I don't know but it seems to me that you are asking to get more down rates by posting this question. Perhaps if you post a link to the answer in question we could better understand the spirit in which you answered and then offer you better advice.

If helpful without offending someone / take others feelings into consideration when answering

WHy? Speaking as a former Satanist myself, I can tell you we are very human, and have every emotion and feeling that you do. What do you think Stanists ARE, anyway?

I probably wouldn't be offended since it's a joke you say. But I'd have to know what the joke was.

Surely nothing would offend a Satanist

Why would you assume that a Satanist cannot be offended? What makes their feelings less vulnerable or important than the feelings of anyone else? I downrated you for being offensive, and I left a comment as to why it was offensive. I don't recall your exact words, but I am trying to find it. I do remember thinking that if you changed the reference to Satanism to a reference to Christianity and said the same thing, NO ONE would be laughing. OH! Here it is. Someone was asking how to tell his/her parents that he/she is a Satanist, and you replied, "Start this conversation: Hey dad...remember that a few days ago you told me to go to hell? Well...I have been thinking about it and I am taking the first steps...." I commented that not only does Satanism not have anything to do with hell, your answer was not the least bit helpful to the questioner. To give context, this was during a time when many people came out and made disparaging comments about the person's religion, its beliefs, etc. You jumped right on the bandwagon of not taking the person's question or beliefs seriously, I must say. Now, let's put this in the context of some other, popular, belief system. Let's use Christianity, since it has the largest number of adherents. Someone comes out on AB and says, "How do I tell my parents about me being a Christian?" and you answer, "Start this conversation: Hey dad...remember that a few days ago you told me to go to hell? Well...I have been thinking about it and I am taking the first steps...." If you think the Christian questioner has been offended and disrespected, so has the Satanic questioner. http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/498038