The Satanic Temple

Last updated

The Satanic Temple
The Satanic Temple logo.png
AbbreviationTST
Type New religious movement (Satanism) [1]
Orientation Activism, civil rights, protest, social justice, lobbying [1] [2]
Spokesperson Lucien Greaves [2]
Region Australia, Europe, North America
Headquarters Salem, Massachusetts, 42°31′53″N70°53′29″W / 42.5313609°N 70.8913727°W / 42.5313609; -70.8913727
Founder
Origin2012
Members700,000+ [3]
Tax status U.S. IRS 501(c)(3)
Official website thesatanictemple.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Satanic Temple (TST) is a non-theistic organization and new religious movement, [1] founded in 2013 and headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts. Established in reaction to the "intrusion of Christian values on American politics", [4] [9] congregations have also formed in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. [10] [11] Co-founded by Lucien Greaves, the organization's spokesperson, and Malcolm Jarry, [12] [13] the group views Satan neither as a supernatural being, [1] nor a symbol of evil, [14] but instead relies on the literary Satan as a symbol representing "the eternal rebel" against arbitrary authority and social norms, [15] [16] or as a metaphor to promote pragmatic skepticism, rational reciprocity, personal autonomy, and curiosity. [13]

Contents

The organization's mission encourages "benevolence and empathy" among all people, [17] using Satanic imagery to promote civil rights, egalitarianism, religious skepticism, social justice, bodily integrity, [18] secularism, and the separation of church and state; [1] [2] relying on religious satire, theatrical ploys, humor, and legal action in their public campaigns to "generate attention and prompt people to reevaluate fears and perceptions", [19] and to "highlight religious hypocrisy and encroachment on religious freedom." [23] The organization participates in political actions such as lobbying efforts, [24] [25] with a focus on exposing Christian privilege when it interferes with personal religious freedom. [2] It considers marriage a religious sacrament that should be governed under the First Amendment's protection of religious freedom which should prevail over state laws. [26] The group views restrictions on abortion, including mandatory waiting periods, as an infringement on the rights of Satanists to practice their religion.

TST is apparently "the largest Satanic organization in history". [27] Its adherents generally refer to their religion as "Satanism" or "Modern Satanism", [28] while others refer to TST's religion as "Compassionate Satanism" or "Seven Tenet Satanism". [29] [30]

History

Lucien Greaves, spokesperson for the Satanic Temple, at SASHAcon, March 2016 LucienGreavesSASHAcon2016.jpg
Lucien Greaves, spokesperson for the Satanic Temple, at SASHAcon, March 2016

Cofounders Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jarry met in 2012, [7] [13] and the Satanic Temple was active by January 2013. [31] In an interview with The New York Times , Malcolm Jarry stated that the idea of starting a Satanic faith-based organization was first conceived to meet "all the Bush administration's criteria for receiving funds, but was repugnant to them". Jarry was referring to former president George W. Bush's formation of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. [13]

According to scholar Joseph Laycock, Jarry was inspired to organize a rally of Satanists (hiring actors to play Satanists) after actions by Governor Rick Scott of Florida to promote religion. In March 2012, Scott had signed a bill that passed the Florida state legislature allowing public school students to read inspirational messages at assemblies and sporting events—a way to circumvent a Supreme Court's ruling against mandatory prayer in school. In January 2013, Jarry's pretend Satanists rallied to praise Scott for his new law [32] which would allow satanic students "to share their love of Satan" in public schools. [33] After this event, the Westboro Baptist Church came to Boston, where Jarry and Greaves lived, to picket the funerals of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Jarry and Greaves decided to retaliate by going to Meridan, Mississippi, to perform a "pink mass" over the grave of the mother of the Westboro's founder, Fred Phelps Sr. During the July 2013 "pink mass", gay couples made out over the grave and the Temple announced that this ritual would turn Phelps' mother gay in the afterlife. The positive publicity the event received reportedly made the Satanic Temple nationally known. [33]

Headquarters

Headquarter of the Satanic Temple at Salem, Massachusetts The Satanic Temple, Salem, MA 2023-02-23 01.jpg
Headquarter of the Satanic Temple at Salem, Massachusetts

The Satanic Temple opened its official headquarters in Salem, Massachusetts, in 2016. The former Victorian funeral home is painted charcoal and doubles as the Salem Art Gallery. [34] The headquarters includes a Fine Art room, La Voisin Chamber (dedicated to Catherine Monvoisin), Library, the Milton Hall exhibition space, and a room for its Statue of Baphomet. [35] The library includes a focus on the history of Satanic panic. [34]

The space has since come under threat on multiple occasions. Chelsea resident Daniel Lucey set fire to the Salem facility's porch on June 10, 2022. Local fire rescue personnel had the flames under control shortly after arriving on the scene. The building was occupied at the time, but everyone was evacuated and no injuries occurred; damage was limited, though the porch and several windows had to be replaced. [36] The Salem Police Department reported a bomb threat to the headquarters on March 2, 2023, stating they were taking the threat seriously and following public safety management mandates. [37]

Tax-exempt status

On April 25, 2019, the Temple announced it had received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service, being classified as a "church or a convention or association of churches". [38] The Satanic Temple had previously been reluctant to pursue tax-exempt status until the Johnson Amendment was weakened by an executive order "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" signed by President Trump in May 2017, which TST viewed as unfairly giving higher status to religious individuals. [39]

Announcing the new tax status co-founder Lucien Greaves stated: "In light of theocratic assaults upon the Separation of Church and State in the legislative effort to establish a codified place of privilege for one religious viewpoint, we feel that accepting religious tax exemption—rather than renouncing in protest—can help us to better assert our claims to equal access and exemption while laying to rest any suspicion that we don’t meet the qualifications of a true religious organization. Satanism is here to stay." [40]

The Satanic Temple claims on its website to be "the only Satanic religious organization recognized as a church by the IRS and the Federal Court System." [41]

International followers

TST was structured based on the assumption of operating within United States. TST has had challenges acclimating to the diverse needs of international followers, chapters, and congregations. The organization was unwilling to assist members in establishing chapters where the risk of religiously motivated violence was considered too high (such as Peru and Uganda) out of concerns for their well-being. [42] The difficulties associated with incorporating international members into the organization has led to at least one religious schism, which gave birth to another religious Satanic organization called the Global Order of Satan. [43]

Mission, beliefs, and holidays

According to the organization's website, the mission of the Satanic Temple is to:

...encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits. The Satanic Temple has publicly confronted hate groups, fought for the abolition of corporal punishment in public schools, applied for equal representation when religious installations are placed on public property, provided religious exemption and legal protection against laws that unscientifically restrict women's reproductive autonomy, exposed harmful pseudo-scientific practitioners in mental health care, organized clubs alongside other religious after-school clubs in schools besieged by proselytizing organizations, and engaged in other advocacy in accordance with our tenets. [44]

Tenets

The Satanic Temple has seven fundamental tenets: [45]

  1. One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
  2. The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
  3. One's body is inviolable, subject to one's own will alone.
  4. The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.
  5. Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.
  6. People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
  7. Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

Holidays

The Satanic Temple promotes five holidays. [46]

DateEvent
February 15 Lupercalia
April 30 Hexennacht
July 25 Unveiling Day
October 31 Halloween
December 25 Sol Invictus

Community and subgroups

Black Mass

In May 2014, the Temple scheduled a Black Mass to be held on the Harvard University campus, sponsored by the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club; the event was forced to relocate off campus due to significant opposition by Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and school administrators. [47] [48] [49]

Los Angeles Satanic Mass

On January 14, 2017, the Temple hosted what it billed as the largest Satanic gathering in history, hoping to double the attendance of the 2015 gathering in Detroit for the Baphomet unveiling. Film crews from VICE and NatGeo were on hand to document the event. The mass included three parts: Invocation Ritual, Destruction Ritual and a Bloodletting Ritual. [50] Local Los Angeles media was also on hand to cover the event, calling the event "a bloody good time". [51]

Pentagram ritual

On June 6, 2016, the Temple performed a pentagram ritual [52] around the California city of Lancaster in Los Angeles County, to support California State Senate candidate Steve Hill, who hoped to be the first Satanic Temple member elected to public office. [53]

SatanCon

On February 12, 2022, the Satanic Temple held their first SatanCon convention inside Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. Outside the hotel, hundreds of Christians protested the convention holding crucifixes, crosses, and signs denouncing Satan. [54]

The Satanic Temple announced the celebration of its 10th anniversary at SatanCon 2023, held April 28–30, 2023, in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. [55]

Sober Faction

The Satanic Temple Sober Faction is a peer support group that offers a Satanic approach to recovery from addiction. Sober Faction meetings assist those who are suffering from addiction in finding sobriety without including or invoking religion in the recovery process.

