The Flying Spaghetti Monster: Pastafarianism and Its History

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is the deity of Pastafarianism, a parody religion born in 2005. It began as a satirical protest against the teaching of "intelligent design" in American science classes and became one of the internet's most enduring jokes, and, for its followers, a serious point about religion and education.

A letter to Kansas

In 2005 the Kansas State Board of Education was considering whether to require intelligent design to be taught alongside evolution. A physics graduate, Bobby Henderson, wrote an open letter demanding equal time for his own theory: that the universe was created by an invisible Flying Spaghetti Monster. The letter, with its drawing of a tangle of pasta and meatballs, spread rapidly online.

Pastafarianism

Henderson's creation grew into a full parody religion, with a book, The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (2006), pirate imagery, and a heaven featuring a beer volcano. Its humour makes a serious point: if one unscientific explanation deserves a place in science classes, so do all the others.

The colander

Pastafarians wear a colander as religious headgear. In 2011 an Austrian Pastafarian, Niko Alm, was allowed to wear one in his driving-licence photograph, and similar cases elsewhere drew international attention to questions of religious freedom.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster in jewellery

A Flying Spaghetti Monster design is a wink to anyone who enjoys satire, science and a well-made joke. See the AURYN Flying Spaghetti Monster charm. For another modern phenomenon that began as a joke, read the history of crop circles.