Pastafarianism, or The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, is a religious movement that has been increasingly exposed to mainstream media in the last few years. Developed originally by Bobby Henderson, a Physics graduate from Ohio State University, in 2005, this movement has been considered a "mockery of religion.”
After the Kansas Board of Education considered implementing both evolutionism and creationism into their science curriculum, they were met with an alarming amount of opposition, including a letter from Henderson who discussed a satirical notion that the Earth is created by a spaghetti and meatball deity known as the Flying Spaghetti Monster. He stated that because faith enables Pastafarians to believe in "His Noodly Goodness" and that the beliefs are scientifically valid, this interpretation of creationism deserves to be taught in Kansas public schools as well.
This letter received an extremely positive response from the public and even went viral, which then led Henderson to write his Gospel. According to the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster:
"The Spaghetti Monster thought about making things. On the first day, He separated the water from the heavens. However, the Flying Spaghetti Monster soon became tired of flying and treading waters, so on the second day, He created land. He made patches of land that divided the waters, and from it sprung beer volcanoes. He spent the next three days creating the Heaven, the stripper factory in heaven, the Earth, the midget called man, and the rest of the universe- for it was so large- the He got so tired and made Friday a holiday."
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has evolved into a symbol for the opposition against Intelligent Design in science courses. As stated by Cynthia Nelms-Byrne, an activist and devout Pastafarian from Dubuque, Iowa, "it's all this nonsense, but they do it as though they are just another intelligent design story, against evolution. And that's what makes it so funny."
Despite this parody belief system being extremely lighthearted and welcoming to all, it has received its fair share of adversity, especially from more conservative skeptics. Federal Courts are ruling that Pastafarianism should not be recognized as a religion, one even saying that anyone who thinks it is one lacks "basic reading comprehension."
In a 16 page decision from the US District Court of Nebraska denying the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster recognition, the ruling stated that "this is not a question of theology. The FSM Gospel is plainly a work of satire, meant to entertain while making a pointed political statement."
In addition, citizens who identify as Pastafarians are struggling to express their religious identities on driver’s licenses or other forms of identification. One of the most recent instances occurred in Illinois, where, a student at Northern Illinois University, was told to retake her driver’s license photo without wearing a colander on her head. "I just want freedom religion. It's not right that my religious headdress is not allowed when others are," Hoover claimed. She planned to sue on the basis of religious discrimination but was unable to afford the legal costs.
Despite this religion seeming to exist for solely comical purposes, members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster take its beliefs seriously, many of them even being atheists. His Noodly Appendages has taken in thousands of believers from all over the world, with a large portion paying the $25 fee to get ordained by the church.
Religion, especially its involvement in schools, has been a controversial topic for decades. Bobby Henderson and his Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster take a lighthearted approach to activism, earning awareness and international recognition.
Now, instead of ending this article with a fact or quote to further prove my point like I would usually do, I believe the best conclusion would be to include a Pastafarian prayer:
Our pasta, who art in a colander, draining be your noodles. Thy noodle come, Thy sauce be yum, on top some grated Parmesan.
Give us this day our garlic bread, and forgive us our indulgences, as we forgive those who made reality TV.
And lead us not into vegetarianism, but deliver us some pizza, for thine is the meatball, the noodle, and the sauce, forever and ever.
R'Amen
