Muslims in Minneapolis and San Jose, California, are receiving support from an unlikely ally: The Satanic Temple. The Minneapolis and San Jose chapters of the national organization, which describes itself as a group that “facilitates the communication and mobilization of politically aware Satanists, secularists and advocates for individual liberty,” posted to their website and Facebook pages offering to protect local Muslims who might be experiencing backlash after last Friday’s terror attacks…. “If there is anyone in the Minneapolis area who is Muslim and afraid to leave their home out of fear for some kind of backlash, don’t hesitate to reach out to us,” the Minneapolis chapter’s Facebook post read. “We would be glad to escort you where you need to go without advertising our presence — just big dudes walking you where you need to be. We would also happily accompany you so you can get some groceries.”…. Since the Minneapolis chapter extended the offer on Wednesday, the Facebook post has been more than 2,700 times and has been “liked” by more than 3,000 people. The San Jose chapter posed the same thing to its Facebook page on Tuesday.
One is about helping those in need and standing up for those who may be under attack. The other is about anger, judgment, intolerance, and lack of compassion. If you assume the first description is about Christianity and the second about Satanism (or anything BUT Christianity), you’d be WAY wrong. Not that there aren’t Christians who endeavor to live Christ-like lives and reflect the faith they hold dear…but there are far too many who couldn’t model Christian charity if Jesus His Own Self showed up with an instruction manual. No, in this case, it’s the Satanic Church extending a helping hand and offering to protect Muslims. Yeah, I know…whodathunkit??
Unfortunately, distrust of the Satanic Church is very likely at least as strong among Muslims as it among good, God-fearing Conservative White Christian patriots. That’s unfortunate, because what we have here is a group of people who legitimately wish to be of service to their fellow man. It’s the sort of thing one might- and very likely should- expect from Christians. Given the tone and tenor of public discourse in this country post-Paris, it would seem too many followers of Jesus Christ have managed to forget that their Lord and Savior preached love, tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion.
I suppose this also goes to prove how thoroughly ignorant most of us (myself included) are about Satanism. Turns out it’s not all about evil and suffering and causing mayhem; it’s just another religion, albeit one most Christians don’t know anything about…and so they fear it as they polar opposite of their own.
What your feelings or commitment to Christianity may be, when Satanists are outdoing you when it comes to humanity and acts of simple human decency, it might just be a good time to take a good long look in the mirror and reevaluate your preconceived notions. You might be surprised…or distressed…at what you find.
I suppose there is one thing both Islam and Satanism have in common. Too many good, God-fearing Conservative White Christian patriots fear each with a passion and degree of irrationality that’s tough to justify given how little they actually know about each. Then again, it’s far easier to hate and fear something that to take the time and expend the energy to learn something about it.
