#seventenets — Public Fediverse posts

TST is a threat because people who support #TheSatanicTemple don't understand that the Temple is *not* the #SevenTenets, it's *not* their own local community, and it's *not* the vibe they have for the religion they wish it was.

TST is two men who consider #TheTemple to be their private intellectual property to be controlled and weaponized against all of their enemies — which are primarily anyone who to the left of Ronald Reagan, especially if they're actively being critical or demanding financial transparency.

@alienskyler So the way it works is that #TheSatanicTemple presents a story that works as "man bites dog" for the liberal,-to-centrist mainstream media. Essentially some variation of, "Satanists do good thing"

*Usually* #TheTemple can count on a weak reporter from an overworked/understaffed local legacy newsroom to re-write their press release in AP style, quote something from the website like the #SevenTenets, and/or call up Christians who hate #TST to get their quotes and "side of the story". Boom! "both sides" being represented and "objectivity" fulfilled.

If so, it makes the next step easier but it's not required: Christian Nationalists and other reactionaries have their media outlets and commenters say, "This is the end of the world! The Satanic Panic is real, and DAS JU- erm, the Satanic pedophiles and Hollywood elite, of course, um, anyway, THOSE PEOPLE are trying to do satanic rituals with abortions to kill babies, and THOSE PEOPLE are trying to indoctrinate your children in their schools, and THOSE PEOPLE want to shove their ridiculous, offensive joke religions down our throats."

Then liberal-to-left news outlets and commenters see this and react to it by mocking the fundies because "ACKSHUALLY, The Satanic Temple is non-theisic™ and the way they describe themselves is in positive terms anyone can agree with. Conservatives are so STUPID," etc., etc.