The Sober Faction's method is guided by TST's Seven Tenets and utilizes the Seven Rituals, which were crafted specifically for the Sober Faction's recovery program. The ritual process promotes self-empowerment while giving structure to each individual's recovery journey.

The group recognizes and respects that there are multiple perspectives and multiple approaches to recovery. The group explicitly says that meetings are not a professional form of therapy, and that anyone struggling with addiction should also seek help from a medical professional. [56]

Representation in the public sphere

Baphomet statue

A monumental bronze sculpture depicting Baphomet, a goat-headed, angel-winged occult idol, was crowdfunded in 2014 and unveiled in 2015. The statue has figured prominently in challenges about the display of the Ten Commandments at the capitols of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Baphometic Bowl of Wisdom

The sculpture, Baphometic Bowl of Wisdom, a Satanic monument intended to pay homage to veterans, was approved for installation on public grounds. Planned to be placed in a memorial park in Belle Plaine, Minnesota, next to an established religious statue of a soldier kneeling at a cross the monument faced opposition from local residents and external Christian groups. [57] Subsequently, the city retracted its permission for the installation just days before the scheduled event, leading to the removal of both the proposed statue and the existing religious sculpture. [58]

Bladensburg Peace Cross Ceremony

Following the Supreme Court's 2019 ruling that the Bladensburg Cross does not conflict with the First Amendment, since it honors veterans of all faiths, the Satanic Temple created a monument to honor Satanic veterans. Named the Bladensburg Satanic Peace Cross, TST held its first memorial ceremony on 10 July 2021. The Satanic Temple encouraged satanists to make a pilgrimage to Bladensburg, Maryland, to pay tribute to their fallen veterans. [59]

Holiday displays

Chapters throughout the United States have erected various displays to appear adjacent to Christian Nativity scenes on public grounds. [60] A display in the Florida State Capitol rotunda in 2014 featured an angel falling from the sky into a pit of flames, [61] which was vandalized and then modified as a result. [62] That same year a display at the Michigan State Capitol featured the message "The Greatest Gift is Knowledge" and a depiction of a snake wrapped around a black Leviathan cross. [63] [64] Sponsored by the Detroit chapter, this "Snaketivity" display returned to Lansing capitol grounds in 2015, [65] [66] and again in 2016. [67] [68]

The Chicago chapter updated "Snaketivity" as a sculpture for display in the Illinois State Capitol rotunda in 2018: with a serpent coiled around a woman's hand presenting an apple, and the message "Knowledge is the Greatest Gift" inscribed on the supporting pedestal; [69] [70] the same sculpture returned in 2019. [71] [72] The West Michigan chapter installed a Yule goat outside their state's capitol on the 2019 winter solstice. [73] [74]

Following a pandemic hiatus on holiday displays in their State Capitol, the Illinois congregation announced a new sculpture for the rotunda in celebration of Sol Invictus 2021: Baphomet as a newborn baby. [75] Local Catholic bishop Thomas Paprocki declined an invitation to attend the installation of the statue, which took place December 20. [76] [77] Illinois congregants returned to the rotunda in 2022 with a crochet display of apples and the serpent of Genesis, paired with a book by Copernicus that had been banned by the Vatican for centuries. [78]

New displays were organized by local congregations in 2023, with a decorated tree at the National Railroad Museum in Wisconsin, [79] as well as a mirror-covered, red-cloaked Baphomet statue at the Iowa State Capitol. [80] [81] After the Iowa display was vandalized, organizers salvaged some remaining altar elements. [82] [83] [84] A former Republican Congressional candidate from Mississippi was charged with a felony and violation of "individual rights" under Iowa's hate crime law. [85] [86] [87]

Scottsdale, Arizona invocation challenge

Scottsdale City Council denied a 2016 request from the Satanic Temple's Arizona chapter to give an invocation at the Council meeting; denial was based on the grounds that only groups with "substantial connections to the community" are allowed (the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of Scottsdale was selected instead). The Satanic Temple maintains there was never any "local community" question during the application process. [88] The Arizona chapter's co-founder Michelle Shortt filed suit against the city, saying they had "no written policy regarding prayer and only reversed its decision after backlash from the community and city officials." [89] The City Council unanimously approved additional funds to litigate a January 2020 federal court trial in Phoenix. [90] [91] The Satanic Temple has appealed the judge's ruling. [92]

School campaigns

After School Satan

The Satanic Temple sponsors After School Satan, an after-school program where students engage with rationalist pursuits, scientific games, nature activities, and community service. The program offers an alternative to after-school Christian missionary programs such as the Good News Club. [93] [94] Organized by individual local groups since 2016, four After School Satan clubs were active at the end of 2023. [95] In 2024 The Satanic Temple partnered with the Secular Student Alliance, another organization promoting secular values among students, in supporting After School Satan clubs. [96]

Prayer in schools

The organization first gained media attention in January 2013 after a group of Satanists assembled at the Florida State Capitol to show their approval over a bill Governor Rick Scott signed into law the prior year, Senate Bill 98, which allowed student-led prayer at school assemblies. [12] The group further stated that as the bill did not specify a religion, the prayers could be led by a student from any religion—including Satanism. The TST members announced they "were coming out to say how happy we were because now our Satanic children could pray to Satan in school." [31] [13] [7]

Protect Children Project

Launched by the Satanic Temple in the spring of 2014, the Protect Children Project aims to offer "First Amendment protection to support children who may be at risk for being subjected to mental or physical abuse in school by teachers and administrators through the use of solitary confinement, restraints, and corporal punishment." [97] The Protect Children Project's website asked participants to print out pre-written letters to send to their respective school boards on a day designated as "Protect Children Day" as a form of protest. [98] [99] In March 2017, the Satanic Temple launched an anti-spanking campaign against corporal punishment in schools, as part of the Protect Children Project. They unveiled billboards in Texas which read "Never be hit in school again. Exercise your religious rights." [100]

Reproductive autonomy

Abortion medical services

In February, 2023 TST announced it would open a medical clinic in New Mexico offering medication abortion. Operating under the name TST Health, the "Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic" will offer free medical consultations and prescribe abortion medication, delivered by mail. [101] [102] [103] [104] Guided by a Satanic Temple minister, patients participate in the abortion ritual, reciting tenets about bodily autonomy and the importance of science. [105]

Planned Parenthood counter-protests

On August 22, 2015, the Detroit chapter of the Satanic Temple held a counter-protest outside of a Ferndale Planned Parenthood location in response to anti-abortionist groups that were planning to protest Planned Parenthood on that same date. [106] As part of the protest the Temple held a guerrilla theatre performance that included two men dressed as clergy pouring milk on kneeling actresses. [107] This was not the first protest of this type that the Temple had held in support of the organization, as they had previously held a 2013 protest where they brought children to the Texas State Capitol who chanted "Fuck You" and "Hail Satan", while holding signs reading "Stay Out Of My Mommy's Vagina". [108]

"Future of Baby is Now", an abortion rights protest by The Satanic Temple Future of Baby is Now wide Blackmore 15.png
"Future of Baby is Now", an abortion rights protest by The Satanic Temple

On April 23, 2016, led by Jex Blackmore, members of the Detroit chapter of the Temple counter-protested the Citizens for a Pro-Life Society's protest of Planned Parenthood. Temple members dressed in bondage fetish clothing, wearing baby masks and diapers while engaging in flagellation. The Temple said that the reason for the protest was to "expose the anti-choice protest as an act of fetal idolatry, highlighting the fetishization and abstraction of the 'baby.'" [109] [110]

