The Satanic Temple

Not to be confused with Church of Satan.

The Satanic Temple
AbbreviationTST
TypeNew religious movement (Satanism)[1]
OrientationActivism, civil rights, protest, social justice, lobbying[1][2]
SpokespersonLucien Greaves[2]
RegionAustralia, Europe, North America
HeadquartersSalem, Massachusetts, 42°31′53″N 70°53′29″W / 42.5313609°N 70.8913727°W / 42.5313609; -70.8913727
Founder
Origin2012
Members700,000+ [3]
Tax statusU.S. IRS 501(c)(3)
Official websitethesatanictemple.com Edit this at Wikidata

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]

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]

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Cite error: The named reference Esquire1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ 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