Don't Mess With the Satanists

I love the Satanists. Let me open with the fact that they have some of the best and most creative protests.

The Satanic Temple, I like them better than the Church of Satan, though I give them props, too. First and foremost, I am a card-carrying member of The Satanic Temple.

Mike Wendling of the BBC reported on the vandalization of The Satanic Temple’s display in Mississippi.

A former US Navy pilot, Michael Cassidy (35), was a political candidate in Mississippi. Unfortunately, or maybe not, he lost the race. The Iowa Department of Public Safety charged Cassidy with fourth-degree mischief.

He will receive a sentence of up to 1 year in prison plus a $2,560 fine if convicted. Under legislature rules for displays of religious installations, the Satanic display was allowed. Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis criticized the display too.

These men have the right to free speech on these issues. However, this formal act of mischief is not allowed. At the same time, Governor DeSantis may want to be more careful, as a critique can also be applied to his cherished religions.

Either everyone gets equality under the law, or no one receives equality under the law, and, by definition, the former is the democratic one. With the democratic one, we can either allow everyone an equal right to have displays or an equal right not to have them.

This is not a complex moral issue. Someone can claim Governor DeSantis is a homophobe who demonizes immigrants the United States relies upon and an anti-reproductive rights campaigner who despises women’s rights to choose… and Cassidy is a jackass. We can do that. Many do. Moreover, I do not.

It is not the point. Anyway, the display featured a goat head of the statue of Baphomet with a wreath and a pentagram. These are boilerplate Satanic symbols akin to the Christian Cross, Christ on the Cross, the Bible, and so on, even the fish.

Cassidy appealed for funds to be raised for his legal case. These handsomely brought $40,000 to the man.

Cassidy tweeted, “My deepest hope is that Americans of all political persuasions can unite and agree that: 1. Jesus Christ is Lord 2. Satan is evil.” Not everyone agrees because the Church of Satan exists, The Satanic Temple exists, Crowleyites and Thelemites exist, and, pertinently, the Satanic display exists.

“Mr Cassidy lost an election for the Mississippi state legislature last month. In 2022 he lost in a Republican primary for US Congress,” Wendling said, “The Satanic Temple, founded in 2013, is recognised as a religion by the US government, and has ministers and congregations in America, Europe and Australia. It concentrates its efforts on social action and describes itself as a ‘non-theistic religious organisation.'”

The leader of The Satanic Temple, a good man, Lucien Greaves, called the acts of Cassidy “cowardice.” Adding that it is saddening when free expression is abandoned alongside freedom of religion “when only merely faced with benign imagery from a viewpoint that they assume they disagree with.”

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