Religious abortion ritual

Following a failed abortion lawsuit in June 2020, [111] the Satanic Temple announced a religious abortion ritual on August 5, 2020, which allowed members living in RFRA states to be exempt from "enduring medically unnecessary and unscientific abortion regulations when seeking to terminate their pregnancy". [112] In September 2021, as part of its opposition to the Texas Heartbeat Act, the Satanic Temple wrote the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, saying that it had a faith-based right to access medical abortion drugs, including misoprostol and mifepristone. [113] Temple lawyers protest a specific Texas abortion law, recently sustained by the US Supreme Court, arguing that the Temple's status as a non-theistic religious organization should ensure access to abortion as a faith-based right. [114] [115]

In 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , ending federal abortion rights and allowing individual states to regulate their own abortion laws. [116] Following this, the Satanic Temple commented on Twitter that the organization was "the leading beacon of light in the battle for abortion access", and that "a religious exemption [from the Satanic Temple] will be the only available challenge to many restrictions to access". [117]

In response, Jezebel magazine critiqued the organization's position that a religious exemption would guarantee its members freedom to seek abortions even in states where they were no longer legal, criticizing its position as overly-simplistic, unproven, and put pregnant people attempting to use the Satanic Temple's religious exemption to have an abortion in legal jeopardy. [118] Other organizations focused on reproductive rights, such as the Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund, also commented on the Satanic Temple's position, [118] with both the TEA Fund and the Yellowhammer Fund—an abortion fund serving the states of Alabama and Mississippi—having previously spoken out against the Satanic Temple's position. [119] [120] Though the Satanic Temple offers a dedicated email address for members who encounter legal problems when seeking an abortion using its religious exemption form, former TST reproductive rights spokesperson, Jex Blackmore, stated that there was "no guarantee" that the Temple would cover a member's legal fees or provide legal support. In response, the Temple's lawyer, Matthew Kezhaya, stated that part of the abortion ritual outlined by the Satanic Temple as the reason for its members' religious exemption required "consulting with your local minister", a step Jezebel noted was not mentioned on the Temple's website or either of its abortion ritual guides, and that in the case of "foreseeable legal complications", the Temple refers its members to Kezhaya "for further evaluation and discussion". [118]

Other campaigns and initiatives

Grey Faction

The Grey Faction is a project of the Satanic Temple with the goal of exposing malpractice and pseudoscience associated with Satanic ritual abuse conspiracy theories. The Grey Faction protests medical conferences, initiates legal action, and petitions medical boards. The faction has protested conferences held by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, which advocates the discredited practice of recovered-memory therapy. [121] [122] [123] The group has also petitioned for investigation into the killing by Gigi Jordan of her child, which was connected to the discredited practice of facilitated communication. [124] [125]

Pink Mass

In July 2013, the Satanic Temple held a "Pink Mass" over the grave of Catherine Johnston, the mother of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps. [126] The mass was held after the Westboro Baptist Church announced their intention to picket the funerals of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. [127] Queerty.com suggested they had based the idea of the mass on similar activities held by factions of the Latter Day Saint movement, where they would perform proxy baptisms. [126] The Pink Mass was officiated by Greaves and consisted of two gay men kissing over Johnston's grave while Greaves touched the tombstone with his genitals and chanted an incantation intended to change the deceased's sexual orientation. [128] [129] Greaves was charged with a misdemeanor and was told that if he returned to Lauderdale County, Mississippi, where Johnston's grave is, he would be arrested. [129] Shortly before Phelps's death, on March 19, 2014, the Satanic Temple expressed interest in holding a similar ceremony for the church founder. [130] [131] The blessing of same-sex marriages is allowed in the Satanic Temple. [132]

Muslim refugee activism

In November 2015, the Temple received media attention for offering to take in Muslims or refugees that were afraid of experiencing backlash over the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. [133] [7]

Demonization of Junipero Serra

The Temple's Los Angeles Chapter has also protested the canonization of Junípero Serra by Pope Francis and in October 2015 they held a ceremony where they "demonized" the Christian missionary, [134] stating that Serra helped enslave thousands of Native Americans and that he "also led The Spanish Inquisition in his territories, trying residents of the Missions for the crimes of sorcery, witchcraft and devil worship." [135]

Membership

Individuals dedicated to the tenets of the Satanic Temple can join on the organization's website. [136] Members can apply to join local congregations, though local requirements may differ: "If there's a local [congregation] where you are, to join you do have to be accepted, but there's no initiation or anything. You don't even have to be a Satanist, you can just be a strong ally who believes in the political and secular actions without being super stoked about all the aesthetic aspects." [137]

Membership is subject to termination for "failure to uphold the spirit of the Satanic Temple and its tenets." [136] A member who used a TST event to call for violence against then-president Donald Trump was expelled. [138]

Congregations

Local groups of organized TST members may form congregations. Some congregations are endorsed by TST to "participate in campaigns, social events, and other activities relevant to their local regions, as well as in concert with national TST campaigns". [139] TST encourages members to form congregations where none exist or join pre-established ones, but does not actively establish them itself. [140] Congregations are currently established across the continental United States, Canada, and Australia. [141]

Congregations were initially known as chapters; the first chapter was established in 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. That chapter went on hiatus in 2018, the same year chapters in Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles, California, and the UK seceded from the Satanic Temple over internal disputes with national leadership. [142]

Comparison to LaVeyan Satanism

Lucien Greaves has described the Temple as being a progressive and updated version of LaVey's Satanism. [143] The Temple views itself as separate and distinct from its forerunner, representing "a natural evolution in Satanic thought". Greaves has written and posted a fairly long refutation of LaVey's doctrines in an essay "CHURCH OF SATAN VS. SATANIC TEMPLE", [144] and said that the elements of Social Darwinism and Nietzscheanism within LaVeyan Satanism are incongruent with game theory, reciprocal altruism, and cognitive science. [145] He has also criticized the LaVeyan Church of Satan for its lack of political lobbying and what he sees as their exclusivity, referring to them as autocratic and hierarchical, and saying that the Church fetishizes authoritarianism. [25] [146]

Conversely, the Church of Satan has claimed that Anton LaVey "codified" Satanism "as a religion and philosophy" with the Church of Satan in 1966, so that we have "five decades of a clearly defined belief system called Satanism expounded by a worldwide organization", namely the Church of Satan. [147] The Satanic Temple, on the other hand, are only "masquerading as Satanists" [148] [149] and do not represent Satanism. [150]

Joseph P. Laycock attributes the origin of the Temple and the difference between the two groups to the "culture war" between traditionalists/conservatives and liberal/secularists "fueled by demographic changes". [151] At least in the United States where the temple is based, the number of adults identifying as Christian is shrinking (63% as of 2021 down from 78% in 2007) and those identifying with no religion is growing (29% in 2021, up from 16% in 2007), [152] Christians have become alarmed. At least some observers have suggested that the increasing political activism of American conservatives in the 1990s and 21st century on issues such as abortion, teaching of the theory of evolution, gun politics, separation of church and state, privacy, recreational drug use, homosexuality, censorship, is an attempt to "compensate" for their loss of cultural power "by using the power of the state". [151] In the meantime the growing number of secular/Religiously Unaffiliated have also become politically aroused. In addition, the sizeable number of people who were told as adolescents that the "rock music or the game Dungeons and Dragons" they enjoyed were satanic, are now grown and have a very different idea than earlier generations as to the relative merits of Satanism versus Christians—or at least politically active conservative Christians. [151] Laycock argues that the shift in interest among Satanists toward political activism, between the founding of the Church of Satan and the establishment of the Satanic Temple, can be explained in part by their desire to counter the influence of conservative Christians. [151]

Reception

Christian religious organizations have criticized many actions by the Satanic Temple. [153] Critics accuse the Temple of being unserious: merely a prank, public satire, or elaborate trolling attempt. Greaves clarified in a 2013 interview that the Temple could be both satanic and satirical, [25] and maintains that freedom of speech prevails regardless of political opinion regarding such criticism. [154] Blackmore dismissed claims that the Temple was simply "trying to cause trouble for no reason except to just be shocking", instead she defended the Temple "adding to the dialogue that's already there and asking for rights—just like anyone else." [155]

