Short Summary
Help The Satanic Temple ‘adopt a highway’ in New York City. Support religious diversity.
The Satanic Temple supports community, compassion, justice, and civic responsibility.
Help The Satanic Temple spread their message as they enter the adopt-a-highway program in New York City where they will maintain voluntary beautification of a stretch of public highway for at least 2 years by way of litter cleanup and landscaping.
Once approved, the New York Department of Transportation will erect a blue-and-white sign acknowledging The Satanic Temple as the adopters of the designated piece of highway, helping promote a message of Satanic Civic pride and social responsibility.
Against a cultural backdrop noted for simplistic dichotomies and a monotone voice known as “the” religious agenda, the Satanic Temple boldly stands forth to assert the too-often-marginalized voices of religious non-believers.
The Satanic Temple seeks to separate Religion from Superstition by acknowledging religious belief as a metaphorical framework with which we construct a narrative context for our goals and works. Satan stands as the ultimate icon for the selfless revolt against tyranny, free & rational inquiry, and the responsible pursuit of happiness.
The Satanist harbors reasonable agnosticism in all things, holding fast only to that which is demonstrably true. The cultural narratives through which we contextualize our lives must be malleable to conformity with our best scientific understandings of the material world… Those understandings, in turn, must never be so rigidly codified as to themselves be inflexible to advancements yet unknown.
Community, compassion, justice, and civic responsibility: These are worthwhile values wherever they are practiced, and whoever they are practiced by, regardless of whatever arbitrary political or religious label may be attached to them in their execution. We call on all people to support the Satanic Temple in this effort to engage their community in a positive, productive manner.
What We Need & What You Get
In order to adopt and maintain a segment of highway for 2 years, The Satanic Temple needs to raise $15k by August 05, 2013. The full amount will go to the campaign, if approved by the New York Department of Transportation. If not approved, the full amount will be put toward contesting that decision.
In appreciation of your donation, we have assembled a list of merchandise that we will be giving away in gift sets according to donation amount.
The Impact
This campaign will do more than keep the Highways clean. It will help to send a clear message to the world reaffirming American religious plurality. We will demonstrate that all religious perspectives are indeed free to engage their communities in a productive manner.
To embrace the name “Satan” is to avow skepticism in the face of all things, even — especially — that which is held sacred. To stand forth as a “Satanist” is to rend from the persecutory, affrighted mob a convenient out-group label, demanding that individuals be judged for their concrete actions, not their fealty to arbitrary social norms and illusory categorizations.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand that you may not be able to contribute financially at this time, but you'd be of great service nonetheless if you simply let people know about this campaign