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Post by Thomas Eversole on Aug 30, 2016 8:47:01 GMT -6
You guys heard about this? I've been seeing this on the news lately. A brief outline for those not familiar, the Satanic Temple wants their after school program in places with Christian after school programs, supposedly on behalf of religious diversity. They're willing to fight legally to get their program included, pressing the point that if their religious program isn't allowed, then no other religious programs should be allowed either.
I know we will all have similar feelings regarding anything to do with Satan, but I can't help but contemplate a few things. America has been known for its religious freedom for some time, is satanism where we draw the line? With Christ being the way, truth and light, Satanism isn't really much more out there than being a Jedi for a religion. Should they have the right to their after school program?
The other thing I couldn't help but think about is footage I've seen regarding public Satanic prayers/incantations, in council meetings for example. There's always a pile of Christians in the room that hardly let them start the prayer, and on the verge of being kicked out by counsel, they whisper their Christian prayers during the spoken Satanic one. I know it's biblical that the world will hate and persecute us because we follow Christ, but I haven't seen Christians get this level of persecution like this Satanist got during his prayer. What does is mean when the world is Christian and persecuted satanism?
I'm actually feeling a certain level of empathy on their behalf. Does that make sense to anyone else? Thoughts?
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Post by nocturnaliridescence on Aug 30, 2016 9:57:17 GMT -6
Should they have the right to their after school program? In legal terms, if their beliefs don't contradict other US laws, then they should have the right to, just as much as any other religion, which is why I don't agree with "freedom of religion". It means that anything, no matter how spiritually dangerous it actually is, can exist under US law. I don't feel much empathy in this case, because what's being persecuted is genuinely wrong and dangerous. If this was, say, one race in a society that mostly consisted of another race, or if this was one political party in a room full of people of another political party, then I would 100% feel empathy. But this isn't a difference of opinion or blind intolerance of something that's just "different", it's an ideology that promotes genuinely soul-damning lies. I mean I'm not going to play the "ThEy'Re DaMaGiNg OuR kIdS!" card or anything like that, I know kids aren't collectively as naive as many think they are, but naivety does exist among kids and among other age groups (parents included), and those people shouldn't be taught lies in the name of human law. From what you say it does sound like the Christians in question were handling the situation pretty badly, it does suck that these "Satanists" were shown that side of Christianity and not a better one, there was probably a better way to handle it - I always go back to having a factual discussion if anyone's willing to have one - but I don't disagree at all with those Christians' overall decision not to accept it.
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