Tyler, Texas (ketki) – As they say Friday afternoon, Eastern Texans prayed before an “anbatism event” hosted by the Dallas-Fort Worth satanic temple in Tyler.
“I wanted to get a group of people together before tomorrow’s event and just pray and exercise freedom of religion,” said Lauren Ethredge-Langus, a member of Tyler’s Pine Church.
by reference, satanic temple Despite the name, he does not worship the biblical figure – nor does he believe in the devil Gift – but operates more as a advocacy group, saying it aims to “encourage empathy, reject tyrannical authority”, as well as promote “common sense” and “oppose injustice”. As The Hill reports, the group has faced several legal challenges over (often conservative) laws that can only protect or promote Christianity.
The Satanic Temple is often confused with the First Church of Satan, founded in the 1960s, with which the temple is not aligned, according to its website. Notably, the temple is anti-LGBTQ, lawmakers have protested, and organizations and the GOP have contested restrictions on abortion, claiming the restrictions violate its beliefs that only individuals have the right to make decisions about their own bodies. . .
According to its website, the temple claims that “debaptism” is an activity in which “participants renounce superstitions that may have been imposed on them in childhood without their consent” – mainly religious. Faith wants to separate itself from adults.
However, some members of Tyler’s local church said they felt called to a rally on Friday.
“As Christians we have been called to a spiritual battlefield and I think this is an opportunity to exert our strength in our relationship with Christ,” Etheridge-Langus explained.
Members of the nearby WOW church said they were unaware of the prayer meeting, but were still called to invite the clergy to the square after learning of the temple event.
“We didn’t go down to fight, we didn’t go down to curse someone’s religion, but we wanted to stand up and pray as believers,” said WOW Church Pastor Donnell Walder.
Ethredge-Langus says he expects there will be a religious group that will show up to address the temple members.
What does the Satanic Temple believe in?
The Satanic Temple claims to have seven fundamental principles:
- One should try to act with compassion and empathy towards all beings in a reasonable way.
- The struggle for justice is a permanent and necessary quest that must prevail over laws and institutions.
- A person’s body is non-violent, subject only to his own will.
- The freedom of others must be respected, including the freedom to offend. Deliberately and unjustly violating the freedom of others is giving up one’s own freedom.
- Beliefs must conform to the best scientific understanding of the world. Care must be taken not to distort scientific facts according to one’s own beliefs.
- People are decadent. If someone makes a mistake, they should do their best to correct and repair any damage that may occur.
- Each principle is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. Compassion, wisdom and a sense of justice must always prevail over the written or spoken word.