Satanic Temple's Baphomet Raises Hell Over Religious Freedom In Arkansas
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Satanic Temple's Baphomet Raises Hell Over Religious Freedom In Arkansas
Mary Papenfuss, HuffPost 10 hours ago Members and supporters of the Satanic Temple wheeled a statue of winged, goat-headed creature Baphomet onto the grounds of the Arkansas state capitol on Thursday to horn in on a battle over religious freedom.
The Baphomet rally protested a Ten Commandments monument installed last year outside the state capitol after lawmakers approved it in 2015. In May, the American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of four Arkansas women to remove the monument, saying it violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty for all.
This iframe is not allowedLucien Greaves, spokesman and co-founder of the Satanic Temple, characterized the event as a rally for “all people who hold sacred the founding Constitutional principles of religious freedom and free expression” in a statement to HuffPost.
“What we are asking for is only that the public square ... remain an area where free speech, religious liberty and equality under the law be respected by the holders of public office who swore to uphold those values,” Greaves told a crowd at the rally on Thursday.
This iframe is not allowed This iframe is not allowedAt a counterprotest a day prior to the rally, opponents of the Satanic Temple held signs bearing phrases like “Blasphemy is not free speech,” “Satan has NO rights,” and “ Honk for Jesus .”
This iframe is not allowed
Meanwhile, Arkansas Republican and state Sen. Jason Rapert, a minister and lead sponsor of the law allowing the Ten Commandments monument, called the Satanic Temple rallygoers “outside extremists” and “pranksters” who “ promote the profane .”
It will be a “very cold day in hell” before a statue of Baphomet will be installed in Little Rock, Rapert said in a videotaped statement.
Despite the Baphomet statue, members of the Satanic Temple, which is headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, don’t worship any deity. They consider themselves “compassionate” humanists who believe in science. The Satanic Temple’s mission is to “encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority [and] advocate practical common sense and justice,” according to its website.
Satanic Temple members have been involved in others protests for religious freedom. Because evangelical Christians won a Supreme Court decision allowing them to teach classes on public school grounds, the Satanic Temple launched its own (forked) tongue-in-cheek “After School Satan Club” featuring “rationality” and “fun.”
The Satanic Temple has also challenged abortion laws in Ohio and Missouri , arguing that they were founded on religious dogma that violates its members’ beliefs.
Last week, a federal district judge in Arizona denied the city of Scottsdale’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit from the group for denying its members the opportunity to give an invocation at a city council meeting . The case will now go forward.
This iframe is not allowedThe Satanic Temple had a recent struggle with its branch in Portland, Oregon, which announced on Wednesday that it’s ending its affiliation with the group. The branch reportedly took issue with the temple’s hiring of attorney Marc Randazza to represent it in its religious discrimination lawsuit against Twitter, according to Vox. Randazza previously represented right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
- This article originally appeared on HuffPost .
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The Baphomet rally protested a Ten Commandments monument installed last year outside the state capitol after lawmakers approved it in 2015. In May, the American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of four Arkansas women to remove the monument, saying it violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty for all.
Lucien Greaves, spokesman and co-founder of the Satanic Temple, characterized the event as a rally for “all people who hold sacred the founding Constitutional principles of religious freedom and free expression” in a statement to HuffPost.
“What we are asking for is only that the public square ... remain an area where free speech, religious liberty and equality under the law be respected by the holders of public office who swore to uphold those values,” Greaves told a crowd at the rally on Thursday.'
Heh, heh, heh, Give 'em Hell!
I wonder when the guy that drives his vehicles into those illegal xtian monuments gets out of prison.
It's funny how a completely crazy dude can understand the Establishment clause but very few conservatives are able to do so.
Poor persecuted faux christians thinking their religion is the only religion and that only their "freedoms' matter.
The best part is, they only have themselves to blame.
Yes, they do. The Arkansas State Assembly led by Jason Rapert, a state senator from the Conway, AR area voted to allow a 10 commandments monument on state grounds. The state didn't pay for it (it was all donations) but the major point is that the state is endorsing one religion over any others since they won't allow any other monuments to be permanently installed. This Baphomet statue is here only temporarily. It was brought in to make point and I think the point has been made.
