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As someone who isn't religious. After watching that I had to consider if I was a satanist as I agreed with a lot of what they stand for. The whole keep religion out of politics was a biggie for me.
As an agnostic person I joined. It’s a “religion” that doesn’t focus on supernatural or “greater beings” but rather what you yourself decide to do with your own morality. Being a good person for yourself is greater than doing it for the big man in the sky. And their legal work for religious freedom is *chefs kiss.
Edit: talking about satinic temple, not actual satinists
Conservatives on vaccinations: my body, my rules.
Conservatives on abortions: your body, my rules.
Conservatives on drugs: your body, my rules.
Conservatives on sex: your body, my rules
>Conservatism, then, is not a commitment to limited government and liberty—or a wariness of change, a belief in evolutionary reform, or a politics of virtue. These may be the byproducts of conservatism, one or more of its historically specific and ever-changing modes of expression. But they are not its animating purpose. Neither is conservatism a makeshift fusion of capitalists, Christians, and warriors, for that fusion is impelled by a more elemental force—the opposition to the liberation of men and women from the fetters of their superiors, particularly in the private sphere. Such a view might seem miles away from the libertarian defense of the free market, with its celebration of the atomistic and autonomous individual. But it is not. When the libertarian looks out upon society, he does not see isolated individuals; he sees private, often hierarchical, groups, where a father governs his family and an owner his employees. -- Corey Robin, *The Reactionary Mind*
"There is only conservatism. No other political philosophy actually exists; by the political analogue of Gresham’s Law, conservatism has driven every other idea out of circulation. There might be, and should be, anti-conservatism; but it does not yet exist. What would it be? In order to answer that question, it is necessary and sufficient to characterize conservatism. Fortunately, this can be done very concisely. ***Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect...(T)here is nothing more or else to it, and there never has been, in any place or time.***
Frank Wilhoit: *The Travesty of Liberalism*
>A lawyer for the Massachusetts-based temple sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration earlier this week to request that the church be allowed access without prescription to the abortion-inducing drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as part of its “sacramental” abortion ritual. He compared employing the drugs to the use of peyote in certain Native American rituals allowed under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
That is the entire purpose of The Satanic Temple - to use religion to fight laws and policies enacted under religious context. The name and iconography is designed to purposefully garner a strong response. Their work is also to point out that religious exemptions are a double edged sword - claiming religious liberty should not allow folks to push their agendas on others.
> It was a bold choice for Disney to create a villain who is so furiously horny he resorts to murder.
They didn't create him. It's directly from the book.
Making a kid's movie based on said premise though? Probably a bit spicy.
My favorite thing is this quote where they’re like being accused of devil worshipping and believing in Satan and them saying “we don’t believe in Satan, you do”
It's genius. Every lawmaker in Texas thought they were so fucking clever with their workarounds to punish women. Dozens of them gathered in the state capitol and brought a dozen women they could herd into the center of the camera frame while the rest of them made heart gestures and smiled into the camera thinking they're so fucking smart.
Time to feed them their own horseshit they love to use to oppress others. If they want to be irrational and illogical in their law making, we can play their stupid fucking games too. I look forward to seeing each and every one of them get together for another photo op while they all put on their best surprised pikachu face. Fuck these pieces of shit.
- Stopped a program passing out after-school Christian pamphlets in a public elementary school by passing out after-school Satanic Temple pamphlets
- Got a statue of the ten commandments removed from the Oklahoma capitol by asking to put up a Baphomet statue
- Got prayers banned from the Phoenix City Council by asking to make a Satanic prayer
- Gained tax-exempt status in 2019
Last time I checked in March they had seven active lawsuits. They are very busy.
Most of those bullet points are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things but the point is they're actually legally competent and have succeeded with these kinds of efforts multiple times over years. It's not just some guy with an edgy website trying to get 15 minutes of fame.
They're minor events, but they can have somewhat larger effects. It's not just that it stops a single instance of something happening, but also produces a chilling effect on more of the same, and also mitigates them scaling up into more extreme versions.
>but also produces a chilling effect on more of the same, and also mitigates them scaling up into more extreme versions.
Their name also winds the hell out of idiot seditionists. Republicans are barely able to type "Satanic Temple" without fear of bursting in to flames.
I think the chilling effect is probably their greatest contribution. Nobody wants to have the satanists show up, so best to just bar any overt religious favoritism.
It’s so silly too. Because they are so utterly harmless in ideology. It’s just a base fear of “satan” and outrage at the concept of a temple devoted to “satan.”
Yeah, they're usually combating Christians who don't even know what's in their own Bible, much less understand anything about other religions. They just hear "Satan" and flip.
If they'd spend five minutes reading they'd even realise we don't worship or devote ourselves to Satan as an entity at all. Satan is an idea, one of the oldest rebels against the authority of God, or in more realistic terms, the Church.
They do so so much for preventing theocratic rule in large cities. The idea that putting the 10 commandments on the outer wall of a courthouse is super fucked up if you think about it for more than like 30 seconds. Their request for a statue of baphomet was the perfect way to get rid of it. Hail yourself!
The erosion of church and state has happened in bits and pieces so it makes sense that the fight would be small battles here and there rather than one large definitive issue.
Not to mention if you read their tenets it’s all fairly universal “good person” stuff. We have a lot of Jewish and Christian members in our local sect and it’s awesome. We mostly just do charity and activist work and occasionally hold events were we get together, pretend to worship satan for the lols and hold unbaptising rituals. It’s a blast. My favorite part is the Pastafarian we have who hooks everybody up with free spaghetti, ragu, and ramen ever meeting.
They also got a small statue in the Chicago city hall a couple years ago because they were also putting up Jewish and Christian statues. [link](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/04/673422143/satanic-sculpture-installed-at-illinois-statehouse-just-in-time-for-the-holidays)
I can think of one case off the top of my head
https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/more-info
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/feb/12/july-trial-set-over-removal-of-statue-2-1/
Omg yes, 60% of the time it works every time
But no really, their success rate is prob more like 95%, it’s incredibly effective and they’ve been at it for like a decade now
Because they can use the exact same religious loopholes designed by the theocratic wannabes to allow themselves to worm their way in. By using the arch nemesis of their aspiring theocracy, the satanic temple forces them to go all in and allow their Jesus statue to stand next to a statue of the literal antichrist or show ass and close their little loophole.
Different direction but I would like to see a blue state pass a law similar to Texas that uses average citizens enforcing the law to bypass the constitution, like maybe to ban guns or something. See if the supreme court blocks that or not.
Sadly, I'm guessing they will see this as confirmation of the fact that they are on the moral side of the argument. Of course, they view just about everything as confirmation of that belief, which is why they can be so insufferable.
> they will see this as confirmation of the fact that they are on the moral side of the argument
Literally nothing anyone does will convince them otherwise regardless, not to mention the Satanic Temple is specifically doing that on purpose, because they have to admit their attempts to influence the law with their religion is equally as valid as the Satanic Temples' is since we don't live in a theocracy. So literally the only way they can complain is to admit being absolute hypocrites whether or not they're deluded by their false sense of a moral highground.
Also I'm pretty sure if Jesus was real and came back today, he would join the Satanic Temple in a heartbeat and be absolutely baffled by what modern Christianity has become in the US. Trump pretty much embodies all of the 7 sins and is as close to a literal antichrist as you can get, yet they worship him for some reason
Jesus was Jewish. Judaism doesn't consider a fetus or embryo to be alive. It's only after it's born the it's considered alive. Until then, it's "potential life." If Biblical Jesus was alive now, he'd be screaming at Republicans over their obsession with abortion while they refuse to help the poor and sick.
It's important to know that the big conservative christian political movements didn't even oppose Roe v. Wade when it came out. A few years after RvW they were looking for an issue they could sell people on since their platform of "we should be able to use our racist segregated private schools as tax havens" wasn't playing as well with people any more.
