I’m glad the kids had a good time. It really sounds like fun.
I’m sorry that you were coerced. How old were you? I don’t think that children can make informed decisions about their spirituality until they’re about 16 years old, if you ask me…
I’ve met Satanists recently at my university and I’ve read enough in the news to conclude that everything they do is posturing for politics. That’s totally fine with me. But using kids for sympathy points is wrong no matter who does it. I refuse to be a hypocrite.
I was abused and brainwashed for my entire childhood by religious people. Throughout my school years we were coerced into participation in faith groups and prayer circles in school, by teachers who knew they couldn’t force us to participate so instead they offered extra credit to everyone who did and nothing to anyone who didn’t. It was and is a sick, sick system that still goes on today in public schools all over the country. In fact it’s worse today, because you now have national networks of religious activists who come up with sicker and sicker ways to circumvent laws and illegally promote their harmful religions.
As far as I’m concerned, the Satanic Temple can posture for politics all they want. What they’re doing is good work. They provide safe spaces for kids where they can learn science, logic, and valuable tools. They fight religious abuse in schools, and they seem to be the only ones doing it. And they doing it by brilliantly using the exact same methods that religious bigots use to abuse children back against them. The only reason people get mad at them is because they’re playing by the same rules that Christians have been abusing for decades. Any criticism at them can be thrown back at religious organizations one hundred thousands times over.
But truthfully, just because they exist as a corporation doesn’t make them “posturing for politics.” Certainly no more than every single church group out there is also “posturing for politics.” The Satanic Temple only exists as a reaction against these organizations, and it has far less money, infrastructure, and manpower than pretty much any other church does. To criticize them for being political is like criticizing someone for pouring a glass of water into a swimming pool. They’re doing good work, and doing far more to protect and help children than any church, or any newspaper that gives free advertising to bigots like this one is doing.
I’m sorry that you experienced abuse and I hope that you’ve moved on, if possible. You didn’t deserve abuse, of course.
Yes. I’m throwing criticism at both the Satanists and the Christians. I think that they should leave kids alone until they’re at least 16. It would be hypocritical to say that one group doing it is wrong but they other group doing it is right.
I think that the Satanists should do some charity like feeding the poor if they want get notoriety and stop looking like a joke. It’s very easy to become a distributor for the Food Bank and that could really make a difference in people’s lives.
Kids already have science classes taught by professionals. I don’t believe that the Satanists are really concerned with bolstering the kids education, but that opinion is mostly based on the few Satanists that I’ve met. They’re just not serious.
It would be great if religions backed off children period.
But they don’t. Children are their prime targets.
So the Satanic Temple steps in to protect kids.
When you say you wish the Satanic Temple would leave kids alone and run soup kitchens (by the way, they do that too), what you’re actually saying is you wish that Christian groups had free reign to abuse children all they want without anyone interfering.
Kids already have science classes taught by professionals.
And religious groups have strategy guides on how to sneak religion into biology lessons and poison childrens’ education.
I don’t believe that the Satanists are really concerned with bolstering the kids education,
They absolutely are.
but that opinion is mostly based on the few Satanists that I’ve met.
How many Satanists have you met?
They’re just not serious.
The Satanic Temple is a serious organization that does serious work.
It sounds like you have a lot of studying to do. Both about the Satanic Temple, since you seem to know very little about what they do, and instead you seem to be operating off of incorrect assumptions. And you also need to look into the tactics that religious organizations use to undermine education. Many kids are not getting accurate scientific education in science class. Many kids are not getting impartial history education. Christian groups know exactly how far they can push the line before someone complains, and they know exactly how to skirt the line so they don’t get fired. They know this because they have national networks organizing the data. They know which school districts are lenient enough to let them get away with preaching to kids, and they suffer zero consequences when they do actually get nailed on it.
