Short possibly-improbable answer: Bertrand Russell’s teapot in orbit around the Sun boiled over and an astronaut’s spaghetti and meatballs food pouch landed in it. Add a dash of stardust and poof!

Even shorter, more fact-based answer: A guy named Bobby Henderson.

I actually have his copy of The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster on my shelf. I thought it was a joke at first, that the book didn’t exist. But when I saw it while doing research about religious parody, it mysteriously appeared in my shopping cart minutes later.

No, I haven’t read it yet, but when I finish the Bible, that’s where I’m going pretty quickly. It’s in the fiction section (as per the classification given by the Library of Congress. Part of me was hoping it would go in the philosophy or religion section).

Anyhoo, it stemmed from an open letter to the Kansas School Board, where he essentially said that they’d better be careful about intelligent design in schools, and make sure they teach all versions of it if they’re going there…above all else, they’d better include the FSM version of how the universe works to do service to the children. After all, if they’re supposed to weigh evidence and learn the truth and not be indoctrinated, they gotta hear ALL of it, right?

I love how this sense of humor prevails. It is ridiculous though fun as hell to think about bringing up in conversation. I like how irreverent it is, and that it’s a good response to people who want to cram their “religious truth” down my throat.

I just wonder when this came about, because I don’t recall hearing about it too damned long ago, and then all of a sudden the memes and the jokes were everywhere. I didn’t realize this thing was nearly 15 years old now, brought up publicly in 2005 as a response to the Kansas board, and then when it was published on Henderson’s website, it seems Pastifarianism was born.

Ah, I like some of the rationality that exists alongside the absurdity.

Ah, to me, this is what discussing religion, humanity, and truth boils down to (no pun intended).

I’m gonna clean my colander now (just in case) and I can’t wait to delve into the fun later.

Any of you guys and gals Pastifarians? Know any? What are your experiences with these folks (or with the ones that get crazy annoyed with them)?

Floor’s yours…