Social Launch of ‘After School Satan Club’ draws protest in Tennessee

[Sinister]

@jk7707 posted their flyer in which they described themselves as a “non-theistic religion.”

I’m pretty sure they have morals and tenets they live by and promote, no? If so, my point stands, and introducing kids to a sanitized version of their “religion” paves the way for kids to accept the more extreme parts later… textbook grooming.

Are you confusing how they describe themselves vs what consists of an after school program? Even if they have tenets (which they really don't, there's no doctrine of principals), they are expressly against proselytizing. This is just projection onto them what other religions definitely do, which again...they are against.

 

[ferrisjso]

@jk7707 posted their flyer in which they described themselves as a “non-theistic religion.”

I’m pretty sure they have morals and tenets they live by and promote, no? If so, my point stands, and introducing kids to a sanitized version of their “religion” paves the way for kids to accept the more extreme parts later… textbook grooming.

They are atheists who are frustrated the US puts spiritual beliefs on a pedestal and want a community organization that enjoy the same legal protections religious activity does. And claiming to believe in a figure all Abrahamic religious people acknowledge the existence of is a simple way to gain those protections(opposed to being a sci writer like Hubbard).

 

[Hellowhosthat]

@jk7707 posted their flyer in which they described themselves as a “non-theistic religion.”

I’m pretty sure they have morals and tenets they live by and promote, no? If so, my point stands, and introducing kids to a sanitized version of their “religion” paves the way for kids to accept the more extreme parts later… textbook grooming.

The core tenets of the religion if you treated it as such and followed it to the letter are actually not dissimilar from Christianity in many ways.

 

[Scheme]

As always, it's Satanists trolling Christians. Christians keep pushing their religion and beliefs in government and schools. Those same people will scream about freedom of speech while conveniently ignoring the first amendment. Satanists are simply showing the hypocrisy and making a mockery of it.

I applaud the trolling. Stop forcing your religion down everyone's throats. You wouldn't like it if Muslims did it to you. Stop doing it to everyone else. And no, it doesn't give you the right because "This is Christian Nation!" It's not - it's a secular nation built on religious freedom for INDIVIDUALS and NO establishment of ANY religion for government.

I notice that these Satanists never appear in Islamic communities. And they never appear to happen in Jewish communities either. Even though many of their values are the exact same as Christianity.

It's because they would never dare speak to a religion that actually imposes penalties for opposing their views. The fact that Christianity allows a thing like this to even take place in a Christian majority country is commendable. These people would be imprisoned or murdered in an Islamic country, and they would be called anti-Semitic white supremacists and attacked by the ADL if they did the same thing to the Jewish community.

To me it's such a bitch move, even though I agree with their point that religion should be separated from government and schools. It's just the exact wrong way to do it and only harbors more resentment than anything else. I mean, how pathetic is it to make a religion that literally just opposes another religion?

 

[Jballer]

Satan isn’t real. These groups know it are just trolling and some people feed right into it.

 

[PhitePhan]

Are you confusing how they describe themselves vs what consists of an after school program? Even if they have tenets (which they really don't, there's no doctrine of principals), they are expressly against proselytizing. This is just projection onto them what other religions definitely do, which again...they are against.

They are atheists who are frustrated the US puts spiritual beliefs on a pedestal and want a community organization that enjoy the same legal protections religious activity does. And claiming to believe in a figure all Abrahamic religious people acknowledge the existence of is a simple way to gain those protections(opposed to being a sci writer like Hubbard).

The core tenets of the religion if you treated it as such and followed it to the letter are actually not dissimilar from Christianity in many ways.

The satanic church website includes the following tenets:

The Nine Satanic Statements originally appeared in The Satanic Bible, © 1969

1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!
2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!
5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!
6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!
7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all!
8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!

The Nine Satanic Statements - Church of Satan

The Nine Satanic Statements by Anton Szandor LaVey The Nine Satanic Statements originally appeared in The Satanic Bible, © 1969 Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence! Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams! Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of...

www.churchofsatan.com

I’d assume y’all could recognize how some of these ideas/practices should not be promoted to kids, yeah?

 

[KnockoutsGalore]

Would they also protest and after school Muslim or Taoist club?

 

[Sinister]

The satanic church website includes the following tenets:

The Nine Satanic Statements originally appeared in The Satanic Bible, © 1969

1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!
2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!
5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!
6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!
7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all!
8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!

The Nine Satanic Statements - Church of Satan

The Nine Satanic Statements by Anton Szandor LaVey The Nine Satanic Statements originally appeared in The Satanic Bible, © 1969 Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence! Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams! Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of...

www.churchofsatan.com

I’d assume y’all could recognize how some of these ideas/practices should not be promoted to kids, yeah?

Again, you are conflating this basic overview with what an after school program would consist of. They are expressly against proselytizing. Satanists DO NOT believe in attempting to tell other people that they should be as they are.

 

[Siver!]

Not exactly a shocker that these creeps are looking for young kids to hang out with and picked a group to weed out minorities in Memphis.

Directly applicable commentary to any religious group in schools.

 

[PhitePhan]

Again, you are conflating this basic overview with what an after school program would consist of. They are expressly against proselytizing. Satanists DO NOT believe in attempting to tell other people that they should be as they are.

Right, an after school program promoted by the satan church would be completely innocuous, and kids might only associate church of satan with games and a fun time after school… this is like PR for the church of satan, and IMO some kids will have a favorable view of the church from this experience and be interested and open to learning more.