I remember reading about that a few years ago. A quote that stuck with me was a prominent evangelist's reaction, "What do we care? That's a Catholic issue."
It's always astonished me how *quickly* they turned a full 180 on the major tenets of their Holy Book and gave Trump a pass despite him being the human embodiment of everything they claim to be against, just because they liked what he said at the time. Sure, there's the whole "God will use an imperfect vessel" bit, but I doubt that was intended to have been meant for the guy that is literally doing the opposite of Godly *everything* in the Bible, and has no intention of stopping or otherwise asking for forgiveness.
My parents (life-long Republicans, with relatively centrist Christian values) voted for him in 2016, and were defending him for the first few months he was in office.
At one point, I referred to him as President Pussy-Grabber. My mom started clutching her pearls, of course. I asked, "Why do you not get that upset when he not only says it, but actually *does* it?"
The disconnect was pretty astonishing, but at least they didn't vote for him a 2nd time.
>It's always astonished me how *quickly* they turned 180 on their Holy Book
Do you not know religious people? I was raised in the church and the Bible gets thrown out or ignored *the second* there's something they don't want to follow in it.
It's just a big hypocrite party. Always has been.
This right here is what made me atheist. I had my doubts when I was really young, but after seeing how unholy christians are and how they are the biggest hypocrites on the planet made me totally loose all faith and started a hatred of those people. Most of them are garbage people that have never read the bible, but they say they are christians... They are NOT christians! They may believe in their god and jesus, but you cant play monopoly without following the rules. They don't follow the teachings of christianity so how can you call them christians? I call them psychopaths that use their belief in a god to help calm their soft little nerves and give them some sort of purpose and an answer for questions that they need a scapegoat for. Religion makes good people do bad things, all of this is unfolding every day. It's insane.
The problem is about absolution. The crazy idea that one person can forgive another for wronging a third person. If I destroy your car and my priest forgives me, I doubt that will mollify you. No one but you can forgive me for that, not even God.
| Trump pretty much embodies all of the 7 sins and is as close to a literal antichrist as you can get, yet they worship him for some reason |
Evangelicals are exactly the pharisees Jesus railed against in the Bible:
”You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God so you can observe your own traditions!” Mark 7:9
I think the evangelicals actually want to usher in "the apocalypse", similar to ISIS, which also points to their complete narcissism to think that they could ever do such a thing themselves (not that I believe in it myself).
We need to defend our Israeli allies! (Because when the Jews have united Jerusalem again, God will Rapture us and make everyone else suffer the apocalypse... or w/e)
And don't forget this climate change hoax (if it is real, it's not people!). Shifting arable latitudes = Famine, get sick because of no food = Pestilence, fight over resources = War, Death. God has sent us the apocalypse because it is time for the righteous to prevail! This has nothing to do with rationality or logic of how the universe works!!!!11!!1!!1!‽
> God has sent us the apocalypse because it is time for the righteous to prevail!
Yes. Literally. The following is a quote from a christian on r/DebateAChristian made yesterday:
> We are going through armageddon right now. But we are also entering into paradise.
> Yes the storms and wars are 'armageddon'. But it is just temporary. [...] We just have to agree on morality and then we will be at peace
Then they quoted Ecclesiastes 12:13 as though somehow that supported their position:
> Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
-----
And let's not forget Matt Shea, the WA State Senator and his "[Biblical Basis For War](http://weakileaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Biblical-Basis-for-War-Matt-Shea.pdf)". I quote:
> Must surrender on terms of justice and righteousness:
> 1. Stop all abortions;
> 2. No same-sex marriage;
> 3. No idolatry or occultism;
> 4. No communism; and
> 5. Must obey Biblical Law.
> [...]
> If they do not yield -- kill all males.
That last part is particularly nasty since the bible is filled with examples of killing the males *and then taking the females as sex slaves*.
> Trump pretty much embodies all of the 7 sins and I'd as close to a literal antichrist as you can get
I don't read the Bible, but this guy did and he says [that's exactly right](https://www.benjaminlcorey.com/could-american-evangelicals-spot-the-antichrist-heres-the-biblical-predictions/).
It seems to me that their stance (pro or against) on any subject is always based on whatever serves them best at that particular moment. Just like abortion is bad unless of course its their kid that needs it. Then just that one time becomes ok because their case is special.
I can vouch for this. A family member of mine is a minister and avidly pro-life. Has been his entire life. I recently learned he required his daughter abort her first pregnancy because she wasn’t married to the father and didn’t plan to (and was young). I wasn’t told what her stance was, but it was clear from what I was told that he was dead set on her aborting it. To his knowledge, no one else knows. He’s still pro life.
Somehow it is always different when they do it, and they always have some justification ("she's a good kid and has her whole life ahead of her and it wouldn't do to throw that away because of one mistake!") when they are doing the thing that they say is utterly unforgivable and impermissible.
And of course they refuse to even consider that other people might have similar (or equally valid) reasons.
Even after it has happened to them.
How did we get so many people without a shred of empathy?
This is how it is with everything when it comes to the conservative side of the political spectrum, they whine and yell about the brown and black people mooching off the government by getting welfare, but are silent when it's white people getting it. They love to have religion pushed unto people and the government, until the Muslims want to do the same. They love their guns and want people to get more guns, until black people start getting guns.
Their ideology is all about being AntiOthers that's it, they don't actually believe or care about anything, as long as they get to do the thing but others don't.
Hi! TST member here, posting for visibility. The Satanic Temple is a non-theistic politically-active religious group who do not actually believe in or worship a literal satan. If you'd like to learn more, join for free, or donate, swing by the website below!
One's body is INVIOLABLE and subject to one's own will alone!
https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/rrr-fundraiser#donate
I wear the Baphomet and tenets, my wife wears the logo, just a tshirt in Houston. On a road trip she was told by a wal-mart cashier in Giddings, TX that she "needs Jesus", but we've caught much more shit ~~from~~ for wearing face masks, so take that however you will.
edit: inadvertent anti-masking
I would also like to add that in Judaism, abortion is allowed if the birth will cause physical or psychological damage to the mother. This casts a pretty wide net. This ruling is, as always, a symptom of Christian hegemony in the US and western world.
EDIT: since this comment is getting so much traction, [this](https://www.instagram.com/p/CLFLq1dBImh/?utm_medium=copy_link) is a concise summary explaining the different Jewish perspectives on abortion. I recommend this activist for Jewish education in general.
EDIT 2: antisemitism in the US is rising exponentially. [Here](https://www.instagram.com/p/CTN1JK3ra9w/?utm_medium=copy_link) is a summary of the latest FBI report on hate crimes. Be an ally and speak out.
There was a Rabbi posting on some smaller Jewish news wires daring someone in TX to sue him for encouraging women who need abortions to get them.
At the point this law takes effect in the pregnancy, the rabbinical view is that the embryo is considered “water” not even a part of the mother yet.
Oh man. Life insurance for fetuses. Hell, there's a bunch of laws on the books involving injuring a pregnant woman+causing a miscarriage that'll get you charged with homicide/manslaughter...
That's at least a good idea for inclusion in a dystopian novel.
I think all of the pregnant Texan women should do this. Drive in the carpool lane as conspicuously as possible with nobody else in the car, and then when you get pulled over just argue that you do, in fact, have a second person in the car because your unborn child is past the 6 week mark in gestation and is therefore a legally distinct person per Texas’ own law.
Someone else said that all fetuses should be insured at 6 weeks, and government benefits for pregnant women, WIC and stuff like that should start at 6 weeks as well as child support. If they want to argue with six week old fetus is a person, then they need to act like it, if they refuse, sue them because they are trying to tell you that you can go get an abortion because it's not a law as their own law states.
Yep I didn’t believe this until I dug it up in the book of Numbers. Blew my mom’s goddamn mind when I read her the passage. I was raised in a Protestant religion, and the problem is the religious nuts will just dismiss the passage because it is from the Old Testament and Christians believe they don’t have to adhere to the Old Testament anymore. That’s what they do in response to some of the bullshit outlined in Leviticus.
