It does work. Sadly, not because it makes people realize their own positions are untenable, but because it backs them into a legal corner. Which is fine, but it would be nice if it came with a side of self-reflection.

Also, they tend to get involved when honest arguments and reason have failed to work. The religious right can cry “oppression” whenever anything that they don’t like is passed. Arguing why their ideas are wrong with science doesn’t address the “you can’t tell me to go against my religion!” side of things.

Do you want to understand it? I mean, basically the answer is that there’s something deeply sick about their psyche that they express through rape, be it a deep hole of perceived powerlessness that they try to fill through taking power over others, or an uncontrollable paraphilia, or simply that they’re sick…

I identify as a Christian but I admire the Satanic Temple folks for their ability to troll the religious right in a way that works.

In a world where unprovable religious beliefs are given precedence over facts and hard data, the best defense is to simply do what they do and make shit up to advance your political agenda.

They are absolutely atheists, but no one can prove it, and atheism isn’t a religion, so not protected by all of these freedom of religion bills. This is purely political, with the added benefit that it freaks out Christians - who are trying to force their religious beliefs on everyone else - in a way that atheists…

I’m also an atheist. I believe deeply in arguing with people on the terms that they’ve set out. This is the best example of this.

They actually kind of have to adopt the trappings of a religion to fight the way they do; a lot of Republicans like to pull out the “freedom of religion, not freedom from religion” card, and argue that Athiesism isn’t a religion, and therefore isn’t covered by religious liberty laws. So they pretend to be religious,…

Yeah I’m an atheist and I fully support these people. It sucks to have to use “religion” as a manipulation tool but I’m a fight fire with fire sort of person.

Well said. I’m also an atheist, but I may join the Satanic Temple, just for the hell of it.

It’s strange to even call it a “con” though - that suggests some subterfuge. Everything was so out in the open. Some of his supporters are upset that he’s abandoning “promises” he will never have the power to fulfill as president, but others are upset he’s doing the things he promised to do (and which will be in his…

So you “believe” it’s still open, therefore Obama was probably just conning us? And therefore both sides are basically the same? This kind of anti-factual reasoning is what gave us this national nightmare.

My friend flew his flag upside down, too, and ended up with several very distraught veterans knocking on his door to make sure he was ok. I totally get why you would do that, but I also worry that it would catch on as a “statement” and no longer serve as a legitimate distress call.

The reason that most of them voted for Trump is because they believed his lies (i.e. that he could bring their jobs back, or that Muslim refugees are an existential threat to the country, or any of the Hillary conspiracy theories). Does that make them dumb? It doesn’t really matter, because either way, there are…

I’m sorry, I can certainly agree that there were and are reasons to be disgusted with be politics of the moment, but for as long as the human race exists, no one will ever come up with a non-stupid reason to make Donald goddamn Trump the president of the United States.

“I’ve always been curious about the mentality of these white supremacists”

I read an interview with her where she said that Olive Oyl was her favorite role because Olive was such a powerful woman—that she loved playing that character. I loved that movie—and both her and Robin Williams.

I was on a date with a woman and we were talking about how I take antidepressants. She asked if I’d tried “healing my depression through alternative medicine”. I told her, “no, because if I tried ‘healing my depression’ through ‘alternative medicine’ my next step would be painting the walls with my brains.” I have…

“Bush doesn’t care about black people.” -Kanye West, 2005.