Satanists denied opening prayer for the third time in Boston.

[Shadow Wolf]

I suppose they save puppies and like long walks on the beach as well ...

You have wonderfully demonstrated another point on how Satanists are different from Christians.
Christians are often some of the most judgemental people out there. Such snarky remarks are common from them towards things they don't understand or that are opposed to their religion.
Truly, we need more of the Satanic Temple. They've demonstrated they are force of positive change in society. And helping to break up the deathgrip of Christian hegemony in America is a great service they are doing for us.

 

[Heyo]

How can you claim to be fighting for religious freedom while opposing the satanists' religious freedom?

Simple: by redefining "religious freedom".
“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell
Religions are masters of newspeak, they reverse everything. To be able to talk to a Christian you need a Dictionary "English - Christian, Christian - English" (where many words don't have an equivalent in the other language and have to have a long explanation). Don't get fooled by them sounding similar, there are many false friends which mean the opposite in English and Christian.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Simple: by redefining "religious freedom".
“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell
Religions are masters of newspeak, they reverse everything. To be able to talk to a Christian you need a Dictionary "English - Christian, Christian - English" (where many words don't have an equivalent in the other language and have to have a long explanation). Don't get fooled by them sounding similar, there are many false friends which mean the opposite in English and Christian.

Clearly seen in they view things like the burden/shackles of sin, freedom from that burden of sin, and speak of these things as though sin is like a drug, ensnaring and compelling people to keep acting on it. God's ways are not our ways, or the lord works in mysterious ways are other good examples, because these typically mean "I don't know but I need to excuse this divine justice."

 

[MJ Bailey]

It was always within my understanding that praying is nothing in which Satanist believed.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Given religious freedom, it stands to reason that the worlds largest religion would reign supreme somewhere.

//facepalm

I think you should look up the word "freedom".

 

[Clara Tea]

Satanic Temple Sues Boston Over Opening Prayer Policy

I'd rather see no prayer in government institutions, but am not against traditional practices.

I do side with the Satanists that it is religious discrimination solely on the basis they are not aligned with Abrahamic doctrines.


Otherwise I think the policy should end.

Should they be allowed opening prayer?

I think so.

The separation of church and state is designed to allow all religions to exist in freedom (unless they violate the law by eating or people, etc). Jim Jones, and Reverend Applewhite were deadly preachers.

I test fairness by reversing the roles. That is, what would happen if a Christian student was forced to publicly denounce God, and say prayers to Satan? What would happen if a room full of Satanists glared at the one Christian in the room?

Government does allow (and insist upon) prayer in courts. We have to swear on a bible that we are telling the truth. This is supposed to entice people to be more truthful.

We must allow all faiths to worship as they please.

Why should we be bigoted against Satanists? Shouldn't we try to find the points of commonality, not the differences? Shouldn't we try to embrace each other's values and build bridges of cooperation?

Christians defied God (wars, torture camps, homeless, environment, etc).

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

They've demonstrated they are force of positive change in society. And helping to break up the deathgrip of Christian hegemony in America is a great service they are doing for us.

Although being one of those old Jews who turns a bit cranky at the first hint of Christmas music, I can't help but find phrases like "the deathgrip of Christian hegemony" to be more than a little hyperbolic.

As for the suit, the linked article claims ...

Council policy allows each council member to invite a speaker of their choice to deliver the opening prayer before each meeting a few times a year, according to the organization.​

If true, let them get someone on the Council, make the request, and sue if denied. They'll have my full support. Short of that their action impresses me as being little more than a reasonably effective publicity stunt.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

America's Christian culture is under assault.

And what is the basis for your (assumed) argument that the "Christian Culture" is important and should necessarily be preserved and assumed to be applicable to everyone in the country? Things change, times change. As a nice, relevant example here, I don't think that nature entertained the petitions of the dodoes when they complained that they didn't really want to go extinct. You can't just force everyone to put up with Christian crap. We're not all Christians. Many of us simply do not care about your traditions or culture. You want to adhere to it yourself and with your family? Fine. Just keep it to yourself. Do that and you won't hear any complaints from me. However - refuse to keep it to yourself, and you're going to hear from me. And hopefully from anyone else who doesn't give a single crap about Christianity or its ideas/traditions/culture/mandates.

 

[1213]

...Should they be allowed opening prayer?...

Isn’t it Gestabook and Chitter who decide what people can say nowadays? Perhaps we should ask from the thought police about what they allow people to say and think?

If I am allowed to say, I would ask first, what and why would they pray. After that I think it would be easy to say is it good or not.

In any case, I think people should not be forced to take part in any prayer that they don’t agree or like.

 

[Wrangler]

The content of a religion might be juridically relevant (and constitutionally relevant), at least in my country.

What country is that?

 

[Wrangler]

And what is the basis for your (assumed) argument that the "Christian Culture" is important and should necessarily be preserved and assumed to be applicable to everyone in the country?

Why Everyone? Your question embraces false equality. America is and always was a Christian nation. The religion that guided our country's founding is not equal to all other religions.

What Year Is It? We here in America mark time as a way to honor our deliverer. Anyone can say Jesus is not my deliverer. That is irrelevant. His birth is honored at the Founding and we keep honoring him every day. In the Year of Our Lord, February 1, 2021. Other religions may record differently but this is how Christian nations, like ours, mark time.

Why Important? It's the same basis that I know that air is important to everyone in the country! I believe in the 1776 Commission. That is, I believe it is important for everyone in this country - and the world - to keep in mind the Founding principles of America, aka the Spirit of '76.

The Left hates the idea of American exceptionalism and even distort what it means. Simply put, the exception is that America's government was founded on the principle of limited government. America is the only country in the history of the world based/founded on individual rights and limited government. This idea can be and should be frequently traced back to its source.