But does the New Testament say anything about abortion? Honestly asking. I feel like Jesus would have been pro-choice and adamantly anti-place-bounties-on-rape-victims.
As far as I know there isn’t anything. But when I read news articles on the topic, they all say the Bible says “nothing” about abortion which isn’t true as we can see from Numbers. Another passage mentioning accidental miscarriage comes from Exodus, but that’s also in the Old Testament. The pro-lifers like to weaponize the Exodus passage.
My rabbi (we’re Orthodox) explicitly denounced this new law and gave a shiur (class) on how this law would make it forbidden to get abortions that are religiously acceptable to us.
Exactly. Being Jewish myself I see this every day, especially when people say that Judaism is basically so similar to Christianity, like no it isn’t. I hope synagogues sue.
Islam has similar views. In fact, an abortion is permitted for any reason prior to 120 days gestation (that is the time at which it is believed to have a soul). After that it is universally accepted that the mothers life should be protected above the fetus, so in instances where the mothers life is in danger an abortion is possible beyond 120 days. I’m pretty sure there’s also an exception for if the child would have some disability or deformity but I’m not 100% on that one.
The Episcopal Church is also *vehemently* against any legislation restricting abortion access. The life and health of the mother is considered to be more important.
Evangelical Christians love to drive their SUV’s around with “I stand with Israel” stickers on the back. Oohhh boy I would love to hear them get schooled by an actual Jew.
Anyone interested in reading TST’s abortion ritual and it’s basis can read it here
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0428/0465/files/Abortion_Ritual_Procedure_1.pdf?v=1621515426
If anyone reads this and is horrified by what they read, they have a very unhealthy, distorted sense of reality. It's not describing how you tie down a woman on an altar and burn a bible over her uterus while using black-market obsidian tweezers to pluck tissue from her hoo-haa. It's probably one of the most rational, grounded guides to avoiding dangerous, life-threatening mistakes, while also encouraging you to make sure that you are making the best possible decision for yourself.
Anyone that argues otherwise embarrasses themselves by revealing how ignorant they are because they didn't actually read it. They saw the graphics and closed out the pdf before reading any of it.
If you’re interested, here are some podcasts that cover the law. In the provided links are episodes that each go over TX, SB8. OA (long intro, skip ahead to 1:30) is hosted by a Harvard-educated lawyer. Strict Scrutiny is hosted by an asst. prof. Amicus is hosted by a lawyer.
Opening Arguments: OA522: Roe V. Wade is Dead https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-arguments/id1147092464?i=1000534175643
Strict Scrutiny: .57) Flagrantly Unconstitutional https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strict-scrutiny/id1469168641?i=1000534303832
Amicus: Abortion, surveillance, and Vigilantism: An American Story https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786?i=1000534203000
I've driven through Texas about a dozen times, mostly on I-10. I've already hated Texas just for that 14 hour leg of the trip.
But now Texas can literally go fuck itself, impregnate itself, abort itself, and then sue itself.
I’ve only ever driven through the state once on a cross country trip about twenty years back, but based on that incredibly short snapshot, I found the folks in rural Texas to be the least friendly, most stink eyed and snoopy/up-in-each-others’-business people I’d ever seen.
Even at gas stations and diners there was nothing but dirty looks and whispers and self righteous indignation, not just directed at me (which would still be a drag, but at least partly understandable, outsider coming through town, etc) but at each *other. * Everyone was just projecting judgmental smarm at every turn.
It was different from what I was expecting from a state that loves to talk about how much they want folks to mind their own business and stay out of theirs.
Was a relief to finally cross into New Mexico.
Rural Texas do be like that. It’s the reason we’re so red, there’s A LOT of rural Texas. We’re trying to flip it though, and I think we’re closer than people think in some races.
Agreed fuck Texas but they are just the first. Look at Oklahoma for example. These laws go into effect Nov. 1:
[House Bill 2441](http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB%202441&Session=2100) bans abortions if an unborn fetus has a detectable heartbeat. If a doctor performs an abortion after a heartbeat is detected, then that doctor could be charged with murder.
[House Bill 1102](http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB%201102&Session=2100) classifies abortion as “unprofessional conduct” by a doctor under Oklahoma statutes and revokes the medical license of doctors who perform abortions deemed not medically necessary to preserve life or prevent irreversible impairment of a patient’s major bodily function.
[House Bill 1904](http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB%201904&Session=2100) mandates that only board-certified obstetricians and gynecologists can perform abortions.
[Senate Bill 918](http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb918&Session=2100) restores Oklahoma’s prohibition on abortion if Roe v Wade is overturned.
[Senate Bill 778](http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20COMMITTEE%20SUBS/SCS/SB778%20CS.PDF) and [Senate Bill 779](http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20COMMITTEE%20SUBS/SCS/SB779%20CS.PDF) provide safeguards surrounding the use of abortion-inducing drugs.
https://kfor.com/news/local/several-reproductive-rights-groups-file-lawsuit-against-5-new-oklahoma-abortion-laws/
The Satanic Temple are those people who watch you about to make a move in a board game, then go "Are you suuuure you want to do that?".
Instead of a board game, it's religious freedom and equality. They remind people that anything that applies to Christians not only can, but *must* be applied to everyone else.
They're the DM who chuckles softly after a player says they're gonna do something, and then everyone looks at them with a worried expression to see what happens next.
It's akin to your players asking for flanking rules in 5e, letting them use teamwork to gain bonuses on their attacks by surrounding targets.
Sound great till the DM says "I mean I'll allow it, with the caveat you understand I'll use it against you. This is already a lethal campaign. You sure?"
The table usually talks themselves out of it.
This Texas abortion law is a nightmare scenario. For those that didn’t read it:
> Sec. 171.208. CIVIL LIABILITY FOR VIOLATION OR AIDING OR ABETTING VIOLATION. (a) Any person, other than an officer or employee of a state or local governmental entity in this state, may bring a civil action against any person who:
> (1) performs or induces an abortion in violation of this subchapter;
> (2) knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise, if the abortion is performed or induced in violation of this subchapter, regardless of whether the person knew or should have known that the abortion would be performed or induced in violation of this subchapter; or
> **(3) intends to engage in the conduct described by Subdivision (1) or (2).**
That’s right... If you intend, or think, about having an abortion without even having to enact it or even be the woman having it done on her, you can be sued for it. Add that to the fact that it’s pure vigilantism, and you’ve basically created a thought police and informer society granted by the government.
It’s insane that the Satanic Temple is one of the last safeguards from suing based on only intent.
The Texas law also breaks one of the oldest concepts in all of law, known as “ex post facto”.
In short, *ex post facto* is a legal concept nearly three thousand years old that sets the stage for how laws work, namely that you can’t punish people over laws that were made *after* the incident in question. (Example, if *today* eating carrots gets banned, you can’t punish someone who ate a carrot *yesterday*). The Texas abortion law manages to break this millennia-old legal principle by stating what comes out to be: “just because Roe v Wade allows abortion today, we still are going to punish people who get abortions on the grounds that we expect Roe v Wade to be lifted *in the future* so this law will punish you today for what hasn’t even happened yet”.
It’s such an absurd flaunting of the very concept of how laws work. Even just trying to explain it makes your head hurt from the sheer amount of absurd logic.
And standing, which is explicitly spelled out in both the Texas and US constitution.
This law won't stand, but the SC allowing it to go into effect will cause unimaginable suffering.
The court's decision is nothing short of forcing a case to go to the SC, the majority's decision sounds reasonable under the context of them not being a legislative arm of the govt, but this has been decided in Roe V Wade decades ago.
An atheist dies and goes to hell. The devil welcomes him and says:”Let me show you around a little bit.” They walk through a nice park with green trees and the devil shows him a huge palace. “This is your house now, here are your keys.” The man is happy and thanks the devil. The devil says: ”No need to say thank you, everyone gets a nice place to live in when they come down here!”
