7-2 remember those numbers.

[William769]

Not seeing much about it on DU today but those numbers are actually huge!

SCOTUS came out today 7-2 to let Marriage equality proceed in Kansas (not hard to figure out the two dissenters). Yes that is correct 7-2

Doesn't look like we will have to count on Kennedy for the swing vote after all.

To me, this tells me without a shadow of a doubt, it's a done deal very soon for the rest of America.

I'm celebrating, feel free to join in or just move on by.

[Hekate]

1. I'll raise a glass to that

[William769]

3. ...

[LAGC]

2. Yep, the writing is on the wall.

Now if Scalia would kindly roll over and croak before the new Senate is sworn in... might see a lot more 7-2, if not 8-1 decisions from the high court.

[Prophet 451]

26. I pray for his death nightly

And yes, I'm serious. My faith has no problem praying for the death of evildoers.

[randys1]

52. Tens of millions of americans agree 100% with every single disgusting pig fuck

opinion that piece of garbage has.

So, in a way, it is appropriate to have him and his trained idiot Thomas on the SC, they do represent many Americans...

[SylviaD]

67. This is distasteful.

What faith do you follow?

Praying for someone's death sounds like the behavior of an unhinged RWer not a member of DU.

I would say that is undemocratic behavior.

[Prophet 451]

74. I'm a Luciferian Satanist n/t

[SylviaD]

75. Seriously? n/t

[Prophet 451]

76. Yes, seriously

According to my faith, god is an absolute monster, the worst there has ever been. I worship Lucifer as the first being with the courage to stand up to him.

On reflection, Scalia has loved ones and I probably shouldn't seriously pray for his death. Just something to remove him from the bench.

[SylviaD]

77. I thought Satanists were atheists who didn't really believe in "Lucifer"? n/t

[Prophet 451]

78. Different kind of Satanist

Essentially, Satanists come in four flavours:
- LaVeyan Satanists are atheists who have a philosophy that's essentially Objectivism with neo-mystical bolt-ons. Called "Satanist" largely because Anton LaVey liked annoying Christians.

- The Temple of Set don't consider themselves Satanists but everyone else does. They don't worship but do revere Set as an example of "willed self-evolution". They have a very complicated philosophy that I confess I don't fully understand.

- Luciferian Satanists (that's me) do believe in Lucifer and do worship him. We see him as the righteous rebel against a tyrannical god. We're an experiential faith, meaning no holy book in the normal sense and no dogma (beyond the duty of each of us to make our world a better place). Each worshipers individual take on the faith is constructed through personal gnosis. We're the smallest of the three main branches and completely lacking any kind of organization.

- Finally, there are the punk kids. Diane Vera (an influential occult writer) calls them "Black Circle Boys" after the film of the same name. They're the ones who smash up graveyards, torture/kill animals and use our signs and symbolism without any understanding of the belief system that underpins it. The rest of us loathe them, for fairly obvious reasons.

[SylviaD]

79. Interesting! Please humor a few questions from an interested person.

Q1. Do you believe in the Lucifer of the Bible or a different version? If the Biblical one, do you see him as equal to God? If not, isn't your quest to defeat God doomed to failure?

Q2. Do you believe in demons evil spirits possession or summoning?

Q3. Do you wish to harm others i.e. Christians or Atheists?

Thank you for any answers.

[Prophet 451]

80. No problem

Do you believe in the Lucifer of the Bible or a different version?

Difficult to explain. Essentially, you've heard teh expression that the victor writes the history? That's how we see the Bible, as a propaganda version of events that only tells god's side of things. So, while the Lucifer I pray to is the same one as the one in the Bible, the Bible version is incomplete and comes from his enemies.

If the Biblical one, do you see him as equal to God?

More or less. That's still to be determined. Essentially, while Revelation predicts that god will triumph at the end of time, that can be ignored as more propaganda. No-one really knows how it will go down.

If not, isn't your quest to defeat God doomed to failure?

I don't believe so but even if it was, doing teh right thing is more important. Better to be right than "saved".

Do you believe in demons evil spirits possession or summoning?

Um, sorta. Demons: There were those who followed Lucifer and fell with him. Most of them still exist and people have written about them through the years. They occupy a similar position as saints do in Catholicism.
Evil spirits: Well, in addition to the celestials, there are also natural spirits, the energy of a place or an event that attains a sort of crude consciousness. They can be nasty but they're rarely evil in the sense of making a moral choice, more crude and lashing out because they feel threatened.
Possession: Not exactly. No spirit can take possession of you or anyone else. They're not designed the same way. It would be like Hulk Hogan trying to squeeze into your shirt. What I have heard of (but never personally experienced) is a way that a demon can co-share a body. Not taking control of it but taking a back seat in the mind to experience physical being again.
Summoning: I'm undecided. I've heard of it but never seen it myself. I would have thought it was insulting to the being in question and so, I wouldn't do it either.

Do you wish to harm others i.e. Christians or Atheists?

