Does anyone still want to claim there are not satanic influences at play? This is taking things all the way back to the ancient pagan religious practices of Babylon. New York City Erects Satanic Statue on City Courthouse to Promote Abortion The golden statue has a body shaped like an ancient fertility goddess, and braided hair fashioned into demonic spiral horns coming out of her head. It doesn't even have arms, looks almost more like some sort of monstrous tentacles, despite having legs. A new, golden idol to abortion stands on top of a New York City courthouse. The "NOW" statue also hints at the satanic: a naked, golden woman with braids fashioned into horns coming out of her head as she emerges from a pink lotus, according to photos in the New York Times. Images used by Satanists and The Satanic Temple often depict Satan with goat-like horns. The figure is also wearing judicial lace apron. It is meant to pay homage to (recently deceased) U.S. Supreme Court judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her fight for abortion. "She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation," Sikander said. The 53-year-old artist told the newspaper that she titled her piece "NOW" because women’s ability to have abortions is at risk right "now". At least the statue is not considered a permanent piece on the courthouse. They plan to next display it in Houston, Texas in June. (Which just goes to show how much things have changed in Texas) New York City Erects Satanic Statue on City Courthouse to Promote Abortion - LifeNews.com
A statue was raised, yes. It is a part of a tour around the country, so it will be moved around (Texas next). Insert words "satanic" and "to promote abortion" out of thin air, and you have a much juicier story, and people will feel like brave warriors in midst of a fierce spiritual battle.
Satanists don't usually believe Satan actually exists. They just have a particular anti-Christian philosophy. Lots of people have valid or invalid reasons for holding their beliefs. But Satan doesn't exist outside of people's minds and being for abortion rights is mostly about believing the mother is a person with rights while the embryo is not. This is morally reasonable given the embryo has no mind. Ironic you should bring up paganism and Babylon since historically, satanic was just a pejorative term used to demonize ones enemies who themselves do not actually worship the devil. Indeed some of the alternative names for Satan or demons of hell were taken from the names of gods of rival religions. Actual devil worship is pretty rare outside of the occasional psychotic person. Primer on Satanism: Satanism - Wikipedia "Anton LaVey, who has been referred to as "The Father of Satanism",[108] synthesized his religion through the establishment of the Church of Satan in 1966 and the publication of The Satanic Bible in 1969. LaVey's teachings promoted "indulgence", "vital existence", "undefiled wisdom", "kindness to those who deserve it", "responsibility to the responsible", and an "eye for an eye" code of ethics, while shunning "abstinence" based on guilt, "spirituality", "unconditional love", "pacifism", "equality", "herd mentality", and "scapegoating". LaVey envisioned a Satanist as a carnal, physical, and pragmatic being. The core values of LaVey Satanism are the enjoyment of physical existence, and undiluted naturalism that sees mankind as animals that exist in an amoral universe."
Well, it is being mounted on a New York City court building for 6 months, so that is kind of semi-permanent. Take a look at the statue. Anyone with an iota of sense can see it's satanic, if not clearly designed by the artist to look satanic. As for promoting abortion, the artist herself who created the sculpture says as much. Maybe not, but they're still big on the symbolism and hold the same sort of values as if they believed Satan existed. Abortion is treated like a systematized sacrifice, in many ways. Well, they may be making offerings to the devil through other deities and sacred images. Worshipping a demonic idol may not be devil worship necessarily, per se, but it is equivalent. It's only reinforced when demonic doctrines or values are being followed at the same time.
I posted a picture of it. I don't know why you think it looks satanic. Well, I guess you think so, because your article said so. Looking at the statue, there is no connection whatsoever. Sacrifice. Oh, please. LOL
Still trying to have a point with LIENEWS.com I see. What they are so frightened of is :""She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation,"" So frightened they forget that they claim they don't hate women but connect women with satanism and devil worship....HILARIOUS crap one again!!
the satan character is simply a sigil. It’s no more real than Hel, or Tartarus or Bifrost. The symbol exists to encourage questioning things and higher learning, not mythology. See post 3.
Let's remember that "pagan" is purely in the eye of the beholder - referring to beliefs other than ones own.
Oh please. Just look at that statue. You'd have to be dishonest or disingenuous (or just really ill-informed, not knowing anything about the world or religion) to claim it is not pagan. There are multiple elements to it demonstrating that, exposed shapely breasts streamlined into the body, big hips making it reminiscent of a pagan goddess figure, even the lotus pedestal (reminiscent of a deity in Buddhism), to speak nothing of the braided hair in the shape of goat-like horns. Any college art professor or pastor who went to seminary school will tell you it has obvious pagan influences.
So, who do you think decided to get the Satanists involved-- or do you think they are already in charge? FYI, horns are the most common sign of divinity, in antiquity. This symbol pre-dated Christianity. FYI#2: Satan, & so Satanism, were creations of Christianity. Therefore, if Satanism came out of Catholicism, and the horn symbolism came before the Catholic Church, then horns are not, ipso facto, a Satanic symbol; you have it backward-- Satan was depicted with horns, because that was the already established tradition. Some speculate that halos around the heads of holy figures, even, were used as a substitute for horns. Just in case you were interested in learning something.
Yours is only a partial coverage of the topic, and late-term, as well (so to speak). The earliest Black Masses were held by Catholic priests, who inverted everything in the mass, as a hostile, contrarian reaction, to the highly authoritarian Church's exerting control over all aspects of people's lives (not just those of the priests). It was a sacrilegious debauchery, in response to the suffocating nature of Church rules. Even today, the "official" Church of Satan, does not represent all "Satanists." Any may be drawn to want to glorify evil, and Satan is the epitome of that energy, in the Western mind. Most of those who are independents, or who are part of small, local groups, I would think do believe in the reality of this Spiritual Energy; occultists, many of whom, I expect, are former Christians, or who at least come from that familial tradition.
I'm sure it IS pagan to you, as you clearly see it as not coming from your particular religion. Remember the definition of "pagan"?
The word pagan gets used almost exclusively as a pejorative. As America is founded on religious pluralism and a separation of church and state, adding in pejoratives concerning religion pretty much invalidates arguments.
