The Satanic Temple

Despite the public’s preconceived notions about what modern day Satanism is, The Satanic Temple is vastly expanding not only as a legitimate religion, but also as a political advocate in favor of the separation between church and state. In 2013 The Satanic Temple was founded by founders Malcolm Jarry and Douglas Mesner who is now better known as Lucien Greaves. Florida Governor Rick Scott was the reason Jarry and Greaves organized for the first time when he tried to pass a bill allowing group prayer to be lead in public schools. Scott was originally making an attempt to pander to the evangelical Christians of the bible belt in hopes of re-election, but his plan backfired. The Satanic Temple organized for the first time praising his bill chanting “Hail Satan, Hail Rick Scott”. Thanking him for making public schools an open religious forum. This is because constitutionally opening schools to prayer would also require the inclusion of all religions who would like to participate. The founders were only trying to make a point, but little did they know, a new religion and political force was born.

What does The Satanic Temple believe in? Unlike the Church of Satan whose members believe in the dark supernatural and worship a personification of Satan, The Satanic Temple do not believe in the supernatural at all. Most members of The Satanic Temple are completely atheistic and do not believe an actual being of Satan exists. Instead, Satan is used as symbolism of the eternal rebel in opposition to arbitrary authority. And instead of practicing in belief of the supernatural, The Satanic Temple practices by following the seven tenets. The seven tenets are as follows: 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.

The first time The Satanic Temple was involved in the field of politics was at the Rick Scott rally, but their activism did not stop there. The public activism that The Satanic Temple is most widely known for occurred on August 16, 2018, when Greaves along with other members of the temple drove 22 hours from Salem, Massachusetts to Little Rock, Arkansas in a flatbed truck carrying a bronze statue of Baphomet with two children. This was done in response to a bill allowing a monument of the ten commandments to be erected on the capitol grounds in 2017. The Satanic Temple requested to also have a monument erected since they were opening the capitol grounds for religious expression. The temple’s request was essentially laughed off under the assumption that they would not have the funds nor supplies to build, deliver, and erect their proposed monument. After fundraising within the temple and a “Go Fund Me” campaign, the statue was crafted by Mark Porter in Detroit. The statue was then transported to The Satanic Temple’s headquarters in Salem, then to Little Rock for the first amendment rally. Unsurprisingly The Satanic Temple was not well received, and their request was denied proving the unconstitutional religious favoritism in Arkansas.

The Satanic Temple has included its presence in holiday displays. Despite the lack of permanent monuments on government property by The Satanic Temple, they are seen every year in public holiday displays. To the dismay of some, the only thing that can be done to prevent Satanic displays in a public space of free expression is to decline all religious displays. In 2016 a middle school teacher of Boca Raton, Florida erected a large, inverted pentagram saying “In Satan we trust”, “May all the children hail Satan”, and “I kneel before no gods”. This obviously caused strife within the community, even causing some to pull down the large metal display with their car. The display was reset to its original position and soon vandalized again with the same results. Another example of Satanic holiday display is the “snaketivity” which first made its debut in the Illinois capitol building in 2018. The snaketivity donated by TST Chicago is a statue containing a hand holding an apple with a snake coiling around it. The podium it is held on reads “Knowledge is the greatest gift.”. A nod to the holiday “Sol Invictus” celebrated on December 25th by The Satanic Temple dedicated to being unconquered by superstition and consistent in the pursuit and sharing of knowledge.

The Satanic Temple also spreads its wings into public schools. Many people are aware of the “Good News Club” which is a weekly Christian program that exists within public schools and features bible lessons, songs, and verse memorization. The Satanic Temple believes that if only one religious group uses their offered first amendment right in schools they will certainly benefit from privilege within that community. This is why The Satanic Temple created After School Satan Club. After School Satan uses games, projects, and exercises to engage students in scientific, rational, and nonsuperstitious lessons. The Satanic Temple only attempts to involve After School Satan in schools that already have an established Good News Club to ensure religious pluralism and give multiple religious club options for students to choose from. Obviously, this club upsets many locals and school board members. Media in Marietta, Georgia referred to After School Satan as “a thorn in the school district’s side”. The chair of the Cobb County school board, Susan Thayer is even on record comparing The Satanic Temple to the Ku Klux Klan. She also said on record, “If you let one group in, another group another group wants to come in. It sounds like they just want the Good News Club out.”. Earlier this month of November 2023 The Satanic Temple was granted a $200,000 dollar settlement from a Pennsylvania school district after district officials blocked the After School Satan Club from meeting in schools. Along with the sum awarded, the district must also allow After School Satan the same access that other similar clubs such as the Good News Club receive.

The Satanic Temple has made it clear that they are here to stay not only as a force fighting for the separation of church and state, but also as a legitimate and growing religion. Since its initial birth ten years ago The Satanic Temple has grown to over a quarter million members and in 2019 became completely tax exempt as a recognized religion by the Internal Revenue Service. They participate in philanthropy such as fundraising for various charities, feeding the homeless, providing hygiene products to the less fortunate, and adopting highways. The Satanic Temple also continues one of its original goals to make a difference in the political realm protecting the religious freedom and equality of all citizens of the United States