Frankly, I'm pretty sick of the bible thumpers in this beautiful state thinking they can dictate what religions will be allowed.
They did open that can of worms all by themselves thinking they were slick, oops.
Yep. Sounds like picking and choosing to me.
Here the southern baptists seem to have a hold on the legislature.
And now they're whining about it.
Rapert said it would be a cold day in hell before anything like this would get permanent status on state grounds. He admits in those words that he is endorsing one religion over any other and he has the backing of the State Assembly.
He also called it fake and a prank and that these people were not serious. I say to you, Mr Rapert, that these people are very serious and they are tired of people like you trying to force your religion down our throats!
Then we just sit back and wait for the lawsuits to come in.
See previous statement.
If you give the spotlight to one religion, then you have to give the spotlight to all religions.
It's only fair - anything that represents any religion should be hauled into the public square also.
Can someone explain how it's possible to blaspheme a religion based on a fictional book?
I thought only Catholics believed in blasphemy
Lol you're probably right, I haven't actually put a lot of effort into studying this sort of silliness.
I don't think that's true, at least for Christianity. If you look at just the legal prohibitions against blasphemy most of the states which had such laws were predominantly Protestant, but the Catholic states like Massachusetts and Maryland both had them. Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wyoming all still have them but of course they're unenforceable today. Pennsylvania's current blasphemy ban was actually enacted just a few decades ago (and only struck down recently) but presumably there had been one before.
In England the last version of their blasphemy law protected the Anglican church but I think a good argument could be made that this was a holdover from their Catholic past. You could say that all of these Christian sharia laws ultimately derived from Catholicism. And of course lots of Muslim countries still have blasphemy laws.
Uh no. Blasphemy is widely practiced. Especially in the halls of the US Congress.
Religions use it to keep the message on message and the flock in check.
I blaspheme daily...sometimes more than once a day.
"Blasphemy is not free speech"
"There exists, I believe, throughout the whole Christian world, a law which makes it blasphemy to deny or doubt the divine inspiration of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelations. In most countries of Europe it is punished by fire at the stake, or the rack, or the wheel. In England itself it is punished by boring through the tongue with a red-hot poker. In America it is not better; even in our own Massachusetts, which I believe, upon the whole, is as temperate and moderate in religious zeal as most of the States, a law was made in the latter end of the last century, repealing the cruel punishments of the former laws, but substituting fine and imprisonment upon all those blasphemers upon any book of the Old Testament or New. Now, what free inquiry, when a writer must surely encounter the risk of fine or imprisonment for adducing any argument for investigating into the divine authority of those books? Who would run the risk of translating Dupuis? But I cannot enlarge upon this subject, though I have it much at heart. I think such laws a great embarrassment, great obstructions to the improvement of the human mind ." - John Adams 1825
Our founders were brilliant men who knew not well how to deal with some aspects of society at the time such as the blasphemy laws that were on the books in most states at the time. They certainly didn't support blasphemy laws and did ultimately intend for the 1st amendment to protect blasphemers which it now does.
"The last person to be jailed in the United States for blasphemy was Abner Kneeland in 1838 (a Massachusetts case: Commonwealth v. Kneeland ). The Kneeland case preceded the ratification (1868) of the 14th Amendment , which incorporated the Bill of Rights and made it apply to the states and not just to the federal government. From 1925, the Supreme Court applied the Bill of Rights to all states"
It's amazing to me that there would be blasphemy laws in the US after the First Amendment so clearly states freedom of religion. Unless those states that had those laws thought that freedom of religion meant being allowed to choose between the Lutherans and the Methodists
I think you should offer to keep the statue at your house if the "Satanists" are forced to move it. I really like how the sculptor made it.
I'm good, really. It's not my kind of art.
I'd accept it as a piece of garden sculpture. It would certainly keep my thumper relatives and neighbors from knocking on my door.
That would be the only reason to keep my neighbors on their side of the road. Maybe something like this next to the mail box just might be the ticket
Build a 4' tall roadside Baphomet sculpture and integrate your mailbox into it. Add red lighted eyes for extra emphasis.
My neighbors would have aoplexy
Just as long as you capture the action in HD video.........
