This is why Fascism is growing in the US…no consequences for breaking the law. Vandalism and free speech violations allowed for the nuttiest christians only.
To have studied this history and school, then watch it get a pass in the US is beyond the reaches of outrage. Today is J6, We must all put reminders on every media platform we can
Exactly! This is an atrocity in the works. And yet the Constitution and the laws that protect us from these seditionist criminals will not be implemented by any US entity…government or military (National Guard)
It is also unchristian to disobey the established laws prohibiting vandalism and destruction of property. These "countless saints" who toppled monuments did so long before there was a First Amendment protecting religious beliefs and practices that are not Christian. Cummings is truly ignorant of what the First Amendment protects. He seems to believe, as so many other conservative Christians, that religious freedom is only for Christians.
That sentence, which you quoted also jumped out at me: He writes that there should be an anti- blasphemy law, ie he’s fully aware that there is currently no such thing. Basically, he is fully aware of what the law says. He just wishes that it were different:
Free speech for me, but not for thee!
(Side question - how do you quote a text in your note? I am just finding my feet on Substack and there is still loads which I haven’t figured out. I have just posted my first re-stack!)
You know that phrase about: when someone tells you who they are [and/or what they did], believe them? I'd say that applies here. Stipulated that he clearly knows about as much about The Satanic Temple as he knows about Neptune (and probably less), but that's beside the point. Joshua deserves to have the book thrown at him for destroying TST property, and yes, it IS that simple.
Oh, and one last thing: Cummings should pony up the money to replace the statue!
I looked it up. In NH it's a class a misdemeanor if the damage is less than $1500. Punishment is restitution, so if he is found guilty he will definitely have to pony up the cash. Also, if they can prove he used his car while doing the feed, he loses his license for 90 days. More than $1500? Class b felony. Too bad they won't get hate crime charges to stick, despite the overwhelming evidence that it was a hate crime. (Christian Fucking Privilege)
The value of the statue is what The Satanic Temple says it is. If there are any valuable metals contained in the construction, the value of the statue could be substantial depending on the composition. That’s not to say that the labor involved in the construction also doesn’t have value, since it does. That’s statue might meet the US$1500 standard. In that case, Josh’s possible felony conviction is something that sticks with him for life just like a hate crime conviction. Good luck with his answers on the felony question on job applications going forward.
Regardless if Joshua is charged I think The Satanic Temple should post that he is forgiven since he knows not what he is doing and add "go and sin no more."
“Again, I maintain that Satan is not who the Satanic Temple says he is— he is who he is— he has no humility and no love, and hates everyone, seeking their destruction.”
The Satanic Temple only uses the description of Satan from the Bible to get the basis of their mascot.
‘The “Seven Tenets” of Satanism (which the Temple regularly cites as the reason for making their cause attractive) have nothing to do with the actual agenda of Satan.”
Satan’s agenda described in the Bible clearly support the Seven Tenets. The Bible specifically states that god was the one who did all the things that expressed no humanity, love and destruction. The Seven Tenets discuss individual rights and freedoms, which are things churches regularly claim are Satan’s desires. All that to finally point out the flaw in his following thought.
“God forbid the members of the Satanic Temple die in their delusion and realize their eternal disappointment: Satan doesn't like you as much as you liked him!”
The Satanic Temple does not believe in a literal Satan. Satan is only a symbol of exactly what the tenets express, as described in the Bible (if you would ever bother to read it for yourself). No one from The Satanic Temple thinks they will meet Satan on judgement day or when they die, whatever you think will happen.
Anyway, I find it funny that he thinks Satan is all about destruction, but uses destruction as a tool for god. I mean, who owns a medieval mace with an intent to use it?
Cummings is yet one more person who sees Satan and loses his shit, without bothering to learn ANYTHING regarding what TST is about. I can't help but notice that that happens a LOT around fundamentalist Christians.
They seem to utterly refuse to look past the surface.
It’s the desired outcome for the church. Squash their curiosity young, make them as gullible as possible, then you can suck every last penny from them as long as they live. It’s the long con, the longest con there is.
