The Satanic Temple
The Satanic Temple, commonly referred to by its acronym TST, is a nontheistic religious and human rights organization that is primarily based in the United States,[1][2][3][4] with additional congregations in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.[5][6] The organization was co-founded by Lucien Greaves, the organization's spokesperson, and Malcolm Jarry.[7][8] It uses Satanic imagery to promote egalitarianism, social justice, and the separation of church and state, supporting their mission "to encourage benevolence and empathy [among all people]."[9] The Satanic Temple has utilized satire, theatrical ploys, humor, and legal action in their public campaigns to "generate attention and prompt people to reevaluate fears and perceptions",[10] and to "highlight religious hypocrisy and encroachment on religious freedom."[7][11][12][13]
The Satanic Temple | |
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Abbreviation | TST |
Type | New religious movement (Satanism) |
Orientation | Activism, protest, lobbying |
Spokesperson | Lucien Greaves |
Region | North America, Europe, Australia |
Headquarters | Salem, Massachusetts |
Founder | Lucien Greaves Malcolm Jarry (pseudonyms) |
Origin | 2012 |
Tax status | U.S. IRS 501(c)(3) |
Official website | thesatanictemple |
The organization's participation in public affairs includes political actions as well as lobbying efforts,[14][15] with a focus on exposing Christian privilege when it interferes with personal religious freedom. It considers marriage a religious sacrament that should be governed under the First Amendment's protection of religious liberty which should prevail over state laws.[16] Because the group regards inviolability of the body as a key doctrine, it also views all restrictions on abortion, including mandatory waiting periods, as an infringement on the rights of Satanists to practice their religion.[17] The Satanic Temple does not believe in a supernatural Satan; instead it employs the literary Satan as a metaphor to promote pragmatic skepticism, rational reciprocity, personal autonomy, and curiosity.[8] Satan is thus used as a symbol representing "the eternal rebel" against arbitrary authority and social norms.[18][19]
TST refers to its religion as "Satanism" or "Modern Satanism".[20] Other names used to refer to the religion include Compassionate Satanism and Seven Tenet Satanism.[21][22]
History

Cofounders Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jarry met in 2012,[3][8] and The Satanic Temple was active by January 2013.[23] 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". The idea was inspired by then–president George W. Bush's formation of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.[8]
Headquarters
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.[24]
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."[25] 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.[26] Co-founder Lucien Greaves stated at the time:
Another byproduct of this turn of events, of course, is that The Satanic Temple must re-evaluate its prior principled refusal to accept religious tax-exemption. This position now confers a total advantage of "none", while our theocratic counterparts trample over the Constitution and all it previously stood for. It appears that now is a time in which a more principled stand is to meet our opponent on equal footing, so as to balance, as best we can, what has been a frighteningly asymmetrical battle. As “the religious” are increasingly gaining ground as a privileged class, we must ensure that this privilege is available to all, and that superstition doesn’t gain exclusive rights over non-theistic religions or non-belief. With the religio-political landscape suddenly so grotesquely deformed from what we previously recognized, it seems reasonable that non-believers should adjust their language accordingly, and insist that atheistic and secular non-profits, advancing a distinct religious opinion and/or opinion upon religion, are themselves rightful beneficiaries of religious tax exemption as well.[27]
Announcing the new tax status, 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."[27]
International stature
TST has had challenges acclimating to the diverse needs of international followers, chapters, and congregations. These difficulties largely stem from practical organization, as TST had already been struggling to meet demand for the establishment of new chapters across the United States and was structured based on the assumption of operating within the United States. To complement this, 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.[28] 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.[29]
Mission and observances
The Satanic Temple describes its mission as follows:
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.[30]
Tenets
The Satanic Temple has seven fundamental tenets:[31]
- One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
- The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
- One's body is inviolable, subject to one's own will alone.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 observes five holidays.[32]
Date | Event |
---|---|
February 15 | Lupercalia |
April 30 | Hexennacht |
July 25 | Unveiling Day |
October 31 | Halloween |
December 25 | Sol Invictus |
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 for the discredited practice of recovered-memory therapy.[33][34][35] 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.[36][37]
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.[7] 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."[23][8][3]
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.[38] The mass was held after the Westboro Baptist Church announced their intention to picket the funerals of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.[39] 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.[38] 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.[40][41] A misdemeanor charge was issued against Greaves and he was told that if he returned to Lauderdale County, Mississippi (where Johnston's grave is located), he would be arrested.[41] Shortly before Phelps's death on March 19, 2014, The Satanic Temple expressed interest in holding a similar ceremony for the church founder.[42][43] The Blessing of same-sex marriages is allowed in The Satanic Temple.[44]
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.[45][46][47]
Baphomet statue
A monumental bronze sculpture depicting Baphomet, the goat-headed, angel-winged occult idol, was crowdfunded in 2014 and unveiled the following year. The statue has figured prominently in challenges regarding the display of the Ten Commandments at the State Capitols of both Oklahoma and Arkansas.
