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oraxx's avatar

Based on their respective body counts in the Old Testament, I don't know why Satan ever got labeled as the bad guy in the first place. The God of the Old Testament is a blood-thirsty monster and the most disagreeable character in all of fiction. They try to pass off the God of the New Testament as kind and gentle, but is he? You sure don't see him stepping in to end any of the evil in the world, like Christian-on-Christian violence in the name of Christianity.

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Joe King's avatar

Satan's OT body count of 10 was done under direct orders from God. The New Testament God? He wants blood flowing as deep as a horse's bridle. Not exactly "kind and gentle".

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oraxx's avatar

Christians, acting in the name of Christianity, have spilled enough blood to float the Navy.

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OwossoHarpist's avatar

Such as Hitler, Stalin, and the ironically named Pope Innocent.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Which one ? It was a trilogy.

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Holytape's avatar

**Puts on Christian Apologist's hat** But back then, it was a different time. You see horses were a lot shorter back then. Two to three hands at most. Which is nothing compared to the amount of blood spilled by the atheists during the crusades.

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RegularJoe's avatar

Hands were quite a bit bigger back then, though, so it all evens out.

God really, really, really likes his bloodbaths.

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Holytape's avatar

**Puts on Christian Apologist's hat** Since God is the source of all morality, and since He can't be immoral, we as humans with only a limited ability to know, much less understand the divine plan, can't say whether mass slaughter is really bad. Sure I hear atheist say its wrong, but can they prove it without relying on objective morality which then shows that God exists? No, for them to say that the mass slaughter of so many thousands that it creates a current of blood that washes away the corpses of the damned presupposed a God, which invalidates their entire argument.

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RegularJoe's avatar

Besides, it's not like it's *our* blood. 🙂

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Len Koz's avatar

Isaiah 45:7 from the King James version of the Bible, aka, the evangelist's favorite version, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

So the Big Cheese cops to creating evil. Satan had nothing to do with it.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

It gets even worse than that. Consider:

𝐼 𝑔𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒. 𝐼 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑠, 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑝 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛, 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚, 𝑠𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑂𝑅𝐷.

-- Ezekiel 20:25-26

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NOGODZ20's avatar

YHVH is a right bastard, isn't he? And yet they worship this abomination.

🎵 I rob you and I slaughter you. Your downfall is my gain.

And still you play the sycophant and revel in your pain 🎵

-- Motorhead

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Richard S. Russell's avatar

I’ve long been astonished that Christians can claim with a straight face that, yes, the Yahweh of the Old Testament was a petty, vengeful, murderous jerk, but that everything was set right by Jesus (according to the fanfic of his most devoted followers, known as the New Testament). But that’s got it exactly backwards.

Sure, if you did something that pïssed off the easily irritated Yahweh, he’d smite you where you stood, plus your family and half the innocent bystanders in the surrounding county as collateral damage. But that was it. Dead. Done. Finito. Period. Game Over. Sayonara. Hasta la vista. It wasn’t until Jesus came along that they invented the concept of “No no no, my friend, we’re gonna fry your sorry äss FOREVER! And not just for the actions you actually performed but for some of those naughty little THOTS you’ve been having!”

Think about it. Which of these 2 arrogant, flaming sadists was actually worse?

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oraxx's avatar

If the New Testament God is real, then he is unimaginably cruel.

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Geoff Benson's avatar

After all, who’s to say that Satan wasn’t actually the inspiration for the bible, and that in reality he hasn’t got God locked away in a dark dungeon? Oh the irony, the thought that Christians throughout the ages have really been worshipping the devil just swells my bosom…well makes me chuckle!

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Maltnothops's avatar

That’s an excellent point. Read objectively, the bible is a chronicle of a very bad character who is known as Yahweh.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

There’s no student at the school with the name of the student trying to block the club? The petition claims Satanists have a history of persecution of Christians? This isn’t about religion? The Christians are on the right side? And the satanic club is about worshipping Satan?