No, absolutely not. There's a couple of Christians that I have a personal beef with but that's not because of their spiritual path, that's because there's heat between us personally. It is more important for people to choose their own path than for our paths to agree. Lucifer's fall, his war that I've chosen to be part of, was about the right to moral self-determination. The right of a thinking, feeling species, to choose it's own fate, to go from "thou shalt not" to "I will not" without the threat of hell hanging over their heads. Thus, it would be wrong of me to try and choose a path for others or to harm them (unless in defence of self or others). It is our job to minimise suffering. Since we have been fucked over by the Big Beard, it's imperative not to add to it by fucking each other over. We should instead aid others and not just through prayer, but by getting up off our knees and getting our hands dirty, "If the lot of man is to improve, the seer must become the do-er".

Finally, a quick debunking of common myths that you were polite enough not to ask:
- I don't sacrifice babies, children or animals. The only thing I sacrifice is a small pinch of herbs which symbolise Lucifer's sacrifice that I choose to share with him.
- I do happen to own a black cat but she's not a familiar, she's a pet and the only reason she's black is because she was teh one who needed re-homing most urgently. She and her marmalade sister are adored and spoiled rotten.
- I do happen to have a small alter. It's not actually necessary, I just like teh formalism of it. It has candles, a small statue, an offering bowl (for those herbs I mentioned) and an incense burner (no occult reason, it just makes the place smell nice) and I pray in much the same manner as most people, I go to one knee (the other is too wrecked to kneel on now), clasp hands and close my eyes.
- I don't take recreational drugs (I barely even drink because it reacts badly with my meds) and there are no orgies or, at least, no-one's even invited me to one.

[SylviaD]

81. Thank you for the information...

I enjoy learning about the faiths of others. Very interesting.

I assume you would be a target of scorn from Christians and atheists? Christians because you are on "the other side" and atheists because you have a belief not based in science which is all they seem to care about or value.

I met one of the atheist satanists some years back. Disagreeable, argumentative fellow. Did not enjoy his company, nor did my husband.

[Prophet 451]

82. You're welcome

And yeah, I get it from both Christians and atheists. It's fun because I tend to be on the side of the atheists for issues like teaching evolution and church-state separation and climate change. Then, I get the usual stuff about fairytales and being delusional from them when I say I'm a believer. Christians like that I'm a believer but hate that I worship the other guy. It's fun really.

The LaVeyans (the atheist Satanists) are a mixed bag. Some, as you met, are objectionable jerks. Others, like the ones I knew at uni, are good people. Like Christians, some are great, some are jerks.

Peace with you.

[rpannier]

65. If Scalia dies two SCOTUS seats open up

Thomas always does what Scalia does

[Ms. Toad]

68. Aside from just being an inappropriate comment,

are you aware of how long the backlog of pending judicial appointments is? No way we would even get close to a hearing before the new senate is sworn in.

[uppityperson]

4. Yay, about time.

Thinking ahead to a new sig line quote. Maybe Popeye "I yam what I yam".

[William769]

5. I would have loved to been a fly on the wall to have heard the two dissenters.

I can actually picture Scalia foaming at the mouth.

[uppityperson]

20. oh yeah

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Great news!

[William769]

7. Yes it is my friend.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Great news! Gives us hope!

[William769]

9. Hey there stranger!

[Rhiannon12866]

10. Hello, my friend!

I've missed you! Hope that all is well with you!

[William769]

13. I am great! Hope you are the same.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. So glad to hear that!

I've been a little under the weather, have had bronchitis, but I saw the doctor yesterday, got a couple of prescriptions, so I'm on the mend. But I do miss you and my MIRT friends, have been feeling kind of useless here, LOL. I'm awfully glad to hear from you and that you're doing great!

[William769]

19. I'm sending good vibes your way.

Take care of yourself my friend.

[Rhiannon12866]

22. Thanks so much! I can use all I can get, LOL.

And my little rescued kitten is keeping me busy, shooting jingly balls all over the house... He's getting so big!

[Prophet 451]

27. Your furbaby is adorable!

Please give him scritiches from me.

[Rhiannon12866]

72. Thanks so much!

He really is very special. I found him as a tiny kitten back in August in a grocery store parking lot. He's turning out to be such a pretty kitty and a very sweet one - when he's not tearing around, as kittens do...

This is Felix:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

25. Ah, my dear Rhiannon, forgive me for butting in on your conversation with William!

I am so glad to see you, sweetie, and I wondered what had happened when you vanished from MIRT the last days of our term. I am so sorry you were/are ill, and I hope you're mending fast!

Please take care of yourself, OK?

We did fine, but I missed your cheery posts something awful...

[Rhiannon12866]

73. Peggy!

Hello, my friend! So glad to hear from you! And I've missed you - and MIRT - quite a lot. I've been under the weather, was away and I had bronchitis. I went to one of those doc-in-the-box places where I was and they gave me medication which didn't help a whole lot, but I finally dragged myself home (180 miles, with my dog and my rescued kitten) because I had to vote, for all the good that it did. *sigh* I saw my own doctor this week, hope I'm finally on the mend, but it's been rough. Hope that all is well with you - and have no doubt that you're continuing to stop the trolls and disruptors at the door!