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."[48] 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.[49][50] 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."[51]
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.[52] As part of the protest the Temple held a guerrilla theatre performance that included two men dressed as clergy pouring milk on kneeling actresses.[53] 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".[54]
On April 23, 2016, 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.'"[55]
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.[56][3]
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,[57] 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."[58]
Pentagram ritual
On June 6, 2016, the Temple performed a pentagram ritual[59] 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.[60]
After School Satan
After School Satan is an after school program sponsored by The Satanic Temple. It was created in July 2016 as an alternative to the Christian-based after school group called the Good News Club.[61][62][63]
Los Angeles Satanic Mass
On January 14, 2017, a week before the Trump presidential inauguration, 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.[64] Local Los Angeles media was also on hand to cover the event, calling the event "a bloody good time".[65]
Holiday displays
Chapters throughout the United States have erected various displays to appear adjacent to Christian Nativity scenes on public grounds.[66] A display in the Florida State Capitol rotunda in 2014 featured an angel falling from the sky into a pit of flames,[67] which was vandalized and then modified as a result.[68] 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.[69][70] Sponsored by the Detroit chapter, this "Snaketivity" display returned to Lansing capitol grounds in 2015,[71][72] and again in 2016.[73][74]
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;[75][76] the same sculpture returned in 2019.[77][78] The West Michigan chapter installed a Yule goat outside their state's capitol on the 2019 winter solstice.[79][80]
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.[81] Local Catholic bishop Thomas Paprocki declined an invitation to attend the installation of the statue, which took place December 20.[82][83]
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.[84] 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."[85] The City Council unanimously approved additional funds to litigate a January 2020 federal court trial in Phoenix.[86][87] The Satanic Temple has appealed the judge's ruling.[88]
Religious abortion ritual
Following a failed abortion lawsuit in June 2020,[89] the Satanic Temple announced a religious abortion ritual on August 5, 2020, exempting members in RFRA states from "enduring medically unnecessary and unscientific abortion regulations when seeking to terminate their pregnancy".[90] In September 2021 the Satanic Temple wrote the U.S. Food and Drug Administration claiming faith-based rights to medical abortion drugs, seeking to dispense misoprostol and mifepristone to members.[91] 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.[92][93]
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.[94] According to one report based on a tweet, at one point, police were forced to intervene at the protest after some Protestant and Catholic protesters started fighting against each other over their theological differences.[95]
Membership
Membership in The Satanic Temple is free and open to anyone and can be obtained by signing up on the official website.[96] Membership cards can be purchased for $35. Additionally, members can apply to join local congregations, though according to Draco Ignis and Hofman A Turing, members of the NYC congregation, the requirements for each [congregation] 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.".[97]
Membership is subject to renewal, revocation, or termination "for a member's failure to conduct him or herself in a manner consistent with the spirit of The Satanic Temple and its tenets."[96] The 2019 documentary film Hail Satan? mentions the expulsion of a member who used a TST event to call for violence against then-president Donald Trump.
