Humor failure in Russia: Crackdown on 'Pastafarians' shows Kremlin-church ties

[cbayer]

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/24/20153441-humor-failure-in-russia-crackdown-on-pastafarians-shows-kremlin-church-ties


Members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or Pastafarians, march through St. Petersburg on Aug.17, 2013.

By Albina Kovalyova, Producer, NBC News

MOSCOW, Russia -- The march of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster had all signs of being a satirical stunt – some of its 100 participants were armed with colanders on their heads and pasta in their mouths.

But the reaction of Russian authorities to so-called Pastafarians has been anything but lighthearted.

Police and members of a Russian Orthodox group set upon the group last Saturday, knocking some to the ground. Eight members of the church were detained and subsequently charged with organizing an unsanctioned rally. Although those detained have since been released, they are due back in court before the end of August.

Pastafarians are part of an international 'religious' movement founded in the U.S. in 2005 in opposition to the teaching of intelligent design and creationism in public schools. It has become an international movement, generally recognized as satirical poke at organized religion. But its adherents insist that it’s a 'real religion' and the dogma they follow is the rejection of dogma. They claim to have 15,000 adherents in Russia.

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[longship]

1. They suffer from irony deficiency anemia.

[cbayer]

3. Lol! Russian authorities not famous for their sense of humor.

[shenmue]

2. Nom nom nom

Peace through noodles!

[lastlib]

4. Is that the Pasta-r of the church in the front?

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. It's the Bishop of Durum (nt)

[dimbear]

6. Free expression, blind bigoted violence, expression, violence, so many choices. Either of those

come with garlic bread?