Bobby Henderson (activist)
American satirist and activist (born 1980)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bobby Henderson is an American satirist and activist, known for being the founder of Pastafarianism, a parody religion.
Bobby Henderson | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 18, 1980[1] Roseburg, Oregon, US |
| Alma mater | Oregon State University |
| Known for | Founder of Pastafarianism |
Early life and education
Henderson was born on July 18, 1980, in Roseburg, Oregon.[2] He studied physics at Oregon State University.[3]
Pastafarianism
In 2005, Henderson founded the religion of Pastafarianism in response to the Kansas State Board of Education's decision to teach intelligent design alongside evolution in schools.[4] He requested that "Pastafarianism" be taught alongside intelligent design and "logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence".[5] After his protest letter to the board was ignored, he posted it online and the beliefs quickly gained traction.[3]
In 2006, he wrote The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster,[6] a book detailing the core beliefs of the religion.[7] He suggested that all the proceedings from the book would go into building a (tax-free) pirate ship that would travel the world and spread the gospel about Pastafarianism, "like a floating church".[8]
In 2019, Henderson repeated his belief that religion should be kept out of government schools and money kept out of religion.[3]