Congregations
Congregations are local groups of organized TST members. Some congregations are enabled 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".[98] TST encourages members to form congregations where none exist or join pre-established ones, but does not actively establish them itself.[99]
Before 2021, congregations were called chapters. Chapters used to be involved with the TST International Council and were able to actively engage in the development of TST initiatives. 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. [100]
In recent times, congregations have popped up across the world. As of April 2022, they have been established across the continental United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia.[101]
Online communities
TST has multiple official online communities serving various congregations.[102] Unofficial communities have surfaced on platforms such as Reddit and Discord.[103] The unofficial subreddit /r/SatanicTemple_Reddit is an online forum serving TST members and "Satanists who identify with the Seven Tenets". Created May 7, 2019, and moderated by six individuals, subreddit participation has grown to over 31,000 subscribers in April 2022.[104][105]
Comparison to LaVeyan Satanism
Lucien Greaves has described the Temple as being a progressive and updated version of LaVey's Satanism.[106] The Temple views itself as separate and distinct from its forerunner, representing "a natural evolution in Satanic thought". Greaves has said that the elements of Social Darwinism and Nietzscheanism within LaVeyan Satanism are incongruent with game theory, reciprocal altruism, and cognitive science.[107] 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.[15][61] Conversely, the Church of Satan has made statements claiming that The Satanic Temple are only "masquerading as Satanists"[108][109] and do not represent Satanism.[110]
Reception
The Satanic Temple has received some criticism for their actions, most notably from religious organizations and figures.[111] Many critics state that they believe that the Temple is not a serious organization and is instead meant to be a prank, form of satire, or elaborate trolling attempt. Greaves and Blackmore have both dismissed these claims, as Greaves stated in a 2013 interview with Vice that the Temple could be both satanic and satirical.[15] Blackmore has also stated that people believe that they are only "trying to cause trouble for no reason except to just be shocking", but the Temple says they are "adding to the dialogue that's already there and asking for rights -- just like anyone else."[112]
Both Greaves and Blackmore have stated that they have received death threats in response to their activities with The Satanic Temple.[112][113]
TST has generated positive attention as well. Valerie Tarico of Salon wrote that the tenets were egalitarian and "truer to the words of Jesus than most Christians," referring to the tenets as expressing the primacy of compassion and empathy and conducive to a path to equanimity.[114] This sentiment was echoed by Progressive Secular Humanist blogger Michael Stone who compared the tenets as superior to the Ten Commandments, claiming the tenets offer "a more moral, and more optimistic stance, emphasizing positive, pro-social values."[115]
The organization argues that freedom of speech prevails regardless of political opinion when responding to such criticism.[116]
The 2020 book Speak of the Devil: How the Satanic Temple Is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion is the first academic monograph to focus on the organization.[117]
Schisms and similar groups
The Satanic Temple has inspired the development of other Satanic religious organizations: some developed amicably and others through religious schism.[118][119][120]
The Global Order of Satan was founded in 2018[121] following the departure of the TST-UK and London chapters, which had voted no confidence in TST. The schism was motivated by TST removing two consecutive UK chapter heads: the first for engaging in unapproved campaigns, and the second for "personality clashes".[122][123]
See also
References
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- Lewis, James R.; Tollefsen, Inga B. (2016). The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements, Volume 2. Oxford University Press. pp. 441–453.
- 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.
- "Satanic Temple to open first headquarters in Salem, host art gallery, lectures, possibly weddings". MassLive. September 14, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "TST: Find a Chapter". Satanic Temple. December 12, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- Felperin, Leslie. "'Hail Satan?': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- 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.
- 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.
- "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.
- "FirstHand - The Satanic Temple". FirstHand. September 4, 2018. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- 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.
- Asher-Shapiro, Avi (June 24, 2015). "The Satanic Temple Is Suing Missouri Over Its Abortion Law". Vice.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- 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.
- Hayoun, Massoud (December 8, 2013). "Group aims to put Satanist monument near Oklahoma capitol". Al Jazeera America. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Bugbee, Shane (July 30, 2013). "Unmasking Lucien Greaves, Leader of the Satanic Temple". Vice.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Mehta, Hemant (January 13, 2016). "When It Comes to The Satanic Temple, Christians Seem to Love Bearing False Witness". Patheos. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- 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.
- "FAQ". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "What does Satan mean to the Satanic Temple?". CNN. November 30, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "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.