Sounds pretty typical of the Christian side of things, misrepresent who is getting offended, lie about what the other side is saying, makeup history of persecution despite being the religion in power, pretend that it’s about right and wrong. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to their next steps, death threats, vandalism and outright violence.

No, there is no history of TST persecuting Christians, it’s the opposite in fact. The Satanic Panic was manufactured by Christian’s to give cover to their persecution of atheists and perfectly benign Satanists. You cannot claim everything that doesn’t promote your religion to be Satanist, then use that generalization to argue this group has persecuted you. Demanding that you follow the laws is not persecution, no matter how small it makes you feel.

But I’m sure the student could have just started a general science or service club without including Satan in the name and all this would go away. Except the AWAKE club would still be the only religious club in town, and no one would have to deal with the constitutional issues that causes. Ignore the lies and manipulation of the “good guys”.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"Demanding that you follow the law is not persecution..."

Indeed. Their own bible TELLS them to OBEY all earthly laws and authorities.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Taking cues from Trump, or vice versa, since the church is older.

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Joe King's avatar

They only remember that verse when they can apply it to 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.

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scenario's avatar

If you don't agree with a law work to change it. But conservatives know it will be difficult to convince people to eliminate part of the bill of rights.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

This is why they want to take over the courts and eliminate it through judicial activism.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"This isn't about religion..."

What? WHAT!?! It's about nothing BUT religion. Why do supposedly moral Christians think nothing of bald-faced lying? Their own scripture tells them their deity detests lying lips.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"Whether you believe in God, are a Christian, Catholic, Mormon, Hindu, Buddhist or even atheist you should see that ending this club is not just because it opposes Christianity but because what they stand for and the actions they will make are wrong and immoral."

But it's not an argument about religion and Christianity, right? Do you even listen to yourselves? When you finished with "This isn't an argument over religion and Christianity but of right and wrong" did you get whiplash when you typed that?

And who in hell made Christians the arbiters of morality and wright/wrong? Considering your history, you are the last people on Earth to be pointing fingers at others. Oh, and you really need to educate yourselves as to what atheism is and is not.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

So ... shall we talk about what the After School Satan club stands for? Yeah, let's:

https://thesatanictemple.com/blogs/the-satanic-temple-tenets/there-are-seven-fundamental-tenets

I want to know WHAT anyone who has a problem with the ASS club or TST objects to and WHY. I'm waiting...

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Has the word "Satan" in it; didn't read any further.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

They won't even see that nowhere in any of the 7 tenets does the word Satan appear.

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Marie -José Renaud's avatar

You're mistaken. You're looking for WORDS, they're finding INTENT.

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scenario's avatar

Its pro science. Nuff said.

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Marie -José Renaud's avatar

Critical thinking, secularism and humanism to begin with. They are an abomination info the Lord.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

I'm sure the lord loves the poorly educated ... like a certain Mango Mussolini that shall remain nameless.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Adopting and cleaning roads is highly immoral. god allowed littering don't you know ?

https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2019/02/23/satanists-sign-up-to-keep-highway-300-clean

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NOGODZ20's avatar

And in FA articles we've read. we've seen how godly Christians vandalize and destroy atheist Adopt-a-Highway signs. Guess we can see where the trash is coming from.

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larry parker's avatar

From the article, Satanist just like the KKK.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

The KKK. That fine Christian organization.

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XJC's avatar

Let's ask a priest...right after he zips up his fly after consensual sex with an underage alter boy.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

The "consensual" sex that leaves the altar boy altered for life.

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XJC's avatar

God works in mysterious ways...

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

“This isn’t an argument over religion and Christianity but of right and wrong.”

If you have to lie to make your point, you are not on the side of right. And this is absolutely about religion. Since everyone on your side is talking about worship of Satan and the club is about critical thinking and service projects. Maybe you are projecting the purpose of your totally not indoctrinating Jesus club onto this club and proving that the Satan club is sorely needed in the school.

