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Conservatives can't handle The Satanic Temple's harmless display in Iowa's Capitol (www.friendlyatheist.com)

submitted 10 months ago by Lanky_Pomegranate530@midwest.social to c/atheism@lemmy.world

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[+] cryptosporidium140@lemmy.world 119 points 10 months ago (2 children)

[deleted]

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 96 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Like sending "In God We Trust" banners written in Arabic to Texas schools. They don't like getting done unto them as they do unto others.

[–] PrinceWith999Enemies@lemmy.world 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I’m curious about this one. I was amused when it was first done - I think I even donated to the cause, but it’s been awhile and I don’t remember. I don’t know if they ever got any of their signs posted, but I do remember people claiming that the law stated the schools had to post donated signs.

Obviously it’s a great loophole in a stupid law, and should equally cover Hindi, Chinese, or any other scary language. The law, as originally written, did not specify a language.

My question is whether it would similarly apply to a sign in English that read “In Allah we Trust.” Since Allah is literally the Arabic word for “god,” it’s semantically equivalent. If so, the same should hold true for similar words from other languages. You might argue that naming a specific god like Vishnu might not pass muster (although I think an argument could be made), but I think that “In Allah we trust” would be almost as defensible as having the entire text in Arabic.

[–] thefartographer@lemm.ee 35 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Working in a rather large school district and eventually getting to point where I have somewhat more understanding and information about the inner workings of public ed, I can tell you exactly what a lot of Texas schools decided to do after that law passed and then people started donating signs: we immediately put up any sign that met the requirements and then threw them all away at the end of that same day. We have better things to worry about than trollish legislation and the trolls who troll the trolls. At the end of every single day, our main questions are "did we keep the children safe and the parents informed," and "is our children learning?"

[–] PrinceWith999Enemies@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That’s a fantastic answer and thank you.

[–] thefartographer@lemm.ee 14 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Thank you for your genuine curiosity. And if you can, support your local public ed. There are lots of ways to help out that don't even require spending a dime! Send your kids to public school, volunteer at book fairs, register as a substitute, go to your local town hall and ask hard-hitting questions about transparency and accountability (seriously, ask your local district for the wages of every employee classification, and then go to a town hall meeting and ask why there are so many people working at central office, why people like me who work there away from the children are getting paid more than some teachers, and ask how new positions they keep adding to an already top-heavy district are helping with employee satisfaction and retention), or even run for school board (except that last one is practically an unpaid job).

[–] PrinceWith999Enemies@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

Thanks very much for this! It’s fantastic advice and I really appreciate it.

My mother was a teacher (and later a union leader) for her entire career, as was my partner’s mother, and as is our best friend. I even taught for a bit (university though - I’m really not a kids kind of person).

Still, I could not begin to imagine the job you folks do. I couldn’t teach in the kind of environments that some states are creating - hence my intentionally snarky but unintentionally insensitive question.

I could certainly do more to support education, though. I live in a fairly well off area with pretty solid public education (my property taxes are about $25k per year and if I’m reading the tables correctly our teachers’ salaries run from about $90k to start (BA + 30 credits) to about $160k (BA + 45 after 12 years)). It’s also a very liberal area - there is a negative probability of a moms for liberty type being elected dog catcher, much less to the school board. I don’t think I’m bringing very much to the table there.

However, I’m going to look into seeing if I can take some of your advice and apply it to other communities in my area. Again, thanks for the eye-opener!

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[–] DanglingFury@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

State Rep. Brad Sherman, a Republican, even released a newsletter saying that the principle of church/state separation didn’t apply to this display because the state was inherently Christian. After all, he claimed, the Iowa Constitution refers to a “Supreme Being.”

According to these opening lines of our Constitution, the foundation for laws and continued blessing and success in Iowa is based on these points:

    There is One Supreme God.

    Blessings over this state come from the One Supreme God

    We must depend upon the One Supreme God if we want to enjoy continued blessings.

It is a tortured and twisted interpretation of law that affords Satan, who is universally understood to be the enemy of God, religious expression equal to God in an institution of government that depends upon God for continued blessings. Such a legal view not only violates the very foundation of our State Constitution, but it offends the God upon whom we depend and undermines our wellbeing.

…

Therefore, based on the laws of God and the Constitution of the State of Iowa, and for the purpose of securing the blessings of God upon our state: 

    I am calling for our governor to have this blasphemous display removed immediately based on the grounds that it is unconstitutional and *offends God upon whom the State of Iowa depends for blessings.*

    I am calling for clarifying legislation to be adopted in accordance with our State Constitution that prohibits satanic displays in our Capitol building and on all state owned property.

    I am calling for legislation to be adopted that makes it legal to display the Ten Commandments in our Capitol, in all buildings owned by the state, and in our public schools.

If we want the blessings of God upon our state, we must demonstrate by our laws and actions that we are indeed depending upon Him and that we are opposed to Satan.

