The Satanic Temple

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I noticed there wasn't a TST Lemmy community. The Satanic Temple is a modern satanic religion that aims to promote human rights and compassion. Check out their about page on their official website at https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/about-us. Note that this community is not an official affiliation. TST is also separate and not affiliated with the Church of Satan, who have a slightly different viewpoint of what satanism truly is. Dunno what to post in here, but maybe some will search for this and take part. Hello!

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Satanic display at Iowa Capitol vandalized ‘beyond repair’; arrest made (www.kcrg.com)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/thesatanictemple

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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - On Thursday, the Satanic Temple of Iowa announced that their display at the Iowa Capitol had been significantly damaged.

The controversial display, which Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds called “objectionable,” featured a ram’s head covered with mirrors on a mannequin before being damaged.

Organizers say it’s a symbol of their right to religious freedom.

The Satanic Temple of Iowa posted the following message on their Facebook page:

“This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair. We are proud to continue our holiday display for the next few days that we have been allotted.

We ask that for safety, visitors travel together and use the 7 Tenets as a reminder for empathy, in the knowledge that justice is being pursued the correct way, through legal means.

KCCI has reported that 35-year-old Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. He has since been released.

Solve et Coagula! Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!”

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

No, they're really a religion. They are recognized as such by the US government and are tax exempt just like the church.

[–] whostosay 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They do pay their taxes though, also out of protest.

[–] voidMainVoid 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

No, they don't. You're thinking of the Church of Satan.

[–] whostosay 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Well hot damn, I've found myself in the pool of people that get these two mixed up.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

and are tax exempt just like the church.

Unlike the Church of Satan, which is not tax exempt because they explicitly believe churches should be taxed.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Also because they aren't recognized as a religious organization in the USA and this can't apply for tax exemption.

The other part of TST being tax exempt falls in line with them basically doing everything the church does to point out hypocrisy. If TST made the billions that the church does, I'm sure they'd also be doing far more campaigns

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Also because they aren't recognized as a religious organization in the USA and this can't apply for tax exemption.

They meet all the requirements to be a religious organization in the USA (it's easy enough that John Oliver created one ex nohilo just to prove a point on his show), they explicitly do not seek tax exempt status at all because they expressly believe religious organizations should be taxed. From The Devil's Notebook, an essay titled Pentagonal Revisionism:

"2) Strict taxation of all churches -- If churches were taxed for all their income and property, they'd crumble overnight of their own obsolescence, and the National Debt would be wiped out as quickly. The productive, the creative, the resourceful should be subsidized. So long as the useless and incompetent are getting paid, they should be heavily taxed. "

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Weird take, but interesting. You'd think they'd want to keep as much of that $300 membership fee as they can, I'm not sure how much they make off those - especially these days.

In any case, a big part of what TST is doing is bringing the he hypocrisy of the Christian hegemony to light. By taking tax exemption, they can continue to not just do this, but use their money for good instead of personal jets and ridiculous buildings.