I find the belief that God is so petty and insecure that He punishes people for simply honestly not thinking He exists, to be blasphemy in the extreme. The Holey Babble blasphemes God by portraying Him as an angry, vindictive monster who makes Hitler look like a pussycat. He creates all these life forms, then drowns them all like filthy rats, really??
oh great ... now we are fighting over which religion is the " best "....
i wonder how many " christians " will support the statue of Baphomet being allowed in the same area as the 10 commandments , thusly fully supporting the 1st amendment - or will these " patriotic christians " suddenly become not supportive ? I don't remember the 1st amendment stating there was religious freedom for only certain particular religions ....
Of course we are. It's Arkansas and only one religion is allowed. And that is fundamentalist Christianity. So those of you who belong to the Episcopalian, Methodist, or Catholic churches might as well take I-40 east or west it doesn't matter just git the hell on outta here!
Fuck I love the Satanists lol. No one gets a Christians panties in a twist more than them.
They do seem like a fun bunch don't they
I don't really follow any religion but if I did, the satanists would be at the top of my list. They seem way more humane than these whackjob 'Christian' fundamentalists
They're more the live and let live types
I support most anyone that takes a stand against those fucking moronic modern day crusaders.
Christians know that they can't deny that Satan exists without denying their own religion. It's the perfect weapon to prevent their theocratic fantasies from happening.
Exactly. It is hilarious to see how seriously they take it.
I always found this oft stated sentiment fascinating. It implies that Christians actively deny Satan's existence. I'm completely unaware of any Christian denomination that makes such an attempt.
Christians do deny that other gods/religions exist but they logically cannot attempt to deny that Satan exists because his existence is central to the existential battle between good and evil in the Christian faith. This fact is exactly why the Satanists are the perfect tool for reigning in religious conservatives who want to bring their religion into the public sector with religious monuments/icons/plaques on public property and prayer in public meetings.
Uh, not really like that. The reason we can't deny his existence is because we believe he exists. That's it. It wouldn't occur to us to think to deny that he does. It isn't because we think we need him to support the plot or something. Saying we "can't logically attempt to deny that Satan exists" is like saying "you can't logically deny you're standing right in front of me" when we're standing right in front of you. Why would it even occur to us to do so?
But maybe you know something I don't. Has any Christian group tried to stop the Satanists by claiming that Satan doesn't exist? If so, I'd like more info on it. I'd like to know how they managed to make that argument.
Your admission is precisely why Satan/Baphomet is so useful in the fight for the defense of the separation of church and state.
Christians have denied the existence of other religions and others god because of their faith but they cannot do the same to Satan because as you admit, he is part of your faith.
Um, not really what happens, again. I don't think there's very many Christians who deny the existence of other religions. Kinda hard to do when they, like Satan, actually exist. I think what you mean is that Christians deny that other religions actually know the true God. Honestly, I don't think you understand the type of Christian that thinks because the are "doing it for God", it's okay do push Christianity into government and schools. Believe me, Islam is just as perfect a tool as is Satanism. This idea about not being able to deny Satan exists isn't really relevant. It would never occur to them to do so. Quite the opposite and they do believe other religions exist. To their mind, Satanism and Islam are the same thing.
This is why I don't understand the whole "Christians can't deny Satan exists" thing. Doesn't really have anything to do with it because they never would.
Um not really what happens, again. They do indeed deny the existence of other religions when they insist their religion is the only one that counts or that should exist!
I suspect I know the point you are making.
I suspect Drakk would agree (hard to say though) that most Christian religions deny the accuracy of other religions. They certainly know that Islam (in its variants) exists but certainly deem it incorrect since Islam teaches that Jesus was a mere prophet - not divine. They would deem Judaism incorrect for the same reason. Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. would be deemed incorrect because these do not even recognize Jesus and their views of God are totally at odds with Christians. And, of course, there is much infighting within Christianity. I doubt many Christians deem Mormonism a correct religion (as an example).
But, in spite of all these religions, it is funny how each individual believes that their religion is the 'true' one.
Wow! That's some pretty twisty reasoning : ) Personally, I think you're confusing "exists" and "legitimate". That's okay, though. You aren't required to see it my way. TiG's got it close enough to be getting on with, generally.
In any case, I just wanted to point out how strange sounding it is to hear the idea that Christians can't block Satanists in public schools on the grounds that we believe he exists so we gotta. I think most would look at that as if you'd grown a second head or something.
