While in some countries Pastafarianism is recognized as a religion, it is actually a parody inspired by the beliefs of Catholicism. It was proposed in 2005 by physicist Bobby Henderson as opposition to the Kansas state law that sought to teach in secular schools the divine creation of the human race (renamed "intelligent design") on a par with the scientific theory of the evolution of species. The name is inspired by Rastafarianism and the pastas of gastronomy since its deity is the Flying Spaghetti Monster (MEV) in the form of an invisible portion of noodles with meatballs, who created the universe while drunk, which explains his impetines. In an open letter to the Kansas State Board of Education, Henderson demanded that the same class hours be taught to explain Darwinism, Judeo-Christian creationism, and Pastafarianism.
