · Score: 1

    how could i be the first to realize this?

  222. Re:Never let idiots set your standards by thoper · · Score: 1

    The problem, you see, is that most "cristians", are "remarkably ignorant about what's actually in the Bible, what the actual beliefs of Christianity are, and the history of modern science. ." this is not an attack on your "true biblical things" but on the deeply problematic "Christian nation"

    So, "You might want to learn a bit more before further embarrassing yourself"

    Why don't we all cut this religious crap and just love each other? in the end, only love will prevail.

  223. Re:Athiest Symbol by tompaulco · · Score: 1

    So we live in a world where perfectly normal right thinking people think that it is only natural that the state should have a picture of what every single person looks like so that they might be identified and removed from a crowd at any given time if the situation warrants.

    Unless, of course, you don't want to drive an automobile, in which case you don't need a picture identification.

    --
    If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
  224. Such bullshit.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is such bullshit. If they do like my state, NO headwear is allowed on your license photo! Somebody always has to be a dick....

  225. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Of course we have a war on christmas. Midwinter was celebrated long before christians usurped the tradition and claimed the time of year had something to do with this 'Jesus' newcomer.

  226. Useful Identification by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As long as the picture is still useful as identification, I don't care. It is when you have a mask or covering over your face, so you cannot be identified, that it should be a problem. If the strainer went over the face, that should not be allowed.

  227. Re:Athiest Symbol by coinreturn · · Score: 1

    "The pasta strainer is obviously an atheist symbol."

    Everybody is an atheist.

    Since Sumerian times, people have invented 2780 gods, you don't believe in 2779 of them while others don't believe in 1 more.

    I believe in one true god, with a margin of error of +/- 1.

  228. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201103/misinformation-and-facts-about-secularism-and-religion
    Religious people are indeed more likely to be criminals. I think religion offers a framework for rationalizing wrongful deeds that the secular lack. An act is not evil if you can justify it by claiming you are doing it for god, for example.

  229. Re:Athiest Symbol by Holi · · Score: 1

    You should really not be giving legal advice. Laws on identification vary by state. and not all of them allow for verbal id.

    --
    Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
  230. And atheists claim to be rational? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just how exactly is a spaghetti strainer on your head rational? If anything it's a symbol of intolerance.

  231. Re:Athiest Symbol by swillden · · Score: 1

    Gun license has no such requirement, since it is opposed by the NRA.

    What's a "gun license"?

    If you're referring to a concealed weapon permit (authorizing the bearer to carry a gun, and to hide it), AFAIK every single state that issues such permits puts photos on them. Every state except Vermont issues such permits (in Vermont no permit is required). If you're referring to some document giving permission to own a gun, there is no such thing.

    --
    Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
  232. Re:Athiest Symbol by jdavidb · · Score: 2

    The problem is that I think state law IS religious bullshit. I don't see any evidence for the proposition that state law works. It's just a tool of tyranny and control. It's just proof that we are animals on big giant farms being herded for the benefit of others. I'd rather lots of small, tiny, vulnerable, distributed bullshit systems than one big system over everybody.

  233. Re:Another attack on Christianity by jdavidb · · Score: 1

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions. As a Christian I find this offensive, but I expect no one cares since I'm also a white male.

    I'm a fundamentalist Christian and I don't feel that way at all. This is a highlight of how some beliefs are singled out for special legal privilege, which is a serious problem. The law ought not to discriminate between religious belief and beliefs that are not religious. The law ought to uphold freedom.

  234. Re:Another attack on Christianity by jdavidb · · Score: 1

    As a corollary of this while anyone can consider something to be offensive, NO ONE should have the right to demand that other people do not offend them. As a christian you ought be particulary willing to defend this freedom; particularly given the persecution those of your religion face in some parts of the world.

    For the record, I am a fundamentalist Christian, and I agree.

  235. Re:Another attack on Christianity by jdavidb · · Score: 1

    This is just another thinly veiled attack on Christianity and other religions. As a Christian I find this offensive, but I expect no one cares since I'm also a white male.

