The Satanic Temple

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I noticed there wasn't a TST Lemmy community. The Satanic Temple is a modern satanic religion that aims to promote human rights and compassion. Check out their about page on their official website at https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/about-us. Note that this community is not an official affiliation. TST is also separate and not affiliated with the Church of Satan, who have a slightly different viewpoint of what satanism truly is. Dunno what to post in here, but maybe some will search for this and take part. Hello!

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Satanic display at Iowa Capitol vandalized ‘beyond repair’; arrest made (www.kcrg.com)

submitted 11 months ago by Artyom@lemm.ee to c/thesatanictemple@lemmy.world

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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - On Thursday, the Satanic Temple of Iowa announced that their display at the Iowa Capitol had been significantly damaged.

The controversial display, which Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds called “objectionable,” featured a ram’s head covered with mirrors on a mannequin before being damaged.

Organizers say it’s a symbol of their right to religious freedom.

The Satanic Temple of Iowa posted the following message on their Facebook page:

“This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair. We are proud to continue our holiday display for the next few days that we have been allotted.

We ask that for safety, visitors travel together and use the 7 Tenets as a reminder for empathy, in the knowledge that justice is being pursued the correct way, through legal means.

KCCI has reported that 35-year-old Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. He has since been released.

Solve et Coagula! Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!”

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[–] Dempf@lemmy.zip 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Thank you very much for the detailed reply.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that so many familiar names keep showing up, as large portions of the "new atheist movement" have been co-opted by the alt right.

I try to avoid judging people merely for having friends, since I have a few friends myself who are wrapped up in the alt-right. They are important to me for reasons that have nothing to do with politics, and I think it's important to find even a little common ground, despite our differences. At least, I prefer it over loudly rejecting people.

On the other hand, there's a difference between having a friend, and offering to do artwork for an right wing book. I haven't read that particular book, but the Wikipedia summary on it seems pretty messed up, looks like there's plenty of white supremacism and "women as property" sort of stuff.

I do get it. A lot of TST members (who as I've already said are on the whole decent people) have sunk a lot of time and effort into TST. It's only natural for them to hit back.

That does make sense, and I'm trying (and probably failing) to not take the comments on here too personally. My experience going to a TST rally was the people I met were really kind, decent people.

[–] leraje@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 11 months ago

Sure, guilt by association is tenuous at best. Thats why I was at at pains to stress I don't think TST is infiltrated by the alt-right. The links are (to me) troublesome but more indicative of a lack of judgement on TST owners part than outright malice. Putting someone who was a name and friends with bigger names in the manosphere/alt-right in such an influential position is (again, to me) concerning. The alt-right are/were fairly cultish and I think at the very least, Stevens needed a LOT more time to be 'deprogrammed' (if that's the right word) before reaching that level of influence.

My experience going to a TST rally was the people I met were really kind, decent people

I never attended a rally (I'm not American which is where TST are biggest) but I have chatted online with numerous TST and ex-TST people and all of them without fail are good people who believe in the 7 tenets and try to do good things. I'm just not sure how much good you can do as a member of an org when the ownership of that company/religion do and say (to put the best possible spin on it) things that seem to directly countermand those tenets.

I hope TST owners take this chance to legally pursue the person who's vandalised their display. That would show two things - that they see the possibility of making a noise about the hypocrisy of xtians who live in a country with freedom of religion and also that they're more interested in pursuing a legal course that might achieve a lot more than suing a few ex-members for absolutely zero reason and zero gain.