If their meetings were being publicized for political gain, yes.
I’m all for freedom of speech and of religion. Don’t get me wrong. And so the Satanists should be judged just like everyone else. In my opinion, they have completely degressed to the same level of obnoxiousness as the born again Christians, but in much less the time. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a giant trolling organization and they shouldn’t exploit minors just to make a point.
You say that, and yet you’re against this. So you’re not really for freedom of speech and religion. You’re just for freedom of speech and religion that you like.
Nobody is using minors for a political statement. This is a school club. The kids had a “great time” according to the article, despite the fact that there were hate-filled bigots harassing them.
“Activities promoted by the club include science projects, community service projects, puzzles and games, nature activities, arts and crafts and snacks, the flyer said.”
No political statements here.
Meanwhile, rather than talk to the children who had a “great time” about what kinds of activities they did, the article awards several paragraphs to religious bigots so that they can spout their hate speech.
I wish I’d had access to a satanic temple club when I was in school. Instead I was coerced to participate in prayer circles. It’s a shame more people don’t protest those.
I’m glad the kids had a good time. It really sounds like fun.
I’m sorry that you were coerced. How old were you? I don’t think that children can make informed decisions about their spirituality until they’re about 16 years old, if you ask me…
I’ve met Satanists recently at my university and I’ve read enough in the news to conclude that everything they do is posturing for politics. That’s totally fine with me. But using kids for sympathy points is wrong no matter who does it. I refuse to be a hypocrite.
I was abused and brainwashed for my entire childhood by religious people. Throughout my school years we were coerced into participation in faith groups and prayer circles in school, by teachers who knew they couldn’t force us to participate so instead they offered extra credit to everyone who did and nothing to anyone who didn’t. It was and is a sick, sick system that still goes on today in public schools all over the country. In fact it’s worse today, because you now have national networks of religious activists who come up with sicker and sicker ways to circumvent laws and illegally promote their harmful religions.
As far as I’m concerned, the Satanic Temple can posture for politics all they want. What they’re doing is good work. They provide safe spaces for kids where they can learn science, logic, and valuable tools. They fight religious abuse in schools, and they seem to be the only ones doing it. And they doing it by brilliantly using the exact same methods that religious bigots use to abuse children back against them. The only reason people get mad at them is because they’re playing by the same rules that Christians have been abusing for decades. Any criticism at them can be thrown back at religious organizations one hundred thousands times over.
But truthfully, just because they exist as a corporation doesn’t make them “posturing for politics.” Certainly no more than every single church group out there is also “posturing for politics.” The Satanic Temple only exists as a reaction against these organizations, and it has far less money, infrastructure, and manpower than pretty much any other church does. To criticize them for being political is like criticizing someone for pouring a glass of water into a swimming pool. They’re doing good work, and doing far more to protect and help children than any church, or any newspaper that gives free advertising to bigots like this one is doing.
I’m sorry that you experienced abuse and I hope that you’ve moved on, if possible. You didn’t deserve abuse, of course.
Yes. I’m throwing criticism at both the Satanists and the Christians. I think that they should leave kids alone until they’re at least 16. It would be hypocritical to say that one group doing it is wrong but they other group doing it is right.
I think that the Satanists should do some charity like feeding the poor if they want get notoriety and stop looking like a joke. It’s very easy to become a distributor for the Food Bank and that could really make a difference in people’s lives.
Kids already have science classes taught by professionals. I don’t believe that the Satanists are really concerned with bolstering the kids education, but that opinion is mostly based on the few Satanists that I’ve met. They’re just not serious.
It would be great if religions backed off children period.
But they don’t. Children are their prime targets.
So the Satanic Temple steps in to protect kids.
When you say you wish the Satanic Temple would leave kids alone and run soup kitchens (by the way, they do that too), what you’re actually saying is you wish that Christian groups had free reign to abuse children all they want without anyone interfering.
Kids already have science classes taught by professionals.
And religious groups have strategy guides on how to sneak religion into biology lessons and poison childrens’ education.
I don’t believe that the Satanists are really concerned with bolstering the kids education,
They absolutely are.
but that opinion is mostly based on the few Satanists that I’ve met.
How many Satanists have you met?
They’re just not serious.
The Satanic Temple is a serious organization that does serious work.
It sounds like you have a lot of studying to do. Both about the Satanic Temple, since you seem to know very little about what they do, and instead you seem to be operating off of incorrect assumptions. And you also need to look into the tactics that religious organizations use to undermine education. Many kids are not getting accurate scientific education in science class. Many kids are not getting impartial history education. Christian groups know exactly how far they can push the line before someone complains, and they know exactly how to skirt the line so they don’t get fired. They know this because they have national networks organizing the data. They know which school districts are lenient enough to let them get away with preaching to kids, and they suffer zero consequences when they do actually get nailed on it.