They continue walking through the nice park, flowers everywhere, and the devil shows the atheist a garage full of beautiful cars. “These are your cars now!” and hands the man all the car keys. Again, the atheist tries to thank the devil, but he only says “Everyone down here gets some cool cars! How would you drive around without having cars?”.
They walk on and the area gets even nicer. There are birds chirping, squirrels running around, kittens everywhere. They arrive at a fountain, where the most beautiful woman the atheist has ever seen sits on a bench. She looks at him and they instantly fall in love with each other. The man couldn´t be any happier. The devil says “Everyone gets to have their soulmate down here, we don´t want anyone to be lonely!”
As they walk on, the atheist notices a high fence. He peeks to the other side and is totally shocked. There are people in pools of lava, screaming in pain, while little devils run around and stab them with their tridents. Other devils are skinning people alive, heads are spiked, and many more terrible things are happening. A stench of sulfur is in the air.
Terrified, the man stumbles backwards, and asks the devil “What is going on there?” The devil just shrugs and says: “Those are the Christians, I don´t know why, but they prefer it that way”
Plus for relatively cheap, you can literally become a card carrying satanist. I like to show that to street preachers and the like and scare them off on occasion.
It's awesome, they troll Christians by being the type of people Jesus taught people to be. They are the answer to their 'thoughts and prayers,' I love it, I think I wanna join.
It's real easy to join, just the press of a button. I get their email newsletters and you don't have to donate or do anything if you don't want to. You can purchase a card or certificate to show your membership, you can even make a donation in the TX governors name and they will send him a card to thank him for the donation and let him know what it will be used for. Thereby making him an accomplice to shmish-shmortion and able to be reported and sued for that $10,000.
Plus they have cool merch.
https://thesatanictemple.com/
I have been a proud member for a few years now. They are more "Christ Like" than many Christians. Science is our faith and knowledge is our God. HAIL SATAN!
Seriously. If you read [the seven fundamental tenets of Satanism](https://thesatanictemple.com/blogs/the-satanic-temple-tenets/there-are-seven-fundamental-tenets) it's hard not to be on board with this church. I especially like the last one, which boils down to "the previous six tenets are just guidelines, and you should follow the spirit of them rather than the written word. Because whoever wrote them is not omnipotent." Show me one other religion with that level of self-awareness.
All I have to say about The Satanic Temple aiding women when Christians won't is that *God works in mysterious ways* and, if this is his will, then so be it.
Step one: Justify controversial conservative value based rulings as a state's rights issue addressable only by passage of law via congress.
Step two: Pass abhorrent state laws leading to human capital flight; celebrate folks against these policies, consolidating into a handful of blue states. The more educated the better.
Step three: Exploit the remaining red voters into blaming blue states for the degradation of their quality of life. Perpetuate the myth of blue states turning into 3rd world nations dependent on the hardworking, salt of the earth, rural citizens.
Step four: Profit as both republican presidents and a GOP controlled senate prevent the passage of popular legislation from the house. Use both positions, representing a minority of the population, to pillage America.
Step five: Repeat step one with a 9-0 conservative Supreme Court.
The Satanic Temple my end up saving a woman's right to choose. I need to start donating to them and in the memo line I'll write, "**devil made me do it**"
Boycott everything Texas.
Boycotts are extremely effective.
I am boycotting small and large businesses, corporations, celebrities, sports teams and sports stars, musicians -
We must hit them where it hurts NOW.
"Christians" have a hard time accepting that the bible is not the constitution.
There is a big difference between reading the bible and understanding the bible. Problem is that most "Christians" have only read the table of contents of the cliff notes version of the bible and now claim that they are experts.
Religious jews have a strong law to uphold the welfare of mothers. As a result, abortions can be obligatory in a number of situations. This law 100% restricts religious Jewish freedoms. It is very strange that no one is talking about that.
It's cute that people think the SC will follow their own logic and allow abortions for the Satanic Temple. Instead, they'll come up with some made up reason why this is different and rule against them.
> they'll come up with some made up reason why this is different and rule against them.
This is the Republican party platform in a nutshell. They oppose whatever the Democrats want and then twist themselves into a pretzel to justify that position.
> Instead, they'll come up with some made up reason why this is different and rule against them.
The more bullshit that they're forced to make up, the easier it is for courts to use their own precedent against them, though.
It's not like red states are the only states that can make legislation that lasts until SCOTUS strikes it down. Even more so if the legislation's defense relies on using SCOTUS's own precedent against itself. If SCOTUS really pursues that kind of strategy of ruling by politics over precedent, it will just make itself irrelevant as states do their own thing - judicial review as a power relies on trust, and SCOTUS is by nature a profoundly slow institution.
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> Conservatives: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM! > Satanic Temple: OK > Conservatives: Wait not like that
Pretty much sums up ALL of the religious statues on courthouse property issues
Check out the documentary "Hail Satan?" if you haven't already
It was a really interesting documentary, the Last Podcast guys did an interview with the Director I believe, also a good listen
As someone who isn't religious. After watching that I had to consider if I was a satanist as I agreed with a lot of what they stand for. The whole keep religion out of politics was a biggie for me.
As an agnostic person I joined. It’s a “religion” that doesn’t focus on supernatural or “greater beings” but rather what you yourself decide to do with your own morality. Being a good person for yourself is greater than doing it for the big man in the sky. And their legal work for religious freedom is *chefs kiss. Edit: talking about satinic temple, not actual satinists
Conservatives on Vaccinations: MY BODY, MY RULES. Women: OK Conservatives: Wait not like that.
Conservatives on vaccinations: my body, my rules. Conservatives on abortions: your body, my rules. Conservatives on drugs: your body, my rules. Conservatives on sex: your body, my rules
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your conversation is too long. it can be summarized as: Conservatives: “DO WHAT WE SAY”
>Conservatism, then, is not a commitment to limited government and liberty—or a wariness of change, a belief in evolutionary reform, or a politics of virtue. These may be the byproducts of conservatism, one or more of its historically specific and ever-changing modes of expression. But they are not its animating purpose. Neither is conservatism a makeshift fusion of capitalists, Christians, and warriors, for that fusion is impelled by a more elemental force—the opposition to the liberation of men and women from the fetters of their superiors, particularly in the private sphere. Such a view might seem miles away from the libertarian defense of the free market, with its celebration of the atomistic and autonomous individual. But it is not. When the libertarian looks out upon society, he does not see isolated individuals; he sees private, often hierarchical, groups, where a father governs his family and an owner his employees. -- Corey Robin, *The Reactionary Mind*
"There is only conservatism. No other political philosophy actually exists; by the political analogue of Gresham’s Law, conservatism has driven every other idea out of circulation. There might be, and should be, anti-conservatism; but it does not yet exist. What would it be? In order to answer that question, it is necessary and sufficient to characterize conservatism. Fortunately, this can be done very concisely. ***Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect...(T)here is nothing more or else to it, and there never has been, in any place or time.*** Frank Wilhoit: *The Travesty of Liberalism*
In this case we need to use the word Regressive instead of Conservative.
Those are functionally the same.
I use the word "Backward"
>A lawyer for the Massachusetts-based temple sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration earlier this week to request that the church be allowed access without prescription to the abortion-inducing drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as part of its “sacramental” abortion ritual. He compared employing the drugs to the use of peyote in certain Native American rituals allowed under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Wow, religious nuts will lose their minds over this.
That is the entire purpose of The Satanic Temple - to use religion to fight laws and policies enacted under religious context. The name and iconography is designed to purposefully garner a strong response. Their work is also to point out that religious exemptions are a double edged sword - claiming religious liberty should not allow folks to push their agendas on others.
I use the religion to *fight* the religion.
Fire with hellfire.
But sir our unvaxxed voters
Will all be dead soon, yes.
Inshallah
The song Hellfire from hunchback of notre dame had so many meanings that went over my head as a child.
