A real evil candidate...
On the one hand, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota Jonathan Sharkey certainly isn't Christian, which, on the surface, might appeal to folks like PZ. That is, until you actually look at this guy. My first thought is that this had to be a joke, but it seems to be real.
In fact, Sharkey is very religious. It's just that his religion is Satanism. Sharkey also openly proclaims himself as "evil" and in favor of impaling terrorists and criminals. In that way, he's not really all that different from a lot of the fundamentalist loons who claim that God has struck down certain leaders for displeasing them.
What is it about Minnesota politics? Personally, if I lived in Minnesota, I'd be wanting to bring back Jesse "The Body" Ventura before this clown. True, Jonathan "The Impaler" Sharkey will probably make this year's election entertaining, but I suspect the novelty of seeing a gubernatorial candidate in robes carrying a sword would wear off rather quickly.
In fact, Sharkey is very religious. It's just that his religion is Satanism. Sharkey also openly proclaims himself as "evil" and in favor of impaling terrorists and criminals. In that way, he's not really all that different from a lot of the fundamentalist loons who claim that God has struck down certain leaders for displeasing them.
What is it about Minnesota politics? Personally, if I lived in Minnesota, I'd be wanting to bring back Jesse "The Body" Ventura before this clown. True, Jonathan "The Impaler" Sharkey will probably make this year's election entertaining, but I suspect the novelty of seeing a gubernatorial candidate in robes carrying a sword would wear off rather quickly.
So... How exactly is he different from all the other candidates?
ReplyDeletePoint taken.
ReplyDeleteHe does, however, dress up in a robe to pose for pictures carrying a sword. That's a bit different.
It's actually Jesse "The Mind" Ventura now that he has ventured into politics.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that all "satanists" are Christian, by definition. It's the Christian conception of Satan he's into, not any of the various pre-Christian dieties Satan was modelled on. I mean, you can't believe in Satan unless you also believe in God, right? It's a stupid religion, even by the usually lax standards applied...
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that all "satanists" are Christian, by definition. It's the Christian conception of Satan he's into, not any of the various pre-Christian dieties Satan was modelled on. I mean, you can't believe in Satan unless you also believe in God, right? It's a stupid religion, even by the usually lax standards applied...
ReplyDeleteDepends on the type of Satanism. I've heard of some that are essentially atheism that just use Satan as a symbol while not believing in him as a real entity.
But when you're talking about the types that believe in the Christian depiction of Satan, yeah, you're in the same territory. Just a different political party.
"Depends on the type of Satanism. I've heard of some that are essentially atheism that just use Satan as a symbol while not believing in him as a real entity."
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, the dominant form of Satanism is the Church of Satan, and they don't believe Satan is a living entity. They also claim their conception of "Satan" is pre-Christian.
Hey if people voted for Senator Buttars, why not vote for this guy? More loons in government might make entice people to realise that you should vote, if for no other reason that to keep these sort of fellows out of government.
ReplyDeletePS: Jonathan the impaler for president 2008!
Be careful what you ask for; given the crop of candidates for 2008 it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to imagine Sharkey as President. Well, except that the Christian Right would never let him get the Republican nomination and the Democrats probably wouldn't like his propensity for impaling criminals and terrorists...
ReplyDeleteI don't know, the neo-vampiric impalation section of the voting community has yet to really find a friend amongst the political candidates. I am certain with the correct persuasion (such as more rights for dressing in black in public) combined with laxer blood donation laws, Jonathan the Impaler 2008 could be a serious contest.
ReplyDelete"As far as I know, the dominant form of Satanism is the Church of Satan, and they don't believe Satan is a living entity. They also claim their conception of "Satan" is pre-Christian."
ReplyDeleteWhich is pure BS on LaVey's part. (What, you expected honesty?) LaVey's Church Of Satan is Episcopal Satanism. Other, less-organized forms mirror fundamentalism and Catholicism. There are indeed people who worship (modern conceptions of) various pre-Christian deities, but those folks call themselves Neo-Pagans, and they get very annoyed if you call them Satanists.
It happened that (way back in my college years) I read LaVey's Satanic Bible the same week as Robert Ringer's Looking Out For #1. When I realized that these two books, published within a couple years of each other, were promoting identical ideologies, I wound up laughing them both off.
Even funnier was learning that LaVey abandoned his own CoS, in disgust that most of his followers didn't want to actually take the trouble to build up their "personal power" as he preached -- they just wanted to hang around looking sinister.
All this said, I'll reprise the joke I told at PZ's place: He ought to take the VP slot on the Chthulu ticket. "Why settle for the lesser of two evils?"