Extremists have made death threats against multiple leaders of the Satanic Temple. [155] [156] In June 2022, a man attempted to set fire to the TST headquarters in Salem, Massachusetts. He was charged with a hate crime. [157] In 2023, the TST statue in the Iowa capitol building was vandalized by a former Republican candidate for a Congressional in Mississippi, who was charged with hate crime. [158] In January 2024, Salem police arrested a Michigan resident for planning to attack the TST building with explosives. [159] An Oklahoma man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple on April 8, 2024. [160]

Salon's Valerie Tarico described the Tenets as egalitarian, conducive towards equanimity, "truer to the words of Jesus than most Christians", expressing both compassion and empathy. [161]

The organization was the focus of the 2020 academic monograph Speak of the Devil: How the Satanic Temple Is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion. [162]

Schisms and internal dissent

The Satanic Temple has prompted the development of other Satanic religious organizations, some amicably and others through religious schism. [163] [164] [165]

Prominent chapter leader Jex Blackmore left the organization in March 2018, [166] over statements deemed too extreme by the national TST organization. In a later interview, Blackmore criticized TST as corrupt: "The organization badly yearns to be deemed legitimate in the eyes of those in power but they will never achieve this aim, even if their litigious activities are successful. Our work, whatever it is, must come from a place of authenticity." [138] [167]

The Global Order of Satan was founded in 2018 [168] following the departure of the TST-UK and London chapters, which had voted no confidence in TST. This schism was motivated by TST removing two consecutive UK chapter heads: the first for engaging in unapproved campaigns, and the second for "personality clashes". [43] [169]

The group HelLA formed in 2018 following a rift based on ethical concerns; the Los Angeles chapter objected to TST's acceptance of pro-bono legal work from the free-speech lawyer Marc Randazza, as well as "the complete lack of racial diversity" among TST leadership. [170] [171] [172] The ex-chapter head also cited a disagreement with Lucien Greaves' absolutist philosophy on free speech. [173] [174]

Several "approved administrators" of the TST-Washington chapter left the Temple and took control of the chapter's social media pages in March 2020. [175] TST responded with a lawsuit against the former members, [176] and subsequently sued Newsweek magazine, claiming defamatory coverage of the matter. [177] [178]

Amidst a flurry of disaffiliations and resignations in May 2024, several state groups–including Colorado, Florida, and Minnesota–severed ties with the national TST organization and formed the independent Coalition of Satanic Congregations. [179] [180] [ better source needed ] The Satanic Temple has been criticized for how it handled dissenting Ministers in their Ministerial organization during the May 2024 schism.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satanism</span> Ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan

Satanism refers to a group of religious, ideological, and/or philosophical beliefs based on Satan—particularly his worship or veneration. Satan is commonly associated with the Devil in Christianity, a fallen angel often regarded as chief of the demons who tempt humans into sin. The phenomenon of Satanism shares "historical connections and family resemblances" with the Left Hand Path milieu of other occult figures such as Chaos, Hecate, Lilith, Lucifer, and Set. Self-identified Satanism is a relatively modern phenomenon, largely attributed to the 1966 founding of the Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States—an atheistic group that does not believe in a supernatural Satan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple of Set</span> Occult initiatory order founded in 1975

The Temple of Set is an occult initiatory order founded in 1975. A new religious movement and form of Western esotericism, the Temple espouses a religion known as Setianism, whose practitioners are called Setians. This is sometimes identified as a form of Satanism, although this term is not often embraced by Setians and is contested by some academics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Satan</span> Organization dedicated to atheist Satanism

The Church of Satan (CoS) is a religious organization dedicated to the religion of Satanism as defined by Anton Szandor LaVey. Founded in San Francisco in 1966, by LaVey, it is considered the "oldest satanic religion in continual existence", and more importantly the most influential, inspiring "numerous imitator and breakaway groups". According to the Church, Satanism has been "codified" as "a religion and philosophy" by LaVey and his church. Founded in an era when there was much public interest in the occult, witchcraft and Satanism, the church enjoyed a heyday for several years after its founding. Celebrities attended LaVey's satanic parties and he was invited on talk shows. His Satanic Bible sold nearly a million copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anton LaVey</span> Founder of the Church of Satan, author of the Satanic Bible

Anton Szandor LaVey was an American author, musician, and LaVeyan Satanist. He was the founder of the Church of Satan, the philosophy of LaVeyan Satanism, and the concept of Satanism. He authored several books, including The Satanic Bible, The Satanic Rituals, The Satanic Witch, The Devil's Notebook, and Satan Speaks! In addition, he released three albums, including The Satanic Mass, Satan Takes a Holiday, and Strange Music. He played a minor on-screen role and served as technical advisor for the 1975 film The Devil's Rain and served as host and narrator for Nick Bougas' 1989 mondo film Death Scenes.

<i>The Satanic Bible</i> 1969 religious text of LaVeyan Satanism

The Satanic Bible is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It is the central religious text of LaVeyan Satanism, and is considered the foundation of its philosophy and dogma. It has been described as the most important document to influence contemporary Satanism. Though The Satanic Bible is not considered to be sacred scripture in the way that the Christian Bible is to Christianity, LaVeyan Satanists regard it as an authoritative text as it is a contemporary text that has attained for them scriptural status. It extols the virtues of exploring one's nature and instincts. Believers have been described as "atheistic Satanists" because they believe that God and Satan are not external entities, but rather projections of an individual's personality—benevolent and stabilizing forces in their life. There have been thirty printings of The Satanic Bible, selling over a million copies.

LaVeyan Satanism is the name given to the form of Satanism promoted by American occultist and author Anton LaVey (1930–1997). LaVey founded the Church of Satan (CoS) in 1966 in San Francisco. Although LaVey is thought to have had more impact with his Satanic aesthetics of "colourful" rituals and "scandalous" clothes that created a "gigantic media circus", he also promoted his ideas in writings, such as the popular Satanic Bible. LaVeyan Satanism has been classified as a new religious movement and a form of Western esotericism by scholars of religion. LaVey's ideas have been said to weave together an array of sometimes "contradictory" "thinkers and tropes", combining "humanism, hedonism, aspects of pop psychology and the human potential movement", along with "a lot of showmanship", His ideas were heavily influenced by the ideas and writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, Ayn Rand and Arthur Desmond.

<i>The Church of Satan</i> (book)

The Church of Satan: A History of the World's Most Notorious Religion is a book by Blanche Barton, published on November 1, 1990 by Hell's Kitchen Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theistic Satanism</span> Umbrella term for religious groups

Theistic Satanism, otherwise referred to as traditional Satanism, religious Satanism, or spiritual Satanism, is an umbrella term for religious groups that consider Satan, the Devil, to objectively exist as a deity, supernatural entity, or spiritual being worthy of worship or reverence, whom individuals may believe in, contact, and convene with, in contrast to the atheistic archetype, metaphor, or symbol found in LaVeyan Satanism.

Satanism is a belief or social phenomenon that features the veneration or admiration of Satan or a similar figure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of Nine Angles</span> Satanic and left-hand path occultist group

The Order of Nine Angles is a militant Satanic left-hand path occultist and terrorist network that originated in the United Kingdom but has since branched out into other parts of the world. Claiming to have been established in the 1960s, it rose to public recognition in the early 1980s, attracting attention for its neo-Nazi ideology and activism. Describing its approach as "Traditional Satanism", it also exhibits Hermetic and modern Pagan elements in its beliefs.

Our Lady of Endor Coven, also known as Ophite Cultus Sathanas, was an American Satanic cult founded by Herbert Arthur Sloane in Cleveland, Ohio, with a claimed origin in 1948 though definitive documentation of the group does not appear until the 1960s. Heavily influenced by gnosticism, the group equated Sathanas with the Serpent in the Garden of Eden as revealer of true knowledge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jex Blackmore</span> American pro-choice activist (born 1986)

Jex Blackmore is an American pro-choice activist, performance artist, and Satanist. Blackmore was affiliated with the Satanic Temple, a non-theistic organization, between 2014 and 2018, and led its Detroit chapter. Blackmore publicized their three abortions through a detailed blogging project, a film performance, and by taking a medical abortion pill during an interview on local TV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucien Greaves</span> Co-founder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple

Douglas Mesner, better known as Lucien Greaves, is a social activist and co-founder of, and spokesperson for, The Satanic Temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">After School Satan</span> After school program project created as an alternative to Christian-based after school groups

After School Satan is an after school program project of The Satanic Temple (TST), a non-theistic United States organization based in Salem, Massachusetts, and is sponsored by Reason Alliance LTD, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was created as an alternative to Christian-based after-school groups, specifically at schools that host the Evangelical Good News Club. TST only starts a club when it is requested by a parent at a school where the Good News Club or similar organization is already operating.