Pretty clear this religious bigot just wants to be the hero of his own story. Nonetheless, he was motivated by religious hatred to destroy the private property of others which was officially authorized to be on state grounds. This guy is another example of a hateful christian doing malicious things in order to cast himself as a victim. Triggered christian syndrome.
2 Corinthians 4:4 says: Satan who is the god of this world... If their bible is inerrant as they are wont to claim, they got some 'splainin' to do. Our constitutional republic is being torn asunder by people with Judgmental Personalities who believe in their hearts of hearts that they alone have access to the absolute truth and you just have to do it their way. Couple that with an economy and society being stacked against the people who actually pay the bills here, by an Oligarchy and an incipient dictatorship - and we are some deep shit folks.
"2 Corinthians 4:4 says: Satan who is the god of this world... If their bible is inerrant as they are wont to claim, they got some 'splainin' to do." *
* Why, certainly! That's a mistranslation from an unauthorized version used by an unapproved sect that we don't like. Satan is not a god, and that's not what it means.
So, if I follow his reasoning, it's ok for me to come into the US to destroy Mary and Jesus statues because they are an offense to a Goddess* of an ancient religion and her son.
The persecution complex is strong with this one. He thinks that any criminal charges against him would be "unfair", characterizing it as "lawfare". He seems to be taking a page from Trump's playbook.
Again, for the umpty-umpth time, if your God doesn't like the competition, let HIM take the case to court and try to get away with whining "Oh, poor little me, people like somebody else more than they like me. Wah wah wah, can't you make them stop?"
I think this article defines something I've noticed happening more and more often with the current right wing. Despite claiming to be 'the party of law and order', these folks only seem to care about laws when said laws work the way they want them to; when it's one of their own committing the crime, the right seems to think laws shouldn't apply. Mr. Cummings likely only committed this crime under the assumption he would be allowed to get away with it; if jail time had been a serious threat it's likely he'd have stayed home.
Mr. Cummings' behavior shows that he doesn't actually want rule of law to be how things work, he just wants his way. That is not 'law and order' that's 'my way or the highway' and the two are not interchangeable. The way he honestly expects others to help him escape consequences for his behavior shows just how little he values the legal system, preservation of peaceful relationships, and community harmony.
Their definition of “order” is similarly skewed. They understand it to mean that society is ordered according to their way of thinking. Not so long ago, lynching was a a way of maintaining “order”. They just keep updating the victim class.
Hey Mormons and other religious minorities, does this ring a bell yet? Do you honestly think they won’t start toppling your “false God” idols once they have the power?
Keep supporting Maga and religious extremist and you’re going to see your church fall. It’s not like Mormons have to look back 2000 years, they can look back a couple hundred years and see evidence for what I’m saying. “Well darn they burned all our Temples down but at least they hated some of the same people we did”
It’s interesting to hear/read the comments by this chap. His ‘reasoning’ behind his actions. It has made something a bit clearer in my mind, which I am trying to explain. (Please add your clarifications and other thoughts!)
The constitution ie the actual text of the constitution is agnostic about religions, its provisions apply to all religions and creeds. Which means that the rules apply - and should be applied - equally to everyone. Ie equality before the law.
However, if you’re starting out with the mindset, that your religion (or yourself) is/are special and thus deserve special treatment, then the denial of privilege can feel like persecution. Despite it just being the application of equality.
That is behind those claims of ‘Christian persecution’
There was a confluence of items that culminated in my atheism at age 16. The fact that there were religions older the Hebrew religion was one of them. Genesis tells us that God created the world and the first people and thus the Hebrew religion was born. If we can show that there were people and religions before the Hebrews, then Genesis is proven false and therefore the entire Bible negated. Bam! Big step toward atheism.
Well, the LDS is no where near ancient, but I’m sure he would defend them as a rightful religion, since it’s technically an extension of Christianity and therefore has ancient ties. Or Scientology isn’t under his umbrella of hate because it’s a “real” religion, it’s just TST he objects to because it is based on the villain in his fairy tale.
It seems like a near certainty that Cummings would have demanded not just hate crime charges, but terrorism charges if someone had destroyed the nativity scene after calling it blasphemous.
