A former Mississippi political candidate is facing criminal charges after a bedazzled statue of Baphomet, a figure associated with the Satanic Temple, was discovered decapitated at the Iowa State Capitol.

Michael Cassidy, 35, a former U.S. Navy pilot, told Fox News that he saw the controversy surrounding the display, which was heavily criticized by Republican politicians like Ron DeSantis, and drove to the Iowa Capitol to see it for himself. He said it hit a “nerve” and went on to destroy it.

According to an archived version of his campaign website, Cassidy pushed for a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who destroys a statue in his own state.

  • NounsAndWords@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    For reference, the seven tenants listed next to the destroyed display:

    I One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.

    II The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.

    III One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.

    IV The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one’s own.

    V Beliefs should conform to one’s best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one’s beliefs.

    VI People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one’s best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.

    VII Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.


    It makes a lot of sense to me why Christians would be against this.

    • Unaware7013@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      I absolutely love how the TST actually stands for the shit christians have pretended to care about for centuries.

    • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      Wow that really hits a nerve!

      What a jackass. Meanwhile supports statues of people who lived by the credo of “I feel so strongly that people should own other people as property that I’m willing to kill for that right, look here’s my gun!”

    • prole@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      Yeah, it’s difficult to take issue with any of those.

      Personally, I don’t need (or want) the baggage associated with organized religion in order to believe and follow those tenets, so I’m not a member. But I’m a big fan.

    • JohnnyEnzyme
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      5 months ago

      Christians have an utter landslide of reasons to believe the most outlandish of complete nonsense, but I’ve always been a fan of science, facts, and reality.

      So I thank you. <3