Satanic Temple Requires Attendees of Event to Sign Over Soul to Devil

Aletelia ^ | July 28, 2015 | JOHN BURGER

[NYer]

The Satanic Temple of Detroit threw off protesters of their unveiling of a demonic statue by leaking word that the event would take place in one place but holding it in another.

In addition, in an apparent attempt to weed out Christian moles who might disrupt the presentation of the statue, the Satanic Temple required everyone who had a ticket (for which they paid $25 and up) to sign a quasi-legal document in which they agreed to “transfer” their soul to Satan.​

“I agree that by signing this document under any name, given or adopted, actual or pseudonymous, I am hereby avowing my soul to Satan (aka Abbadon, aka Lucifer, aka Beelzebub, aka The Antichrist),” the document read in part. “I do so knowing that He (aka The Fallen One, aka The Father of Lies) or any of His representatives may choose to collect my eternal soul at any time, with or without notice. I understand that my signature or mark representing any name, real or made up, upon these papers constitutes a lasting and eternal contract, and that there will be no further negotiations on the matter of my eternal soul.”

Any serious Christian who had any thought to slip in would certainly take pause before signing the document.  

But if you were one of the 700 who agreed to sign, you’d be in for a revelry of punk music and public displays of affection among scantily-clad persons of a range of genders. Above the band was a suspended cross—hung upside down—and on the front of the stage was a logo with the words “This is my body, this is my blood.”

For the main event, two shirtless men held candles on either side of the statue and unveiled it shortly before midnight, upon which the men embraced each other with a kiss on the lips.

The unveiling revealed a nine-foot-tall bronze statue of Baphomet, a goat-headed winged human figure with horns and hoofs. He is seated, flanked by a boy and a girl, and rests beneath a pentagram.

Fear not. The pseudonymous Jex Blackmore, who directs the Satanic Temple’s Detroit chapter and organized the unveiling, told TIME Sunday that Baphomet symbolizes a “reconciliation of opposites, emblematic of the willingness to embrace, and even celebrate differences.”
 

Asked whether her group is a religious organization (or rather an anti-religious organization) she explains that it’s less of a church and more of an affinity group, built around what she repeatedly refers to as “Satanic principles.” It’s not the dogma you might expect.
 

Time quoted from the group’s website:

The Satanic Temple holds to the basic premise that undue suffering is bad, and that which reduces suffering is good. We do not believe in symbolic “evil.”

 

Fox News reported that the Temple says its concept of Lucifer is "as a literary figure."

“The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people,” the group’s website states.

Time continued in its report:
 

... the group does not “promote a belief in a personal Satan.” By their logic, Satan is an abstraction, or, as Nancy Kaffer wrote for The Daily Beast last year, “a literary figure, not a deity — he stands for rationality, for skepticism, for speaking truth to power, even at great personal cost.”

 

Whatever their motive, those who participate had better think twice, says Jesuit Father James Martin of America magazine. He noted in a column that the Satanic Temple claims it is simply exercising their right to “religious freedom,” and “placing the statue there is a counterpoint to those who have erected, or wish to erect representations of the Ten Commandments, and other similar Christian symbols.”  The group hopes to display Baphomet at the Arkansas State Capitol, next to a monument of the Ten Commandments.

But they should know that they are “playing with fire,” Father Martin said:

These people have no clue what kind of forces they are dealing with. In my life as a Jesuit priest, and especially as a spiritual director, I have seen people struggling with real-life evil. In the Spiritual Exercises, his classic manual on prayer, St. Ignatius Loyola calls this force either the “evil spirit” or “the enemy of human nature.” Sophisticated readers may smile, but this is a real force, as real as the force that draws one to God. Moreover, there is a certain identifiable sameness about the way that the “enemy” works in people’s lives. I have seen this. And after all, Ignatius’s comments reflect not only his own experience in prayer, but also his experience in helping others to pray. He was even able to describe some of the ways that the evil spirit works, and this also jibes with my experience: like a spoiled child (wanting to get his way); like a “false lover” (wanting us not to reveal our selfish motivations and plans); and like an “army commander” (attacking us at our weakest point). Pope Francis has also spoken frequently about the presence of evil in the world and of Satan. Again, some may laugh, but the pope is, again, speaking about something that is not only part of Christian belief, but quite well known among spiritual directors.

In other words, I’m not describing only about my belief, but my experience. Evil is real. How Satan fits into this, I’m not exactly sure, but I believe that a personified force is behind this. There is a certain “intelligence,” if you will, and a sameness, as St. Ignatius identified. As C.S. Lewis said about Satan, “I’m not particular about the horns and hooves, but yes I believe.” Me too.

So while the Satanic Temple may smile at their victory, and the mainstream media might chuckle at the “Gotcha” moment vis-à-vis other religious groups (If the Ten Commandments, then why not Satan?) my fear is directed in another place. I recall all those stories I read and heard about Satan, and I think: You have no idea what you’re dealing with.

Earlier on Saturday, 200-250 people attended Mass at St. Joseph Church in a protest against the Satanic event. The Archdiocese of Detroit declined to comment on the unveiling of Baphomet or the group behind it.

[madison10]

Venerating or worshiping. I see no difference...and I doubt others fail to see the difference as well.

Wonder if God does.