This is why Fascism is growing in the US…no consequences for breaking the law. Vandalism and free speech violations allowed for the nuttiest christians only.
History rewriting itself. 1930 and 40's Germany.
In MAGA We Trust?
To have studied this history and school, then watch it get a pass in the US is beyond the reaches of outrage. Today is J6, We must all put reminders on every media platform we can
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/664afa023ebf67c70b046b738c10cf7aa1932741c8b2b520e678abf4e7e4c94c.jpg
Exactly! This is an atrocity in the works. And yet the Constitution and the laws that protect us from these seditionist criminals will not be implemented by any US entity…government or military (National Guard)
𝐼 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖-𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑤𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑦 𝑖𝑑𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑒𝑠, 𝑎 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑒ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑.
It is also unchristian to disobey the established laws prohibiting vandalism and destruction of property. These "countless saints" who toppled monuments did so long before there was a First Amendment protecting religious beliefs and practices that are not Christian. Cummings is truly ignorant of what the First Amendment protects. He seems to believe, as so many other conservative Christians, that religious freedom is only for Christians.
That sentence, which you quoted also jumped out at me: He writes that there should be an anti- blasphemy law, ie he’s fully aware that there is currently no such thing. Basically, he is fully aware of what the law says. He just wishes that it were different:
Free speech for me, but not for thee!
(Side question - how do you quote a text in your note? I am just finding my feet on Substack and there is still loads which I haven’t figured out. I have just posted my first re-stack!)
If you are asking how he got the italic font visit:
https://yaytext.com/bold-italic/
To quote text: highlight what you want to quote, then copy/paste. And to fancy it up, yaytext.com, as Zorg has so helpfully already linked.
Thankyou. I will try it out.
Next step, adding a pic…..
Sorry, pics aren't allowed. You can post links to pics, and gifs.
Example: here's a kitty!
https://images.app.goo.gl/GqZimyycXkYrYLzT6
So many kitties, and kitty adjacent, pics on the internet. Makes sense that when the Matrix glitches a cat is involved.
Here's another Kitty:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/a3/ad/a3a3ad997571b8819dff6018473ab06b.jpg
Now there's a face that could talk me out of a can of white albacore tuna in a heartbeat.
Who is Zoeg? 🤔
Zorg's cousin?
I fixed it. 😄
👍
You know that phrase about: when someone tells you who they are [and/or what they did], believe them? I'd say that applies here. Stipulated that he clearly knows about as much about The Satanic Temple as he knows about Neptune (and probably less), but that's beside the point. Joshua deserves to have the book thrown at him for destroying TST property, and yes, it IS that simple.
Oh, and one last thing: Cummings should pony up the money to replace the statue!
I looked it up. In NH it's a class a misdemeanor if the damage is less than $1500. Punishment is restitution, so if he is found guilty he will definitely have to pony up the cash. Also, if they can prove he used his car while doing the feed, he loses his license for 90 days. More than $1500? Class b felony. Too bad they won't get hate crime charges to stick, despite the overwhelming evidence that it was a hate crime. (Christian Fucking Privilege)
The value of the statue is what The Satanic Temple says it is. If there are any valuable metals contained in the construction, the value of the statue could be substantial depending on the composition. That’s not to say that the labor involved in the construction also doesn’t have value, since it does. That’s statue might meet the US$1500 standard. In that case, Josh’s possible felony conviction is something that sticks with him for life just like a hate crime conviction. Good luck with his answers on the felony question on job applications going forward.
Regardless if Joshua is charged I think The Satanic Temple should post that he is forgiven since he knows not what he is doing and add "go and sin no more."
“Again, I maintain that Satan is not who the Satanic Temple says he is— he is who he is— he has no humility and no love, and hates everyone, seeking their destruction.”
The Satanic Temple only uses the description of Satan from the Bible to get the basis of their mascot.
‘The “Seven Tenets” of Satanism (which the Temple regularly cites as the reason for making their cause attractive) have nothing to do with the actual agenda of Satan.”