Statue of <i>Baphomet</i> Sculpture commissioned by the Satanic Temple

Baphomet is a monumental bronze statue commissioned by the Satanic Temple, crowdfunded in 2014 and unveiled in 2015. The statue has figured in public challenges against the display of the Ten Commandments at two state capitols.

<i>Hail Satan?</i> 2019 American film

Hail Satan? is a 2019 American documentary film about the origins of The Satanic Temple, including the group's grassroots political activism. Directed by Penny Lane, the film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and was released in the United States on April 19, distributed by Magnolia Pictures. The film follows Satanists working to preserve the separation of church and state against the privileges of the Christian right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joy of Satan Ministries</span> Theistic Satanist organization and website

Joy of Satan Ministries, also referred to as Joy of Satan (JoS), is a western esoteric occult organization founded in 2002 by Andrea Herrington. Joy of Satan Ministries advocates "Spiritual Satanism", an ideology that presents a synthesis of theistic Satanism, Nazism, gnosticism, paganism, western esotericism, UFO conspiracy theories and extraterrestrial beliefs similar to those popularized by Zecharia Sitchin and David Icke.

<i>The Little Book of Satanism</i> 2022 book by La Carmina

The Little Book of Satanism: A Guide to Satanic History, Culture & Wisdom is a 2022 nonfiction book by author La Carmina about Satanism’s historical evolution and religious practices. The book includes a foreword by Lucien Greaves, the spokesperson and co-founder of The Satanic Temple.

SatanCon is the annual convention of the Satanic Temple, a non-theistic religious organization which uses Satanic imagery to advocate for egalitarianism, social justice, and the separation of church and state. The conventions combine traditional conference-style educational panels with social events, arts, and a marketplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiva Honey</span>

