• The Satanic Temple November 2020 Monthly Newsletter

    From The Satanic Temple@21:1/5 to All on Fri Dec 11 18:44:05 2020
    A COMMENT ON THE RECENT U.S. ELECTIONS

    While the transfer of executive power in the US will assuredly result
    in changes, TST's challenges will undoubtedly persist. Many local
    communities, cities, and states will continue to privilege their
    preferred religion over others and inappropriately use their
    political power to sponsor these efforts. In response, TST plans to
    ramp up its efforts to ensure our members are visible wherever
    religious displays are permitted. We will also participate in good
    works for the community where religious groups can participate, such
    as cleaning up the highway. We plan to aggressively fight our
    exclusion from forums such as city invocations and public schools,
    which prohibit students from wearing clothes with our insignia even
    though other religious signs are permitted. In addition, the battle
    over bodily autonomy, especially with regard to reproductive rights,
    is likely to get more contentious. TST will continue to be right
    there on the front lines. One of the changes planned will be to
    create more opportunities for members to engage in campaigns and
    actively participate. We look forward to meeting these challenges in
    the coming year and appreciate the support of our members to create a
    better world.

    TST Believes the Ruling Sets A Dangerous Precedent for The Supreme
    Court

    While The Satanic Temple’s appeal in its lawsuit over Missouri’s
    abortion laws is still scheduled to be reviewed by the US Supreme
    Court to decide if they will hear the case, the US Supreme Court
    dismissed TST’s motion to disqualify Justice Amy Coney Barrett due to questions regarding her ability to impartially consider a case
    involving abortion.

    TST’s complaint was initially filed when TST member Judy Doe, seeking
    an abortion in Missouri, was forced to accept literature that
    asserted the position that life begins at conception and then was
    made to endure a three-day waiting period that was designed to
    instill guilt and shame for her decision. We argued that the
    imposition of this arbitrary view on when life begins violates their
    religious beliefs of science and bodily autonomy, and creates an unconstitutional undue burden on Doe’s religious practices. The
    Eighth Circuit Court dismissed the case and held that Missouri’s proclamations do not violate Doe’s free exercise of religion, even
    though they are rooted in Catholic dogma. We appealed this decision
    to the Supreme Court.

    In our motion to disqualify, we stated that “any objective observer
    would reasonably believe it is unlikely Justice Barrett could set
    aside her deeply-held religious beliefs on the illegitimacy of
    abortion and barbarity of [Roe v. Wade] to render an impartial
    decision on the Petition.” We cited numerous examples in our motion
    that unequivocally display Justice Barrett’s hostility towards the
    act of terminating a pregnancy. Yet, the Supreme Court refused to
    recognize that her dogmatic conclusions related to abortion, which
    she announced publicly, can reasonably affect her ability to
    impartially rule on our religious freedom claims.

    Federal law states that judges must disqualify themselves in any
    proceeding in which their impartiality might reasonably be
    questioned.

    Because the Supreme Court has essentially removed any basis for
    asserting bias, they invite questions about the legitimacy of the
    legal system as a whole. When the Supreme Court considers if they
    will hear our abortion case in conference on November 20, we hope for
    the sake of upholding fair and impartial jurisprudence that they will
    make decisions justified by established legal precedence.

    As part of the Protect Children Project campaign, TST has published a
    handbook entitled “The Satanic Temple’s Guide to Religious Freedom in Public Schools.” The guide addresses the Constitutional protections
    for religious expression in the classroom and shows how children are
    legally permitted to practice Satanism in public schools. The First
    Amendment protects religious expression, which includes conducting
    Satanic prayer and wearing Satanic clothing and jewelry at school.

    The handbook also provides information about religious exemptions
    that Satanic children are afforded while they are in school. As TST
    believes one’s body is inviolable, Satanists do not have to be
    subject to physically and psychologically traumatizing disciplinary
    tactics that some teachers and administrators use.

    These include corporal punishment, solitary confinement, being
    physically restrained, or being deprived of bathroom access. These
    barbaric treatments amount to physical and psychological torture and
    violate our tenets when imposed without consent.