Worst of all, they have people like you to protect them. You claim to be against child abuse, but here you are acting as a shield for the child abusers. I don’t know whether you’re religious or not, and it doesn’t matter, because you’re doing their work for them. By criticizing the Satanic Temple for hosting – of all things – a safe afterschool space and suggesting they should stay out of schools (while saying nothing about religious abuse), you’re defending the abusers and serving as a mouthpiece for them.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a giant trolling organization and they shouldn’t exploit minors just to make a point.
Children shouldn’t have enrichment in their lives if it’s also part of an effort to ensure their right to future enrichment after they become adults? Because that’s the whole point of TST and ASSC.
Interesting. I didn’t find that mission statement anywhere on their website. It’s definitely not the point of TST.
Please read their website and tell me that it’s not just trolling.
In all honesty, I’m glad that they’ve promoted religious liberty in their own way. I just think that kids shouldn’t be cannon fodder for theirs or any other religion’s mission.
I’m a member of both the national and my local congregations of TST. It’s not just trolling. While the theatrics are 100% for show and to rile up the conservative Right, the ASSC is 100% in line with our fundamental tenets, specifically tenets 1, 3, and 5. Providing children with educational, non-superstitious after-school activities in a safe environment is a legitimate practice of our held beliefs.
OK. It’s some trolling. I guess we each have to judge the degree.
Pretty clear to me, then, that they’re just using the kids for publicity. That makes them no different from the born-again Christians who use kids for whatever purpose they’re after.
They’re helping protect kids from organizations that harm them, and you’re calling them no different simply because their work involves kids.
Tell me, how do they help kids without involving kids???
You know nothing about the Satanic Temple, you’ve just made snap judgments based on your woefully insufficient exposure to a handful of people. You didn’t read their website or mission statement before incorrectly assuming what they do.
You accuse people who are actually doing something to help of trolling, while you yourself sit here and criticize them while demonstrating total ignorance about what they do and who they are. All the while you’re acting as a shield defending the actual child abusers.
This is the most intellectually dishonest take I have seen in this sub. You should be ashamed. You need to go study up on what you’re talking about before digging deeper into your own misinformed prejudices.
How do you help kids without involving kids? Easy. Help the parents or guardians. It’s not up to a religious organization to decide what is good for someone else’s kids. I think that both the Satanists and the Christians should be banned from targeting children under the age of 16.
Do you say this when you see after school Christian programs at elementary schools?
If their meetings were being publicized for political gain, yes.
I’m all for freedom of speech and of religion. Don’t get me wrong. And so the Satanists should be judged just like everyone else. In my opinion, they have completely degressed to the same level of obnoxiousness as the born again Christians, but in much less the time. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a giant trolling organization and they shouldn’t exploit minors just to make a point.
You say that, and yet you’re against this. So you’re not really for freedom of speech and religion. You’re just for freedom of speech and religion that you like.
I’m against using minors for a political statement, regardless of the religion.
Nobody is using minors for a political statement. This is a school club. The kids had a “great time” according to the article, despite the fact that there were hate-filled bigots harassing them.
“Activities promoted by the club include science projects, community service projects, puzzles and games, nature activities, arts and crafts and snacks, the flyer said.”
No political statements here.
Meanwhile, rather than talk to the children who had a “great time” about what kinds of activities they did, the article awards several paragraphs to religious bigots so that they can spout their hate speech.
I wish I’d had access to a satanic temple club when I was in school. Instead I was coerced to participate in prayer circles. It’s a shame more people don’t protest those.
I’m glad the kids had a good time. It really sounds like fun.
I’m sorry that you were coerced. How old were you? I don’t think that children can make informed decisions about their spirituality until they’re about 16 years old, if you ask me…
I’ve met Satanists recently at my university and I’ve read enough in the news to conclude that everything they do is posturing for politics. That’s totally fine with me. But using kids for sympathy points is wrong no matter who does it. I refuse to be a hypocrite.
I was abused and brainwashed for my entire childhood by religious people. Throughout my school years we were coerced into participation in faith groups and prayer circles in school, by teachers who knew they couldn’t force us to participate so instead they offered extra credit to everyone who did and nothing to anyone who didn’t. It was and is a sick, sick system that still goes on today in public schools all over the country. In fact it’s worse today, because you now have national networks of religious activists who come up with sicker and sicker ways to circumvent laws and illegally promote their harmful religions.
As far as I’m concerned, the Satanic Temple can posture for politics all they want. What they’re doing is good work. They provide safe spaces for kids where they can learn science, logic, and valuable tools. They fight religious abuse in schools, and they seem to be the only ones doing it. And they doing it by brilliantly using the exact same methods that religious bigots use to abuse children back against them. The only reason people get mad at them is because they’re playing by the same rules that Christians have been abusing for decades. Any criticism at them can be thrown back at religious organizations one hundred thousands times over.