Shiva Honey is a prominent, but controversial figure within the modern Satanic movement, known for her roles as an artist, musician, organizer, and author. Her work primarily revolves around The Satanic Temple (TST), where Shiva has significantly contributed to its development and public rituals. Her work has been controversial.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 White, M. H.; Gregorius, Fredrik (2019). "The Satanic Temple: Secularist Activism and Occulture in the American Political Landscape". International Journal for the Study of New Religions. 10 (1). Sheffield: Equinox Publishing: 89–110. doi:10.1558/ijsnr.38954. ISSN   2041-952X. S2CID   213573087.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lewis, Helen (October 1, 2023). "The Social-Justice Rebellion at the Satanic Temple". The Atlantic . Washington, D.C.: Emerson Collective. ISSN   2151-9463. OCLC   936540106. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  3. ↑ Romero, Dennis (April 25, 2023). "SatanCon, poking at religion and government, opens this weekend in Boston". NBC News. NBC UNIVERSAL. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  4. ↑ Escobedo, Tricia (December 11, 2015). "5 things you didn't know about satanists". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  5. ↑ Gutierrez, Lisa (September 13, 2017). "Satanists emerge as advocate as Planned Parenthood restores Missouri abortion services". The Kansas City Star . Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  6. ↑ Lewis, James R.; Tollefsen, Inga B. (2016). The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements, Volume 2. Oxford University Press. pp. 441–453.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Miller, Matt (November 21, 2015). "Why the Satanic Temple Is Opening Its Doors to American Muslims". Esquire . Retrieved November 29, 2018. co-founded the Temple in 2012 ... The Satanic Temple is an openly atheistic religion that Mesner says does not advocate for any supernatural belief. Really, the "Satanic" term is only there because they have the right to use it, as does any other religion.
  8. ↑ Morrison, Heather (September 14, 2016). "Satanic Temple to open first headquarters in Salem, host art gallery, lectures, possibly weddings". MassLive. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  9. ↑ [2] [5] [6] [7] [8]
  10. ↑ "TST: Find a Congregation". Satanic Temple. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ Felperin, Leslie (February 5, 2019). "'Hail Satan?': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 Merlan, Anna (July 22, 2014). "Trolling Hell: Is the Satanic Temple a Prank, the Start of a New Religious Movement — or Both?". Village Voice . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Oppenheimer, Mark (July 10, 2015). "A Mischievous Thorn in the Side of Conservative Christianity". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  14. ↑ "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.. DO YOU PROMOTE EVIL?". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  15. ↑ "FAQ". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  16. ↑ "What does Satan mean to the Satanic Temple?". CNN. November 30, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ "about-us". thesatanictemple.com. ABOUT US. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022. The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits.
  18. ↑ Kutner, Jenny (May 1, 2015). "Satanist challenges Missouri's 72-hour abortion wait: It's 'a burden on my sincerely held religious beliefs'". Salon . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  19. ↑ "FirstHand - The Satanic Temple". FirstHand . September 4, 2018. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  20. ↑ Ohlheiser, Abby (July 1, 2015). "The Satanic Temple's giant statue of a goat-headed god is looking for a home". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  21. ↑ Asher-Shapiro, Avi (June 24, 2015). "The Satanic Temple Is Suing Missouri Over Its Abortion Law". Vice.com . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  22. ↑ Laycock, Joseph P. (2020). Speak of the Devil: How the Satanic Temple Is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780190948498.
  23. ↑ [12] [20] [21] [22]
  24. ↑ Hayoun, Massoud (December 8, 2013). "Group aims to put Satanist monument near Oklahoma capitol". Al Jazeera America . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 Bugbee, Shane (July 30, 2013). "Unmasking Lucien Greaves, Leader of the Satanic Temple". Vice.com . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  26. ↑ Mehta, Hemant (January 13, 2016). "When It Comes to The Satanic Temple, Christians Seem to Love Bearing False Witness". Patheos . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  27. ↑ Gregorius, Fredrik, and Manon Hedenborg White. "Lucien Greaves (The Satanic Temple),“Church of Satan vs. Satanic Temple”(2017)." Satanism: A Reader (2023): 333
  28. ↑ "About us". thesatanictemple. Retrieved April 11, 2022. The Satanic Temple has become the primary religious Satanic organization in the world ... The Seven Fundamental Tenets of The Satanic Temple, while inspired by 18th Century enlightenment values, were designed for current times, to assist the modern Satanist in noble undertakings.
  29. ↑ "/r/SatanicTemple_Reddit FAQ" . Retrieved April 11, 2022. The Satanic Temple holds the seven tenets as the prime descriptor of our sincerely held religious beliefs. They represent the common beliefs of those who consider themselves Compassionate/Seven Tenet/TST Satanists.
  30. ↑ Miroslav Vrzal; Ivona Vrzalová (January 1, 2021). "Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion". Religio. doi: 10.5817/Rel2021-1-9 . ISSN   1210-3640. S2CID   238910029. From today's perspective, Laycock understands TST's Satanism in terms of its main focus
  31. 1 2 "Bashir: Satanists hail Florida Gov. Rick Scott". MSNBC . January 14, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Satanists for Scott: Real or Fake?". kfsu. January 25, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  33. 1 2 Laycock, Satanism, 2023: 7 Contemporary Developments in Satanism. The Satanic Temple
  34. 1 2 Carmina, La (January 22, 2021). "Salem's Satanic Temple hosts macabre art and movie nights in a former funeral home". Roadtrippers. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Satanic Ceremonies: Little Black Chapel". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  36. ↑ Thompson, Alexander (June 11, 2022). "Boston man arrested after alleged arson at Salem's Satanic Temple that damaged porch". Boston Globe . Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  37. ↑ City of Salem MA [@CityofSalemMA] (March 2, 2023). "We received another bomb threat to the Satanic Temple" (Tweet). Retrieved March 2, 2023– via Twitter.
  38. ↑ "Satanic Temple: IRS has designated it a tax-exempt church". Associated Press. April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  39. ↑ Dickson, Ej (April 24, 2019). "The IRS Officially Recognizes the Satanic Temple as a Church". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  40. ↑ Matirko, Jack (April 24, 2019). "The Satanic Temple is Now a Registered Tax-Exempt Church". Patheos. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  41. ↑ "The Satanic Temple: Empathy. Reason. Advocacy". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved March 28, 2024. The Satanic Temple is the only Satanic religious organization recognized as a church by the IRS and the Federal Court System.
  42. ↑ Joseph P. Laycock (February 17, 2020). "Satanic Schisms". Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion. p. 9.23. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948498.001.0001. ISBN   978-0190948498. There are communities all over the world that have expressed interest in TST, and many have formed unofficial chapters. However, there have been numerous difficulties in incorporating these groups into the US-based structure ... Greaves explained the NC was already overwhelmed by the demand for new chapters in the United States. He also had concerns about extending the TST brand into nations troubled by conflict. He had been contacted by a woman in Peru who wanted to create a chapter but was worried they might be subjected to violence by "Catholic militants." Greaves ... advised the woman to be safe and not start a chapter. Greaves explained he could never endorse, say TST-Uganda, asking, "How are we gonna feel if they all get fucking gunned down over it?"
  43. 1 2 Joseph P. Laycock (February 17, 2020). "Satanic Schisms". Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion. p. 9.19-9.23. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948498.001.0001. ISBN   978-0190948498. TST-UK collaborated with artist Darren Culleb to subvert a new law in Bavaria requiring all public buildings to be adorned with a cross ... When TST leadership learned of this, they asked [TST-UK's leader] to step down as chapter head. ... [TST-UK's leader] was briefly replaced as chapter head by Cain Abaddon ... there were personality clashes and [TST decided] to remove Abaddon as well. ... At this point, TST-UK had ... "a universal vote of no confidence" ... and elected to become independent. ... [TST-UK and London] created its own leadership, rituals, and tenets (the six pillars) and began networking with TST members in such countries as France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland. in February 2019, the group changed its name to the rather ominous sounding Global Order of Satan.
  44. ↑ "About Us". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  45. ↑ "THERE ARE SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL TENETS - TST". thesatanictemple.com. The Satanic Temple. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  46. ↑ "Holidays". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  47. ↑ "A Response from the Organizers of the Black Mass". Harvard Political Review . May 11, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  48. ↑ Andersen, Travis; Anderson, Derek J. (May 13, 2014). "Amid outcry, black mass at Harvard is called off". Boston Globe . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  49. ↑ Delwiche, Theodore R.; Patel, Alexander H. (May 12, 2014). "Even after Harvard Group Drops Sponsorship, Black Mass Takes Place at Hong Kong". The Harvard Crimson . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  50. ↑ "Satanic Mass ft. 3teeth, Author & Punisher, Coven of Ashes". Facebook. January 14, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  51. ↑ Verbueren, Hannah (January 13, 2017). "The Satanic Black Mass was a Bloody Good Time". LA Weekly. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  52. ↑ Romero, Dennis (May 26, 2016). "Satanists Plan to Celebrate 6/6/16 in L.A." L.A. Weekly. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  53. ↑ Sanburn, Josh (May 12, 2016). "He's an Atheist. A Satanist. And He Wants Your Vote". Time . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  54. ↑ Pitts, William (February 12, 2022). "Satanic Temple holds inaugural convention in Scottsdale". KPNX . Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  55. ↑ TST. "SatanCon Home". TST. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  56. ↑ "Sober Faction".
