Hanging Together

I recently joined an organization that I’ve known of for a while. I’ve long been impressed by its charitable work and advocacy. In addition, I knew their fundamental tenets fit well with Dark Paganism:

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.

You might be surprised to learn that some hate this organization despite its fundamental tenets. Some have gone so far as to try to firebomb their headquarters. Maybe it’s something to do with their name:

The Satanic Temple. 

I’m sure their name doesn’t help with their lack of popularity. It’s not called The Virtue Temple, so their agenda isn’t readily apparent. Plus, the word “Satan” conjures up an image of evil in the minds of many people, especially Christian Fundamentalists.

 

However, I suspect that the hatred The Satanic Temple (TST) faces has less to do with their name and more with the fact that they walk the walk when it comes to their stated values. Along with collecting goods for those in need, they actively work on hot-button issues such as reproductive rights, separation of church and state, and religious liberty. Not only do they actively live their values, but they’re also very vocal and have successfully defended them in the courts. 

In these times when our civil liberties are at risk, I decided I needed to step up and join TST in solidarity. To quote Benjamin Franklin, “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

Visit The Satanic Temple website for more information.