    I went and looked at your posting history and saw you calling people fools and calling for people to be killed with nuclear attacks. As a Christian, this is distressing and offensive to me. Our Lord said "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. ".

  236. Re:Athiest Symbol by swillden · · Score: 2

    So in other words, you were talking out your bottom end and can't back it up with anything.

    Got it...

    Dude, you didn't provide a shred of support for your claim that police can require women to remove their niqab, either. You just said "I'm not aware of anywhere in the US where a police officer cannot ask...", but your lack of knowledge isn't evidence of anything.

    Googling a bit seems to show that it's not really well-settled. I can find comments from police officers who say that they aren't sure if they could ask a woman to remove a face covering, and that they'd refer it to their supervisors, or if absolutely necessary get a female officer to handle it in a private location. I can't find anyone saying "sure, I'd tell her to take it off". After being sued by a woman who was required by a male officer to remove her hijab (which doesn't cover the face), Detroit instituted a policy that officers may not require the hijab to be removed, but that's quite different from a niqab.

    There's also the story of Sultaana Freeman, who was required by a Florida judge to remove her niqab to be photographed for her DL, but with a female photographer in a private location. The question of what would be done in a traffic stop seems not to have come up, but it seems consistent with the ruling that she could not be required to remove her face covering in public or in front of a male police officer.

    There are a handful of other states that have explicit policies permitting photo-less DLs for people who have religious objections to having their faces photographed.

    It appears to me that this is an open question, which hasn't really come to a head yet because not many niqab-wearing women drive. When it does, though, I'd expect police to make allow reasonable allowances, which would just require getting a female officer to check the woman's identity.

    --
    Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
  237. Re: Athiest Symbol by Coren22 · · Score: 1

    Former police officer Eric Parker, who is accused of injuring Patel, was fired from the Madison Police Department and charged with third-degree assault. In March 2015, Parker was charged by the FBI with felony civil rights abuse.

    You act like this is normal acceptable behavior by police, it seems like it was not deemed to be so.

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  238. Re:Athiest Symbol by Coren22 · · Score: 1

    Freedom of religion trumps your theories on how this should work. The state can't make any law that conflicts with the freedom of religion in the way you suggest.

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  239. Re:Athiest Symbol by Coren22 · · Score: 1

    In fact I'm not even sure you're a mammal.

    Clearly, he is a martian...

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  240. Re:Athiest Symbol by Coren22 · · Score: 1

    Burkas are worn by women, the majority of terrorists are not women, therefore you are a racist fool.

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  241. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Smart people are typically neither religious nor socialist. So no worry for violence.

  242. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I do. Everyday.

  243. coward indeed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Believing in Pastafarianismis is not worse or better than any other religion. Are not all religions based in a nutshell on word of mouth or stories written down by numerous people with different end goals over hundreds of years?

  244. Re:Pastafarian fuckwads by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Check yer detector, Hector. Old Atheist here.

    -1 for this? Tch, tch, mods.

    Keep wastin' them mod points boys!

  245. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Precisely. I challenge anyone here to describe the difference between a "cult" and a "religion".

    I'll be reading War and Peace while I wait...

    In the lingua franca, a cult is any religious organization whose beliefs and / or practices are incompatible with mine. Throwing out this term adds nothing of value to the conversation, but may used as flame bait.

    The dictionary defines cult as "a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies." Thus almost all religions fall into the category of cults.

  246. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Hey, all you have to is confess it and feel bad about it and you're good!

    By that system, being a criminal ain't no big deal.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  247. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    So, if I break into your house, steal your license and your gun, I rightfully have that gun?

    If possession of a license implies legality, the license can as well not exist if there is no way to prove that you have that license legally.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  248. Re:Athiest Symbol by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    At least you could tell if the guy in front of you CAN be who the license belongs to.

    I can't believe the NRA is against being able to find out whether some $racist_slur not only stole the gun but also the license!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  249. Re:Athiest Symbol by mythosaz · · Score: 1

    Not quite.

    Pastafarians are secularists who believe that a Flying Spaghetti Monster is just as likely as any other deity.

    Source: I'm an ordained minister of the CoFSM.

