The Satanic Temple

Lucien Greaves

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The Satanic Temple is a group of Satanists most known for social and political activism surrounding religious freedom and the separation of church and state in the US.

An atheistic organization, The Satanic Temple does not believe in a personal Satan, though a minority of its members are theistic Satanists. This has been brought up in the assessment of whether or not they actually are a religion, and they have responded by stating that this belief is outdated and ignorant, saying that to define religion as supernatural is to give the enemy free license to label as they please.^{[citation needed]}

They are unaffiliated with Anton LaVey's Church of Satan, and differ from it in having a more humanist philosophy.

The Satanic Temple has been documented having extensive ties to the alt-right, both in terms of membership overlap and ideology. In addition to this, there are allegations that TST is exploiting the fight for abortion rights for money and clout.

Tenets[edit]

They have a set of seven fundamental tenets founded on ideas of secular humanism, freedom, and reason, which are listed below.^[1]

(This is in contrast to the Church of Satan, who are basically Randroids with a coat of black paint.)

Projects[edit]

After-school Satan Clubs[edit]

The Satanic Temple has launched Satanic after school clubs.

Satan clubs will only be in areas and schools where there are already after school Bible study groups. Schools cannot discriminate by banning Satan clubs while allowing Bible study, or they will risk legal action over the First Amendment.^[3] A legal expert for Liberty Counsel said Satan Clubs have a First Amendment right to exist, but later threatened to sue. The Satanic Temple, by contrast, maintains that, without studying the curriculum of the Satan Clubs, the Liberty Counsel's actions are premature.^[4] According to Hemant Mehta, the Liberty Counsel has misrepresented the Satan clubs^[5] (though the group may arguably have courted such misrepresentation by using such an inflammatory name). The Satan clubs are looking for donations.^[6] Legal action is considered in one Georgian district because the authorities have ignored repeated requests to start a Satan Club.^[7] Future developments could be interesting. A district in Washington state decided they have to allow the Satan clubs.^[8] The first After School Satan Club has opened in Portland, Oregon in mid-November 2016 with Christian protesters outside.^[9] A second has opened in Utah and more are promised. ^[10]

Baphomet statue[edit]

The Satanic Temple is best known in the media for its publicity stunts done in the interest of protecting church-state separation, in a manner similar to Pastafarianism. They're responsible for a number of antics, such as attempts to have a statue of Baphomet displayed wherever Christian symbols are shown on government property.^[11] As a result, they have become quite popular with the atheist community. Their spokesperson, Lucien Greaves (real name Doug Mesner), has appeared on shows like The Friendly Atheist podcast and others.^[12]

Invocations[edit]

In early 2016, the Satanic Temple wanted to give an invocation at the city council of Phoenix, Arizona. Some councilors wanted only a rota of council-approved clergy to give invocations. The Freedom From Religion Foundation planned legal action if the First Amendment was breached.^[13] Phoenix chose a moment of silence instead, but legal action was threatened from Christians who wanted explicitly Christian prayer in government.^[14][15]

Protect children project[edit]

The Satanic Temple has started a campaign against corporal punishment in American schools; this is apparently legal in nineteen states with 110,000 children being beaten per year.^[16]

The campaign uses an argument based on the first amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion. The Satanic Temple argues that corporal punishment violates the Satanic Temple's belief in a inviolable body and intends to argue on these grounds for anyone who registers for them.^[17]

Pro-choice activism[edit]

After the Supreme Court didn't block Texas's ban on abortion after six weeks, the Satanic Temple was involved in activism to fight the law. They claim that body autonomy is an important part of their beliefs and have developed an abortion ritual. They plan to fight the ban on religious freedom grounds, including using the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a federal bill that does things like protecting certain Native American groups' right to use peyote, as grounds for protection of Satanic Temple members' right to use abortifacients (substances that induce abortions).^[18]

Pro-choice slacktivism[edit]

However, TST has been called out for merely engaging in slacktivism.^[19] To quote Dr. Mia Brett:

Judges are not going to take satanic temple arguments for abortion seriously. I worry putting them up next to Jewish arguments will delegitimize the Jewish fight. Seriously stop.^[20]

The Satanic Temple has also been accused of exploiting abortion activists for money.^[19][21] Indeed, grassroots abortion access groups like the Yellowhammer Fund have stated that it's better to donate to local grassroots abortion activist groups "that have been doing this work for decades" or clinics than donating to TST.^[22]

Global Order of Satan[edit]

The Satanic Temple is mostly oriented around operating in the US, but has organizations in some other countries. A schism led to the rival Global Order of Satan^[23] being formed out of the former TST-UK in 2018 with a more international focus, after TST-UK had had two successive chapter heads removed by the administration across the pond and then responded with a vote of no confidence in TST.