But truthfully, just because they exist as a corporation doesn’t make them “posturing for politics.” Certainly no more than every single church group out there is also “posturing for politics.” The Satanic Temple only exists as a reaction against these organizations, and it has far less money, infrastructure, and manpower than pretty much any other church does. To criticize them for being political is like criticizing someone for pouring a glass of water into a swimming pool. They’re doing good work, and doing far more to protect and help children than any church, or any newspaper that gives free advertising to bigots like this one is doing.
I’m sorry that you experienced abuse and I hope that you’ve moved on, if possible. You didn’t deserve abuse, of course.
Yes. I’m throwing criticism at both the Satanists and the Christians. I think that they should leave kids alone until they’re at least 16. It would be hypocritical to say that one group doing it is wrong but they other group doing it is right.
I think that the Satanists should do some charity like feeding the poor if they want get notoriety and stop looking like a joke. It’s very easy to become a distributor for the Food Bank and that could really make a difference in people’s lives.
Kids already have science classes taught by professionals. I don’t believe that the Satanists are really concerned with bolstering the kids education, but that opinion is mostly based on the few Satanists that I’ve met. They’re just not serious.
It would be great if religions backed off children period.
But they don’t. Children are their prime targets.
So the Satanic Temple steps in to protect kids.
When you say you wish the Satanic Temple would leave kids alone and run soup kitchens (by the way, they do that too), what you’re actually saying is you wish that Christian groups had free reign to abuse children all they want without anyone interfering.
And religious groups have strategy guides on how to sneak religion into biology lessons and poison childrens’ education.
They absolutely are.
How many Satanists have you met?
The Satanic Temple is a serious organization that does serious work.
It sounds like you have a lot of studying to do. Both about the Satanic Temple, since you seem to know very little about what they do, and instead you seem to be operating off of incorrect assumptions. And you also need to look into the tactics that religious organizations use to undermine education. Many kids are not getting accurate scientific education in science class. Many kids are not getting impartial history education. Christian groups know exactly how far they can push the line before someone complains, and they know exactly how to skirt the line so they don’t get fired. They know this because they have national networks organizing the data. They know which school districts are lenient enough to let them get away with preaching to kids, and they suffer zero consequences when they do actually get nailed on it.
Worst of all, they have people like you to protect them. You claim to be against child abuse, but here you are acting as a shield for the child abusers. I don’t know whether you’re religious or not, and it doesn’t matter, because you’re doing their work for them. By criticizing the Satanic Temple for hosting – of all things – a safe afterschool space and suggesting they should stay out of schools (while saying nothing about religious abuse), you’re defending the abusers and serving as a mouthpiece for them.
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Children shouldn’t have enrichment in their lives if it’s also part of an effort to ensure their right to future enrichment after they become adults? Because that’s the whole point of TST and ASSC.
Interesting. I didn’t find that mission statement anywhere on their website. It’s definitely not the point of TST.
Please read their website and tell me that it’s not just trolling.
In all honesty, I’m glad that they’ve promoted religious liberty in their own way. I just think that kids shouldn’t be cannon fodder for theirs or any other religion’s mission.
I’m a member of both the national and my local congregations of TST. It’s not just trolling. While the theatrics are 100% for show and to rile up the conservative Right, the ASSC is 100% in line with our fundamental tenets, specifically tenets 1, 3, and 5. Providing children with educational, non-superstitious after-school activities in a safe environment is a legitimate practice of our held beliefs.
OK. It’s some trolling. I guess we each have to judge the degree.
Pretty clear to me, then, that they’re just using the kids for publicity. That makes them no different from the born-again Christians who use kids for whatever purpose they’re after.
You are so dishonest, dude.
They’re helping protect kids from organizations that harm them, and you’re calling them no different simply because their work involves kids.
Tell me, how do they help kids without involving kids???
You know nothing about the Satanic Temple, you’ve just made snap judgments based on your woefully insufficient exposure to a handful of people. You didn’t read their website or mission statement before incorrectly assuming what they do.
You accuse people who are actually doing something to help of trolling, while you yourself sit here and criticize them while demonstrating total ignorance about what they do and who they are. All the while you’re acting as a shield defending the actual child abusers.
This is the most intellectually dishonest take I have seen in this sub. You should be ashamed. You need to go study up on what you’re talking about before digging deeper into your own misinformed prejudices.
How do you help kids without involving kids? Easy. Help the parents or guardians. It’s not up to a religious organization to decide what is good for someone else’s kids. I think that both the Satanists and the Christians should be banned from targeting children under the age of 16.
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Show me a post on Lemmy and I’ll also criticize Christians, Jews or Muslims if they’re using the kids for publicity.
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