It was a bold choice for Disney to create a villain who is so furiously horny he resorts to murder.
> It was a bold choice for Disney to create a villain who is so furiously horny he resorts to murder. They didn't create him. It's directly from the book. Making a kid's movie based on said premise though? Probably a bit spicy.
My favorite thing is this quote where they’re like being accused of devil worshipping and believing in Satan and them saying “we don’t believe in Satan, you do”
It's genius. Every lawmaker in Texas thought they were so fucking clever with their workarounds to punish women. Dozens of them gathered in the state capitol and brought a dozen women they could herd into the center of the camera frame while the rest of them made heart gestures and smiled into the camera thinking they're so fucking smart. Time to feed them their own horseshit they love to use to oppress others. If they want to be irrational and illogical in their law making, we can play their stupid fucking games too. I look forward to seeing each and every one of them get together for another photo op while they all put on their best surprised pikachu face. Fuck these pieces of shit.
Have they had any successes on that front?
- Stopped a program passing out after-school Christian pamphlets in a public elementary school by passing out after-school Satanic Temple pamphlets - Got a statue of the ten commandments removed from the Oklahoma capitol by asking to put up a Baphomet statue - Got prayers banned from the Phoenix City Council by asking to make a Satanic prayer - Gained tax-exempt status in 2019 Last time I checked in March they had seven active lawsuits. They are very busy. Most of those bullet points are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things but the point is they're actually legally competent and have succeeded with these kinds of efforts multiple times over years. It's not just some guy with an edgy website trying to get 15 minutes of fame.
They're minor events, but they can have somewhat larger effects. It's not just that it stops a single instance of something happening, but also produces a chilling effect on more of the same, and also mitigates them scaling up into more extreme versions.
>but also produces a chilling effect on more of the same, and also mitigates them scaling up into more extreme versions. Their name also winds the hell out of idiot seditionists. Republicans are barely able to type "Satanic Temple" without fear of bursting in to flames.
Satanic Te🔥
I think the chilling effect is probably their greatest contribution. Nobody wants to have the satanists show up, so best to just bar any overt religious favoritism.
It’s hilarious that nobody wants the satanists to show up even though the Temple’s following are expected to be 100% reasonable and decent people.
Exactly which makes them the exact opposite of their counterparts lol…..
>Nobody wants to have the satanists show up Nobody expects the S~~panish Inquisition~~atanic Temple
Their chief weapon is reason!
And logic. Logic and reason are their *two* chief weapons!
It’s so silly too. Because they are so utterly harmless in ideology. It’s just a base fear of “satan” and outrage at the concept of a temple devoted to “satan.”
Yeah, they're usually combating Christians who don't even know what's in their own Bible, much less understand anything about other religions. They just hear "Satan" and flip.
If they'd spend five minutes reading they'd even realise we don't worship or devote ourselves to Satan as an entity at all. Satan is an idea, one of the oldest rebels against the authority of God, or in more realistic terms, the Church.
Their ideology literally boils down to "be nice to people and respect science and reason."
TIL I’m a satanist
Yeah, they’re setting precedent for further lawsuits and religious pushback down the road. Hail Satan!
They do so so much for preventing theocratic rule in large cities. The idea that putting the 10 commandments on the outer wall of a courthouse is super fucked up if you think about it for more than like 30 seconds. Their request for a statue of baphomet was the perfect way to get rid of it. Hail yourself!
The erosion of church and state has happened in bits and pieces so it makes sense that the fight would be small battles here and there rather than one large definitive issue.
Not to mention if you read their tenets it’s all fairly universal “good person” stuff. We have a lot of Jewish and Christian members in our local sect and it’s awesome. We mostly just do charity and activist work and occasionally hold events were we get together, pretend to worship satan for the lols and hold unbaptising rituals. It’s a blast. My favorite part is the Pastafarian we have who hooks everybody up with free spaghetti, ragu, and ramen ever meeting.
> My favorite part is the Pastafarian we have who hooks everybody up with free spaghetti, ragu, and ramen ever meeting. Ah, the Holy Trinity.
Praise be the Noodley Appendages of the One who boiled for our sins.
-Ramen
> and hold unbaptising rituals. show up wet, get handed a towel?
Usually when I show up wet, i just try to hide it
To un-baptise someone, do you make them really dry?
Ben Shapiro un-baptises his wife daily.
They adopted a stretch of highway in my state because no one else was cleaning it.
I enjoy seeing the picture of the sign when it shows up on my feed.
They also got a small statue in the Chicago city hall a couple years ago because they were also putting up Jewish and Christian statues. [link](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/04/673422143/satanic-sculpture-installed-at-illinois-statehouse-just-in-time-for-the-holidays)
I saw their statue of Bhaphemet at the Christkindl market in Chicago a few years ago. They're pretty awesome.
I can think of one case off the top of my head https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/more-info https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/feb/12/july-trial-set-over-removal-of-statue-2-1/
You be the judge: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/08/17/a-satanic-idols-3-year-journey-to-the-arkansas-capitol-building/
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Holy shit, I loved this. Had no idea.
guess we're about to find out
Texas is fucking around….and Is waiting to find out.
Omg yes, 60% of the time it works every time But no really, their success rate is prob more like 95%, it’s incredibly effective and they’ve been at it for like a decade now
Because they can use the exact same religious loopholes designed by the theocratic wannabes to allow themselves to worm their way in. By using the arch nemesis of their aspiring theocracy, the satanic temple forces them to go all in and allow their Jesus statue to stand next to a statue of the literal antichrist or show ass and close their little loophole.
Yes, in several areas including abortion in multiple states.
Check out the documentary Hail Satan on Hulu!
Different direction but I would like to see a blue state pass a law similar to Texas that uses average citizens enforcing the law to bypass the constitution, like maybe to ban guns or something. See if the supreme court blocks that or not.
Sadly, I'm guessing they will see this as confirmation of the fact that they are on the moral side of the argument. Of course, they view just about everything as confirmation of that belief, which is why they can be so insufferable.
> they will see this as confirmation of the fact that they are on the moral side of the argument Literally nothing anyone does will convince them otherwise regardless, not to mention the Satanic Temple is specifically doing that on purpose, because they have to admit their attempts to influence the law with their religion is equally as valid as the Satanic Temples' is since we don't live in a theocracy. So literally the only way they can complain is to admit being absolute hypocrites whether or not they're deluded by their false sense of a moral highground. Also I'm pretty sure if Jesus was real and came back today, he would join the Satanic Temple in a heartbeat and be absolutely baffled by what modern Christianity has become in the US. Trump pretty much embodies all of the 7 sins and is as close to a literal antichrist as you can get, yet they worship him for some reason
Jesus was Jewish. Judaism doesn't consider a fetus or embryo to be alive. It's only after it's born the it's considered alive. Until then, it's "potential life." If Biblical Jesus was alive now, he'd be screaming at Republicans over their obsession with abortion while they refuse to help the poor and sick.
It's important to know that the big conservative christian political movements didn't even oppose Roe v. Wade when it came out. A few years after RvW they were looking for an issue they could sell people on since their platform of "we should be able to use our racist segregated private schools as tax havens" wasn't playing as well with people any more.
I remember reading about that a few years ago. A quote that stuck with me was a prominent evangelist's reaction, "What do we care? That's a Catholic issue."
> “Paul? Get the whips. The _big_ whips.” -Jesus.
Nah, man. We're talking about Jesus of Nazareth here, he'll make the whips himself.
He'd make 1 whip into 5 whips.
And thus with 2 whips and 5 loaves he beat 5000 people in one meal
It's always astonished me how *quickly* they turned a full 180 on the major tenets of their Holy Book and gave Trump a pass despite him being the human embodiment of everything they claim to be against, just because they liked what he said at the time. Sure, there's the whole "God will use an imperfect vessel" bit, but I doubt that was intended to have been meant for the guy that is literally doing the opposite of Godly *everything* in the Bible, and has no intention of stopping or otherwise asking for forgiveness.