Worst of all, they have people like you to protect them. You claim to be against child abuse, but here you are acting as a shield for the child abusers. I don’t know whether you’re religious or not, and it doesn’t matter, because you’re doing their work for them. By criticizing the Satanic Temple for hosting – of all things – a safe afterschool space and suggesting they should stay out of schools (while saying nothing about religious abuse), you’re defending the abusers and serving as a mouthpiece for them.
I’ve condemned child abuse in every response to you so far, regardless of which religion does it.
You’re creating a false dilemma. I’m not in favor of the Christians doing it just because I don’t want the Satanists to do it. They should all leave the kids alone and let the children receive their state-accredited curriculum.
I’ve met about a dozen Satanists. Nice people, of course, but they’re just not serious. It’s obvious that trolling is the main motivation. If that’s their hobby, fine. But leave the kids out of it.
If they really cared about protecting kids then they could send resources to the kids parents and invite them to consider their tenets. Otherwise it’s just hypocritical.
You’ve met “about a dozen” Satanists. In college? You met 12 or so 19-year old students who called themselves Satanists, and you’ve formed a solid position on the entire philosophy that you’re unwilling to budge from.
Christians “should” leave the kids alone (Guess what? They don’t.) but you’re primary concern is Satanists. You’re more concerned with the Satanic Temple providing a safe space for kids to learn after school than you are about abusive indoctrination in the same exact school.
Nice people, of course, but they’re just not serious.
Here they are actually doing some real good work, and you call them not serious. Jesus fucking christ…
If they really cared about protecting kids then they could send resources to the kids parents and invite them to consider their tenets.
They literally fucking do that.
Hypocritical is you pretending to care about kids, when you’re acting as a shield for abusers and criticizing the very people who are stepping in to protect kids, all the while lamenting that they should do the actual fucking thing that they’re doing.
“Hypocritical” coming from the biggest hypocrite in this thread.
Yes. I’ve met several Satanists in person. How else am I supposed to judge them? From angry comments in this thread?
They might be doing something good but using kids is wrong. That’s where I draw the line.
I after Christians and Jews and Muslims too, when the opportunity presents itself. But those sort of stories are never going to be posted on Lemmy, obviously.
I’m glad the kids had a good time. It really sounds like fun.
I’m sorry that you were coerced. How old were you? I don’t think that children can make informed decisions about their spirituality until they’re about 16 years old, if you ask me…
I’ve met Satanists recently at my university and I’ve read enough in the news to conclude that everything they do is posturing for politics. That’s totally fine with me. But using kids for sympathy points is wrong no matter who does it. I refuse to be a hypocrite.
deleted by creator
I was abused and brainwashed for my entire childhood by religious people. Throughout my school years we were coerced into participation in faith groups and prayer circles in school, by teachers who knew they couldn’t force us to participate so instead they offered extra credit to everyone who did and nothing to anyone who didn’t. It was and is a sick, sick system that still goes on today in public schools all over the country. In fact it’s worse today, because you now have national networks of religious activists who come up with sicker and sicker ways to circumvent laws and illegally promote their harmful religions.
As far as I’m concerned, the Satanic Temple can posture for politics all they want. What they’re doing is good work. They provide safe spaces for kids where they can learn science, logic, and valuable tools. They fight religious abuse in schools, and they seem to be the only ones doing it. And they doing it by brilliantly using the exact same methods that religious bigots use to abuse children back against them. The only reason people get mad at them is because they’re playing by the same rules that Christians have been abusing for decades. Any criticism at them can be thrown back at religious organizations one hundred thousands times over.
But truthfully, just because they exist as a corporation doesn’t make them “posturing for politics.” Certainly no more than every single church group out there is also “posturing for politics.” The Satanic Temple only exists as a reaction against these organizations, and it has far less money, infrastructure, and manpower than pretty much any other church does. To criticize them for being political is like criticizing someone for pouring a glass of water into a swimming pool. They’re doing good work, and doing far more to protect and help children than any church, or any newspaper that gives free advertising to bigots like this one is doing.