- "/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.
- MIROSLAV VRZAL and 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.
From today's perspective, Laycock understands TST's Satanism in terms of its main focus
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(help)CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link) - "Bashir: Satanists hail Florida Gov. Rick Scott". MSNBC. January 14, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- 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.
- "Satanic Temple: IRS has designated it a tax-exempt church". Associated Press. April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- Bustamonte, Star (May 21, 2019). "Interview with Lucien Greaves". The Wild Hunt. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- Matirko, Jack (April 24, 2019). "The Satanic Temple is Now a Registered Tax-Exempt Church". Patheos. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- 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?"
- 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.
- "About Us". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- "THERE ARE SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL TENETS". thesatanictemple.com. The Satanic Temple. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
- "Holidays". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
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- Saint Thomas, Sophie (February 17, 2016). "Satanists Call for Investigation into 'Satanic Panic' Killing of 8-Year-Old Boy". Broadly. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
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- "More Photos of Fred Phelps' Moms Gravesite". The Gauntlet. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "Arrest Warrants Issued For Satanists That Performed Ritual At Westboro Gravesite". Queerty. July 25, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Feldman, Josh (March 18, 2014). "NY Satanic Temple Wants to Posthumously Make Fred Phelps Gay". Mediaite. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Gryboski, Michael (March 19, 2014). "Satanic Group Plans to Turn Westboro Baptist Church Founder Gay in the Afterlife". Christian Post. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Pinknews: The Satanic Temple is in favour of equal rights for LGBT+ people
- "A Response from the Organizers of the Black Mass". Harvard Political Review. May 11, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
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- "Protect Children Project". Retrieved November 29, 2018.
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- 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.
- "Satanic Temple Billboard Targets North Texas School District's Use of Corporal Punishment". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- DeVito, Lee (August 24, 2015). "The Satanic Temple countered Planned Parenthood protests with some guerrilla theatre". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Boland, Barbara (August 23, 2015). "Satanists drench women with milk for Planned Parenthood counter-protest". Washington Examiner. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "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.
- Zavala-Offman, Alysa (April 23, 2016). "The Satanic Temple will interrupt Planned Parenthood protests in classic Satanic Temple fashion". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Blake, Andrew (November 19, 2015). "Satanic Temple offers help to Muslims amid post-Paris backlash". The Washington Times. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Vargo, Samuel (November 4, 2015). "Nice try, Pope Francis, but to many, Junipero Serra is no saint". Daily Kos. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Rylah, Juliet Bennett (October 6, 2015). "The Satanic Temple Is 'Demonizing' St. Junipero Serra Next Week". LAist. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Romero, Dennis (May 26, 2016). "Satanists Plan to Celebrate 6/6/16 in L.A." L.A. Weekly. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Sanburn, Josh (May 12, 2016). "He's an Atheist. A Satanist. And He Wants Your Vote". TIME.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "FAQ". After School Satan. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- 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.
- "Portland OKs "After School Satan" for elementary kids". CBS News. September 28, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "Satanic Mass ft. 3teeth, Author & Punisher, Coven of Ashes". Facebook. January 14, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Verbueren, Hannah (January 13, 2017). "The Satanic Black Mass was a Bloody Good Time". LA Weekly. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "The Satanic Temple-Chicago Displays Holiday Monument In Illinois". For Infernal Use Only. December 3, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "The Florida capitol's holiday display will include a festive message from the Satanic Temple". Washington Post. December 4, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "Here's how the Satanic Temple fixed its vandalized holiday display in the Florida capitol". Washington Post. December 24, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "Michigan's state capitol will host a Satanic Temple display, but no nativity scene (for now)". Washington Post. December 16, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "Satanist And Christian Holiday Displays To Go Up At Michigan Capitol". NPR.org. December 17, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- Hinkley, Justin A. (December 2, 2015). "Satanic Temple to counter Ted Cruz nativity in Lansing". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- Behnan, Christopher (December 14, 2015). "'Satanic ceremony' set for Capitol lawn". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- Hinkley, Justin A. (December 7, 2016). "Snaketivity, Nativity returning to Capitol". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "Snaketivity 2016 Press Release". The Satanic Temple Arizona. December 8, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "Satan Is in the Illinois Capitol. Because It's the Holidays!". The New York Times. December 6, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "Satanic Sculpture Installed at Illinois Statehouse, Just in Time for the Holidays". NPR.org. December 4, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "Once Again, Satanic Temple "Snaketivity" Goes Up in Illinois State Capitol". Friendly Atheist. December 2, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- 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.