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Anri's avatar

"“This deeply troubles me and many others in our community as we believe that schools should be places of education and growth, not platforms for satanic indoctrination or controversial practices,” the petition reads."

Educating kids is itself a controversial practice. Educating them well, teaching them to make their own decisions, even more so.

"Satanism has a strong history of persecution and violence towards the church and those who believe in God."

Citation sorely needed!

Especially in regards to the TST, of course, but really, I'd like to know what's they're drawing from in general.

I'm afraid I'll need to be reminded of all of the massive incidents of violence performed by All Those Evil Satanists. I'd really love to hear the, let's say, top five violent persecutions of the church or the faithful by Satanists, per the petition writer. (My bingo card has both TTRPG's and sabotaged Halloween candy spaces, but maybe I'm out of date.)

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Joe King's avatar

Satanism has never been big enough to persecute anyone. Christians, on the other hand, is the leading persecutor of other Christians throughout history.

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Vanity Unfair's avatar

But only the WRONG sort of Christians.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Anything that doesn’t promote their Jesus and holy works is satanism, there are many ways that their religion has been persecuted throughout time, therefore Satanism has a long history of persecuting Christians. Their beliefs calls anything and everything they don’t like the devil, so all the other religions are satanism, secularism is satanism, weather is satanism, pop culture is satanism. With that thinking, they have an untold number of examples of satanism persecuting the Christians.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Don't forget other kinds of Christianity that aren't Jesusing the right way.

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larry parker's avatar

There was that time when a yahoo in a pickup truck destroyed the 10 commandments monument. Oh, wait...he was a christian.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Michael Tate Reed. A Christian who believed in church-state separation.

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Holytape's avatar

I am going to start the "Let's Stone Unruly Kids Club." And let people decide if this is a club for pot smoking or if it is referring to Deuteronomy 21:18-21,... or Exodus 21:17,... or Proverbs 22:15 or... Proverbs 13:24, or... Leviticus 20:9, or ... Proverbs 30:17... Jesus Christ there are a lot of verse about beating you kids.

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Old Man Shadow's avatar

I get the impression from white Evangelicals that they don't really believe their God is all powerful or in control at all.

If they did believe that, the use of a name would not send them into a panicked frenzy..

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Joe King's avatar

They panic and buy a pack of gum it the total at the register comes to $6.66. Their leaders constantly use fear to keep them in line, so it's no wonder that just a 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 will freak them out.

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Old Man Shadow's avatar

I know.

That just tells me that they either don't trust their God, don't believe he is omnipotent, or don't believe he is really in control.

All in all, it testifies about the shallowness or fakeness of their faith.

They raised me on stories about martyrs who stood firm in their beliefs in the face of death and they fall apart the moment someone says "Happy Holidays."

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Anri's avatar

As someone who has run a cash register in the Gulf South, this is in fact a thing.

I have had someone literally walk away from a grocery order due to there being three consecutive sixes in the total.

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scenario's avatar

How do social security numbers work then.

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Anri's avatar

Well, triple sixes aside, a disturbing number of the evangelical set already see SSN's as the Mark of the Beast from Revelations, so there's that.

But I have to say, I haven't the faintest. I wouldn't be hugely surprised that it's a "13th hotel floor" kind of thing - that quiet accommodations are simply made for a superstition without much fanfare - that people aren't issued SSN's with triple sixes?

I dunno.

How do people like that function daily? I genuinely have no idea. Poorly, I would presume.

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XJC's avatar

That's why Allah requires Muslins to pray 5X a day. Jesus should require Christians to pay 5X a day. $$$GOD.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Conservatives have an enlarged amygdala, the whole fight or flight part. Which is why they tend to be violent and easily excitable.

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Kay-El's avatar

I wish my house address number was 666. Then maybe the religious kookdom wouldn’t god-bother me.

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Kay-El's avatar

Ooooo, yes, I have a perfect place for it too

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XJC's avatar

How about a new area code 666? I'm sure the gubment won't permit it.