Also, not sure what you mean by they don’t proselytize, as their website expressly lists their beliefs and practices. I’d say demeaning others beliefs and promoting your own is pretty darn close to proselytizing.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

The satanic church website includes the following tenets:

The Nine Satanic Statements originally appeared in The Satanic Bible, © 1969

1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!
2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!
5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!
6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!
7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all!
8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!

The Nine Satanic Statements - Church of Satan

The Nine Satanic Statements by Anton Szandor LaVey The Nine Satanic Statements originally appeared in The Satanic Bible, © 1969 Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence! Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams! Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of...

www.churchofsatan.com

I’d assume y’all could recognize how some of these ideas/practices should not be promoted to kids, yeah?

That's the satanic church, this is the satanic temple and it's core tenets are

1. One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards 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 your own.
5. Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.
6. People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and resolve any harm that may 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.

 

[syct23]

As an atheist myself, there is nothing more cringe than edgy atheists.

Interesting,
So atheism has a far left..?

 

[Siver!]

Interesting,
So atheism has a far left..?

Atheism isn't a group, it's a rejection of the idea there's a God or Gods.

If someone decides that there's no God or Gods, they don't suddenly become left or right lol

There isn't any indoctrination whatsoever.

In fact, most atheists probably never even discuss atheism at all, because it's not really a thing.

 

[Sinister]

Right, an after school program promoted by the satan church would be completely innocuous, and kids might only associate church of satan with games and a fun time after school… this is like PR for the church of satan, and IMO some kids will have a favorable view of the church from this experience and be interested and open to learning more.

Also, not sure what you mean by they don’t proselytize, as their website expressly lists their beliefs and practices. I’d say demeaning others beliefs and promoting your own is pretty darn close to proselytizing.

Again, you are projecting the practices of ACTUAL Churches onto Satanic groups. You're literally arguing against them letting kids have fun, because it says "Satan."

And no, having a list of beliefs isnt the same as proselytizing. Satanists dont knock on people's doors, dont beg the Government for tax exemptions, dont solicit their friends or followers for money on television networks and the internet to bolster their lifestyles with the claim that they were instructed to by a deity who gave them magic powers, they don't go to Countries where our Government wants resources and tell local indigenous people that they are worshipping the Devil. They do not believe in the Devil

 

[syct23]

Atheism isn't a group, it's a rejection of the idea there's a God or Gods.

If someone decides that there's no God or Gods, they don't suddenly become left or right lol

There isn't any indoctrination whatsoever.

In fact, most atheists probably never even discuss atheism at all, because it's not really a thing.

So you’re saying atheism is a group of people who reject the idea of a god or gods?

 

[Siver!]

So you’re saying atheism is a group of people who reject the idea of a god or gods?

For 99.99 % of atheists it's just as simple as 'No, I don't think there's a God', and that's that.

Not even a group.

Nothing in common whatsoever.

 

[mkess101]

Atheism isn't a group, it's a rejection of the idea there's a God or Gods.

If someone decides that there's no God or Gods, they don't suddenly become left or right lol

There isn't any indoctrination whatsoever.

In fact, most atheists probably never even discuss atheism at all, because it's not really a thing.

I agree. Most don't. The ones that do are fucking INSUFFERABLE though.

I've only known a couple what I'd call "militant atheists" in my life. One lady (she dated a very good friend of mine after he got divorced) was so bad that we had a bigger group of couples out one night and she starts on her rant about religious people. And on and on and on she went. A couple times someone tried to steer the conversation away from it but she couldn't stop. Got so bold as to say something like (mind you this is like 4 couples so 6 other people aside from my buddy- good chance at least one believed in some sort of higher power) "No way any of you are stupid enough to believe in God, right?"

Finally my other buddy's wife (who doesn't have much of a filter, which this time I was thankful for) said something like "Gina, I don't believe in God either but you gotta shut the fuck up. You sound nuttier than the looniest evangelical megachurch preacher I've ever seen."

Thank God (pun intended) my buddy dumped that chick not too long after.

 

[syct23]

For 99.99 % of atheists it's just as simple as 'No, I don't think there's a God', and that's that.

Not even a group.

Nothing in common whatsoever.

Nothing in common except a group of people with a shared interest in believing in, no god..?

 

[Siver!]

I agree. Most don't. The ones that do are fucking INSUFFERABLE though.

I've only known a couple what I'd call "militant atheists" in my life. One lady (she dated a very good friend of mine after he got divorced) was so bad that we had a bigger group of couples out one night and she starts on her rant about religious people. And on and on and on she went. A couple times someone tried to steer the conversation away from it but she couldn't stop. Got so bold as to say something like (mind you this is like 4 couples so 6 other people aside from my buddy- good chance at least one believed in some sort of higher power) "No way any of you are stupid enough to believe in God, right?"

Finally my other buddy's wife (who doesn't have much of a filter, which this time I was thankful for) said something like "Gina, I don't believe in God either but you gotta shut the fuck up. You sound nuttier than the looniest evangelical megachurch preacher I've ever seen."

Thank God (pun intended) my buddy dumped that chick not too long after.

Yikes!

I've not met an adult like that at all, thank goodness lol

I guess people can get fixated on anything - I think I naturally veer as far away from one-dimensional people as possible, either because they're outright boring people or they're obnoxious and weird like that lady

 

[Siver!]

Nothing in common except a group of people with a shared interest in believing in, no god..?

Okay, sure, whatever.

Chances are they won't even know who is atheist and who isn't, so it's moot.