- Mehta, Hemant (December 23, 2019). "A Satanic "Yule Goat" Has Been Put Up Outside the Michigan State Capitol". Friendly Atheist. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- Ware, Alexis (December 21, 2019). "Satanic display returns to Capitol building". Home. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- Adams, Andrew (December 18, 2021). "Satanic Temple to install Sol Invictus holiday display at state Capitol rotunda". State Journal-Register. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- Emerson, Jakob (December 20, 2021). "Satanic holiday display installed at Illinois Capitol". WICS. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- Greene, Heather (December 21, 2021). "Catholic bishop criticizes Satanic Temple holiday display at Illinois Statehouse". Religion News Service. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
- Mendoza, Angel. "Satanists sue Scottsdale, allege religious discrimination". AZ Central. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- Longhi, Lorraine. "Scottsdale faces off against Satanists in court over right to give invocation at public meetings". AZ Central. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- "Scottsdale (AZ) Officials Want $130,000 More to Fight Satanists Over Invocations". Friendly Atheist. December 1, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- 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.
- "Satanists Appeal Ruling Against Right to Give Invocation - Arizona News". US News & World Report. February 29, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- "Federal appeals court axes Satanic Temple abortion lawsuit". Associated Press. Columbia, MO. June 9, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- "Satanic Abortions Are Protected by Religious Liberty Laws". The Satanic Temple Monthly Newsletter. August 5, 2020.
- Hannah Salamon-Vegh (September 1, 2021). "Satanists demand FDA give them unrestricted access to abortion drugs for religious rituals". The Post Millennial.
- Nowlin, Sanford (September 4, 2021). "The Satanic Temple begins legal maneuver to skirt Texas' new abortion ban". San Antonio Current. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- "Satanic Temple takes legal action against Texas abortion law and says members exempt". The Independent. September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- Pitts, William (February 12, 2022). "Satanic Temple holds inaugural convention in Scottsdale". KPNX. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- "SatanCon 0: The truth laid bare". OnlySky Media. February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- "Join Us". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
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- "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.
- "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.
- "The Satanic Temple is divided over its leader's decision to hire Alex Jones's lawyer". August 9, 2018.
- "FIND A CONGREGATION". thesatanictemple. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- "TST: Find A Congregation". The Satanic Temple. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- "Unofficial Satanic Temple". Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- "/r/SatanicTemple_Reddit". Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- ""The Satanic Temple" is WILD". Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- The Invention of Satanism & Dyrendal, Lewis, Petersen 2016, p. 220.
- Satanic Temple Founder Talks Atheistic Religion. The David Pakman Show. October 9, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "Third Side Intelligence: Missouri Abortions". Church of Satan. October 10, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Larson, Erik (March 22, 2021). "Satanists Go to Court Seeking Right to Pray at City Meetings". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- Ethan, Reverend Joel. "The Satanic Temple Fact Sheet". Church of Satan. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- 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.
- "Q&A: Satanic Temple of Detroit's Jex Blackmore explains group's purpose, growth potential". MLive.com. February 19, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- "Lucien Greaves of the Satanic Temple". Detroit Metro Times. May 27, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- 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.
- Stone, Michael (January 22, 2016). "Satanic Temple's Seven Tenets Are Morally Superior to Ten Commandments". Progressive Secular Humanist. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- Only, For Infernal Use (June 19, 2018). "Lucien Greaves on The Satanic Temple and Free Speech". For Infernal Use Only. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- 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. Project MUSE.
- 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.
- 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."
- "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.
- "Global Order of Satan".
- 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.
- "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.
External links
- Official website
- "The Satanic Temple gets religion" on PRI's The World (2019 May 6)
- Satanic Temple TV media platform