Your thoughts on Satanism and the petition for a Satanic statue.

[Esquilax]

Morgan, even the other posters here agreed that these people specifically chose Satan to be their symbol purposely as a sort of "ef you" to the faith. Of anything these people could have chosen to represent their ideologies, why choose the entity from the bible that represents evil and hatred, if their intention is not to shock/offend/make a statement against the faith?

Balance?

I mean, for starters, the statue isn't Satan, it's Baphomet, which didn't originally have anything to do with the devil at all; it was just a word used to describe whatever it was the first Crusaders believed the Templars worshiped. It later gained occult significance but that still doesn't make it Satan; if you and others within your religion choose to assume that it's the devil simply because the group seeking to erect it call themselves Satanists, then that is your problem, stemming mainly from a lack of research. That can be rectified though: this whole thing is actually kind of interesting.

But have you read the Satanist's press release? It makes it pretty clear that the reason they want the statue there is to balance out the 10 commandments monument; if the government will erect one, it needs to erect them all. An occult figure like Baphomet, whether that title is earned or not, brings to mind Satan the devil, as you have so aptly demonstrated, and this is a pretty good mirror for the christian monument already in place. I'm not going to pretend that this statue isn't a direct response to christianity, but when you have a religion that enjoys unparalleled dominance and political largess even in a country that isn't supposed to favor one religion over another, you can hardly argue that responding to balance the books by placing an opposing figure there is unearned.

There is a statement being made, but it's not against christianity. That's far too binary. The statement being made is about church and state, and how the latter isn't supposed to be presenting the former, but since it is, that can't go unchecked. Maybe it seems petty to you, but then, you've never had to live on the outside as a religion you're not a part of pretends it's the literal soul of the entire nation before. I can imagine it'd be hard to empathize with the feelings that might engender.

[Ravenshire]

And I don't know how to put what I said any more clearer, either. You're comparing apples to oranges. I wouldn't mind it if there was a Buddha there, instead of the 10 commandments. I do mind the Satanic statue because it is deliberately meant to offend.

(emphasis is mine)

No, it's not. It's there to make people think about what they're doing when they petition the government to support THEIR pet religion. If that means some christer noses get bent out of shape along the way, good. I'm so sick and fucking tired of living in a world where I have to defer to one gawd bothering group or another and have to hide my feelings and opinions in most public situations because I don't toe the line.

C_L, if you're offended by the proximity, why don't you petition the good christer people of cluster-fuck county to pass the plate for some special collections so they can purchase a small private plot and move their monument there. Then the Satanist guys will lose their motive and it'll all be a moot point.

[Salacious B. Crumb]

This stuff freaks me out like nothing else

Don’t get freaked out by statues CL. I know this isn’t traditional satanism, but theistic satanism, or the devil worshippers, are spread throughout the world by the millions, and they remain devil worshippers, because they don’t become possessed and start speaking latin, they don’t get beat up by demons, they don’t levitate.. nothing happens.

Don’t believe everything you see on T.V. and read in books, especially when there are no evidence for them.

After praying to jesus my whole life, I prayed and summoned all the demons of the bible, multiple times.. Nothing happened while praying to jesus and nothing happened while summoning and praying to demons. Shocker.

All these powerful beings that you fear, don’t seem to be as powerful as your church would like us to think they are. In fact, it’s as if they’re not even there.

[robvalue]

When people don't act like sensible adults, you can't reason with them like sensible adults. If they just ignore the constitution and put a massive religious symbol on neutral ground, and the authorities let them, everyone involved (including the authorities) is acting like a complete dick. Since standard reason doesn't work with such people, the only way to "debate" them is to demonstrate the consequences of their actions in a way that is totally legal and constitutional. Of course it's meant to provoke, but you can't tell them what their motivations are, nor stop them doing something which is just the same as what you've done.

Is there any Christian here who would have been totally fine with the demon statue being erected in front of a prominent public building, with no other religious symbols in sight? Is that OK? Do you think the authorities would have allowed it? If not, then you should understand the point of it. The (incorrect) 10 commandments could not be much more of a "fuck you" to every non-Christian. The demon statue is wildlessly less aggressive in my opinion, even from the point of view of someone who doesn't believe in any of it.

[downbeatplumb]

Hmm let me see. The ten commandments plaque was in a place where it is not supposed to be because it should be a religious neutral area in order to not show bias. that it was there was a deliberate affront to every non-Christian and is part of a sustained attack on non-christians that happens in some of the more backwards parts of the US. The satanist statue was there to say "how do you like it". I'm not sure I can put it any clearer than this.

And I don't know how to put what I said any more clearer, either. You're comparing apples to oranges. I wouldn't mind it if there was a Buddha there, instead of the 10 commandments. I do mind the Satanic statue because it is deliberately meant to offend.

Sigh. Yes I know it's meant to offend, as was the ten commandments it was a symbol of oppression in a public place, stamping christianity on a building which should be neutral. This was the point I am making. I am comparing apples with other apples but for some reason you can't see it.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Because the whole point is that the stupid 10 commandments statue is an unconstitutional act of aggression against minorities.

How is it an act of aggression?

In exactly the same way that putting a satanic ritual symbol in the same place is.

Do you get it yet?

[Catholic_Lady]

Ok, I know some of you are saying that the Satanic Temple is a legitimate religion, and not just something meant to spoof/mock/criticize Christianity and the people of faith, and that the fact that they picked a demon as their symbol has absolutely 0 to do with their opposition to Christians. I get that you're saying that. And I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that's the case.

[TheRocketSurgeon]

I agree with you, Cath. 100%.

That said, our point is that they do this for a reason, which strikes us as a legitimate one.

I respect you, but I find your lack of genuine introspective ability with regards to the nature of your religion a little bit shocking.

[Catholic_Lady]

I agree with you, Cath. 100%.

That said, our point is that they do this for a reason, which strikes us as a legitimate one.

I respect you, but I find your lack of genuine introspective ability with regards to the nature of your religion a little bit shocking.

May I ask what you are referring to?

[Catholic_Lady]

I agree with you, Cath. 100%.

That said, our point is that they do this for a reason, which strikes us as a legitimate one.

And that's fine. I fully understand by now how you guys feel about the Satanic statue lol. I'm not arguing with you about how you feel about it, as you are entitled to your own opinions. I'm just trying to explain how I feel about it and why I feel that way. Some people still seem to think my objection is simply to the fact that there is something other than a Christian statue trying to be up there. That is not the case.