Satan’s agenda described in the Bible clearly support the Seven Tenets. The Bible specifically states that god was the one who did all the things that expressed no humanity, love and destruction. The Seven Tenets discuss individual rights and freedoms, which are things churches regularly claim are Satan’s desires. All that to finally point out the flaw in his following thought.
“God forbid the members of the Satanic Temple die in their delusion and realize their eternal disappointment: Satan doesn't like you as much as you liked him!”
The Satanic Temple does not believe in a literal Satan. Satan is only a symbol of exactly what the tenets express, as described in the Bible (if you would ever bother to read it for yourself). No one from The Satanic Temple thinks they will meet Satan on judgement day or when they die, whatever you think will happen.
Anyway, I find it funny that he thinks Satan is all about destruction, but uses destruction as a tool for god. I mean, who owns a medieval mace with an intent to use it?
Cummings is yet one more person who sees Satan and loses his shit, without bothering to learn ANYTHING regarding what TST is about. I can't help but notice that that happens a LOT around fundamentalist Christians.
They seem to utterly refuse to look past the surface.
It’s the desired outcome for the church. Squash their curiosity young, make them as gullible as possible, then you can suck every last penny from them as long as they live. It’s the long con, the longest con there is.
It's the very core of orthodoxy.
Pretty clear this religious bigot just wants to be the hero of his own story. Nonetheless, he was motivated by religious hatred to destroy the private property of others which was officially authorized to be on state grounds. This guy is another example of a hateful christian doing malicious things in order to cast himself as a victim. Triggered christian syndrome.
2 Corinthians 4:4 says: Satan who is the god of this world... If their bible is inerrant as they are wont to claim, they got some 'splainin' to do. Our constitutional republic is being torn asunder by people with Judgmental Personalities who believe in their hearts of hearts that they alone have access to the absolute truth and you just have to do it their way. Couple that with an economy and society being stacked against the people who actually pay the bills here, by an Oligarchy and an incipient dictatorship - and we are some deep shit folks.
...people with Judgmental Personalities who believe in their hearts of hearts that they alone have access to the absolute truth.
The Koran! well, come put me to the test—
Lovely old book in hideous error drest—
Believe me, I can quote the Koran too,
The unbeliever knows his Koran best.
And do you think that unto such as you,
A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew,
God gave the Secret, and denied it me?—
Well, well, what matters it! believe that too.
--Omar Khyam
Ol' Omar knew how to throw it down! 👍
JPD - Judgmental Personality Disorder. 🙂
I agree we are in deep and if we do not collectively resist autocracy our liberal break will be over and we will be standing on our heads.
"2 Corinthians 4:4 says: Satan who is the god of this world... If their bible is inerrant as they are wont to claim, they got some 'splainin' to do." *
* Why, certainly! That's a mistranslation from an unauthorized version used by an unapproved sect that we don't like. Satan is not a god, and that's not what it means.
There! 'Splainin' done!
How fortunate are we in that all True Believers are Scholars!
From: Black Hole mourner
Sent: Saturday, January 4, 2025 10:05 AM
To: Zorginipsoundsor
Subject: Joshua cunnings
So, if I follow his reasoning, it's ok for me to come into the US to destroy Mary and Jesus statues because they are an offense to a Goddess* of an ancient religion and her son.
Good to know.
* Isis and Horus.
Shall we mention that the Catholic Church is positively LOUSY with iconography, which violates the 2nd Commandment?
Seems I just did.
She reads the articles, not our comments.
Do wish her my very best ... and tell her she's MISSED.
Done.
𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑒, 𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑜 𝑚𝑖𝑜.
I miss her too and obviously missed why she’s no longer here. If it’s none of my business, I’m good just knowing she’s still among us.
DM died on November 30th.
Me too.
The persecution complex is strong with this one. He thinks that any criminal charges against him would be "unfair", characterizing it as "lawfare". He seems to be taking a page from Trump's playbook.
How 'fair' was it of him to arbitrarily vandalize/destroy the property of others because he took personal offense?
Well, destruction of property should be allowed when done to protect the feelings of the omnipotent. That's what makes it fair. /s
To answer that one has to understand how the poor downtrodden persecuted xian haters see their world. I don't want to even if I could.