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Kay-El's avatar

Oh hell no, the operative word being hell, as in hell bound if you did.

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XJC's avatar

They didn't even allow 777.

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Bob Riggins's avatar

"Whether you believe in God, are a Christian, Catholic, Mormon, ..."

Note that "Christian" apparently doesn't include the other two, so they have to be mentioned separately.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Much blowing of bagpipes among Christians.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"This deeply troubles me and many others in our community as we believe schools should be places of education and growth..."

Oh, NOW you want your kids to learn and grow and not be subjected to indoctrination? Guess you won't mind if AWAKE disappears, then?

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Straw's avatar

The petition says "This deeply troubles me and many others in our community as we believe that schools should be places of education and growth, not platforms for satanic indoctrination or controversial practices,”.

So they are really believing that only xian indoctrination is allowed?

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Joe King's avatar

Yes. Because to them, it's not indoctrination if it's the "correct" religion.

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Straw's avatar

Stupid me. I forgot they believe in the only holy correct religion.

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RegularJoe's avatar

OT: Apparently some twatwaffle on Twitler has discovered that I'm really Abaddon. Had to look that one up.

My Pagan friends are convinced I'm.an anthropomorphic personification of one of the Tricksters...Coyote, Ananzi, some such. They say it with respect and a bit of awe, so that's fine with me.

Not sure about that Abbadon thing, though. I mean locusts? Not really a fan. 🤔

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

I have occasionally asked fundamentalists to prove to me that one of the trickster gods isn't just messing with humanity by trying to convince us that Jesus exists. I usually get blank stares.

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larry parker's avatar

Dibs on "angels of the abyss" as a band name.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

There's always this, courtesy of ELP:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY8tvoUUmks

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

My very first thought when I saw the name.

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Kay-El's avatar

One of my fave bands

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Mine, too. Saw 'em live at Cleveland Public Hall, back in 1972, I think it was, not long after Tarkus came out. Always enjoyed the classical sensibilities Keith Emerson brought to their work.

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Kay-El's avatar

I saw them twice. First at the first California Jam (Keith Emerson playing a spinning piano, never lost his rhythm), the second at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Many years later I saw Greg Lake at a little theater. His voice was still fantastic (ELP and King Crimson songs) he told stories of the band and took questions. Most of us in the audience were fairly gray, but I was impressed by the number of young people too.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Is there anyone here other than cdbunch, Val, Joan and me who is under 60 ? 😅

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

And don't forget Hemant who is 40.

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Kay-El's avatar

Only mentally, lol

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Joe King's avatar

57

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larry parker's avatar

62 is close to under 60. : )

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

58 next month. You forgot. 😭

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Matri's avatar

I'm a very senior 43.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Atheist King, who used to be a regular but has virtually disappeared, is/was a high schooler.

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Len Koz's avatar

I didn't know you were the drummer from Venom. I saw you guys at Studio 54 back in '85!

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NOGODZ20's avatar

You were a former drummer for Venom, RJ?

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Len Koz's avatar

I should have looked before posting something very similar.

But you never forget your first mosh pit.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

"Satanism has a strong history of persecution and violence towards the church and those who believe in God. " Satanism has never had the power to persecute 'the church'! (whatever that means)

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RegularJoe's avatar

Just look what he's done to poor Geraldine Jones.

https://youtu.be/6NASl_Qy2sc?si=LVgfYN_BaqCDHmfH

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"Satanism has a strong history of persecution and violence towards the church and those who believe in God."

https://youtu.be/pjJJnz2_85w

You are such liars. Satanism has ZERO history of persecution and violence towards your church and your fellow believers. Want to know who does? Your own brethren. You've been persecuting each other since very nearly the start. Don't like that inconvenient fact? Tough. It's recorded history. REAL history.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

That’s Satan guiding the other Christians, so satanism is persecuting us.

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larry parker's avatar

"Satanism has a strong history of persecution and violence towards the church and those who believe in God."

Projection be thy name.

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