    Through the Protect Children Project and the Religious Rights in
    School handbook, we encourage students to notify their school board
    of their religious convictions and put them on notice that these
    forms of treatment violate their deeply-held beliefs and are civil
    rights violations constituting grounds for legal recourse.

    The handbook can be downloaded for free as a PDF or purchased in our
    online shop at
    <https://thesatanictemple.com/>www.thesatanictemple.com. <https://thesatanictemple.com/> <https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0428/0465/files/TSTs_RELIGIOUS_RIGHTS_IN_SCHOOL-V1.2.pdf?v=1605020095>
    <https://thesatanictemple.com/>

    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.

    Scientific discoveries often result in the revision of our
    understanding of various phenomena. Although science-based knowledge
    is imperfect and better interpretations will replace many currently
    accepted beliefs, this does not mean that all views are equally
    valid. Even if they are later rejected or revised, beliefs that are
    backed by empirical evidence are broadly preferable to those without evidentiary support. Continuous revisions of established knowledge
    made in response to new revelations ultimately improve our capacity
    to predict outcomes. This interactive and self-correcting feature of
    science ensures that beliefs are not uniformly arbitrary and that
    they aspire to be free of bias.

    I

    I've invented a new diet: Whenever you are hungry, instead of going
    into the kitchen and eating, go into the bedroom and fuck or
    masturbate. Water and clear broths are also permitted. This diet
    won't work all that well if you have a job, unless you have either a
    lot of self-discipline or an extremely permissive employer. However,
    I have a week off work, so I am testing this diet out right now. I
    will let you know how it goes.

    II

    I'm on day two of the Fuck or Masturbate Diet. I have checked the
    scale twice today and I haven't lost any weight, but I am not
    discouraged. My theory is that I've replaced some of my weight with
    water weight. I've been drinking an awful lot of water. I've had
    eleven orgasms.

    III

    I'm on day three of my diet and I've already run out of the clear
    broth, and it was tricky making more because I felt that I ought to
    jerk off while I was making it. So it was like making the broth with
    my right hand tied behind my back. Then, after making the broth, for
    balance, I jerked off with my left hand tied behind my back. My
    conclusion is that before beginning the Fuck or Masturbate Diet,
    clear broths should be prepared in advance

    IV

    Day four. For several hours today I was so weak with hunger I
    couldn't have made it to the kitchen even if I had wanted to. I did
    make it to the bathroom. I have decided that it is probably not a
    good idea to leave the apartment, because if I were to bump into a
    friend, and that friend happened to be eating a pretzel or knish, I
    would grab it out of his or her hand and devour it right in front of
    him. This diet is important to me, but it is not worth losing friends
    over

    V

    It is day five of the Fuck or Masturbate Diet and if you're just
    joining me, the idea is that instead of eating, you fuck or
    masturbate. Technically, I suppose, it should be called the Fuck or
    Masturbate Fast, as the word "diet" implies that some kind of eating
    is involved. When I first conceived of this project, I thought I
    would probably be unable to resist eating, and I didn't want to feel
    like a failure. But here I am, on day five, and I've lost six pounds
    and I have had 38 orgasms. I'd say so far, it's been a success.

    VI

    I'm on day six. I've begun to hallucinate every time I orgasm. The
    Hindu goddess Lakshmi appeared to me several times today and promised
    me wealth, fortune, and prosperity (both material and spiritual).
    Then her husband Vishnu appeared and asked me if I was fucking his
    wife and I said no, I swear. Not even a hand job (note: Lakshmi has
    four arms, and each one has a hand). Vishnu appeared to believe me
    and then disappeared. I haven't seen Lakshmi since, and it's probably
    just as well as I am so hungry at this point I might have tried
    something with her.

    VII

    More hallucinations: I saw Kali, goddess of change, preservation and destruction;

    Parvati, goddess of love, fertility and devotion; Radha, the life
    energy of Krishna; and for some reason, Daenerys Targaryen, the
    Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and of the First Men,
    Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains
    and Mother of Dragons, and she was, in fact, in this vision, riding a
    dragon, but-and this is interesting-it wasn't Drogon. It was
    Veserion. This made absolutely no sense to me, and I'm starting to
    become concerned for my mental well being. I am glad to be returning
    to work tomorrow.