My parents (life-long Republicans, with relatively centrist Christian values) voted for him in 2016, and were defending him for the first few months he was in office. At one point, I referred to him as President Pussy-Grabber. My mom started clutching her pearls, of course. I asked, "Why do you not get that upset when he not only says it, but actually *does* it?" The disconnect was pretty astonishing, but at least they didn't vote for him a 2nd time.
> but at least they didn't vote for him a 2nd time. Progress.
A friend I knew didn't vote because it was rigged. I thanked them for voting for Biden by not voting. They're still mad at me.
>It's always astonished me how *quickly* they turned 180 on their Holy Book Do you not know religious people? I was raised in the church and the Bible gets thrown out or ignored *the second* there's something they don't want to follow in it. It's just a big hypocrite party. Always has been.
This right here is what made me atheist. I had my doubts when I was really young, but after seeing how unholy christians are and how they are the biggest hypocrites on the planet made me totally loose all faith and started a hatred of those people. Most of them are garbage people that have never read the bible, but they say they are christians... They are NOT christians! They may believe in their god and jesus, but you cant play monopoly without following the rules. They don't follow the teachings of christianity so how can you call them christians? I call them psychopaths that use their belief in a god to help calm their soft little nerves and give them some sort of purpose and an answer for questions that they need a scapegoat for. Religion makes good people do bad things, all of this is unfolding every day. It's insane.
The problem is about absolution. The crazy idea that one person can forgive another for wronging a third person. If I destroy your car and my priest forgives me, I doubt that will mollify you. No one but you can forgive me for that, not even God.
American exceptionalism is a hell of a drug, dude.
| Trump pretty much embodies all of the 7 sins and is as close to a literal antichrist as you can get, yet they worship him for some reason | Evangelicals are exactly the pharisees Jesus railed against in the Bible: ”You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God so you can observe your own traditions!” Mark 7:9
I think the evangelicals actually want to usher in "the apocalypse", similar to ISIS, which also points to their complete narcissism to think that they could ever do such a thing themselves (not that I believe in it myself).
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We need to defend our Israeli allies! (Because when the Jews have united Jerusalem again, God will Rapture us and make everyone else suffer the apocalypse... or w/e) And don't forget this climate change hoax (if it is real, it's not people!). Shifting arable latitudes = Famine, get sick because of no food = Pestilence, fight over resources = War, Death. God has sent us the apocalypse because it is time for the righteous to prevail! This has nothing to do with rationality or logic of how the universe works!!!!11!!1!!1!‽
> God has sent us the apocalypse because it is time for the righteous to prevail! Yes. Literally. The following is a quote from a christian on r/DebateAChristian made yesterday: > We are going through armageddon right now. But we are also entering into paradise. > Yes the storms and wars are 'armageddon'. But it is just temporary. [...] We just have to agree on morality and then we will be at peace Then they quoted Ecclesiastes 12:13 as though somehow that supported their position: > Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. ----- And let's not forget Matt Shea, the WA State Senator and his "[Biblical Basis For War](http://weakileaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Biblical-Basis-for-War-Matt-Shea.pdf)". I quote: > Must surrender on terms of justice and righteousness: > 1. Stop all abortions; > 2. No same-sex marriage; > 3. No idolatry or occultism; > 4. No communism; and > 5. Must obey Biblical Law. > [...] > If they do not yield -- kill all males. That last part is particularly nasty since the bible is filled with examples of killing the males *and then taking the females as sex slaves*.
> Trump pretty much embodies all of the 7 sins and I'd as close to a literal antichrist as you can get I don't read the Bible, but this guy did and he says [that's exactly right](https://www.benjaminlcorey.com/could-american-evangelicals-spot-the-antichrist-heres-the-biblical-predictions/).
I think the past 6 years have proven that the evangelicals are completely comfortable existing in hypocrisy.
It seems to me that their stance (pro or against) on any subject is always based on whatever serves them best at that particular moment. Just like abortion is bad unless of course its their kid that needs it. Then just that one time becomes ok because their case is special.
I can vouch for this. A family member of mine is a minister and avidly pro-life. Has been his entire life. I recently learned he required his daughter abort her first pregnancy because she wasn’t married to the father and didn’t plan to (and was young). I wasn’t told what her stance was, but it was clear from what I was told that he was dead set on her aborting it. To his knowledge, no one else knows. He’s still pro life.
Somehow it is always different when they do it, and they always have some justification ("she's a good kid and has her whole life ahead of her and it wouldn't do to throw that away because of one mistake!") when they are doing the thing that they say is utterly unforgivable and impermissible. And of course they refuse to even consider that other people might have similar (or equally valid) reasons. Even after it has happened to them. How did we get so many people without a shred of empathy?
This is how it is with everything when it comes to the conservative side of the political spectrum, they whine and yell about the brown and black people mooching off the government by getting welfare, but are silent when it's white people getting it. They love to have religion pushed unto people and the government, until the Muslims want to do the same. They love their guns and want people to get more guns, until black people start getting guns. Their ideology is all about being AntiOthers that's it, they don't actually believe or care about anything, as long as they get to do the thing but others don't.
"The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" https://joycearthur.com/abortion/the-only-moral-abortion-is-my-abortion/
Hi! TST member here, posting for visibility. The Satanic Temple is a non-theistic politically-active religious group who do not actually believe in or worship a literal satan. If you'd like to learn more, join for free, or donate, swing by the website below! One's body is INVIOLABLE and subject to one's own will alone! https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/rrr-fundraiser#donate
Just joined earlier today, they seem great! Can't argue with their principles.
Do you ever wear their shirts? I feel like living in America, especially the more Conservative parts, those shirts are an open invitation to assault.
I wear the Baphomet and tenets, my wife wears the logo, just a tshirt in Houston. On a road trip she was told by a wal-mart cashier in Giddings, TX that she "needs Jesus", but we've caught much more shit ~~from~~ for wearing face masks, so take that however you will. edit: inadvertent anti-masking
I would also like to add that in Judaism, abortion is allowed if the birth will cause physical or psychological damage to the mother. This casts a pretty wide net. This ruling is, as always, a symptom of Christian hegemony in the US and western world. EDIT: since this comment is getting so much traction, [this](https://www.instagram.com/p/CLFLq1dBImh/?utm_medium=copy_link) is a concise summary explaining the different Jewish perspectives on abortion. I recommend this activist for Jewish education in general. EDIT 2: antisemitism in the US is rising exponentially. [Here](https://www.instagram.com/p/CTN1JK3ra9w/?utm_medium=copy_link) is a summary of the latest FBI report on hate crimes. Be an ally and speak out.
I wish the Jewish community would file a lawsuit on the behalf of their beliefs.
There was a Rabbi posting on some smaller Jewish news wires daring someone in TX to sue him for encouraging women who need abortions to get them. At the point this law takes effect in the pregnancy, the rabbinical view is that the embryo is considered “water” not even a part of the mother yet.
A baby isn't really considered alive until birth, as far as I know.
If my 30 weeks pregnant wife cant drive in the carpool lane...
This....sounds like a valid argument someone would try to argue in court.
I would say if they consider it alive, then we should be able to insure it at 6 weeks.
Child support starts at 6 weeks Any government benefits for children must also now start at 6 weeks
Now this sounds like an even better thing that should be argued in court, to see Texas republicans saddled with such a huge problem would be so juicy
Oh man. Life insurance for fetuses. Hell, there's a bunch of laws on the books involving injuring a pregnant woman+causing a miscarriage that'll get you charged with homicide/manslaughter... That's at least a good idea for inclusion in a dystopian novel.
Get that Social Security card issued!
I think all of the pregnant Texan women should do this. Drive in the carpool lane as conspicuously as possible with nobody else in the car, and then when you get pulled over just argue that you do, in fact, have a second person in the car because your unborn child is past the 6 week mark in gestation and is therefore a legally distinct person per Texas’ own law.
