Kindly note, that for most of us who post to the Straight Dope, or anywhere else on the Internet for that matter, we are in violation of commandments #1, #2, #3, #5, #8 & #11, thus putting all of us at great risk of Eternal Salvation. :eek:
I suppose I know that, and I can totally get on board with the various humanist Satanic organizations and what they stand for. It’s just that the traditional concept of Satan as “The Devil” is not an especially pro-human figure. Not trying to Godwinize, but picking that particular character and redefining it into something secular & nice is a bit like running a sincerely nurturing home for orphaned Jewish children and calling it Uncle Adolph’s Krystallkamp. You can pick whatever name and iconography you want for your organization, but there are some symbols that defy redefinition.
Not really looking to argue for or against anything with respect to OK City. Just kinda thinking out loud–and doing it poorly–that the incongruity of the message and the symbol seems a bit trollish when placed next to T10Cs. For what it’s worth, I don’t much care for the juxtaposition of T10Cs with a government building either. Whatevs. Is there gonna be pie here or what?
Of course it’s “a bit trollish.” That’s the point, I presume. SDMB rules don’t apply IRL. A reaction from the good people of OK City is exactly what they are looking for.
The entire purpose of the exercise appears to have completely whizzed by about a foot or so over your head. OF COURSE it’s trollish! That’s the whole point! By the tenets of the Constitution (as it’s currently interpreted), the Satanic Temple is exactly as good as the First Methodist Church is exactly as good as the Dearborn Mosque is exactly as good as Temple Beth Israel is exactly as good as The 3rd Dianic Circle of Oakland (Reformed). And the Satanic Temple going to make the courts make OKC treat them that way by shoving this large, ugly statue down their throats, the same way the Baptists/whoever did the 10C statue.
The way to treat this is to say “go ahead, Satanists, commission your sculpture and place it here”. It’s easy to make a drawing of the sculpture. Actually having it done, physically, will cost at least $50K, probably more. You give the go ahead, the idea will fizzle out.
I think you’re liable to wind up with some mighty funny-looking courthouse lawns if you count on that. This is a big country, and there are a lot of groups out there who can probably scrape together a few thousand bucks to put up a statue on some public property that–thanks to the Christianists–has been declared to be a “public free speech forum”.
Kickstarter? Indi go-go? I think you could EASILY get $50k for a statue, probably surpass your goal. I know my husband will give them $1 over the internet, probably more - and I think that there are easily another 49,999 people willing to spent $1 to make this point.
We’ll give another buck to the Wiccans when they put their proposal forward as well.
I draw the line at giving a buck to the Scientologist, even to make a point.
I agree with you, since my go-to is “If one religious statue is okay, then all have to be okay”. Regardless of whether they can scrape together that kind of money or not. But that’s the last thing the majority of city/state governments are going to do away from the huge coastals (and a couple of upper Midwestern).
I read an opinion piece from a right wing christian group explaining how freedom of religion in the 1st amendment REALLY means Christians only and not other religions. The mental gymnastics they use never ceases to amaze.
