https://nypost.com/2021/12/23/...as-draws-protesters/



Religious leaders and others in Illinois were outraged this week, just days before Christmas, when a Satanic group unveiled its holiday display inside the Statehouse Rotunda in Springfield.

The display features a sculpture of an infant version of Baphomet, a goat-like Satanic deity, and was set up next to a traditional Christian Nativity display inside the government building, the State Journal-Register of Springfield reported.

“Hail, Satan!” members of the Satanic Temple of Illinois shouted as a leader identified as Minister Adam described what the display represented to the group, according to a video posted by the newspaper on its website.

“The Capitol welcomes a diverse range of religions every year to display holiday statues during the holiday season, so we wanted to join in on that,” the minister told WICS-TV of Springfield.

Just steps away, a group of kneeling protesters, some holding Rosary beads, recited the Christian “Hail Mary” prayer. They also displayed signs with slogans such as “Satan Has No Rights” and “Begone, Satan! Mary Crushes the Serpent.”

The protesters were from the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, the report said.

This marks the third year that the Satanic Temple has been granted space inside the Statehouse for an installation, the newspaper reported. No display was erected last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the report said.

A sign posted near the displays by the state of Illinois explained that the groups were both allowed displays because of First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of worship, as granted under the US Constitution, WICS reported.

What a bunch of bullshit

This is ALL about belittling and mocking Christians on one of their holiest of holidays.

There was no reason this should go up right at Christmas time, none at all freedom of speech or not.

^^^
Agreed. This is the continuing attack on the Christian faith.

Notice they don’t mess with muslims. Cowards. Bullies. Ignoramuses.

As long as they don't mess with the Yule Goat....

They are giving them what they want.

Beelzebub bless us, every one!

If you don’t feed those trolls or give them the attention they seek how long will they do it?

The Satanic Temple is an interesting group.

They don't literally worship the devil. They're essentially a group of rationalist atheists.

A big part of their deal is that they believe in the separation of church and state, and that no religion should hold a privileged position with the government or the legal system.

They basically adopted Satan as a mascot to qualify as a religion and to give themselves an extra tool for identifying what they would see as "undue influence" of Christianity on government (because of exactly the reaction a number of people here have demonstrated).

Here are the central tenets of the Satanic Temple:

1. One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
2. The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
3. One's body is inviolable, subject to one's own will alone.
4. The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.
5. Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.
6. People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
7. Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

Ignoring the source, there's not a lot to complain about there.

Just proves that there are plenty of assholes out there. Whoever allowed this to be installed should be fired and then shot with a ball of their own sh%t.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
A big part of their deal is that they believe in the separation of church and state, and that no religion should hold a privileged position with the government or the legal system.

A big part of their beliefs fuck with others rather than to ignore the things they have no interest in. Rather to try to draw attention to themselves, and to, if possible, destroy the good that others have found. Separation of Church and State isn't about a 10 commandments decoration on a wall. And any rational person would realize that it's to guarantee the freedoms of others, not to silence any breath of the words and beliefs that our nation was founded upon.

Everything you need to know about Illinois in a photo, saving a thousand words.

Joyous expatriate, 25yrs clean.

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
A big part of their deal is that they believe in the separation of church and state, and that no religion should hold a privileged position with the government or the legal system.

A big part of their beliefs fuck with others rather than to ignore the things they have no interest in. Rather to try to draw attention to themselves, and to, if possible, destroy the good that others have found. Separation of Church and State isn't about a 10 commandments decoration on a wall. And any rational person would realize that it's to guarantee the freedoms of others, not to silence any breath of the words and beliefs that our nation was founded upon.

I genuinely don't understand your comment.

How are they out to "if possible, destroy the good that others have found?" They don't literally believe in Satan and they aren't out to destroy Christianity.

"Separation of Church and State isn't about a 10 commandments decoration on a wall. And any rational person would realize that it's to guarantee the freedoms of others, not to silence any breath of the words and beliefs that our nation was founded upon."

If you look at this story and similar stories in the past, the Satanic Temple doesn't try to ban Christian displays on public property, they want to make sure that people of other religions can also put up displays on that public property - basically, that Christianity doesn't get special treatment from the government, to guarantee freedom/equal treatment for those of other religions.

As far as "ignore the things they have no interest in," what they are doing is literally and exactly exercising their political rights to attempt to make the government more like how they think it ought to be.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
..exercising their political rights to attempt to make the government more like how they think it ought to be.

Years ago I watched some cable show about alternative lifestyles. One was a nebbish who lived in a tent. He went on at length about how great it was, concluding that everyone should live in tents. I thought "What an asshole, who the fuck is he to suggest that?" There seems to be an epidemic of tent-guy thinking.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ripley,

Baphomet is a poor manifestation to use for this type of display. These ass-hats completely missed the mark. They picked the right city, however.

As a staunch Christian, the only thing I can think to say is “meh”. *shrug*

It's legal, it's protected by our Constitution, and I find it very offensive, and I'm not even a Christian.

A perfect example of "just because you can, doesn't mean the you should."

Franklin Graham was on FOX moments ago and addressed this… his thoughts on the matter were “satan has been trying to ruin and destroy Christmas since the beginning with King Herod”. He failed then just like he’s failing now.

Lucifer has opposed Christ since before this world was and has used the faithless to do it. Nothing new.

Just very poor taste. A Christmas display does not need to be protested by other religions, and doing so is pure attention seeking. Christians don't build counter-displays to other religion's most sacred days. It's not a competition nor should it be.

I am more or less agnostic - I am content to admit that which I don't know. And I practice what I preach - I don't insult or denigrate others' religions or try to convince them of anything different.