  250. Re:Pastafarian fuckwads by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hilarious, man. Not surprising that the New Atheists on /. find you funny since they think that grown men and women wearing spaghetti strainers on their amounts to some sort of trenchant protest against Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism and other religions. Like the narcissistic children they are, New Atheists are so wrapped in their own intolerant worldview that they overlook that religious headcoverings are largely cultural traditions that true open liberal societies accommodate because that's what rational, humanistic people do.

  251. Been done before by D-OveRMinD · · Score: 1

    Asia Carrera, who used to be fairly known in the Unreal Tournament and Quakecon communities (not to mention porn), did this over a year ago. http://www.usatoday.com/story/...

  252. so basically by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you had no rational response.

    got it.

  253. outside of people's stupid offense to this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the real thing is.... I would expect people to think my ID is fake if I have a picture with a strainer on my head.

  254. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    More identifiable than facial features?

  255. I don't care what you wear... but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But don't try to make me wear it, I'm not interested in following your beliefs.

    If I need to as part of my official position identify you, I will respectfully ask that you allow me to do that. That may require you removing a piece of clothing (burka, niqab, etc) so that I can see your face. If you object to doing this in public, then I would respectfully ask if you would allow it to be done in private, again only to confirm your identity. All efforts will be made to accomodate your beliefs, as long as everyone is treated with respect.

  256. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stupid ideas should be attacked. Reason should always win over insanity.

    Spoken like every religious zealot I've ever heard.

  257. Re:Another attack on Christianity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Beliefs held without a firm basis in reality should be mocked. Evidence should always win over belief."

    There, fixed it for you

  258. Re:Athiest Symbol by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Which does not show an official policy of the US. US government workers have indeed acted, frequently illegally, against atheists and various other groups, but you can't really say the US did it.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  259. Re:Athiest Symbol by david_thornley · · Score: 0

    Scientists are more likely to be atheists than the general population. They're also more likely to be rational.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  260. Re:Athiest Symbol by narcc · · Score: 1

    Pure delusion.

  261. Re:Another attack on Christianity by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Nobody cares because there's so many Christians who want things set up the way they think their religion demands, ignore or disparage people who don't follow their religion, and take offense from people who criticize their religious beliefs or demand that public funds not be spent on their religion. Pastafarianism actually helps minority religions out, by insisting on the rights due a religion.

    In my experience, there are people who believe deeply in their religion, and people who don't really get it but cling to their religion for some purpose (avoid going to hell, fit in socially, whatever). The former are comfortable in their beliefs, and don't take offense at people arguing against religion. They disagree with atheists, of course, but they aren't offended by it. The latter are insecure in their religion, perceive about 2000% of the attacks on it, and get offended.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  262. Re:Another attack on Christianity by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Officially, Pastafarians are not atheists. An atheist would not believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. In any case, you're talking about atheism as if it were a religion, which it isn't.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  263. Re:Athiest Symbol by MercTech · · Score: 1

    I'm looking at my national ID card right now. It is called a passport. The only national ID card available to the general population.

        It isn't a mandatory ID card but it trumps any other form of ID. But, presenting a passport or passport card when asked for ID rather flummoxes clerks in stores.

    --
    NRRPT/RCT
  264. Re:Athiest Symbol by MercTech · · Score: 1

    I've never heard of a law against driving with a covered face. Laws against refusing to show your face for proper identification to authorities, yes. But, never heard of a law against driving with face covered.

    --
    NRRPT/RCT
  265. Re:Athiest Symbol by MercTech · · Score: 1

    Actually, driving a car with a helmet on is often against state laws as it restricts peripheral vision and restricts the ability to hear emergency vehicles.

        Yes, the same helmet that is mandatory on a motorcycle is unlawful in a car... go figure.

