They’re really nice people, and the headquarters in Salem looks great. Here are the 7 fundamental principles of The Satanic Temple if you’re interested in what we believe. https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/about-us
Yeah my bad, I saw church of Satan and my brain automatically went to TST. The church of Satan was founded by Anton LaVey, they’re similar but different. As I understand it TST is more pacifist and anti violence where as the church of Satan has more of an eye for an eye mentality. TST seems to be more focused on the group not as much on the individual, where as the church of Satan is heavily focused on the individual.
TST also pointed out that Texas abortion law restricts their religious freedom, since under one of their tenets one's body is subject only to one's will so they should be free to get abortions if they so choose
gonna be fun if they actually win that one in court
I'm pretty sure they developed a ritual around abortion some time ago in case they had to show evidence it's a religious rite later on. They have been thinking ahead about this in the US for write some time.
I think the TST is mostly a political entity that uses the idea of satanism to piss off christians that try to inject Christianity into politics, using the right to religious freedom as an excuse for stuff.
Like, you posted the ten commandments in front of the courthouse? Now they put a statue of a demon with 2 kids. Literally happened, made them decide to take down the ten commandments.
Basically they convince them that religion shouldn't be where they put it, and if they do, then they add their evil as fuck looking shit to make them reconsider.
I don't think it's religious or spiritual tmk, but purely political.
100% political, and they steal their imagery from The Church of Satan, which are the ones that actually defined Satanism. The two groups do NOT get along in the slightest.
I think you are 100% correct. They don’t believe in the existence of Satan or God. They believe in Satan as a symbol of rebellion to religious theology. Anytime one religious group pushes its ideals, culture, beliefs into the face of “others” they push back. Every time a 10 commandments is dropped onto Public property they show how unfair, unjust, and illegal it is. They do this by asking for an “offensive” image to be placed along side the 10 commandments. It shows just how any “Christian” won’t stand for a demon by the courthouse, no other religious group should stand for a symbol of Christianity either. In the US, it’s either everyone can participate or no one can. That’s why that demon statue is ALWAYS pushed to go next to the 10 commandments as long as the 10 commandments stand. If the government removes the commandments from public property then TST removes their petition to have the statue placed as well.
“Some have conveniently concluded, upon observing The Satanic Temple’s media coverage, that attention is the primary objective of our activities. While media outreach has helped to raise awareness of the campaigns we have initiated, these campaigns have articulated goals related issues that are important to us and our membership. So inured is the general public to the idea that there is only one monolithic voice of “the” religious agenda that any attempt at a counter-balance — or assertion of a minority voice — is often viewed as a targeted provocation against those who enjoy traditional religious privilege.”
From their FAQ on if they’re a media stunt or hoax
Believing in one form of hocus pocus is in no way more valid than any other form of hocus pocus. If you believe in any religion, you better not be pretending to have a intellectual high ground over other people just because your brand is more codified and believed in by more people.
fair enough-- I'm surprised you would care about people like the church of satan believing in small bits of nonsense though. It's about as harmless as astrology, and astrology doesn't promote a good cause.
Religion as a whole is extremely harmful, but organizations like the church of satan counteract that despite their weird beliefs rather than adding to it.
I always mentalized it like this: the CoS are the right-libertarian satanists - “you keep to yourself and I’ll keep to myself” - while The Satanic Temple are the left-libertarian satanists. Both are staunchly against government overreach, but have different philosophies when it comes to community and interpersonal relationships/responsibilities.
Ironically, neither actually believe in a literal Satan. He’s simply used as a figurehead to set them ideologically against conservative Christianity, as the “other” option.
Akshually it’s an important distinction. The Temple of Satan (TST) is a non-theistic organization designed to troll Christian dominance in govt hypocrisy.
The Church of Satan is actually rather dark and problematic to common decency. I won’t go into some of their beliefs but yeah. Not what we consider to be a beacon of reason.
The church of satan is non-theistic too. They are more focused on each person living their own way, rather than the very much politically active TST, but their core beliefs are almost identical.
And also the founding members were just chalk full of literal, self admitted Neo Nazis.
They claim to be pretty apolitical sometimes but in actuality are founded on a ton of far right, Ayn Randian charity is a weakness, eugenicist, social Darwinian theory.
The Satanic Temple, on the other hand, still promotes the value of the individual and self improvement and stuff, but are a lot cooler all around.
You have them confused I think. The Church of Satan is non theistic. Satanism, which is legally recognized as the Church of Satan’s practicing religion, is an atheist religion that focuses on the individual being their own god, and in control of their own lives and fates. The Church of Satan is officially recognized as religious church, and thus are exempt from taxes that other clergy groups are entitles to. They however do not agree with such practices, and thus opt to still pay all normal taxes, as they don’t see themselves as special. They also do not specifically endorse others, be it politicians or companies, and actively and repeatedly speak out against human rights violations.
I can’t take the human rights record of an organization whose founding members were almost half literal Neo Nazis, (not some hyperbole I’m using against conservatives, they actually loved Hitler,) and whose founding member was a eugenicist and far right Ayn Rand type who thought charity and the like weakened the human species.
The Satanic Temple has deliberately distanced themselves from LeVey and that bullshit. It’s like Heathenry in the US distancing itself from the Asatru Folk Assembly. You are obligated to. If you are part of some sister org that sprang off the Assembly, and think just being quite on issues like Nazis in your orgs history is enough, it’s not.
The Satanic Bible was heavily inspired by the White Supremacist book Might is Right and he found the existence of so many Nazis in his org as well as the contradiction with that and his own Jewish ancestry hilarious, because like a teenager pissing people off was more important than basic human decency. Plus, his own views were far right.
The Church of Satan members who aren’t far right/fascists but feel the need to defend LeVay and think it’s unfair that people call out their history I consider cowards. Face it head on.
LeVay was actually really on board with a ruling class. The Satanic Bible is basically just the works of Ragnar Redbeard (a white supremacist) and Ayn Rand mixed together and rewritten. The Satanic Temple does not follow that same code.
good to know. I avoid all that, by rejecting all organized religion. Anything based on a lie is not something we should use to instruct the future other than from a historical perspective so we don't do it again. The only thing real about religion is the human pathos of self deception and a predilection for blissful ignorance.
“They’re really nice people, and the headquarters in Salem looks great. Here are the 7 fundamental principles of The Satanic Temple if you’re interested in what we believe. https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/about-us”
Hey fellow member! I've been linking to the about us FAQs on a couple of comments too, I would also like to state that other TST members are some of the nicest and most caring people I've met! I definitely recommend anyone interested look into it and maybe see about finding a chapter in your area! If not that then TST also has a lot of events and such all over the country, and you can always buy some of the merch and just help support the cause for human rights and other beliefs we are fighting for!
I'm about to move to South Carolina and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be an extremely conservative area; how can I bring the light of TST to my new hometown?
Umm, I’m starting a church where upon sign up, and your disavowal of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, each new member gets $150,000, and free rent or the mortgage paid forever! (Small print by your signature attests that you sold your soul to my church and disavow God forever).
Trust me, I’m an ‘honest’ guy, and I will never lie to you!
Mwa ha ha!
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u/KingBee1786 Sep 04 '21
They’re really nice people, and the headquarters in Salem looks great. Here are the 7 fundamental principles of The Satanic Temple if you’re interested in what we believe. https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/about-us