  57. ↑ Mele, Christopher (May 8, 2017). "Satanic Temple Sponsors a Veterans Memorial in a Minnesota Town". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  58. ↑ Read, Katy (April 27, 2019). "Satanic Temple sues Belle Plaine over withdrawn permission for monument". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  59. ↑ "Bladensburg Satanic Peace Cross Ceremony". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  60. ↑ "The Satanic Temple-Chicago Displays Holiday Monument In Illinois". For Infernal Use Only. December 3, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  61. ↑ Ohlheiser, Abby (December 4, 2014). "The Florida capitol's holiday display will include a festive message from the Satanic Temple". Washington Post. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  62. ↑ Ohlheiser, Abby (December 24, 2014). "Here's how the Satanic Temple fixed its vandalized holiday display in the Florida capitol". Washington Post. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  63. ↑ Ohlheiser, Abby (December 16, 2014). "Michigan's state capitol will host a Satanic Temple display, but no nativity scene (for now)". Washington Post. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  64. ↑ Chappell, Bill (December 17, 2014). "Satanist And Christian Holiday Displays To Go Up At Michigan Capitol". NPR.org. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  65. ↑ Hinkley, Justin A. (December 2, 2015). "Satanic Temple to counter Ted Cruz nativity in Lansing". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  66. ↑ Behnan, Christopher (December 14, 2015). "'Satanic ceremony' set for Capitol lawn". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  67. ↑ Hinkley, Justin A. (December 7, 2016). "Snaketivity, Nativity returning to Capitol". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  68. ↑ "Snaketivity 2016 Press Release". The Satanic Temple Arizona. December 8, 2016. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  69. ↑ Stack, Liam (December 6, 2018). "Satan Is in the Illinois Capitol. Because It's the Holidays!". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  70. ↑ Wamsley, Laurel (December 4, 2018). "Satanic Sculpture Installed at Illinois Statehouse, Just in Time for the Holidays". NPR.org. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  71. ↑ "Once Again, Satanic Temple "Snaketivity" Goes Up in Illinois State Capitol". Friendly Atheist. December 2, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  72. ↑ Finke, Doug (November 30, 2020). "From Christmas trees to the Satanic Temple, no holiday displays at state Capitol in 2020". JournalStar. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  73. ↑ Mehta, Hemant (December 23, 2019). "A Satanic "Yule Goat" Has Been Put Up Outside the Michigan State Capitol". Friendly Atheist. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  74. ↑ Ware, Alexis (December 21, 2019). "Satanic display returns to Capitol building". Home. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  75. ↑ Adams, Andrew (December 18, 2021). "Satanic Temple to install Sol Invictus holiday display at state Capitol rotunda". State Journal-Register. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  76. ↑ Emerson, Jakob (December 20, 2021). "Satanic holiday display installed at Illinois Capitol". WICS. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  77. ↑ Greene, Heather (December 21, 2021). "Catholic bishop criticizes Satanic Temple holiday display at Illinois Statehouse". Religion News Service. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  78. ↑ Connolly, Danny; Henke, Cole (December 7, 2022). "Satanic Temple adds 'Serpent of Genesis' to Capitol Rotunda holiday display". WCIA.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  79. ↑ Bond, Paul (November 29, 2023). "Congressman at odds with Wisconsin museum over Satan-themed Christmas Tree". Newsweek. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  80. ↑ Bowman, Beau (December 7, 2023). "Satanic Temple display inside Iowa State Capitol building". KCCI.
  81. ↑ Slisco, Aila (December 12, 2023). "Republican governor asks for prayers over Satanic Temple display". Newsweek. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  82. ↑ Sabes, Adam (December 14, 2023). "Satanic display inside Iowa State Capitol destroyed, man charged: officials". Fox News. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  83. ↑ Mehta, Hemant (December 14, 2023) [2023-12-13]. "Update: Conservatives can't handle The Satanic Temple's harmless display in Iowa's Capitol". Friendly Atheist. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  84. ↑ Mcfetridge, Scott; Salter, Jim (December 15, 2023). "Former Mississippi House candidate charged after Satanic Temple display is destroyed at Iowa Capitol". Washington Post.
  85. ↑ Dallas, Kelsey (February 1, 2024). "An attack on a satanic statue in Iowa has led to a hate crime charge". Deseret News. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  86. ↑ Morris, William (January 30, 2024). "Suspect accused of destroying Satanic display at Iowa Capitol charged with hate crime". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  87. ↑ "Mississippi man accused of destroying statue of pagan idol at Iowa state Capitol takes plea deal". AP News. May 24, 2024.
  88. ↑ Mendoza, Angel (February 26, 2018). "Satanists sue Scottsdale, allege religious discrimination". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  89. ↑ Fifield, Jen; Longhi, Lorraine (July 12, 2019). "Scottsdale faces off against Satanists in court over right to give invocation at public meetings". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  90. ↑ "Scottsdale (AZ) Officials Want $130,000 More to Fight Satanists Over Invocations". Friendly Atheist. December 1, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  91. ↑ Webb, Brian (December 4, 2019). "City of Scottsdale approves additional funds for legal defense in lawsuit against Satanic Temple". FOX 10 Phoenix. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  92. ↑ "Satanists Appeal Ruling Against Right to Give Invocation - Arizona News". U.S. News & World Report. February 29, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  93. ↑ Anderson, Rick (September 28, 2016). "Yes, an after-school Satan Club could be coming to your kid's grade school". LA Times. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  94. ↑ "Portland OKs "After School Satan" for elementary kids". CBS News. September 28, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  95. ↑ Levenson, Michael (December 15, 2023). "How 'After School Satan Club' Is Shaking Things Up". The New York Times.
  96. ↑ Bolling, Kevin (May 23, 2024). "Secular Student Alliance partners with The Satanic Temple for After School Satan Club" (Press release). Secular Student Alliance . Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  97. ↑ "Protect Children Project". Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  98. ↑ Levy, Emily (May 6, 2014). "The Satanic Temple, Now Wooing Kids and Moms". Vocativ . Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  99. ↑ Marie, Brownie (April 11, 2014). "Satanic Temple launches school campaign to "protect" children and permit them to pray to Satan". Christian Today . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  100. ↑ "Satanic Temple Billboard Targets North Texas School District's Use of Corporal Punishment". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. March 16, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  101. ↑ "The Satanic Temple Launches Religious Telehealth Abortion Clinic in New Mexico" (PDF) (Press release). The Satanic Temple. February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  102. ↑ Pandolfo, Chris (February 1, 2023). "The Satanic Temple opens clinic to provide 'religious abortion' care named for Justice Samuel Alito's mother". Fox News. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  103. ↑ "About TST Health". TST Health. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  104. ↑ "Satanic Temple opens online abortion clinic named after Samuel Alito's mother". The Independent. February 15, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  105. ↑ Belluck, Pam (June 28, 2023). "Religious Freedom Arguments Underpin Wave of Challenges to Abortion Bans". The New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  106. ↑ DeVito, Lee (August 24, 2015). "The Satanic Temple countered Planned Parenthood protests with some guerrilla theatre". Detroit Metro Times . Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  107. ↑ Boland, Barbara (August 23, 2015). "Satanists drench women with milk for Planned Parenthood counter-protest". Washington Examiner . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  108. ↑ "Planned Parenthood Supporters: Satanists Drench Women in 'Breast' Milk To Stand Against 'Forced Motherhood' (VIDEO)". Headlines & Global News. August 26, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  109. ↑ Zavala-Offman, Alysa (April 23, 2016). "The Satanic Temple will interrupt Planned Parenthood protests in classic Satanic Temple fashion". Detroit Metro Times. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  110. ↑ Utz, Charlie (October 31, 2018). "Meet Satanist activist and performance artist, Jex Blackmore". Dazed. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  111. ↑ "Federal appeals court axes Satanic Temple abortion lawsuit". Associated Press . Columbia, MO. June 9, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  112. ↑ "Satanic Abortions Are Protected by Religious Liberty Laws". The Satanic Temple Monthly Newsletter. August 5, 2020. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  113. ↑ Kaufman, Amanda. "Salem-based Satanic Temple challenges Texas abortion law, arguing religious freedom - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  114. ↑ Nowlin, Sanford (September 4, 2021). "The Satanic Temple begins legal maneuver to skirt Texas' new abortion ban". San Antonio Current. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  115. ↑ "Satanic Temple takes legal action against Texas abortion law and says members exempt" . The Independent. September 4, 2021. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  116. ↑ Mangan, Dan; Breuninger, Kevin (June 24, 2022). "Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending 50 years of federal abortion rights". CNBC . Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  117. ↑ The Satanic Temple [@satanic_temple_] (June 24, 2022). "The Satanic Temple is the leading beacon of light in the battle for abortion access. With Roe v Wade overturned, a religious exemption will be the only available challenge to many restrictions to access" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022– via Twitter.
  118. 1 2 3 Rinkunas, Susan (June 25, 2022). "Don't Count on the Satanic Temple for a Legal Abortion". jezebel.com. Jezebel. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  119. ↑ Yellowhammer Fund (September 13, 2021). "The Satanic Temple is not the last hope for abortion access". instagram.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  120. ↑ Texas Equal Access Fund [@TEAFund] (September 7, 2021). "PS - The Satanic Temple ritual doesn't work to exempt you from abortion restrictions. Stop spreading that misinformation" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022– via Twitter.
