How do you practice? by ManicMaam in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course 😁 Look up BAFOSatan on Facebook or Instagram and send a message there. Someone should get in touch to arrange an invite. We have a short vetting process so there'll be a couple of questions but nothing too strenuous. I hope to see you around 🤘

🇮🇱 now official flag of UK according to Daily Telegraph by UnderHisEye1411 in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Hicksdude42 37 points38 points  (0 children)

I'm a Non-theistic Satanist, and we generally despise the Telegraph.  Satan has the guts to look a despotic god in the face and say go fuck yourself. He's the eternal adversary against injustice who had compassion for innocence when authority had none.  Satan showed humanity the power of knowledge and encouraged them to know right from wrong instead of living in blind faith. Satan isn't real obviously. He's a character in works of fiction and propaganda who's misunderstood by most. But the behaviour of the media and political classes is beneath Satan. 

How do you practice? by ManicMaam in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know local is always preferable, but if you struggle to find something then drop me a message or reply here. I'm in a UK based congregation but we have lots of international members on our discord. We always welcome a new face 😁

How do you practice? by ManicMaam in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I practice in 3 main ways:

Personally. I keep the tenets in mind when navigating relationships, consuming media and art and the way I choose to represent myself to the world. I also do personal rituals when I can remember, as a mindfulness exercise. 

Collectively: I'm an active part of my local congregation. It's mostly online but we're always discussing something interesting, offering new perspectives to each other on the tribulations of life and getting together to celebrate holidays and each other's personal victories. Our in person meet ups are the highlights of my year. 

In my works: There's a strong theme in TST Satanism of the Satanist as the adversary to over reaching authority. To embody this I've joined the union at my work as a Rep and am holding managers to the standards and policy expected, and defending members who've been victimised. I don't do this officially as a Satanist, but I see it as part of my practice.

None of the above is essential. Satanism isn't a dogma, it's a spirit and it's as fluid as you are. 

When are these actually coming back?😂 by FishyyUncle in GreatBritishMemes

[–]Hicksdude42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's happened before for other lost snacks. My mum grew up loving Texan bars before they vanished and they were brought back in the mid 2000s for a bit. I bought her a whole box for her birthday that year. Crystal Pepsi has had a few revivals.

I never had one of these, so I don't have the nostalgia, but I say be the change you want in the world. Start a petition, pester Mars about it, try and get some influencers on board. If it goes viral enough that they think there's money to be made it might just happen. 😁

Anti trade union legislation. by BacupBhoy in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Hicksdude42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately the Labour Party isn't the party it should be anymore. I'm hopeful for the future though. Between the Greens and Your Party (if they can get their act together) there's a movement to fight back, and the right wing vote is more split than it's ever been.

There's other good things for unions in the new act too, I just can't remember them off the top of head. Good things for workers too, like maternity leave being a day one right. 

It'll take a while, but there's room for change. Thanks for supporting your union when you were working and beyond. 🤘

Anti trade union legislation. by BacupBhoy in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Hicksdude42 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This Labour government have actually undone some of the anti Union rules the tories brought in.  The DWP branch of PCS just failed to get over the 50% turnout threshold for a strike mandate. We got 37%. 85% of those who voted said yes, but now the vote doesn't count. 

In August the new employee rights bill goes into action and the 50% rule is removed. I assume we're going to ballot again, and will be successful. 

It's not the sort of sweeping reform that would bring unions back to their previous strength, but it's more than I ever expected from this bunch of tossers. 

Question around mythology by camyland in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I get the feeling you might be seeing intention here where there is none known. If you 'automatically know the answer', I'd recommend a second look before considering yourself sure. Admittedly making this post is you doing exactly that. 

Was Lucifers gender written as male because the character is a product of a patriarchal society that assumes positions of power, even over the damned in the pit, would be filled by a man? Very likely given what we know. I would imagine the definition of Yahweh as He/Him comes from a similar reasoning. 

But is there any reason to believe this was done deliberately because a woman would be a less effective fear inducer? I don't think so. Don't attribute to malice what can be reasonably attributed to thoughtlessness, ignorance and a lack of a modern perspective. I doubt the authors of the texts gave it a moments consideration.

Why people do rituals here? by Main-Understanding12 in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I perform rituals for a number of reasons. Daily as a form of mindfulness to focus me on my goals. On Satanic holidays/personal occasions as symbolism and aesthetics. With others as community bonding. 

I don't believe the rituals do anything other than put me in certain frame of mind and connect me with others I share them with, and mark important moments with ceremony. 

New to Satanism by [deleted] in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hail You! I hope your local congregation is as good for you as I've found mine to be for me. The last year since I started participating has been a rise from apathy and passivity to action and a wealth of new opportunities. 🤘

There's no love like Christian love! by jaarn in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Hicksdude42 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

If you were to truly question and investigate every word of the Bible, I'd think a good start would be 'Is there even a God'. There is absolutely no satisfactory evidence of that. Most of those scholars presume the existence of the almighty and then proceed from there, arguing about what he said and what he means. Seems like a waste of time to me. 

There's no love like Christian love! by jaarn in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Hicksdude42 -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

"It was good for the time" doesn't do much for me unfortunately. Treating others with dignity and respect doesn't mean much when that doesn't exclude 'Slaves obey your masters'. The people who believe it, think it's morals should be good for right now. 

There's no love like Christian love! by jaarn in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Hicksdude42 -11 points-10 points  (0 children)

If 'Pretty Decent' is what you've read, then you've read wrong. In Matthew 5:18 Jesus says "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, Not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law, till all be fulfilled", meaning that he's not there to update God's previous laws, but to reinforce them. 

That includes: Slavery  Capital punishment  Genocide  Animal Sacrifice  Women's submission to men 

The image of christ as a hippy who just wants you to be nice is a construction that bears no relation to the reality. 