Alt-right affiliations[edit]

The founder of the Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves, has a history of questionable statements and affiliations with far right figures. In 2003, Greaves, on the online podcast Might is Right, notably complained that the Nazis "ruined antisemitism", and that it was okay to hate Jewish people as long as they were religiously observant.^[24]

In 2013, Greaves brought on his Neo-Nazi buddy Shane Bugbee, host of the Might is Right podcast, to help found The Satanic Temple.^[24]

The Satanic Temple leader "Priest Penemue", also known as Greg Stevens, is a "one-time Breitbart contributor"^[24][25] who also had close ties with the far right ghoul Mike Cernovich and Milo.^[24]

TST's lawyer, Marc Randazza, is a lovely piece of work who has also defended such esteemed clients as Alex Jones and The Daily Stormer.^[26] Randazza has also personally guest-starred on Infowars multiple times.^[26][27]

Cevin Soling, another prominent member of The Satanic Temple, has expressed all sorts of ghoulish opinions before, ranging from supporting the abolition of public education because he believes schools are too diverse,^[28] to committing denialism of the Palestinian genocide.^[29]

Freeze peach[edit]

Greaves and TST have a history of proclaiming their support for freedom of speech. However, they demonstrate a confused understanding of what freedom of speech actually is, as can be seen in the Facebook post made by Greaves below:

I regret to announce that I have withdrawn from my role as a scheduled speaker at the forthcoming Left Hand Path Consortium to take place in Atlanta early next month. When it was announced that I was to speak at the Consortium, I received a few emails from concerned observers who asked why I would appear at an event alongside a "fascistic" character like Augustus Sol Invictus, who was also scheduled to speak. While I'm not intimately familiar with the works and philosophy of the man in question, I also did not feel that my speaking at the conference constituted an endorsement of his, or anybody else's, point of view. Further, his perspective, from what I know, legitimately falls somewhere on a broad spectrum of recognized "Left Hand Path" philosophies, whether I find that perspective tenable, consistent, and reasonable, or not (just as Fascism legitimately has a place in discussions upon political philosophies without fear that such a discussion lends undue credibility to its contemporary implementation. Do we truly know what we're for if we refuse to discuss what we're against?). From what I know, he's part of a larger dialogue regarding the Left Hand Path that I feel is worth engaging in.

[...]

It's easy to stand up for Free Speech when you are fighting for your own voice, or for the voice of those you agree with. It's a completely different fight and, arguably, your loyalty to Free Speech only means anything at all, when you're willing to fight for the Free Speech of those with whom you disagree.^[30]

For context, Greaves is bitching about the fact that the Left Hand Consortium Path removed his fascist buddy and certified freak Augustus Sol Invictus from his speaker slot. What Greaves doesn't understand is that the LHCP is a private entity, not a government. As a private entity, the LHCP is not obligated to provide First Amendment protections the same way that the US government is.^[31] As a private entity, the LHCP is not under any obligation to provide a platform for Sol Invictus.^[31] In fact, the LHCP has the First Amendment right to reject Sol Invictus as a speaker.^[32]

These claims to support free speech are also ultimately hypocritical. When it's speech The Satanic Temple doesn't like, they attempt to shut it down. The Satanic Temple has a track record of filing multiple SLAPP suits against their critics over the years.^[33] Ultimately, it seems that The Satanic Temple's valiant defense of freedom of expression only goes in one direction: in support of the reactionary right.^[24]

Eugenics[edit]

During that infamous 2003 podcast, Greaves made several comments in support of eugenics, such as:

Gerod Staaf: Now. What about the concept of eugenics? Do we see that being implemented anytime in the US?