    --
    NRRPT/RCT
  266. Re:Athiest Symbol by MercTech · · Score: 1

    The difference in a cult and a religion is linked to sufficient funds to buy enough politicians to get declared a religion.
    (tongue firmly in cheek)

    --
    NRRPT/RCT
  267. Re:Athiest Symbol by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 1

    It's my understanding that more-or-less that idea is what we've tended to interpret the establishment clause to mean; but that implementation sometimes drifts(often pretty markedly if something whips congress into a frenzy, usually somewhat moderated by the courts, though even there we have fictions like 'ceremonial deism' that allow people to claim that overtly religious rituals are actually not religious, because reasons, with a straight face.) It's unfortunate; but a manifestation of the fact that there are so many ways to throw a coat of nominal nonsectarianism over a sectarian policy, especially one popular enough that most people just think of it as 'true' rather than as being a position particular to their sect. It's a good ideal, in any case.

    In this case, it seems like the state could have saved itself a lot of trouble by adhering more closely to this principle: by allowing exceptions for 'religious' headwear, rather than saying 'eh, hair is noncritial for ID purposes, you can dye, cut, style, wear a Yarmulke, wear a colander, wear a fedora, wear a headscarf, whatever' or 'nope, everyone gets their picture taken with their hair uncovered and neutrally styled, no exceptions'. Once you give 'religious' objections more weight than other objections, you inevitably fall into the 'well, what's a "real" religion?' problem; at which point the state ends up in the goofy-at-best-and-dangerous-at-worst business of deciding whose religion is 'real', who is a freaky cultist, and who is just a snarky punk with a bad attitude. It's not as serious as just going all in and establishing an officially blessed religion; but it still unnecessarily mires you in the pointless and endless task of compiling The List of Real Religions.

  268. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When people with no prior interest in slaughterhouse standards start freaking out about the chilling barbarism of kosher or halal butchery, it's worth a raised eyebrow. Such practices may well be incompatible with acceptable standards of animal welfare; but if you didn't care about any of the delightful things done in meatpacking plants because they are the cheapest, fastest, methods; some skepticism is in order when you develop a sudden interest in the subject.

    To be fair, the issue with kosher and halal butchery is that they are currently exempt from selected animal welfare rules. That is a specific trade-off between animal rights and human (religuous) rights. And obviously, animals don't argue their own rights, nor will the Muslims and the Jews speak up for their rights.

    Personally, I don't buy the whole kosher butchering anyway. If you have problems with the legally sanctioned slaughter methods, don't eat meat. I know your religions don't actually mandate meat, so don't claim that you have a religious duty to eat kosher or halal meat.

  269. Re:Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But I provided my DNA sample. It was in this colander...

  270. Re: Athiest Symbol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I didn't act in any way at all. You're assuming something. The question was asked "Has that ever happened?" without any reference to the response or the relative frequency.

    Thus all I produced was a single incident where someone was beaten in an encounter with the police. That in this case, the police in Alabama did not ignore the egregious brutality may represent something, or it may not, I made no comment about the trend or possibility of that myself.

    If you want a comparative analysis...well, good luck getting somebody to do it. Congress won't even pay for the FBI to produce statistics on police homicides.

  271. FSM is a false god! by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · · Score: 1

    Long live the IPU!

  272. Re:Athiest Symbol by tibit · · Score: 1

    Your assumption about the bombers is that anything that they did was religiously driven. I seriously doubt that. These were just people who took the first excuse for murder and ran with it. Calling it "religiously motivated" is IMHO silly.

    --
    A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
  273. The bitchslapping of Khyber #1/2... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "NOD32 detects a trojan in APK's HOSTS bullshit." - by Khyber (864651) on Saturday August 22, 2015 @01:02PM (#50370415)

    VirusTotal & NOD32 SHOW CLEAN IN ITS EXES

    https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    &

    https://www.virustotal.com/en/...

    There's only 2 exe's & 5 text files in it - The exe's are proven clean above in 2 links from VirusTotal & installer's a SFX rar (keeps it 2mb smaller) - that's NO virus per VIRSCAN http://f.virscan.org/APKHostsF...

    (Unless YOU know way that .txt files are "viruses")

    ---

    "he's tying to get your fucking information." - by Khyber (864651) on Saturday August 22, 2015 @01:02PM (#50370415)

    My program doesn't transmit outward ONLY intake of data from 10 reputable security community sources!

    ---

    "APK is apparently too fucking stupid to do this at the ROUTER level where it's most effective" - by Khyber (864651) on Saturday August 22, 2015 @01:02PM (#50370415)

    You believe in "eggshell security" which fails-> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2...

