A religion born on the internet in 2005?In the age of technology, a new religion spawned on the internet. Deriving its name from your favourite dishes - meatballs, pasta and spaghetti. Pastafarianism is a faith where logic is strained, noodles are holy, and satire is salvation. Pastafarianism was a response to the teaching of intelligent design in schools, which stated that life or the universe is not in existence by chance but created by some intelligent entity. Then why not let the intelligent entity be a flying spaghetti monster! It weaponizes absurdism, the satire is so effective. It pushes the idea that a creator figure should be taken seriously just because people believe in it to an absurdly absurd extreme. It's a humorous Trojan horse: you invite the joke because it's amusing, but once it's inside, it makes you consider the important and frequently controversial issue of church and state separation. It holds the idea that if intelligent design is taught, so too should the Flying Spaghetti Monster as an equally valid, albeit satirical, alternative explanation for the universe's creation. There being no solid uniform proof of the Creator that appears foolproof, Pastafarians brought in their own variations in this mix.

The "Flying Spaghetti Monster" was first described in a satirical open letter written by Bobby Henderson in 2005.

Henderson explained, "I don't have a problem with religion. What I have a problem with is religion posing as science. If there is a god and he's intelligent, then I would guess he has a sense of humor". What does religion mean to you? A belief of the masses, miracles, a hero - that solves it all, a puppeteer? To have seen the absurdities of the human mind, and the rigidities that they want others to abide by. Religion in modern day is the best way to police the choices one makes. In the name of the ‘A Creator’ and the ‘He’, that takes different forms and shapes depending on what seems true to you. So we ask - What is Religion? “A belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially God or gods”. Going by this definition, Pastafarians have gotten their basics clear. If you can’t beat them, join them. In my opinion, Pastafarianism's satirical core is not only hilariously ridiculous which it undoubtedly is but also incredibly .

Rather, than genuinely worshiping a pile of spaghetti that is divine, the movement is essentially about a very human impulse: justice. It is a creative, highly theatrical protest against what some see as a double standard, the special legal and social privileges given to one set of basic, unprovable beliefs over another. Afterall, religion is belief and who sets a limit to believing in this world.

Pastafarianism came forward upholding the same ideals. Believing in things that were hard to prove otherwise – “Okay, you don’t believe in it. Just prove it doesn’t exist.” It builds its support on the idea on which blind-belief enthrones itself for centuries. You cannot provide solid proof for its existence or non-existence. Thus, making it hard to defy. Criticised for being satiric and offensive, it stood on its ground of ‘belief’! It pits religious people against their own bad arguments, they have to invalidate their own positions to fight against it. It's basically saying ‘You have no more evidence for your god than we do for our flying spaghetti monster.’ It is just one more fake religion in an ocean of fake religions.

Except this one goes on to make the point that without demonstrable evidence, people can - and do - believe all sorts of crap! At least Pastafarians have a sense of humour and don’t spend half their lives moralising to others based on some bronze age text. Because

In the end, I view Pastafarianism as a strong defense of secular values and critical thinking, all wrapped up in a noodle-y, pirate-themed embrace, rather than as an affront to faith. It's a masterful, modern example of how sometimes the only way to confront the ridiculous is with even more spectacular, outrageous absurdity.