[–] athos77@kbin.social 98 points 10 months ago (2 children)

evangelist Joel Tenney, who wanted someone fired over the inclusion and implied (in the comments) that he would personally vandalize the “grossest form of idolatry I have ever seen in my state.” He even asked his followers, “Who’s gonna bail me out?!”

No, he deliberately riled up his followers, then referenced the need for "bail money" like six different times. Guy is just after the money. Hmm, I wonder what his holy book says about money?

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have.

You cannot serve both God and money.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Oops

[–] Johnvanjim@lemmy.world 34 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

“It is more difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, than a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.”

I don’t know, seems vague…

[–] PlasticExistence@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, like they don't say how big the camel is - or the needle!

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's a metaphor, a parable, because the wealthy can buy a really big needle, see! It's difficult because they have to ask for a custom made needle

[–] PlasticExistence@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

Those poor, misunderstood wealthy people!

[–] frezik@midwest.social 11 points 10 months ago

The needle was a side door in a city wall. The source for this is up my ass.

[–] pandacoder@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago

Luckily they live in the United States of Amoneyca and they are Coinageans praying to the all mighty green and papery Georgod Washington. They can serve both God and money because they are one and the same.

[–] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 98 points 10 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

deleted by creator

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They will remember soon enough. When a state takes a religion it is typically pressured to get very specific, and then persecute (convert or imprison / execute) those that do not conform.

This ~~was~~ is the crux of the issue in the troubles, which is itching to start up again.

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[–] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 74 points 10 months ago (4 children)

There is One Supreme God.

Clearly they’re talking about Cthulhu, who is not a fan of goats.

[–] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

There's only the mighty pasta.

[–] nonfuinoncuro@lemm.ee 7 points 10 months ago

Ramen.

[–] spwyll@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Have you even read the Mythos? Cthulhu is the priest of the Old Gods.

[–] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 13 points 10 months ago

I’ll worship how I like.

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[–] IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee 14 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Blasphemy!! Nyarlathotep is the One True God!!

[–] spwyll@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The Black Goat of the Woods, being land-based, is clearly younger (and therefor inferior to) Dagon.

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[–] CitizenKong@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Heresy!!! Nothing is above Azathoth!!!!

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[–] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Damn thee! That scheming little bitch will crumble before the primal force that is our one true god!!!

[–] YungOnions@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

DAMN ye! Let Neptune strike ye dead, tsonfeir! HAAAAAARRRRRK! Hark! Triton! Hark! Bellow! Bid our father, the Sea King, rise from the depths, full-foul in his fury, black waves teeming with salt-foam, to smother this young mouth with pungent slime, to choke ye, engorging your organs 'till ye turn blue and bloated with bilge and brine and can scream no more... only when, he, crowned in cockle shells with slithering tentacled tail and steaming beard, takes up his fell, be-finnèd arm – his coral-tined trident screeches banshee-like in the tempest and plunges right through yer gullet! BURSTING YE, a bulging bladder no more, but a blasted bloody film now – a nothing for the Harpies and the souls of dead sailors to peck and claw and feed upon, only to be lapped up and swallowed by the infinite waters of the Dread Emperor himself, forgotten to any man, to any time, forgotten to any god or devil, forgotten even to the sea... for any stuff or part of tsonfeir, even any scantling of your soul, is tsonfeir no more, but is now itself the sea!

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[–] douglasg14b@lemmy.world 50 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wow, that rep has no business being a representative when they can't even understand what separation of church and state means. And somehow are intellectually challenged enough to believe that being a "Christian state" means the law no longer applies...?

Wtf

[–] Weirdfish@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

A rep you say, better not look too close at the house speaker.

[–] FriendOfElphaba@sh.itjust.works 44 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Satan sucks!

He also does this thing with his tongue that’s absolutely amazing.

[–] RandoCalrandian@kbin.social 6 points 10 months ago

Best comment here

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 32 points 10 months ago

I encourage all to donate to the Satanic Temple today.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 31 points 10 months ago

“Stop challenging my mythical worldview! Whaaaaaaa!”

lmao

[–] BeautifulMind@lemmy.world 28 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I'm just watching here as this guy gets super-angry about blasphemy

And wondering if he realizes this is exactly why we need separation of church and state

[–] SupraMario@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They're to fucking stupid to understand that.

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[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)

These topics interest me because I can imagine how inflexible religious fundamentalists must be.

Like, to atheists or satanists seeing a Christian display is at most annoying.

For hardcore Christians seeing a satanic display is a literal challenge from God to be strong, to be loyal. They see it as a glitch in the matrix or some shit, like a virus.

Same as Muslims and displays of Muhammad.

They simply can't compute the continued existence of such things.

And it makes me laugh.

[–] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago (11 children)

*some Muslims

Not all branches think the same about displays of Muhammad

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[–] penguinsAreRapists@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago

If you would like to donate to The Satanic Temple: https://thesatanictemple.com/collections/contribute-to-the-satanic-temple-campaigns

[–] Jaysyn@kbin.social 13 points 10 months ago

I hope they choke to death on it.

[–] kSPvhmTOlwvMd7Y7E@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago

All praise Satan!

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