    COMPETENT NETWORK ADMINS DO MORE THAN PERIMETER SECURITY @ ROUTER LEVEL - they get bushwhacked ALL THE TIME in DNS hijacks!

    (Right down to endpoints level in PC workstations also using tools you already have in hosts + firewalls (vs. "piling on 'MOAR'" that's inefficient & not as effective in slower usermode browser addons)).

    APK

    P.S.=> "EAT YOUR WORDS"... apk

  274. The bitchslapping of Khyber #2/2... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I know HOSTs is fucking useless in the first place" - by Khyber (864651) on Thursday October 29, 2015 @10:13AM (#50824745)

    See subject: Aryeh Goretsky NOD32/ESET says hosts = good security-> http://it.slashdot.org/comment...

    Oliver Day (Symantec) does-> http://www.securityfocus.com/c...

    MalwareBytes' hpHosts hosts & recommends my APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit-> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl...

    ---

    "his hosts program is actually pretty good" - by xenotransplant (4179011) on Monday August 10, 2015 @03:34PM (#50287195)

    "I like your host file system." - by Karmashock (2415832) on Wednesday September 09, 2015 @03:57PM (#50489401)

    "APK is kinda right... I've given up on JS based adblocking and gone to blackholing in /etc/hosts, just like it was back in the 90s. The computational load has gotten intolerable for any ad-blocking using JS. I've tried his hosts file generating software. It works." - by bmo (77928) on Thursday October 15, 2015 @11:30AM (#50736071)

    "Actually, APK is totally right on this count. Adblock Plus on Firefox mobile is a dog on older, or lower end, phones. A hostfile based adblocker makes for a much better experience in this context. Of course, your phone has to be rooted, which isn't the case with Firefox + adblock." - by chihowa (366380) on Saturday May 16, 2015 @11:40AM (#49705641)

    "his hosts tool is actually useful for those cases in which one does indeed want to locally block stuff outright while consuming minimum system resources" by alexgieg (948359) on Friday September 25, 2015 @09:57AM (#50596461)

    ---

    Plus you're outnumbered by your peers on /. as shown as to my program + hosts efficacy as well as noted security pros above also... YOU FAIL as always.

    APK

    P.S.=> Khyber - you fail again, lol!

    ...apk

    1. Re:The bitchslapping of Khyber #2/2... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I gave Khyber your address.

      I think you should be expecting company some time soon.

    2. Re:The bitchslapping of Khyber #2/2... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ""his hosts tool is actually useful for those cases in which one does indeed want to locally block stuff outright while consuming minimum system resources"

      But that's wrong. Routers are the way to go to consume minimal system resources, because it's not even on the system at that point.

      "Adblock Plus on Firefox mobile is a dog on older, or lower end, phones."

      Firefox on any older phone is dog slow so that point is irrelevant.

      "his hosts program is actually pretty good"

      Sounds like a lazy incompetent security person. Oh, a 7-digit UID - spam account.

      "I like your host file system." Karmashock is a known fucking shill. Next.

      " Aryeh Goretsky NOD32/ESET says hosts = good security"

      Aryeh Goretsky is a third-rate person in the industry and is mostly clueless.

      Your sources fucking suck, APK. None of them are reliable nor credible.

  275. Re:Athiest Symbol by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 1

    As in this case, where I think that the state were utter morons for having a 'no hats, unless you think god says so' rule, rather than a 'no hats, period' or 'yeah, hats, whatever' rule; I would be opposed to religion-based exemptions from uniform standards for animal slaughter.

    The reason I included that example was not personal agreement or disagreement; just that it is a case, unlike IDs, where state interest in animal welfare(especially when the animals aren't pets or lab animals) is really pretty new; and it is easier to find people who don't give a damn about weak animal welfare protections or documented violations of animal protections; but develop a sudden interest if they are specifically for the purposes of the other guy's freaky religion; rather than just efficiency and cost.

  276. Religion as a tax on humanity; by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How are they doing with 'not paying taxes' like all the other religious groups?