I’m sorry that you experienced abuse and I hope that you’ve moved on, if possible. You didn’t deserve abuse, of course.
Yes. I’m throwing criticism at both the Satanists and the Christians. I think that they should leave kids alone until they’re at least 16. It would be hypocritical to say that one group doing it is wrong but they other group doing it is right.
I think that the Satanists should do some charity like feeding the poor if they want get notoriety and stop looking like a joke. It’s very easy to become a distributor for the Food Bank and that could really make a difference in people’s lives.
Kids already have science classes taught by professionals. I don’t believe that the Satanists are really concerned with bolstering the kids education, but that opinion is mostly based on the few Satanists that I’ve met. They’re just not serious.
It would be great if religions backed off children period.
But they don’t. Children are their prime targets.
So the Satanic Temple steps in to protect kids.
When you say you wish the Satanic Temple would leave kids alone and run soup kitchens (by the way, they do that too), what you’re actually saying is you wish that Christian groups had free reign to abuse children all they want without anyone interfering.
And religious groups have strategy guides on how to sneak religion into biology lessons and poison childrens’ education.
They absolutely are.
How many Satanists have you met?
The Satanic Temple is a serious organization that does serious work.
It sounds like you have a lot of studying to do. Both about the Satanic Temple, since you seem to know very little about what they do, and instead you seem to be operating off of incorrect assumptions. And you also need to look into the tactics that religious organizations use to undermine education. Many kids are not getting accurate scientific education in science class. Many kids are not getting impartial history education. Christian groups know exactly how far they can push the line before someone complains, and they know exactly how to skirt the line so they don’t get fired. They know this because they have national networks organizing the data. They know which school districts are lenient enough to let them get away with preaching to kids, and they suffer zero consequences when they do actually get nailed on it.
Worst of all, they have people like you to protect them. You claim to be against child abuse, but here you are acting as a shield for the child abusers. I don’t know whether you’re religious or not, and it doesn’t matter, because you’re doing their work for them. By criticizing the Satanic Temple for hosting – of all things – a safe afterschool space and suggesting they should stay out of schools (while saying nothing about religious abuse), you’re defending the abusers and serving as a mouthpiece for them.
I’ve condemned child abuse in every response to you so far, regardless of which religion does it.
You’re creating a false dilemma. I’m not in favor of the Christians doing it just because I don’t want the Satanists to do it. They should all leave the kids alone and let the children receive their state-accredited curriculum.
I’ve met about a dozen Satanists. Nice people, of course, but they’re just not serious. It’s obvious that trolling is the main motivation. If that’s their hobby, fine. But leave the kids out of it.
If they really cared about protecting kids then they could send resources to the kids parents and invite them to consider their tenets. Otherwise it’s just hypocritical.
“Hypocritical.”
Interesting choice of words.
You’ve met “about a dozen” Satanists. In college? You met 12 or so 19-year old students who called themselves Satanists, and you’ve formed a solid position on the entire philosophy that you’re unwilling to budge from.
Christians “should” leave the kids alone (Guess what? They don’t.) but you’re primary concern is Satanists. You’re more concerned with the Satanic Temple providing a safe space for kids to learn after school than you are about abusive indoctrination in the same exact school.
Here they are actually doing some real good work, and you call them not serious. Jesus fucking christ…
They literally fucking do that.
Hypocritical is you pretending to care about kids, when you’re acting as a shield for abusers and criticizing the very people who are stepping in to protect kids, all the while lamenting that they should do the actual fucking thing that they’re doing.
“Hypocritical” coming from the biggest hypocrite in this thread.
Yes. I’ve met several Satanists in person. How else am I supposed to judge them? From angry comments in this thread?
They might be doing something good but using kids is wrong. That’s where I draw the line.
I after Christians and Jews and Muslims too, when the opportunity presents itself. But those sort of stories are never going to be posted on Lemmy, obviously.