• zarkanian@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    So, there’s a lot of confusion about what TST is and what it does.

    TST exists as a church for Satanism. Its activism is (primarily) based around fighting for the rights of Satanists.

    If TST didn’t need to fight for the rights of Satanists, it would still need to exist for every other reason that a church exists.

    • Djtecha@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      We’re talking about the satanic temple here right? It’s just a cooler version of pastafarism. That does community outreach mainly to battle the Christian bullshit.

          • Kellamity@sh.itjust.works
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            3 months ago

            They don’t believe in a supernatural power, but they see themselves as a serious religion with serious beliefs. From your link:

            ‘[Satanism is] a narrative structure by which we contextualize our lives and works. …[it is] a body of symbolism and religious practice — a sense of identity, culture, community, and shared values.’

            They have seven Tenets, none of which are directly about other religions - although one does mention being opposed to ‘distorting scientific facts’. Most are about compassion and individuality.

            ‘Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought.’

            Agree with them or not, but they see themselves as much more than some kind of shell religion to undermine Religious Exemption statutes

            • AA5B@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              The thing is, I don’t see how the seven tenets should conflict with modern religions at all. It’s fully compatible with what Christianity claims to be. By all logic, following the Satanic tenets should make you a better Christian, a better human

              • zarkanian@sh.itjust.works
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                3 months ago

                Christianity does not believe in bodily autonomy (tenet 3) or having your beliefs conform to the best scientific evidence (tenet 5). Even if it were 100% compatible with Christianity, though, that still wouldn’t make it a parody religion.

            • Djtecha@lemm.ee
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              3 months ago

              Well I do agree with them, I am a member. My point is they don’t believe in western religious tenants like gods and afterlife. Also I’m pretty sure they were founded in a rebuttal to the scotus opinion that athesim isn’t a religion and thus doesn’t deserve religious protections.

              • zarkanian@sh.itjust.works
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                3 months ago

                Which SCOTUS decision is that?

                Atheism itself isn’t a religion; it’s just non-belief. You can have an atheistic religion, however.

              • Kellamity@sh.itjust.works
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                3 months ago

                they don’t believe in western religious tenants like gods and afterlife

                Yeah, but their whole point is that this doesn’t undermine their status as a religion. It doesn’t make them ‘a joke or parody religion’, which is the phrase you initially replied to:

                This is a common misconception. TST is not a joke or parody religion.

                What makes you say that?

                They don’t exist as a semi-serious troll organisation to undermine Christianity is my point, they take their beliefs and religious status seriously.

    • jupiter_jazz@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 months ago

      I think maybe you are confused. From their FAQ

      DO YOU WORSHIP SATAN? No, nor do we believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural. The Satanic Temple believes that religion can, and should, be divorced from superstition. As such, we do not promote a belief in a personal Satan. To embrace the name Satan is to embrace rational inquiry removed from supernaturalism and archaic tradition-based superstitions. Satanists should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things. Our beliefs must be malleable to the best current scientific understandings of the material world — never the reverse.

      There is a church of Satan, how they compare is here

      https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/about-us