Again, for the umpty-umpth time, if your God doesn't like the competition, let HIM take the case to court and try to get away with whining "Oh, poor little me, people like somebody else more than they like me. Wah wah wah, can't you make them stop?"
Brings to mind the Gold statue of the orange one. Send this guy after that one. Oh never mind, he'd likely start praying to it.
If your faith is so frail that it is threatened by a statue...
...the problem isn't the statue.
Interesting that this devout christain utterly failed to follow what the goat herders guide said to do if his eye was offended.
Oh, well, that bit was for The Other People, y'see.
The bible's content is strictly pick-and-choose. It's a big buffet.
...or am I confusing that with the evangelical message of Grom the Paunch again?
I think this article defines something I've noticed happening more and more often with the current right wing. Despite claiming to be 'the party of law and order', these folks only seem to care about laws when said laws work the way they want them to; when it's one of their own committing the crime, the right seems to think laws shouldn't apply. Mr. Cummings likely only committed this crime under the assumption he would be allowed to get away with it; if jail time had been a serious threat it's likely he'd have stayed home.
Mr. Cummings' behavior shows that he doesn't actually want rule of law to be how things work, he just wants his way. That is not 'law and order' that's 'my way or the highway' and the two are not interchangeable. The way he honestly expects others to help him escape consequences for his behavior shows just how little he values the legal system, preservation of peaceful relationships, and community harmony.
It's the 'spirit' of exceptionalism and its a mental disease that these types refuse to be vaccinated for because they are, the exception. 🤔
bathd in the blood of jesus, and exposed to hundreds of diseases.
Their godthing places them above the law. So sad. Now we have a two tiered (maybe 3) system of laws.
KKKristers
tRumpy
The rest of us
Der kinder führer always comes first.
Their definition of “order” is similarly skewed. They understand it to mean that society is ordered according to their way of thinking. Not so long ago, lynching was a a way of maintaining “order”. They just keep updating the victim class.
Hey Mormons and other religious minorities, does this ring a bell yet? Do you honestly think they won’t start toppling your “false God” idols once they have the power?
Keep supporting Maga and religious extremist and you’re going to see your church fall. It’s not like Mormons have to look back 2000 years, they can look back a couple hundred years and see evidence for what I’m saying. “Well darn they burned all our Temples down but at least they hated some of the same people we did”
It’s interesting to hear/read the comments by this chap. His ‘reasoning’ behind his actions. It has made something a bit clearer in my mind, which I am trying to explain. (Please add your clarifications and other thoughts!)
The constitution ie the actual text of the constitution is agnostic about religions, its provisions apply to all religions and creeds. Which means that the rules apply - and should be applied - equally to everyone. Ie equality before the law.
However, if you’re starting out with the mindset, that your religion (or yourself) is/are special and thus deserve special treatment, then the denial of privilege can feel like persecution. Despite it just being the application of equality.
That is behind those claims of ‘Christian persecution’
When You’re Accustomed to Privilege, Equality Feels Like Oppression.
“have ancient precedent” Satan and god are the same age (more or less). There are also older gods. Why don't they have precedent?
> "There are also older gods."
There was a confluence of items that culminated in my atheism at age 16. The fact that there were religions older the Hebrew religion was one of them. Genesis tells us that God created the world and the first people and thus the Hebrew religion was born. If we can show that there were people and religions before the Hebrews, then Genesis is proven false and therefore the entire Bible negated. Bam! Big step toward atheism.
Are you saying that talking snakes didn't do it for you? ; )
As a budding herpetologist (at that age) I was kind of hoping that part was real. 😉
When our sons were of that age, my bride told them “no snakes in the house! “
Well, the LDS is no where near ancient, but I’m sure he would defend them as a rightful religion, since it’s technically an extension of Christianity and therefore has ancient ties. Or Scientology isn’t under his umbrella of hate because it’s a “real” religion, it’s just TST he objects to because it is based on the villain in his fairy tale.
It seems like a near certainty that Cummings would have demanded not just hate crime charges, but terrorism charges if someone had destroyed the nativity scene after calling it blasphemous.