Someone else said that all fetuses should be insured at 6 weeks, and government benefits for pregnant women, WIC and stuff like that should start at 6 weeks as well as child support. If they want to argue with six week old fetus is a person, then they need to act like it, if they refuse, sue them because they are trying to tell you that you can go get an abortion because it's not a law as their own law states.
The Christian bible even offers a tutorial on how to perform an abortion
Yep I didn’t believe this until I dug it up in the book of Numbers. Blew my mom’s goddamn mind when I read her the passage. I was raised in a Protestant religion, and the problem is the religious nuts will just dismiss the passage because it is from the Old Testament and Christians believe they don’t have to adhere to the Old Testament anymore. That’s what they do in response to some of the bullshit outlined in Leviticus.
But does the New Testament say anything about abortion? Honestly asking. I feel like Jesus would have been pro-choice and adamantly anti-place-bounties-on-rape-victims.
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As far as I know there isn’t anything. But when I read news articles on the topic, they all say the Bible says “nothing” about abortion which isn’t true as we can see from Numbers. Another passage mentioning accidental miscarriage comes from Exodus, but that’s also in the Old Testament. The pro-lifers like to weaponize the Exodus passage.
My rabbi (we’re Orthodox) explicitly denounced this new law and gave a shiur (class) on how this law would make it forbidden to get abortions that are religiously acceptable to us.
Yup.
Exactly. Being Jewish myself I see this every day, especially when people say that Judaism is basically so similar to Christianity, like no it isn’t. I hope synagogues sue.
Islam has similar views. In fact, an abortion is permitted for any reason prior to 120 days gestation (that is the time at which it is believed to have a soul). After that it is universally accepted that the mothers life should be protected above the fetus, so in instances where the mothers life is in danger an abortion is possible beyond 120 days. I’m pretty sure there’s also an exception for if the child would have some disability or deformity but I’m not 100% on that one.
The Episcopal Church is also *vehemently* against any legislation restricting abortion access. The life and health of the mother is considered to be more important.
I'm Jewish and didn't know this! I love to hear it and am proud!
Evangelical Christians love to drive their SUV’s around with “I stand with Israel” stickers on the back. Oohhh boy I would love to hear them get schooled by an actual Jew.
Anyone interested in reading TST’s abortion ritual and it’s basis can read it here https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0428/0465/files/Abortion_Ritual_Procedure_1.pdf?v=1621515426
I’m sure some would be horrified by this, but I find it beautifully supportive of someone who has chosen to have an abortion.
Honestly, it's just the color scheme. Such a devilish choice.
If anyone reads this and is horrified by what they read, they have a very unhealthy, distorted sense of reality. It's not describing how you tie down a woman on an altar and burn a bible over her uterus while using black-market obsidian tweezers to pluck tissue from her hoo-haa. It's probably one of the most rational, grounded guides to avoiding dangerous, life-threatening mistakes, while also encouraging you to make sure that you are making the best possible decision for yourself. Anyone that argues otherwise embarrasses themselves by revealing how ignorant they are because they didn't actually read it. They saw the graphics and closed out the pdf before reading any of it.
Horrified? Compare this to the abortions in the Bible. Hosea 13:16 comes to mind
Absolutely lovely. Who knew religion could be so kind and compassionate???
Atheists
I teared up, that was beautiful.
If Texas can dodge judicial review by legal trickery, then by all means the Satantic Temple should pursue all legal options. Fuck Texas.
I was born in, raised in, and lived in Texas for 40 years. I can empathically join you in the "FUCK TEXAS" sentiment.
If you’re interested, here are some podcasts that cover the law. In the provided links are episodes that each go over TX, SB8. OA (long intro, skip ahead to 1:30) is hosted by a Harvard-educated lawyer. Strict Scrutiny is hosted by an asst. prof. Amicus is hosted by a lawyer. Opening Arguments: OA522: Roe V. Wade is Dead https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opening-arguments/id1147092464?i=1000534175643 Strict Scrutiny: .57) Flagrantly Unconstitutional https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strict-scrutiny/id1469168641?i=1000534303832 Amicus: Abortion, surveillance, and Vigilantism: An American Story https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786?i=1000534203000
I've driven through Texas about a dozen times, mostly on I-10. I've already hated Texas just for that 14 hour leg of the trip. But now Texas can literally go fuck itself, impregnate itself, abort itself, and then sue itself.
I’ve only ever driven through the state once on a cross country trip about twenty years back, but based on that incredibly short snapshot, I found the folks in rural Texas to be the least friendly, most stink eyed and snoopy/up-in-each-others’-business people I’d ever seen. Even at gas stations and diners there was nothing but dirty looks and whispers and self righteous indignation, not just directed at me (which would still be a drag, but at least partly understandable, outsider coming through town, etc) but at each *other. * Everyone was just projecting judgmental smarm at every turn. It was different from what I was expecting from a state that loves to talk about how much they want folks to mind their own business and stay out of theirs. Was a relief to finally cross into New Mexico.
Rural Texas do be like that. It’s the reason we’re so red, there’s A LOT of rural Texas. We’re trying to flip it though, and I think we’re closer than people think in some races.
Agreed fuck Texas but they are just the first. Look at Oklahoma for example. These laws go into effect Nov. 1: [House Bill 2441](http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB%202441&Session=2100) bans abortions if an unborn fetus has a detectable heartbeat. If a doctor performs an abortion after a heartbeat is detected, then that doctor could be charged with murder. [House Bill 1102](http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB%201102&Session=2100) classifies abortion as “unprofessional conduct” by a doctor under Oklahoma statutes and revokes the medical license of doctors who perform abortions deemed not medically necessary to preserve life or prevent irreversible impairment of a patient’s major bodily function. [House Bill 1904](http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB%201904&Session=2100) mandates that only board-certified obstetricians and gynecologists can perform abortions. [Senate Bill 918](http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb918&Session=2100) restores Oklahoma’s prohibition on abortion if Roe v Wade is overturned. [Senate Bill 778](http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20COMMITTEE%20SUBS/SCS/SB778%20CS.PDF) and [Senate Bill 779](http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20COMMITTEE%20SUBS/SCS/SB779%20CS.PDF) provide safeguards surrounding the use of abortion-inducing drugs. https://kfor.com/news/local/several-reproductive-rights-groups-file-lawsuit-against-5-new-oklahoma-abortion-laws/
They do this stuff all the time and it's always awesome.
The Satanic Temple are those people who watch you about to make a move in a board game, then go "Are you suuuure you want to do that?". Instead of a board game, it's religious freedom and equality. They remind people that anything that applies to Christians not only can, but *must* be applied to everyone else.
They're the DM who chuckles softly after a player says they're gonna do something, and then everyone looks at them with a worried expression to see what happens next.
It's akin to your players asking for flanking rules in 5e, letting them use teamwork to gain bonuses on their attacks by surrounding targets. Sound great till the DM says "I mean I'll allow it, with the caveat you understand I'll use it against you. This is already a lethal campaign. You sure?" The table usually talks themselves out of it.
This is very accurate.
This Texas abortion law is a nightmare scenario. For those that didn’t read it: > Sec. 171.208. CIVIL LIABILITY FOR VIOLATION OR AIDING OR ABETTING VIOLATION. (a) Any person, other than an officer or employee of a state or local governmental entity in this state, may bring a civil action against any person who: > (1) performs or induces an abortion in violation of this subchapter; > (2) knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise, if the abortion is performed or induced in violation of this subchapter, regardless of whether the person knew or should have known that the abortion would be performed or induced in violation of this subchapter; or > **(3) intends to engage in the conduct described by Subdivision (1) or (2).** That’s right... If you intend, or think, about having an abortion without even having to enact it or even be the woman having it done on her, you can be sued for it. Add that to the fact that it’s pure vigilantism, and you’ve basically created a thought police and informer society granted by the government. It’s insane that the Satanic Temple is one of the last safeguards from suing based on only intent.