[caww]

Looks to me that way too Trisham.....looks like they’re traveling with it to other areas as well which again indicates it’s a “attention” seeking.....but their are fools who will do so...as always they are in every corner of the world.

from an article....” in Detroit and leave it there ‘temporarily’ before moving it to Arkansas, where they plan to set it beside the Ten Commandments at the State Capitol. This is the same statue they attempted to erect months ago in the Oklahoma State Capitol.

[caww]

...”Venerating or worshiping. I see no difference”...

Neither do I as all who bend before idols are worshiping what they stand for....so it's all worship no matter what other colorful name people might use to excuse their behavior....you bend the knee, fold your hands as in prayer...you're worshiping. and yes God sees it as worshiping....scripture attests to that clearly.

[jsanders2001]

> anyone else notice how extra evil that statue is by the inclusion of 2 innocent children? these people involved with this are not sick or misguided, they are evil.

I think its for shock value more than anything

wait till these guys figure out that a curse has been placed on them and they start seeing its manifestations..

[unlearner]

“By default, a person’s soul belongs to Satan. (Adam. Original Sin.) That changes when/if a person accepts Christ into his heart.”

Not so. While it is possible to lose our soul, no soul belongs to Satan. Every soul belongs to God who is Creator (Original Owner), Almighty (Supreme Authority), and Redeemer (having bought back what was lost).

Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, all souls are Mine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
The soul who sins shall die.

There is a war against our souls. God is concerned for our souls. He rescues our souls.

Matthew 16:26
For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul

Ezekiel 13:18-20
Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive? And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”
Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds.”

James 5:20
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 1:9
receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Was Obama there? He should have been since his intellectual mentor was Saul Alinsky who dedicated his book to “Lucifer”.

“Logical” says Mr. Spock.

[LegendHasIt]

I’m afraid I missed that one.

[UCANSEE2]

Nahhh, you’re kidding.

[G Larry]

Prove I’m wrong.

[Faith Presses On]

I don’t believe so, or that you could find a Christian pastor who would say so. Jesus said what He did to the spiritual leaders at that time of the nation chosen by God to know Him and receive the Messiah. These leaders, more than anyone, had been prepared to recognize the Messiah, and as shepherds of the people, had the greatest responsibility to do so. Yet despite hearing Jesus’ teaching, and seeing for themselves and hearing of his miracles, they said He did wonders by the power of Satan. I have read, too, that why Jesus said this to them following the miracle of Him casting the demon out of the blind and dumb man, is that as the Jews believed that casting out a demon required finding out its name from the possessed person, that a sign of the Messiah to look for would be Him casting a demon out of a mute person. Yet, when Jesus did, they denied He was the Messiah and accused Him of doing wonders by the power of the devil, for the sake of keeping their comfortable, exalted positions as religious leaders.

With the people signing this document, there is no doubt a mix in how much of God’s light they’ve received. There could be among them some former, or even, present Christian “pastors.” On the other hand, to many young people, this could just be something else outrageous to do for the “high.” Of course, Satan, as the father of lies, wants people to dismiss it as a game, at one level, but also to live in fear that they have actually bound themselves to him at another, but I can’t imagine that if anyone repented of doing this and acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior of the world, as the Gospels depict Him, that any pastor would tell him he had damned himself by signing that document. And there are testimonies of ex-Satanists who have become Christians. Someday some of those who signed this document just might too. Jesus said He came to save men’s souls, not destroy them.

[TangibleDisgust]

signing such a document (in jest or not) invites demons into your life. those people will have a hard time breaking free from that. if you were to track all 700 of them for the next decade or two, i’m sure you’d find much higher rates of suicide, drug addiction, sex addiction, overdoses, etc. than the general populace.

you just don’t play around with these forces and escape unscathed.

[Rockpile]

I think I would sign the name Jon Liebowitz.

Anyway, the skinny-leg, narrow-hipped object of their affections in that photo of the statue makes him look pretty ball-less.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Few go to heaven many go to Hell-Jesus of Nazareth

[IYAS9YAS]

Though I'd probably use a fake name.

They thought of that, and put language in the contract that simply by your signing of the document, whether real or fake name, was binding.

Like I said, if you'd already bought a ticket, and if that ticket didn't disclose the necessity of signing a contract even after buying the ticket, then they are guilty of bait and switch, and can be sued for it.

[IYAS9YAS]

if you were to track all 700 of them for the next decade or two, i’m sure you’d find much higher rates of suicide, drug addiction, sex addiction, overdoses, etc. than the general populace.

If they were there in the first place, they were already on that path. Even if this event had not taken place, I'd wager that all 700 of these people (I'm surprised they didn't limit it to 666), would have a higher rate of suicide, drug addiction, sex addiction, overdoses, etc...

[AppyPappy]

The beautiful thing is that they want you to sign a document swearing allegiance to a deity they don’t believe in.

[infool7]

The devil’s first lie is to convince you that he doesn’t exist.

[AppyPappy]

Always ask yourself WWSD - What Would Satan Do?

[UCANSEE2]

I’m not clear on whether you mean God or Satan.

[Grateful2God]

" Even the satanists recognize the Real Presence. Catholic ping "

True. They will break into a church to steal the Sacrament from the Tabernacle, but leave behind the gold chalice and unconsecrated hosts. They will go to Communion and steal a single Host, when anybody can order a whole bag of unconsecrated hosts from a catalog.