Their portrayal, possibly down to the direction the film takes or to the particular ethos thatВ PastafariansВ follow, does not mirror some of the harsher elements of the вЂNew AtheistвЂ™ movement - which has been criticised for some of its more militant, ironically intolerable, attitudes toward religion.

Make what you will of a belief in a spaghetti deity, the adherents of Pastafarianism in this documentary genuinely come across as open-minded and non-dogmatic. Though since everything is done tongue-in-cheek, it is not clear how important, if at all, this clash is.

What is perhaps ironic however is the manner in which Pastafarianism started off as an obvious parody of religious fundamentalism but spiralled into an actual religion, right down to splits in dogma, such as the internal debate about whether it is correct to wear pirate garments, as originally mandated, orВ pastaВ strainers on oneвЂ™s head. Creationism, fundamentalism and supernatural justification for violence and hate serve as the main target critique of such problematic areas could have even been further elaborated. The reason the film works is because it takes a silly subject seriously whilst acknowledging that our reality is bizarre enough already. It achieves this through showcasing the obvious absurdity of Pastafarianism, and a number of legal challenges which expose the exemptions provided to religious institutions. It becomes clear early on in the documentary that the actual material substance of Pastafarianism does not matter as much as the way it asserts itself in challenging conservative subversions of religion. It is notable however, that what underpins each adherentвЂ™s belief in Pastafarianism is not a dedicated reverence for the Flying Spaghetti Monster but instead a casual but firm worldview that seeks to have all religions treated equally.

This battle really started the movement in 2005, which ballooned through the internet. I,В PastafariВ does well to not undersell the impact that the niche belief has had in the mainstream, especially in regards to popularising opposition to teaching the theory of Intelligent Design in science lessons in American schools.

Pastafarian bible passage