I've joined The Satanic Temple though The Center For Inquiry this week. It will be nice to engage some fellow rational skeptics.
To challenge the common misconception, TST does not worship nor believe in any kind of devil figure. Their mission "is to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits."
They're a non-theistic congregation who stand up for pluralistic religious freedom and challenge unjust laws and institutions.
One thing they're known for is
challenging Christian institutions who attempt to erect 10 commandment or similar statues at town halls or schools. TST then wheels up a statue of a baphomet embracing two children and basically says, "if you can put your religious symbol here so can we."
TST has seven core Tenets:
The Seven Tenets
I
One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
II
The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
III
One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
IV
The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.
V
Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.
VI
People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
VII
Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.
I'm looking forward to their events. I'd love to hear from other members in the community who embrace these ideals. Or even from those who think this is absolutely daft.