Whatever. I don't give a shit. Or I should say - I don't give a trump!
Either or, same thing.
I love these so called Satanists. For not believing in God they sure do get pissed off about any public displays of religion. If they were true atheists (like myself) no religious display would offend them; because the symbolism represented would be meaningless. Instead they go around trying to provoke confrontation.
They don't represent me and their, "compassionate" humanists that believe in science bullshit. They are simply trying to silence those that don't believe as they do.
All they are doing is giving atheists a bad name.
They aren't. They believe in a god. And their religion has exactly the same rights as all other religions in the USA.
The Satanic Temple is really made up of atheists. It was organized to protest things like the 10 commandments monument in Arkansas
Now why did you have to go and bring THAT up for?
Don't you know that herds of people who claim themselves ultra-christians were sweating and rolling around o the ground, talking in tongues, biting the carpet, hitting each other the head with bibles and/or leather straps to combat the SC?
You know, all the fun attention getting stuff because they torture themselves with the idea of a (gasp) Satanic church with sex rituals, dinking wine from goblets, wearing cool dark hooded robes, drugs, drinking wine mixed with blood (sounds sorta Christian,) more sex rites, smoking cigarettes, and listening to non-christian music, playing D&D, reading SiFi novels and occasionally a information text NOT on politics or religion and generally having that OLD time religion.
Oh yeah, there's also sex, drugs and no doubt rock and roll.
And you want to take all that fun away from the self-claimed christians? Shame on you!
Hmmm now that I've put a comparison into words, the SC certainly is more appealing. I wonder if they have a branch in my fair city?
Mea culpa.
They're giving no one a bad name except these phonier than thou 'christians'. They have the same rights as all of us.
They're not trying to silence anyone. If these 'christians' can have the 10 commandments in the public square, then they should be able to have their monument in the public square along with every other religion. I bet you would be screaming to high heaven if muslims tried to have a monument to Mohammad in the public square wouldn't you? I know you would.
Atheists a bad name?
Well, I'll see your Bill Hybels and raise you a Kenneth Copeland.
So true. I would also offer a few other gems from the past:
Peter Popoff
Robert Tilton
Jimmy Swaggert
How is Peter Popoff, in particular, still operating? I would think he'd have been jailed by now.
I Googled him a bit, and there is a site for people who had been conned by him to share their stories. Most were conned well after the Tonight Show revelation, even fairly recently. Why believe him and send money? Why not do just a quick internet search, which will turn up pages of links saying he's a conman? It's hard to feel sorry for people who are so willing to throw common sense out the window.
They get these guys on technicalities since it is not against the law to claim to be channeling the power of God. What I just cannot fathom is why so many people can be so desperate / gullible. That is, I get it that some people will believe anything and that some people are desperate and will turn to anything that might help them.
But clearly millions in the USA buy into this crap. It kills me.
Apparently, he makes quite a killing in Canada, too.
I would think that after the earpiece bit, they could have nailed him with a charge of fraud, but it's probably hard to make such a charge stick.
And, yeah, it kills me that people fall for this, too. The elderly and those who are unable to understand that it's a scam, I pity. But for most people of normal intelligence, I think they almost have to help him in deluding themselves.
You still don't get it. It's not about supporting Satanism. They exist as the perfect tool to defend the strict separation of church and state. Christians logically cannot deny that Satan exists without denying their own religious idiocy.
I'm a humanist, so......(bleep)...yourself.
So you're all for endorsing one religion over all others? Because if you had read this article you would know what the actual protest is about
Hardly anybody actually believes in "Satanism". It's just an attention getter by people too immature to act like adults.
You mean like certain theists that want to put up their religious displays and throw a hissy fit when others try to follow suit with their own?
Yes, but at least that politician actually believes in his monument. The Satanists admit it's all just fake to them.
Only the stupid statue is fake, but the protest is real.
So what? That makes no difference. Satanists have just as much right to display their monument as Christians do.
The whole point is the monument isn't allowed because it is religious. Religious means people actually have to believe in it. The Satan statue is meaningless and not part of a real religion.