[leanforward]

70. Thank you

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Control-Z]

11. I'll move on.

But not before I offer up a celebratory .

It's so good to have something, especially this important, going our way!

[William769]

14. I'll share a drink with you.

[SidDithers]

12. DU rec...

Sid

[William769]

15. Love that picture Sid.

And thanks for just being you.

[progressoid]

16. Rec!

[William769]

17. ...

[nirvana555]

21. Wonderful! Thanks for posting. I am thrilled that it was 7-2. It makes me feel

A little hopeful.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. I did wonder what you meant by those mysterious numbers, my dear William769...

I am thrilled at what they mean!

Marriage equality for all of America.

I am so very happy to hear this grand news! You have waited way too long for this.

[freshwest]

24. Wow, I hadn't heard about this! I feel so relieved! Thanks for the good news.

[ReRe]

28. K&R

Yes! And the sooner the better.

[sheshe2]

29. How the hell did I miss this thread for so long!

7-2!

OMG! Awesome!



[link:|

William~

[William769]

37. Hey wait a minute.

[sheshe2]

44. :-)

[Cha]

30. A-Mazing! Might well face it, William..

"GOD LOVES GAYS"~God’ of Facebook crowdfunds Westboro billboards.."

from back on September 4, 2014!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025491182

William

[William769]

39. Great! Thanks Cha.

[brer cat]

31. That news is worth waking up in the middle of the night!

K&R then back to sleep.

[sheshe2]

32. ~

[sheshe2]

33. ~

[Egnever]

34. The tide has definitely turned

Glad to see it.

[davidpdx]

35. It is a very good thing

Hopefully we can turn the tide on the last remaining states before the 2016 election. Wouldn't that be pretty damn sweet.

[oldandhappy]

36. Thank you for the post.

[William769]

42. Just spreading the news.

[bigwillq]

38. SCOTUS!!!!

[William769]

40. Agreed!

[MineralMan]

41. Excellent. I think it's over for the haters.

The SCOTUS sent a message a while back. They're sticking to it, it looks like.

[William769]

43. Agreed.

[Spazito]

45. Wow! 7-2, that is absolutely wonderful!

"To me, this tells me without a shadow of a doubt, it's a done deal very soon for the rest of America."

Well said!

[TBF]

46. K&R

[William769]

48. That's friggin Awesome!

[TBF]

49. I save the best emoticons

For special occasions

[Odin2005]

47. It's all over but the wing-nut screaming.

[Iliyah]

50. K & R

RWers sound like hounds from hell. Eff them.

[uppityperson]

51. One more kick as it is making me happy today

[blkmusclmachine]

53. You realize dissenters do not have to sign onto the Petition to uphold for KS. So, we do not know if

there were 3 or 4 dissenters. However, I suspect Scalia and his puppet Thomas did not have 5 bigot votes for KS at this time, and that is good news for equality.

[William769]

55. I am not following you, I am trying to understand what you are saying.

This is where I got my information. http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/supreme-court-ends-stay-on-kansas-same-sex-marriage-order

Am I not understanding this correctly?

[former9thward]

58. You are not.

Normally SC orders are not signed by anyone. No one knows the vote. In this case 7 of the Justices did not sign the order. Scalia and Thomas wanted to make a point they dissented and asked their names indicate that. We have no idea how the other 7 voted.

In addition this was not an opinion. It was an order lifting a stay (by Sotomayor). So it was procedural, it was not on the merits of the case. Many Justices will vote one way on procedural orders even if they disagree with the merits. The merit case is yet to come.

[heaven05]

54. a lot of people gaining

their human rights, a lot of people losing their rights....civil, human and voting. That's dysfunctional. Although congratulations are in order, I guess.

[Chellee]

56. Yay!

The decent human beings outnumbered the assholes, and by more than just barely.

It's sad that it hardly ever happens. But it did happen, and about time too.

So...Yay!!!

[rhett o rick]

57. This is good news. What case was this? nm

[joeybee12]

59. The two had to be Scalia and Thomas...

A fascist and a mental midget.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

60. 100th rec.

[Starry Messenger]

61. k&r

[NewJeffCT]

62. Scalia and Thomas were the two?

or, am I mistaken?

[longship]

63. Well, word around the blogosphere is that Kennedy is a firm vote for marriage freedom.

Ed Brayton is most positive on that point.

But the 7-2 decision is a telling one, and yes, it would be Scalia/Thomas in the negative.

I lived in Kansas for about 18 years and was very active politically. Attended many party conventions. That was when the Dems had some power in the state, in the 80's and 90's.

[mcar]

64. Excellent and hopeful news William

[gollygee]

66. I have friends who'd like to get married here in Michigan

Hopefully they won't have to wait too long.

[niyad]

69. k and r. that is good news. may all those adults who wish to marry, be free to do so.

[Roland99]

71. Know what else is shocking about 7-2?

The Detroit Lions!!