    VII

    This morning, I returned to work, but before I did, I ate three bowls
    of cereal, two vegan sausages, a fruit salad, and toast. Then a bowl
    of chili, some tortilla chips, and peasant bread. I drank a quart of
    orange juice and then had some sorbet. I gained back three of the
    eleven pounds I lost, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I
    had 53 orgasms and a few of them were mind altering and enlightening
    and all of them were entertaining. All in all, I am pleased with the
    results of this diet, and I expect I will try it again the next time
    I have time off work.

    John S. Hall is a poet/spoken word artist, musician (if ukulele
    counts), and singer-songwriter. He has released numerous recordings,
    including nine albums with various incarnations of his band King
    Missile. He is the author of a collection of poetry (Jesus Was Way
    Cool) and a self-help parody (Daily Negations), both on Soft Skull
    Press, and over 100 unpublished children’s stories. His most recent
    releases may be found here <https://dromedaryrecords.bandcamp.com/album/garden-variety-fuckers>
    and here
    <https://silkcut.bandcamp.com/releases>. <https://www.instagram.com/thesatanicchef/> <https://www.instagram.com/thesatanicchef/>

    Ingredients

    3 pounds pumpkin - any variety

    Cheap, cheap, cheap white wine

    Olive oil

    1 pound unsalted butter

    7 spice (purchased at any Lebanese market)

    Heavy cream

    Salt, pepper

    Red wine vinegar

    2 Spanish onions

    4 cloves of garlic

    Vegetable stock

    Chili Crisp, any variety

    Instructions

    Weigh out 3 pounds of pumpkin. Take the seeds out and scrape down the
    insides. You do not need to skin the pumpkin.

    Place the seeds in a bowl with some water, and separate the seeds
    from the pumpkin guts. Save the seeds in a separate bowl.

    Dry the seeds and toss with salt and pepper and roast at 370 degrees
    for 12 min. You can alternatively deep fry the seeds at 350 degrees,
    which I like better.

    Cut the pumpkin into 5x5 inch strips, season with salt, pepper, olive
    oil, and some 7 spice.

    Put the pumpkin on a roasting rack so the oil drips down. Roast the
    pumpkin strips in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes until
    tender.

    Take the rack out and remove the pumpkin. After letting the pumpkin
    cool, remove the skin from the pumpkin using a knife.

    Take your roasting rack, heat it on a stove, and deglaze your
    roasting rack with some white wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the
    umami off the bottom of the pan. Make sure to cook out the alcohol
    from the wine.

    Next, slice your onions into super thin slices or use a sharp blade
    or mandolin to julienne them.

    Smash some garlic cloves with your hands. (They don’t have to be
    chopped up.)

    Next, heat a large stockpot on the stove. Put some olive oil and
    about 3 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of the pot. Melt the
    butter in the oil until the dairy fat is almost completely gone. The
    oil and fat should be completely translucent at this point. Let the
    butter start to brown.

    As soon as that happens, put your onions and garlic into the pan with
    a little pinch of salt.

    Once these ingredients are translucent, add your pumpkin to the
    mixture. Let these ingredients caramelize a bit. The fastest way to
    do this is to just to slightly burn the bottom. Once it starts to
    slightly brown, add your vegetable stock.

    Simmer everything for about one hour.

    After the hour is over, turn off the heat. Carefully strain the
    contents while saving the liquid.

    Cut up about ½ pound unsalted butter and keep cold. Keep your cream
    cold, as well.

    Place some of your pumpkin mixture into a blender in batches with a
    dash of vinegar and salt, and throw in some cold butter and a little
    bit of cream. Just about for every 2 cups of pumpkin, add about 1/4 a
    cup of cream, 3 tablespoons butter, one tablespoon of vinegar, and 1
    cup of hot broth. Puree this mixture until smooth.

    Place your pumpkin soup in a bowl. Place a couple of drops of chili
    crisp around the middle. Add your toasted pumpkin seeds and some
    herbs for garnish.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)