Longtime followers of #TheSatanicTemple’s legal history will know the Temple is, by design, a far greater threat to its own members than it has ever been interested in, or capable of, posing to the Christian Right.
It’s still *WILD* to see #TST explicitly confirming this in its own FAQ 🧵
There’s a lot to unpack here, but let’s start with the obvious:
The Satanic Temple—the "bona fide" religion that runs around touting the “#FreedomToOffend”—is also putting a [metaphorical] gun on the table and saying, “It sure would be a shame if something happened to the people that offend us.”
See also, this thread:
https://nitter.net/QueerSatanic/status/1468048463698935809
If you’ve ever donated to The #SatanicTemple thinking it would be used to protect #AbortionRights, or even to keep the lights on, there’s a nonzero chance that money is actually being used to bankroll legal threats against people who criticize them on TikTok or Facebook
See this video of #TheSatanicHousewife, for example:
The idea #TheSatanicTemple actively commits resources to spy on and threaten people who criticize them on social media isn’t some conspiracy theory to be debunked with “the smallest amount of research” - it’s something that #TST flatly admitted in federal court they do.
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17042463/42/1/united-federation-of-churches-llc-v-johnson/
Also, the fact that this pseudonymous contractor’s statement (" #RachelChambliss ") shows up in a doomed 11th-hour briefing — in a demand that was legally and constitutionally *incapable* of being granted in The Satanic Temple's favor, but was filed anyway — is a bright neon sign as to what “further review” actually means for #TST.
MOTION for Preliminary Injunction (to return Allies page), filed by Plaintiff United Federation of Churches LLC. (Attachments: # (1) Exhibit declaration of Rachel Chambliss, # (2) Exhibit transcript of the podcast episode, # (3) Proposed Order proposed order - motion granted) Noting Date 12/16/2022, (Kezhaya, Matt)
This is a religion that is now suing Newsweek for **reporting on** our #SLAPP, by the way.
The Satanic Temple claimed, with no trace of irony, that it was #defamatory for #Newsweek to report anyone comparing TST to #Scientology.
The claim very predictably failed.
Again: #ScientologyForMallGoths
The Satanic Temple is very bad at law, and its business model leans heavily on the average supporter not knowing the extent to which TST insists on making its organizational and legal incompetence everyone else’s problem, while pretending the whole time that “at least they’re doing something!"
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63011247/27/the-satanic-temple-inc-v-newsweek-magazine-llc/
OPINION AND ORDER re: 16 FIRST MOTION to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction . filed by Julia Duin, 19 MOTION to Dismiss . filed by Julia Duin, Newsweek Magazine LLC. As set forth herein, Defendant Duin's motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction is granted, while Defendants' motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim is granted in part and denied in part. Plaintiff's request for oral argument is denied. [ECF No. 24]. The Clerk of Court respectfully is requested to close the Motions at ECF Nos. 16 and 19. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil on 3/8/2023) (tg) Transmission to Orders and Judgments Clerk for processing. (Main Document 27 replaced on 3/10/2023) (tg). (Entered: 03/08/2023)
Queer Satanic
Alexis