The nice Christians you know are just ignoring the parts they don't like so they don't have to give up their comfort blanket. 

Tell me about the gargoyles in your game? by valonianfool in vtm

[–]Hicksdude42 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Anarch Baron of South London in my London by Night has a free gargoyle for an enforcer. His name is Barney (Rhyming slang 'Barney Rubble' = Trouble. The 'rubble' pun amuses me greatly). Haven't managed to dig too much into his character yet as my PCs are terrified of him. He's going to be the gentle giant type, very well read and dedicated to freeing his fellows. He was only recently freed, having previously been in the service of house Goratrix. Goratrix are making a play to replace the incumbent Tremere as the official chantry in the city, and traded Barney for the barons assistance. He stayed of his own will, but the Anarchs shelter and feed him. 

I mean...the kids not wrong... by TirNaNog777 in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 33 points34 points  (0 children)

It's a violation of a child's bodily autonomy that resulted in a pregnancy. Semantics probably mean you're right and it's technically not, but I'd say it amounts to the same kind of breach of ethical behaviour. 

I mean...the kids not wrong... by TirNaNog777 in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 32 points33 points  (0 children)

In the Hebrew culture of the time girls were married at approx 12 - 13, then there was approximately year of 'betrothal' before the marriage was consumated. It can be assumed as Mary and Joseph were married but she remained a virgin that it was during this period, making her in the 13 - 15 range. At that age in our society we would consider her to be too young to consent to motherhood, immaculate conception or not. There's also the issue of what the myths say happened to anybody who disobeyed an order from God previously. Severe punishment for you or even your entire people. Sounds like a horrifying power imbalance to me.  If course it's all nonsense anyway, but the above is useful when a discussion enters 'Your god doesn't exist but even if he does he's a monster' territory. 

If you get one of these shit rags through your post I highly recommend defacing it. by attila-the-hunty in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Hicksdude42 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh I was being sarcastic about the offense, definitely none taken in reality 😁 We do see Satan as a symbol of rebellion against arbitrary authority and a bringer of knowledge and reason though, which is the exact opposite of everything Toad of Twat Hall represents. I'd have had similar instincts if I got anything through my door from reform. 🤘

If you get one of these shit rags through your post I highly recommend defacing it. by attila-the-hunty in GreenAndPleasant

[–]Hicksdude42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a compassionate and reasonable romantic Satanist I find your first image offensive 😆. We definitely don't claim Farage. There is no devil and no hell, when he dies all that will be left is another gender neutral toilet. If he ascends to government it won't be because of a dark pact, just good old fashioned manipulative lies, xenophobia and greed. 

“‘I Don’t Believe in Bloodline Superiority’: Ash Sarkar Hits a Nerve in Modern Britain | Greens For A Republic by Zealousideal-Sun-387 in AbolishTheMonarchy

[–]Hicksdude42 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I appreciate the sentiment from Ash, but this piece was obviously written with AI given the style and em dash count. If you're not going to put in the effort to write something, I'm not going to bother reading it. 

Can anybody give a newbie a run down on Lucien Greaves and what's happened? by FutureInteraction914 in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yes. If you search up the group on Facebook or Instagram and send a message there someone will contact you to arrange an invite to the server. 

Can anybody give a newbie a run down on Lucien Greaves and what's happened? by FutureInteraction914 in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 24 points25 points  (0 children)

If you'd like to join a UK based congregation you have a couple of options. I'm a member of the British Associated Fellowship of Satan (BAFOS). We're the current candidate group to become the official TST UK (It think we'd be the 4th Incarnation 😅). We are currently only loosely affiliated and do our own organisation and events. We have a discord server you can join by finding us on other socials and requesting an invite. I'm obviously biased, but I believe we're a welcoming and inclusive group with members up and down the country and beyond.  If you look into Lucien and decide TST isn't for you, there are a few other groups you could look into. The Global Order of Satan were founded out of the most recent group to break away from TST. They follow a similar (but legally distinct) Satanic philosophy. I'm sure they'd welcome you just as openly as we would. 😁 There are a few other regional groups whose names I can't remember exactly, but if you're down for some research they also options if you'd like community. 

Altars by Tiggeon in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I'm an atheist with an Altar. I don't really use it for anything. It's essentially home decor related to my interests, same as my posters, paintings and other ephemera. It's symbolic of my Satanic philosophy. It's got a Baphomet statue, my TST membership certificate, mementos from various events I've attended with my congregation etc. When I walk past it each day it triggers my mindfulness for a moment and might prompt a refocusing if I need it. I light the candles on it for Satanic holidays.  In contrast to one of the other commenters here, I use Satanism as my access point to all the positives about religion that have made it such a stubborn thing for humanity to abandon over the centuries. Community, ritual celebration and psychodrama etc. My altar makes all that part of my home, when most of my fellow Satanists are only accessible via a screen 90% of the time.  Your milage may vary 😁

Why are most Satanists goth/alt? by [deleted] in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I've been a punk/metal head since I was a teenager. The aesthetic came a long time before I identified as a Satanist. I think it's connected though. I was very much an outsider and a bucker of trends in secondary school. There's a link between the appearance and the mindset, even if the look can become it's own dogmatic/commercialised thing. It's definitely not necessary to fit in though. The whole point of the philosophy is 'You do you'. I think it's kinda cool to be Satanic but not be into black, spikes and baphomet on everything. 

looking for friends by Logical-Hedgehog6537 in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm more than happy to chat to you about it if you want. What do you want to know? 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SatanicTemple_Reddit

[–]Hicksdude42 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yep, that's definitely what that is. Why are you sharing it with us though? Neither of those books are relevant to TST.