You still don't get it. The Satanists exist as a foil to counter actions by Christians who seek to put their religious monuments on public property in opposition to the separation of church and state. If the government allows the Christians to put a religious monument on taxpayer property then Satanists get to do the same, but Christians hate Satanists and remove their monument when that possiblity is threatened. The fact that Christians logically cannot deny that Satan exists without denying their own religious beliefs, unlike their stance on other religions such as Buddhism, Paganism and Hindu, they are the perfect tool to counter religious conservatives who are trying to create a legal precedent that will open the door to more religious endorsement as part of government activity. In short, the Satanists are the perfect Constitutional poison pill to counter Christian dominionist ideas in public policy.
There are more Satanists than you think there are.
Sounds like the religion of Satanists is atheism. It also sounds like the religion of the left is big govts. How does one seperate church and state when the state is the church of the left?
Oxymoron. Atheism by it's very definition cannot be a religion.
Satanism is recognized as a religion. Therfore, it's religious displays are equally respected and recognized under the law as any other religion. Therefore, the state cannot allow one over the other. Belief or the lack theteof is irrelevant to that.
There are legitimate Satanists, who are certainly not atheists.
Logically how can the religion of lefties be big government? You are projecting your own beliefs on to others in an effort to legitimize them.
They are doing everyone else a public service by forcing governments to adhere to the separation of church and state. I love that every time a christian groups gets some nonsense on display on public land the Satanists are right there to put an image of their most feared entity right next to it. Never ceases to make me laugh.
And as one atheist to another you have completely missed the point. If the Christians ever get their way, who do you think they will go for first? Us, the Jews, or Muslims? Groups like the Satanists help stop them from every truly getting their way by challenging them and making them back down.
Seriously? By asking for equal representation in the public sphere they are trying to silence others? What in the fuck are you talking about?
And you are making us look like retards.
Religious freedom is a myth.
Religious persecution is not a myth and generally is the point of it all.
Too bad more people don't actually follow and read the Ten Commandments instead of just wanting to make statues of it or be automatically offended by it.
Hmmmm, you may actually want to go read those again. I'd prefer not be killed for pulling weeds on a Sunday (or Saturday).
So the first three are specifically contrary to the concept of religious freedom. The fourth is trying to impose a weekly religious holiday on everyone contrary to the establishment clause. The fifth is sweet but completely unenforceable, and the fact is, not all parents should be honored, especially ones that have been accused more than 19 times of sexual assault. The sixth is great, but was a law long before the ten commandments were written. The seventh, while also good advice, isn't even followed by most Christians which I find interesting because these hypocritical cheaters often ridicule and malign homosexuals when homosexuality didn't even get its own commandment like adultery did. Who does their God really hate more? Does the baker in Colorado ask every couple getting married if they're virgins? Didn't think so. The eighth is also a good law, but one that is found in far older law books. The ninth is also a good law, and is also found in much older laws. And the tenth is completely ridiculous. While it's a nice sentiment, who could even begin to police people thoughts or envy?
So basically you're left with three laws that could still be relevant today, don't murder, don't steal and don't commit perjury. I really don't think I need a giant stone monument to remind me of those three.
Actually parents are supposed to take their rebellious children to the village elders so they can be stoned to death.
Half of the commandments is just about kissing up to god and stroking his ego.
I love that bit. Funny, yet profoundly wise.
Yeah, how dare the Creator of life demand a little gratitude! The nerve of that Guy.....
I thought you were an atheist? Why would you care about gratitude to a non-existent entity?
Why would a supposed omnipotent "creator' care about such trivial things? That's also assuming such a "creator' exists, for which there is not one shred of empirical evidence.
More like how egotistical. The "creator" can't even stand a little competition. He has to make it all about him.
I'm actually more of an agnostic. But that doesn't mean I don't find value in all religions.
Even Islam?
Yep, as long as it's true Islam about helping widows and orphans, not the fake one that advocates suicide bombers.
For real, what an insecure little bitch. If I am the creator of life, I have better things to do than worry about if insignificant specks in my universe are kissing my ass.
Sounds like he/she/it/them has an even more fragile ego than our Fuhrer.
"I am really just going to lose it if that little speck of dust doesn't love me. I swear, I'll burn that little speck for eternity torturing it forever if it doesn't bow down and love me and tell all its friends and family to do the same..."