School District Distributes Satanic Literature

[StPaulHusker]

What are the parameters for determining what is and what is not a religion? I assume Satanism is the worshipping of the devil. Is that an officially recognized religion?

re·li·gion

rəˈlijən/

noun

1. the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

[knapplc]

What are the parameters for determining what is and what is not a religion? I assume Satanism is the worshipping of the devil. Is that an officially recognized religion?

That's a good question, one without a great answer in this country.

 

Here's how the Harvard Crimson described it:

 

The chief interpreter of law, the Supreme Court, has long struggled to create a working definition of religion that is both inclusive and effective at distinguishing secular from sacred. During the Vietnam War, for example, in U.S. v. Seeger, the Court approved “conscientious objector status” for people who held a “sincere and meaningful” belief which “occupies a place in the life of its possessor parallel to that filled by the orthodox belief in God.”

Generally, just about anything can be considered a "religion." It depends on how strongly or firmly you adhere to that belief, and the person/people who judge that can vary state to state.

 

This is why laws based on religious objection are such a bad idea.

[Red Dead Redemption]

 

Please rise.

Now sit on it.

Let us Ayyyyy.

[Army_Allen]

Surely all you anti-Christian folks are not going to argue that satanic movies are the equivalent of the Bible when it comes to what should or should not be in a library (schools, public, wherever)?

 

From a historical perspective, the Bible is one of the more important written works in human civilization. Some satan worshipping movie or other contemporary trash cannot compare. From a teaching perspective, the moral and ethical values and concepts that are profoundly set out in the Bible are beyond question.

 

Seriously! One cannot find serious educational merit in satanistic junk.

 

One might want a copy of the major works of various political, social, religious and other philosophies. Not satanistic crap of no meaningful value to anyone.

The literature on satanist readings are heavily based on the ideology that you should be able to think for yourself and use your own moral compass rather than to adhere to an old ass book that has been changed over time by people who could read, and taken verbatim by too many people dumb enough to think that it's not heavily outdated.

 

Edit: This is from the side of an agnostic person.

[zoogs]

If they wanted to provoke a reaction, they could've gone with the Koran.

 

If the U.S. were to become majority Muslim one day, how comfortable would people be with the same preeminence afforded to Islam that Christianity enjoys today?

[Landlord]

I guess I don't see the relevancy of bringing up movies that bring entertainment value to the homes of people who like movies like that. I enjoyed the first and will see the second. I also loved watching the underworld movies.

 

 

 

Personally I think the God's Not Dead movies, along with all self-described and marketed "Christian" films, are full of political/moral agenda. They're not made solely for the intention of being art or entertainment - they're made to rally the troops by offering up a make believe fantasy world of white evangelical persecution in America, and then portray it as reality.

[Moesker]

Surely all you anti-Christian folks are not going to argue that satanic movies are the equivalent of the Bible when it comes to what should or should not be in a library (schools, public, wherever)?

 

From a historical perspective, the Bible is one of the more important written works in human civilization. Some satan worshipping movie or other contemporary trash cannot compare. From a teaching perspective, the moral and ethical values and concepts that are profoundly set out in the Bible are beyond question.

 

Seriously! One cannot find serious educational merit in satanistic junk.

 

One might want a copy of the major works of various political, social, religious and other philosophies. Not satanistic crap of no meaningful value to anyone.

Have you even looked into LaVey Satanism? There is a lot of good philosophy in there just as there is in the New Testament. And its much more level headed than the ridiculous Old Testament.

 

But in the end, its just another attempt of a few trying to tell the many how to live their lives.

 

I am guessing you are just making uneducated assumptions.

 

But if we are talking value, then Dr. Suess is probably ahead of all religious philosophies.

[zoogs]

I do not like green eggs and ham.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

[Scratchtown]

 

 

I guess I don't see the relevancy of bringing up movies that bring entertainment value to the homes of people who like movies like that. I enjoyed the first and will see the second. I also loved watching the underworld movies.

 

 

Personally I think the God's Not Dead movies, along with all self-described and marketed "Christian" films, are full of political/moral agenda. They're not made solely for the intention of being art or entertainment - they're made to rally the troops by offering up a make believe fantasy world of white evangelical persecution in America, and then portray it as reality.

I can see that point of view. Fair enough. It definitely had that rally the troops thing but it also has a really good message to it, which, I felt was encouraging to me at the time.

[Landlord]

 

 

I guess I don't see the relevancy of bringing up movies that bring entertainment value to the homes of people who like movies like that. I enjoyed the first and will see the second. I also loved watching the underworld movies.

 

 

Personally I think the God's Not Dead movies, along with all self-described and marketed "Christian" films, are full of political/moral agenda. They're not made solely for the intention of being art or entertainment - they're made to rally the troops by offering up a make believe fantasy world of white evangelical persecution in America, and then portray it as reality.

I can see that point of view. Fair enough. It definitely had that rally the troops thing but it also has a really good message to it, which, I felt was encouraging to me at the time.

 

 

 

It has a good message to Christians, really the only people that watch it. Unfortunately, if an atheist, or a muslim, or a buddhist, or pretty much anyone else were to watch it, they'd likely be offended at being portrayed as angry, evil, unintelligent, conspiring towards the demise of Christians and being very one-dimensionally boring.

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

 

I guess I don't see the relevancy of bringing up movies that bring entertainment value to the homes of people who like movies like that. I enjoyed the first and will see the second. I also loved watching the underworld movies.

 

 

Personally I think the God's Not Dead movies, along with all self-described and marketed "Christian" films, are full of political/moral agenda. They're not made solely for the intention of being art or entertainment - they're made to rally the troops by offering up a make believe fantasy world of white evangelical persecution in America, and then portray it as reality.

I can see that point of view. Fair enough. It definitely had that rally the troops thing but it also has a really good message to it, which, I felt was encouraging to me at the time.

 

 

 

It has a good message to Christians, really the only people that watch it. Unfortunately, if an atheist, or a muslim, or a buddhist, or pretty much anyone else were to watch it, they'd likely be offended at being portrayed as angry, evil, unintelligent, conspiring towards the demise of Christians and being very one-dimensionally boring.

 

So, Christians shouldn't make Christian movies because they may offend someone who doesn't believe the same way?

 

This movie shouldn't offend anyone unless maybe you have the same attitude as the teacher as far as anger towards Christians. And...well.....I guess I'm not too concerned about offending someone when the gist of the movie was about a loving and caring God.

 

The kid in the movie didn't do anything offensive. We seriously are talking about Hollywood offending someone with this movie after some of the other crap they put out?

 

Funny thing was, I know someone who was put in a very similar situation as the kid in this movie.

[Moesker]

"God is not dead" movies are just another chance for some Christians to promote the false narrative that Christians are persecuted in this country.

 

That said, the possibility of offending someone is never a reason not to make a movie. I don't know of any atheists that were offended by the movie...only amused.

[greenmonkey51]

Christians shouldn't make Christian movies not because it'll offend someone, but because 9 times out 10 they suck.

[Scratchtown]

"God is not dead" movies are just another chance for some Christians to promote the false narrative that Christians are persecuted in this country.

 

That said, the possibility of offending someone is never a reason not to make a movie. I don't know of any atheists that were offended by the movie...only amused.

I don't understand the use of persecution being used. Didn't feel that way at all about the movie and I consider myself a pretty emotional christian. So if I don't feel that way, dunno why non believers would.

[Red Dead Redemption]

I don't know of any atheists that were offended by the movie...only amused.

Most atheists I know are easily asmused.

 

Ooh look! Shadow puppets! :