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    cheerful_exgirlfriendCord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:29pm

    I support this except the depiction of the girl wearing a skirt over pants. Skirts over pants are bad and evil and should be unconstitutional.

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      IAmNotADamnWritercheerful_exgirlfriend
      1/07/14 4:33pm

      You truly have a progressive yet traditional fashion sense, and I salute you for that!

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      Owl is lostcheerful_exgirlfriend
      1/07/14 4:35pm

      Some hippie you are!

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    Zachary BosCord Jefferson
    1/07/14 8:24pm

    I'm an atheist lobbyist and community organizer; when I have to respond to questions like, "Should they allow these people to put a statue of Satan up at the Statehouse?", I have to have an answer ready to go that's meatier than the typical rejoinder here in internet space. So here's my longer answer to this question.

    There should be no sectarian symbols — religious or anti-religious, theistic or atheistic — in a government building. This is because the civic space — owned collectively by the community — should be equally accessible to all members of that community.

    This isn't about removing contentious symbols that might offend some people; it is about making sure our government does its work in a language we can all speak. Philosophy, worldview, and lifestance are determinedly private matters, and cannot be readily translated into the sort of public language we can *all* partake in. (See John Rawls for more about the distinction between private and public language; I have a handout with the basics that I can take to meetings with legislators and policy-makers, and leave behind for their further examination.)

    Here's an interesting thought: Why don't we think of the concrete absence in the public space of symbols that are religious or similarly "private" in nature, as a monument in itself? A monument that says something in its silence about our solemn shared commitment to a form of government in which persons of all and any creed can all participate equally.

    * * *

    A small group of us representing the secular community met this past summer with the governor of our state. Once we finally really broke the ice, the question he had to ask was: What is it with you guys; are you really just offended, upset, when you see religious stuff in public? And I'm so glad he asked that. Because I could then say: Governor, that isn't it at all. (Cue deep-ranging dialogue challenging simplistic and biased perceptions of 'the angry atheist' rabble.) It was a really productive meeting. I count as one of the positive outcomes of that meeting (and others like it), the inclusion of a Humanist (and atheist) chaplain, among other members of the clergy, and the interfaith service inaugurating the start of the first term of the newly elected mayor of Boston.

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      GoldzmitZachary Bos
      1/08/14 12:32am

      I emphatically agree with everything you're saying. However, we atheists are allowed to have some trollin' fun too and I think, clearly, that's what this is. In the end, it may have a greater effect than all the thoughtful, sincere conversations. (And believe me, brother, I have them all the damn time.)

      That said, carry on the good work.

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      Zachary BosGoldzmit
      1/08/14 8:54am

      Oh yes; I agree.

      What is that saying? That a culture is truly civilized that knows how to be serious with its silliness, and silly with its serious matters.

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    Joey DelmarCord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:22pm

    I'd like to propose a statue honoring Zuul.

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      Mok, the Magic ManJoey Delmar
      1/07/14 4:29pm

      That's not Zuul, that's Gozer. And only in one of the pre-chosen forms.

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      cheerful_exgirlfriendMok, the Magic Man
      1/07/14 4:37pm

      Keymaster?

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    AshisyouCord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:21pm

    He looks like a very pleasant fellow. And those kids look like they are enjoying themselves. Whats the problem?

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      Gary-XAshisyou
      1/07/14 4:26pm

      You can clearly see both his hands, so he's got that going for him.

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      FerminaDazaAshisyou
      1/07/14 4:26pm

      And unlike Jesus, he doesn't get all weird after he sees you smoking a joint at a party that one time 5 years ago, and damn it will he just bring it up instead of being such a jackhole?

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    Peso28Cord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:24pm

    Satan isn't a needy asshole that will kill your kids or flood the whole world if you don't show you love him enough...just throwing that out there...

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      ARP2Peso28
      1/07/14 4:34pm

      Well he's certainly no angel (ha! get it!), but he wasn't that bad. Depending on which version you believe, his job was to tempt Man, but grew tired of serving Man and rebelled. The stuff about wanting heaven for itself, pride, etc. aren't mentioned.

      The show Supernatural had an interesting portrayal of him.

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      Adebisi's hatPeso28
      1/07/14 4:46pm

      Probably better to argue for atheism than Satanism. Satan's supposed to be the one responsible for all suffering in the world, he'd probably make those two kids have sex with each other and bathe in their blood after....just throwing that out there...

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    La.M.Cord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:21pm

    "a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation."

    I am going to leave this here.

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      Gary-XLa.M.
      1/07/14 4:26pm

      I thought that was a pretty inspired line. Reads like an Onion article.

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      La.M.Gary-X
      1/07/14 4:34pm

      Or a south park episode.

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    WideStanceCord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:32pm

    The best quote from an OK lawmaker comes from an earlier story: “This is a faith-based nation and a faith-based state,” Rep. Earl Sears (R-Bartlesville) said. “I think it is very offensive they would contemplate or even have this kind of conversation.”

    The combination of ignorance, irony, and total lack of shame or self-awareness is delicious. Almost as delicious as the sweet, sweet blood of Christian babies.

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      ARP2WideStance
      1/07/14 4:42pm

      It makes perfect sense if you consider that they don't view any other religion, other than Christianity, to be a true religion (and they might give Judaism a bye).

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      BoSephusARP2
      1/07/14 4:58pm

      But a lot of them only give Judaism a pass because they were publicly shamed into it.

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    MataroCord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:29pm

    Why not just allow some of these to graze on the lawn?

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      DoctorNineMataro
      7/26/15 7:37pm

      That is one beautiful old goat.

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    xmnrCord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:24pm

    I'm going to submit a Church of the SubGenius display for the Wisconsin state capitol next year. It's going to be a Dobbshead carved in a pumpkin with a sign saying that the slow rot of the pumpkin is symbolic of untenability of the Pinks & the Conspiracy. As "Bob" said, fuck 'em if they can't take a joke!

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      GregorMendelxmnr
      1/07/14 4:35pm

      Bob Dobbs. Ah, slack.

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      xmnrGregorMendel
      1/07/14 4:51pm

      Correction: "Bob" Dobbs. The quotes are an important theological point symbolizing the luck halo always above his head. As a sarcastic religion, the theological points are that much more important due to their intrinsic non-importance.

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    FalsePersonaCord Jefferson
    1/07/14 4:43pm

    Have you been touched by His Noodly appendage?

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      pupmeowFalsePersona
      1/07/14 5:22pm

      Pictures of god make me hungry.

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      PowersurgeonFalsePersona
      1/07/14 6:16pm

      I don't know how to look at the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Are those its eyes floating on top and the meatballs its cherubic cheeks? Or are the meatballs its eyes and the protrusions crablike antennae?

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