Flying Spaghetti Monster: A Parody Religion

The Flying Spaghetti Monster (also known as the Spaghedeity) is the deity of a parody religion[1] called The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and its system of beliefs, "Pastafarianism".[2] The religion was founded in 2005 by Bobby Henderson to protest the decision by the Kansas State Board of Education to require the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to biological evolution.

In an open letter sent to the education board, Henderson professes belief in a supernatural creator called the Flying Spaghetti Monster which resembles spaghetti and meatballs.[3] He furthermore calls for the "Pastafarian" theory of creation to be taught in science classrooms.[4]

Due to its recent popularity and media exposure, the Flying Spaghetti
* The band New York Dolls added the FSM to their music video "Dance like a Monkey".[30] * A section of the open letter to the Kansas School Board appeared in the January 2006 edition of Playboy. * Bryan Killian, a high school student in Buncombe County in North Carolina, was suspended for wearing "pirate regalia", which he said was part of his faith. Killian protested the suspension, saying it violated his right to religious freedom.[31] * The Flying Spaghetti Monster was featured in the Dec/Jan issue of the science magazine Seed in a section dedicated to the year in review 2005.[32] * The Hunger Artists Theatre Company produced a comedy called The Flying Spaghetti Monster Holiday Pageant in December of 2006, detailing the history of Pastafarianism.[33] The production has spawned a sequel, to be performed in December of 2008.[34] * Pastafarianism was featured in a November 2007 issue of the science magazine New