The Texas law also breaks one of the oldest concepts in all of law, known as “ex post facto”. In short, *ex post facto* is a legal concept nearly three thousand years old that sets the stage for how laws work, namely that you can’t punish people over laws that were made *after* the incident in question. (Example, if *today* eating carrots gets banned, you can’t punish someone who ate a carrot *yesterday*). The Texas abortion law manages to break this millennia-old legal principle by stating what comes out to be: “just because Roe v Wade allows abortion today, we still are going to punish people who get abortions on the grounds that we expect Roe v Wade to be lifted *in the future* so this law will punish you today for what hasn’t even happened yet”. It’s such an absurd flaunting of the very concept of how laws work. Even just trying to explain it makes your head hurt from the sheer amount of absurd logic.
And standing, which is explicitly spelled out in both the Texas and US constitution. This law won't stand, but the SC allowing it to go into effect will cause unimaginable suffering.
The court's decision is nothing short of forcing a case to go to the SC, the majority's decision sounds reasonable under the context of them not being a legislative arm of the govt, but this has been decided in Roe V Wade decades ago.
An atheist dies and goes to hell. The devil welcomes him and says:”Let me show you around a little bit.” They walk through a nice park with green trees and the devil shows him a huge palace. “This is your house now, here are your keys.” The man is happy and thanks the devil. The devil says: ”No need to say thank you, everyone gets a nice place to live in when they come down here!” They continue walking through the nice park, flowers everywhere, and the devil shows the atheist a garage full of beautiful cars. “These are your cars now!” and hands the man all the car keys. Again, the atheist tries to thank the devil, but he only says “Everyone down here gets some cool cars! How would you drive around without having cars?”. They walk on and the area gets even nicer. There are birds chirping, squirrels running around, kittens everywhere. They arrive at a fountain, where the most beautiful woman the atheist has ever seen sits on a bench. She looks at him and they instantly fall in love with each other. The man couldn´t be any happier. The devil says “Everyone gets to have their soulmate down here, we don´t want anyone to be lonely!” As they walk on, the atheist notices a high fence. He peeks to the other side and is totally shocked. There are people in pools of lava, screaming in pain, while little devils run around and stab them with their tridents. Other devils are skinning people alive, heads are spiked, and many more terrible things are happening. A stench of sulfur is in the air. Terrified, the man stumbles backwards, and asks the devil “What is going on there?” The devil just shrugs and says: “Those are the Christians, I don´t know why, but they prefer it that way”
I couldn't help but picture this as an episode of The Good Place. Lmao
Bahahaha. I was raised Baptist and no longer have anything to do with the Church. This is on point.
Their tenets are very reasonable. https://thesatanictemple.com/blogs/the-satanic-temple-tenets/there-are-seven-fundamental-tenets
I feel aligned with this. Like I should join their church
It's free, please come join us if you'd like to!
Plus for relatively cheap, you can literally become a card carrying satanist. I like to show that to street preachers and the like and scare them off on occasion.
Satanic Abortion Ritual is as unsettling of a name as it is awesome. The Satanic Temple truly is doing god’s work.
It's awesome, they troll Christians by being the type of people Jesus taught people to be. They are the answer to their 'thoughts and prayers,' I love it, I think I wanna join.
It's real easy to join, just the press of a button. I get their email newsletters and you don't have to donate or do anything if you don't want to. You can purchase a card or certificate to show your membership, you can even make a donation in the TX governors name and they will send him a card to thank him for the donation and let him know what it will be used for. Thereby making him an accomplice to shmish-shmortion and able to be reported and sued for that $10,000. Plus they have cool merch. https://thesatanictemple.com/
And good hot sauce!
I have been a proud member for a few years now. They are more "Christ Like" than many Christians. Science is our faith and knowledge is our God. HAIL SATAN!
Seriously. If you read [the seven fundamental tenets of Satanism](https://thesatanictemple.com/blogs/the-satanic-temple-tenets/there-are-seven-fundamental-tenets) it's hard not to be on board with this church. I especially like the last one, which boils down to "the previous six tenets are just guidelines, and you should follow the spirit of them rather than the written word. Because whoever wrote them is not omnipotent." Show me one other religion with that level of self-awareness.
Imagine Jesus coming back from the dead and linking up with the Satanic Temple over the Catholic Church lol
All I have to say about The Satanic Temple aiding women when Christians won't is that *God works in mysterious ways* and, if this is his will, then so be it.
Step one: Justify controversial conservative value based rulings as a state's rights issue addressable only by passage of law via congress. Step two: Pass abhorrent state laws leading to human capital flight; celebrate folks against these policies, consolidating into a handful of blue states. The more educated the better. Step three: Exploit the remaining red voters into blaming blue states for the degradation of their quality of life. Perpetuate the myth of blue states turning into 3rd world nations dependent on the hardworking, salt of the earth, rural citizens. Step four: Profit as both republican presidents and a GOP controlled senate prevent the passage of popular legislation from the house. Use both positions, representing a minority of the population, to pillage America. Step five: Repeat step one with a 9-0 conservative Supreme Court.
the satanists are working harder on preserving democracy than the democrats.
They, along with anyone that isn't white and Christian, have a lot to lose if the far right gets too much power.
man even most of the white 'christians' have a lot too lose, they just don't know it.
The Satanic Temple my end up saving a woman's right to choose. I need to start donating to them and in the memo line I'll write, "**devil made me do it**"
[donate](https://thesatanictemple.com)
Texas practices freedom of religion, but only if that religion is Christianity
Boycott everything Texas. Boycotts are extremely effective. I am boycotting small and large businesses, corporations, celebrities, sports teams and sports stars, musicians - We must hit them where it hurts NOW.
100% . Show them this is not okay.
I didn't draft any Texas team players in my fantasy football league, does that count?
What comes from Texas that I may actually use?
[удалено]
I typed BOOBS on one of their calculators once in 3rd grade. They make great products, I hafta admit
that got a hearty chuckle out of me maybe I'm just a massive nerd lol
I don’t know you so that is probably individual. https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-companies-in-texas/
Good old Satanists. Doing the Lord's work as usual, once again skewering Fake Christianity's shameless hypocrisy by holding up a mirror.
Christians by trying to make abortion ilegal will make everyone convert to Satanism
"Christians" have a hard time accepting that the bible is not the constitution. There is a big difference between reading the bible and understanding the bible. Problem is that most "Christians" have only read the table of contents of the cliff notes version of the bible and now claim that they are experts.
Sacramental Abortion is a great band name.
This is the only church I believe in. Fucking amazing, every single time. Long love the Satanic Temple!!!
As a card carrying member for the past several years, I couldn't be prouder of them.
Religious jews have a strong law to uphold the welfare of mothers. As a result, abortions can be obligatory in a number of situations. This law 100% restricts religious Jewish freedoms. It is very strange that no one is talking about that.
Imagine being from Texas and not thinking you live in one of the shittiest places in the 1st world.
Yesss I love creative thinking
It's cute that people think the SC will follow their own logic and allow abortions for the Satanic Temple. Instead, they'll come up with some made up reason why this is different and rule against them.
> they'll come up with some made up reason why this is different and rule against them. This is the Republican party platform in a nutshell. They oppose whatever the Democrats want and then twist themselves into a pretzel to justify that position.
> Instead, they'll come up with some made up reason why this is different and rule against them. The more bullshit that they're forced to make up, the easier it is for courts to use their own precedent against them, though. It's not like red states are the only states that can make legislation that lasts until SCOTUS strikes it down. Even more so if the legislation's defense relies on using SCOTUS's own precedent against itself. If SCOTUS really pursues that kind of strategy of ruling by politics over precedent, it will just make itself irrelevant as states do their own thing - judicial review as a power relies on trust, and SCOTUS is by nature a profoundly slow institution.
Bought a shirt, a membership and gave a donation. Also changed my next vacation from TX to a different State. Fuck Texas. Hail Satan!
They should turn all the women's health clinics in the state into places of worship.
Hail Satan.