Doug Misicko: I don’t know. It would have to be- You know, I think eventually there’s gonna have to be population control. And that’s where it’ll start. Then if you’re going to start controlling the population, then you can start getting into the argument about in what direction you control the population, why don’t you use it towards a eugenics end? Or at least curb dysgenics which is opposite eugenics. For those who don’t know, the concept being that the stupidest people breed the most. It seems axiomatic at this point, it’s just, hey, a given truism.^[24]

For context, Doug Misicko is Greaves' real name.^[24]

In 2008, Greaves went on a facetious rant further demonstrating his support for eugenics:

One needs to demonstrate proper cognizance to scrub toilets or pick produce, but nobody is too simple to have a child. Motherhood may be the most important job a person could take, and yet nobody is too incompetent to be denied the task. And it’s a good thing, too — for who would decide who is fit to breed and who is not? Selective breeding of any kind is eugenics all over again, and anybody who even mutters that foul word must be ridiculed from discourse as neo-Nazi swine.

Only a fascist could be so vile as to suggest that the laws of heredity could be employed toward the betterment of the gene-pool or — disregarding any such lofty notions of “improvement” — cessation of the propagation of severe dysfunctions from retardations to psychopathy.

Anybody who would recommend that parents who are unable to afford housing, food, or clothing — or is otherwise incapable of caring for a child — should thus abstain from having children is nothing more than a megalomaniacal totalitarian. You have merely to point at her and say aloud, “Hitler!” and your argument is won.

Breeding restrictions are a slippery slope, and it is absolutely inevitable that if the rapist is sterilized, so too will be all non-Aryans. Consensus means nothing here, because in a democracy “all men are created equal” — except when applying for jobs, or being accepting into schools, or looking for a loan….

But breeding is different. You can’t stratify there. An alcoholic inbred could possibly produce the next Einstein, (Though, I suppose, the alcoholic would be unlikely to be an actual inbred. There are laws against inbreeding. Inbreeding is known to propagate genetic defects, but that’s where we need to draw the line, or it’s head first down that slippery slope.) and infertile couples should care nothing of the background details of their sperm donor.^[34]

In fact, the main ad for a website Greaves plugged until 2018 was a voice-clip of Greaves saying this:

Natural selection and modern civilization have ceased to exist. Today we live in a world overpopulated with bottom feeders. The pool is overfilled with the dregs, there is no inherent value on human life. The value is earned and most people are running a deficit. They’re worse than worthless. They’re counter-productive. What can be done? www.dysgenics.com.^[24]

Ableism[edit]

Greaves has a history of ableist sentiment, as evidenced by the transcript below:

Hart Fisher: Been like a little cripple time down here at the RadioFreeSatan.com.

Doug Misicko: Yeah, we love the r*t*rds.

Hart Fisher: Oh, very important. “Kids of Whidney High.”

Doug Misicko: Right. Make some beautiful music.

Shane Bugbee: First ones in the fuckin showers. First go the r*t*rds and then go the Jews.

Doug Misicko: The r*t*rds are entertaining.

Shane Bugbee: Next is the n----rs and sp-cs and then more Jews.

Hart Fisher: …right.

Doug Misicko: You can tell a r*t*rd it’s got a bug on the back of its head and watch it spin in violent circles, and everybody has a good time.

Hart Fisher: While I was growing up, I had this friend of mine he had a cousin that had Down syndrome and he moved in with his with- with his grandma and that- the Down syndrome chick, and her bedroom was next to his and he said he used to have to listen or masturbate at night.

Doug Misicko: He had to, huh?

Hart Fisher: Well, yeah, you know, he’s just living in a fucking trailer. Some fuckin’ r*t*rd is masturbating and making all this noise. Ain’t no way…

Doug Misicko: I heard r*t*rds have quite the sexual appetite, too.

Hart Fisher: Oh, yeah. And then I was dating this girl and she had an older aunt that was a, uh, a ‘tard. And she she got knocked up by the mailman. ‘Cause the mailman would come and sweet talk his way in until eventually he knocked her up. And that was in Texas. Friendly.

Doug Misicko: Yeah, it doesn’t even sound like the ‘tards are at a loss to find somebody to do it with them. What is going on!? That’s dysgenics.^[24]

Notice how Greaves ties in his support for eugenics with ableist sentiment. It also seems almost like a contractual obligation to reference the Holocaust from these goons.

To further tie his ableist sentiment into his support for eugenics, Greaves has stated he does not believe that "low-IQ people" should have the "right to breed."^[24] How he plans on enforcing that when his organization says everyone has the inviolable right to control their own body (which would include the right to breed/reproduce if they want to), is unsaid. Maybe it's just hypocrisy, which is not exactly unheard of among the alt-right, religious right, etc. types.

See also[edit]

• Freedom of religion
• Jason Rapert
• Satanic Panic

References[edit]