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.
Jesus, Luke 20:25

 

[Estro Felino]

What country is that?

Italy.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

"the deathgrip of Christian hegemony" to be more than a little hyperbolic.

Is it hyperbole when they are restricting and ending people's rights based on religion? Is it hyperbole when they put their religion everywhere (including national things and money)?
This is a group, afterall, who screams they are under attack and having their rights violated on the chance their is a ruling against them and things are made more equal for others (like no more school lead prayer - they still say that was an attack on them and to blame for society's ills).

 

[Shadow Wolf]

The religion that guided our country's founding is not equal to all other religions.

That religion would be deism.
"Sir, Washington was a deist."
Thomas Jefferson rewrote the Bible to remove all miracles and supernatural themes and elements.
Benjamin Franklin too denied being a Christian.
As did Thomas Paine, a true American hero who spent time in jail pre-Constitution for violating blasphemy laws.

Deism, then, teaches us, without the possibility of being deceived, all that is necessary or proper to be known. The creation is the Bible of the Deist. He there reads, in the handwriting of the Creator himself, the certainty of his existence and the immutability of his power, and all other Bibles and Testaments are to him forgeries.

But the belief of a God is so weakened by being mixed with the strange fable of the Christian creed, and with the wild adventures related in the Bible, and of the obscurity and obscene nonsense of the Testament, that the mind of man is bewildered as in a fog.

A man, by hearing all this nonsense lumped and preached together, confounds the God of the creation with the imagined God of the Christians, and lives as if there were none.

Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is none more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory in itself, than this thing called Christianity. Too absurd for belief, too impossible to convince, and too inconsistent for practice, it renders the heart torpid, or produces only atheists and fanatics. As an engine of power it serves the purpose of despotism; and as a means of wealth, the avarice of priests; but so far as respects the good of man in general, it leads to nothing here or hereafter.

The only religion that has not been invented, and that has in it every evidence of divine originality, is pure and simple Deism.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Why Everyone? Your question embraces false equality. America is and always was a Christian nation. The religion that guided our country's founding is not equal to all other religions.

And my point is that, regardless whatever it is or has been, it does not have to stay that way. Do you have anything worthwhile to counter this?

What Year is it? We here in America mark time as a way to honor our deliverer. Anyone can say Jesus is not my deliverer. That is irrelevant. His birth is honored at the Founding and we keep honoring him every day. In the Year of Our Lord, February 1, 2021. Other religions may record differently but this is how Christian nations, like ours, mark time.

Again - it doesn't have to be this way. What, besides, "it's tradition" do you have to bring to the table to demonstrate that it either must necessarily remain this way, or is better off not being changed? And I am talking about a reality-based reason here. Not "it pleases God" - that crap isn't going to fly. My opinion is that it never should have in the first place.

Why Important? It's the same basis that I know that air is important to everyone in the country! I believe in the 1776 Commission. That is, I believe it is important for everyone in this country - and the world - to keep in mind the Founding principles of America, aka the Spirit of '76.

And right here, this statement from you informs me that you have no good reasons. Equating spirituality to our bodies' oxygen requirement without anything further to back up is a ridiculous juxtaposition - displaying naivete and ignorance on a massive scale. I have no choice but to conclude that you don't even understand what it means to make a realistic point. That is, a point within an argument that is based in reality, and reality alone. You have no clue how to even start.

To back this up, you will necessarily have to demonstrate how a loss of one particular form of spirituality (namely, Christianity) will cause us all to literally DIE (like would happen if we were all deprived of oxygen). Good luck. I am 99.9999999999% confident that you can't deliver. How confident are you that you can?

The Left hates the idea of American exceptionalism and even distort what it means. Simply put, the exception is that America's government was founded on the principle of limited government. America is the only country in the history of the world based/founded on individual rights and limited government. This idea can be and should be frequently traced back to its source.

And you believe the source was "Christianity?" Preposterous.

 

[74x12]

You have wonderfully demonstrated another point on how Satanists are different from Christians.
Christians are often some of the most judgemental people out there. Such snarky remarks are common from them towards things they don't understand or that are opposed to their religion.
Truly, we need more of the Satanic Temple. They've demonstrated they are force of positive change in society. And helping to break up the deathgrip of Christian hegemony in America is a great service they are doing for us.

So you admit their whole "service" is to go against Christianity. So all that nonsense about benevolence is what I already pointed out with my "snarky comment".

 

[Wrangler]

I can answer @Wrangler question on "what society follows the principles of satanism". It seems pretty much every single western democracy is built upon its precept of benevolence to others

You assert benevolence is a precept of Satanism? Bless your heart.

 

[epronovost]

America is the only country in the history of the world based/founded on individual rights and limited government.

Actualy every single western democracy is founded on the principle of seperation of powers and individual rights. America was simply the first government to be created on those principles which originate from philosophers of France, Netherland and England like John Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau or Voltaire.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Is it hyperbole when they are restricting and ending people's rights based on religion? Is it hyperbole when they put their religion everywhere (including national things and money)?
This is a group, afterall, who screams they are under attack and having their rights violated on the chance their is a ruling against them and things are made more equal for others (like no more school lead prayer - they still say that was an attack on them and to blame for society's ills).

I take it all back. You're right. THEY are truly horrible beyond words.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

So you admit their whole "service" is to go against Christianity. So all that nonsense about benevolence is what I already pointed out with my "snarky comment".

No, it was pointed out that Christians and Satanists are very different. I gave examples affirming we are different, with the LHP, broadly and generally, having a sense of morality that is more benevolent, egalitarian, and better suited for societies who have pondered ethics and morality far beyond what written thousands of years ago.
And, as if to make a point, you swooped in with a jab of sarcasm.