  121. ↑ Harris, Malcolm (October 25, 2016). "Satan Has No Interest in Molesting Your Kids". Pacific Standard. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  122. ↑ Nguyen, Gary (March 27, 2018). "How Science Created A Panic About Satanic Cults". World Religion News. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  123. ↑ Laycock, Joseph (April 6, 2016). "Satanic Temple Protests Pseudoscientific Therapies for Satanic Abuse and Witchcraft". Religion Dispatches. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  124. ↑ Saint Thomas, Sophie (February 17, 2016). "Satanists Call for Investigation into 'Satanic Panic' Killing of 8-Year-Old Boy". Broadly. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  125. ↑ Shewan, Dan (September 8, 2015). "Conviction of Things Not Seen: The Uniquely American Myth of Satanic Cults". Pacific Standard. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  126. 1 2 Tharrett, Matthew (July 20, 2013). "Satanic Temple Makes Deceased Westboro Baptists "Gay Forever" In Pink Mass Ceremony". Queerty. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  127. ↑ Mintz, Zoe (July 18, 2013). "Satanic Temple Turns Westboro Baptist Church Founder's Mom Gay, 'Pink Mass' Performed On Catherine Idalette Johnston [PHOTO]". International Business Times . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  128. ↑ "More Photos of Fred Phelps' Moms Gravesite". The Gauntlet. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  129. 1 2 "Arrest Warrants Issued For Satanists That Performed Ritual At Westboro Gravesite". Queerty . July 25, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  130. ↑ Feldman, Josh (March 18, 2014). "NY Satanic Temple Wants to Posthumously Make Fred Phelps Gay". Mediaite . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  131. ↑ Gryboski, Michael (March 19, 2014). "Satanic Group Plans to Turn Westboro Baptist Church Founder Gay in the Afterlife". Christian Post. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  132. ↑ "The Satanic Temple is in favour of equal rights for LGBT+ people". Pinknews. August 23, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  133. ↑ Blake, Andrew (November 19, 2015). "Satanic Temple offers help to Muslims amid post-Paris backlash". The Washington Times . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  134. ↑ Vargo, Samuel (November 4, 2015). "Nice try, Pope Francis, but to many, Junipero Serra is no saint". Daily Kos . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  135. ↑ Rylah, Juliet Bennett (October 6, 2015). "The Satanic Temple Is 'Demonizing' St. Junipero Serra Next Week". LAist . Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  136. 1 2 "Join Us". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  137. ↑ "The Satanic Temple of NYC is Fighting For Your Liberty and Your Uterus". Broke Ass Stuart. November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  138. 1 2 2019 documentary film Hail Satan?
  139. ↑ "Participate in the TST Community". thesatanictemple. Retrieved April 11, 2022. There are many opportunities to be active within The Satanic Temple, locally, and online. ... If there is a congregation near you, you may wish to engage with them and become a part of that community. Endorsed congregations participate in campaigns, social events, and other activities relevant to their local regions, as well as in concert with national TST campaigns. ... If there isn't a congregation near you, you may wish to seek out a community on the internet. We gather online and keep close ties with one another through social media and other digital means. Many of the local congregations host their presence online, which can also be found within the "Find A Congregation" section of our website.
  140. ↑ "Frequently asked questions" . Retrieved April 11, 2022. Congregations are formed by members with the guidance and support of the Recognition and Onboarding Committee, a leadership body elected and managed by our Society of Congregations. TST does not independently create its congregations. ... Congregations are built by local members working under the supervision of the Recognition and Onboarding Committee (RoC). Starting a new congregation of The Satanic Temple can be very rewarding. It also requires substantial time and effort as well as a thorough understanding of the mission, values, and history of The Satanic Temple. Familiarize yourself with TST's tenets, mission statement, and frequently asked questions, all of which are on our website, prior to contacting the RoC.
  141. ↑ "FIND A CONGREGATION". thesatanictemple. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  142. ↑ Burton, Tara Isabella (August 9, 2018). "The Satanic Temple is divided over its leader's decision to hire Alex Jones's lawyer".
  143. ↑ Dyrendal, Asbjørn; Lewis, James R.; Petersen, Jesper Aagaard (2016). The Invention of Satanism. Oxford University Press. p. 220. ISBN   9780195181104.
  144. ↑ Greaves, Lucien (c. 2019). "Church of Satan vs. Satanic Temple". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  145. ↑ Satanic Temple Founder Talks Atheistic Religion. The David Pakman Show . October 9, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  146. ↑ "FAQ". After School Satan. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  147. ↑ Ethan, Joel. "The Satanic Temple Fact Sheet". Church of Satan. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  148. ↑ "Third Side Intelligence: Missouri Abortions". Church of Satan. October 10, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  149. ↑ Larson, Erik (March 22, 2021). "Satanists Go to Court Seeking Right to Pray at City Meetings". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  150. ↑ Ethan, Reverend Joel. "The Satanic Temple Fact Sheet". Church of Satan. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  151. 1 2 3 4 Laycock, Satanism, 2023: 7 Contemporary Developments in Satanism.
  152. ↑ G. A. Smith (December 14, 2021). "About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated". Pew Research Center. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  153. ↑ Zaimov, Stoyan (July 30, 2015). "Satanic Temple Group Raising Money for On-Demand Abortions Echos Satanist History of 'Child Sacrifice,' Says Theologian". Christian Post . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  154. ↑ Only, For Infernal Use (June 19, 2018). "Lucien Greaves on The Satanic Temple and Free Speech". For Infernal Use Only. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  155. 1 2 "Q&A: Satanic Temple of Detroit's Jex Blackmore explains group's purpose, growth potential". MLive.com. February 19, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  156. ↑ "Lucien Greaves of the Satanic Temple". Detroit Metro Times . May 27, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  157. ↑ "Man charged with fire at Satanic Temple pleads not guilty". AP News. June 14, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  158. ↑ "US man faces hate crime over damage to Satanic Temple display in Iowa". January 31, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  159. ↑ Becker, Kaitlin McKinley (January 13, 2024). "Police say they thwarted Michigan man's planned attack on Salem's Satanic Temple". NBC10 Boston.
  160. ↑ "District of Massachusetts | Oklahoma Man Previously Arrested for Allegedly Throwing Pipe Bomb at Satanic Temple in Salem Indicted by Federal Grand Jury | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  161. ↑ Tarico, Valerie (November 28, 2015). "The greatest trick the satanists ever pulled: They may be truer to the words of Jesus than most Christians". Salon . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  162. ↑ Simpson, Will (2022). "Review of Speak of the Devil: How the Satanic Temple Is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion, by Joseph P. Laycock". Journal of Religion and Popular Culture. 34 (3). Project MUSE: 221–222. doi:10.3138/jrpc.2021-0020. S2CID   246949717.
  163. ↑ Joseph P. Laycock (February 17, 2020). "The Day Satan Came to Oaklahoma". Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion. p. 7.66. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948498.001.0001. ISBN   978-0190948498. In the summer of 2018, TST underwent a major shift with numerous chapters breaking away to form their own Satanic groups. Such schisms are common in the history of new religious movements, but it is significant that these groups remained interested in Satanism as a progressive religious and political movement.
  164. ↑ Joseph P. Laycock (February 17, 2020). "Religion or Trolls?". Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion. p. 11.45. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948498.001.0001. ISBN   978-0190948498. Daniel Walker of Satanic Bay Area, a group allied with TST, explained, "We have this assumption that religion and theism are synonyms. If you can just get [the public] to understand that distinction that's sort of the Rosetta stone."
  165. ↑ "About Satanic Bay Area" . Retrieved April 14, 2022. We believe in the Seven Tenets of the Satanic Temple, but we are not a TST chapter and have no direct affiliation with them. We have no relationship with SF-based Satanist groups like the Temple of Set or old Church of Satan. Satanists and non-Satanists of all stripes are free to join us as long as they support our ideals.
  166. ↑ Aggeler, Madeleine (August 10, 2018). "A Guide to All the Drama Roiling the Satanic Community". The Cut.
  167. ↑ "JEX BLACKMORE INTERVIEW". Interlocutor. November 2, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  168. ↑ "Global Order of Satan".
  169. ↑ "History and background of the Global Order of Satan" . Retrieved April 15, 2022. Officially formed on June 24th 2018, The Global Order of Satan was formed to be a worldwide collective of Satanists united under a shared set of life values & moral pillars. Our aim is to make the world we live in a better place through our actions and in doing so eliminate prejudice, injustice, and religious oppression.
  170. ↑ Joseph P. Laycock (February 17, 2020). "Satanic Schisms". Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion. p. 9.24. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948498.001.0001. ISBN   978-0190948498. On August 4, the day after TST-UK departed, TST-Los Angeles announced that they were also leaving to form a new group that eventually became known as HelLa. In a statement, they specifically cited the Twitter lawsuit, which they viewed as a waste of resources, and the decision to work with Randazza. The statement read, "We believe Randazza is opportunistically using The Satanic Temple as both a shield and a lever as he continues to work on behalf of the alt-right, and we in the Los Angeles chapter want no part of this." It also cited, "the complete lack of racial diversity within leadership."
  171. ↑ Anna Merlan "The Satanic Temple Is Engulfed in a Civil War Over a Decision to Hire an Attorney With a Stable of Alt-Right Clients" Jezebel, August 7, 2018.
  172. ↑ Joe Mullin "Bribery, gay porn, and copyright trolls: The rise and fall of lawyer Marc Randazza" Ars Technica, November 5, 2015.
  173. ↑ Joseph P. Laycock (February 17, 2020). "Satanic Schisms". Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion. p. 9.25. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190948498.001.0001. ISBN   978-0190948498. Bel Citoyen, a former chapter head for TST-Los Angeles ... also took issue with the position of "free speech absolutism" advocated by Greaves, arguing, "The right to free speech doesn't mean the right to a platform."
  174. ↑ Spencer Sunshine (2024). Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism: The Origins and Afterlife of James Mason's Siege. Routledge. pp. 413–417. ISBN   9780429576010.
  175. ↑ "Social media and Satan: pitfalls of losing control of brand social media accounts". April 16, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2022. The Satanic Temple's Washington Chapter has three social media accounts, all of which were maintained and controlled by members of the Temple who were "approved administrators," and whose actions were subject to a written Code of Conduct from the Temple. ... In March 2020, the defendant administrators left the Temple and took control of its social media pages. They removed all other administrators approved by the Temple – effectively locking the Temple out of the accounts – and posted manifestos claiming that Temple leadership are alt-right white supremacists who supported ableism and misogyny. The name of one secondary social media page was changed to "Evergreen Memes for Queer Satanic Friends." On another social media page, they followed a number of extremist groups, in what the Temple characterized as an attempt to create a false impression of affiliation between the Temple and extremism.
  176. ↑ "Orgies, Harassment, Fraud: Satanic Temple Rocked by Accusations, Lawsuit". Newsweek . October 29, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  177. ↑ "Satanic Temple sues Newsweek for defamation". Legal NewsLine . February 28, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  178. ↑ Volokh, Eugene (March 9, 2023). "Most Libel Claims by The Satanic Temple Against Newsweek Dismissed, But Not Claim Over Sexual Abuse Allegations". Reason.com. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  179. ↑ "Coalition of Satanic Congregations".
  180. ↑ "The Satanic Temple and its Eternal Nobodies". Queer Satanic. May 28, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.