The Satanic Temple
| The Satanic Temple | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | logo |
|
Lucien Greaves (Founder / Speaker) |
|
| Basic data | |
| Art | Ideological community |
| Alignment | Modern satanism, humanism, liberalism |
| distribution | United States of America, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands |
| Establishment date | 2013 |
| Place of foundation | United States of America |
| Chairman | Lucien Greaves (Founder / Speaker) |
| speaker | Lucien Greaves |
| Spokeswoman | Jex Blackmore |
| Addresses | |
| address | Salem Art Gallery, 64 Bridge Street Salem, 01970 Salem, Massachusetts, USA |
| Website | thesatanictemple.com |
| structure | |
| structure | > 20 chapters (local chapters) |
| Memberships | > 50,000 |
The Satanic Temple (Eng. "The Satanic Temple", TST for short ) is a satanic organization that was founded in 2013 by Lucien Greaves (real name Douglas Mesner) and Malcolm Jarry (real name unknown). It belongs to modern, atheistic Satanism like the Church of Satan by Anton LaVey , but explicitly distinguishes itself from occult and esoteric practices and, in contrast to the CoS, represents a humanistic image of man and political activism.
distribution
TST had approximately 50,000 members in the US in November 2016. After Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, membership increased by several thousand within a few days.
There is no information on membership outside the United States, but there are official local chapters in Great Britain, the Netherlands and Italy.
Teaching
From the TST's point of view it is possible to separate religion and belief in the supernatural. As in other forms of modern Satanism, Satan is therefore not worshiped as a real being, but rather stands as a symbol for individuality, the will for freedom and the rebellion against tyranny. TST rejects any kind of occultism. The satanic symbolism serves as a cultural and identity-creating framework.
TST sees itself as a modern advancement of Satanism according to LaVey.
Mission and goals of TST
As an ethical guideline, TST formulates the following goal on its website:
“The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people. In addition, we embrace practical common sense and justice. "
“The Satanic Temple's mission is to foster kindness and empathy among all people. We also advocate applied common sense and justice. "
In addition, it says on specific activities and goals of the community:
“As an organized religion, we feel it is our function to actively provide outreach, to lead by example, and to participate in public affairs wheresoever the issues might benefit from rational, Satanic insights. As Satanists, we should all be guided by our consciences to undertake noble pursuits guided by our individual wills. We believe that this is the hope of all mankind and the highest aspiration of humanity. "
“As a religious community, we see it as our duty to be active in public outreach, lead by example, and participate in public affairs whenever the cause could benefit from rational, satanic knowledge. As Satanists, our conscience should lead us to pursue honorable causes in which our individual wills guide us. We believe that this is the hope and highest aspiration of all humanity. "
The seven principles
TST formulates the most important cornerstones of the ethics represented by the community in seven principles:
“There are seven fundamental tenets.
- One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards 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 open. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo your own.
- Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should never take care to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.
- People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and resolve any harm that may have been caused.
- Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire mobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word. "
“There are seven principles.
- Everyone should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all living beings in accordance with reason.
- The pursuit of justice is an ongoing and necessary concern that should take precedence over laws and institutions.
- Your own body is inviolable, it is subject to your own will alone.
- The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To deliberately and wrongly interfere with the freedoms of another is to renounce one's own.
- Beliefs should correspond to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to bend scientific facts to fit our beliefs.
- People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to correct it and repair any damage that may have occurred.
- Each of these principles is a guiding principle designed to inspire noble action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom and justice should always be above the written and spoken word. "
organization
TST is organized in so-called chapters (local chapters). There are currently 18 chapters in the US and 4 in Europe. The largest local chapter is the Detroit Chapter, founded by Jex Blackmore in August 2014.
The chapters are largely self-sufficient in terms of organization and financing. However, public activities on behalf of the TST must be coordinated with the TST's head office. A minimum size and level of activity is required. The chapters are headed by so-called "Chapter Heads" who go through an interview process before they are appointed.
history
In an interview with the New York Times, Malcom Jarry stated that the first idea came from George W. Bush's founding of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives ( OFBCI ) ( White House Office for Religious and Church -Based Initiatives) declining in 2001.
The idea was dormant until 2012, when Malcom Jarry met Douglas Mesner at a lecture at Harvard University . The first activist activities took place on January 25, 2013. Then Florida Governor Rick Scott enforced a law that allowed prayer in schools. After the law was passed, Malcom Jarry and Lucien Greaves staged an alleged "pro" Rick Scott demonstration in front of the parliament building to thank their "satanic" children for allowing their "satanic" children to worship Satan in school.
The name "The Satanic Temple" was used publicly for the first time. At that time there was still an actor as the "leader" of the group. After the campaign met with an above-average media coverage, Douglas Mesner decided to appear as chairman of the Satanic Temple himself under the name "Lucien Greaves":
"It just became obvious that you're not going to be able to coach somebody on what we think and feel. We couldn't constantly have a feed going into his ear."
"It became obvious that what we think and feel couldn't just be taught to someone. We couldn't prompt them all the time."
The organization continued to grow in the following years through appeals for donations and effective media campaigns. The underlying worldview was recorded in the "Seven fundamental tenets" and a literary canon was established. Through the work in the local chapters, the activity now goes beyond pure activism. B. also organizes satanic events.
activities
Since it was founded, there have been a large number of actions and campaigns, which as a rule were directed directly against political influence by Christian groups. The TST often refers to the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States , which guarantees the right to freedom of worship and the equal treatment of religious communities.
The attempt to have a statue of Baphomet erected next to a statue of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Oklahoma government attracted particular attention . Those responsible reacted by removing the statue of the Ten Commandments. The Baphomet statue stands in the TST headquarters and is part of the Salem Art Gallery.
Numerous campaigns serve social purposes according to the TST doctrine. For example, there is the "Religious Reproductive Rights Campaign", which u. a. advocates the right to abortion in various US states. Another initiative is to protect children from corporal punishment by teachers (which is still legal in 19 states in the US) by invoking their religious rights as TST members.
The local associations also organize events such as concerts, lectures or art performances. There are also numerous other activities locally. B. the Seattle TST branch regularly publishes canon writings in public places.
Outside the USA there have so far only been isolated activities, for example the local chapter in London carried out two satanic rituals in 2017. The marriage of same sex couples is allowed in the TST.
Significant members
Some representatives have become publicly known through their activities at TST. In addition to founder Lucien Greaves, for example, the chairman of the Detroit branch and TST spokeswoman Jex Blackmore , who wrote about her experiences with an abortion on her blog. The chairwoman of the Seattle branch, Lilith Starr , also appears actively in public. In 2015 she published a collection of satanist essays entitled "The Happy Satanist: Finding Self-Empowerment".
The Democratic Senate candidate Steve Hill , who publicly declared himself a member of TST , also gained prominence.
Controversy
Status as a religious community
Since much of the political activity in the United States is based on freedom of religion , the status of a religious community is a constant source of debate. The first activities in particular gave outsiders the impression that they were merely satire or trolls . Parallels have also been drawn with the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster .
This has been repeatedly contradicted by the TST. Many members, e.g. B. Lucien Greaves and Jex Blackmore, according to their own statement, were Satanists even before they became members of the TST. Lucien Greaves said the following to the New York Times:
"We've been talking a lot of comedy, [...] but I genuinely feel this is every bit a religion - this cultural identity, this narrative that contextualizes your life, your works, your goals. And you have these deeply held beliefs, that if they are violated, it compromises your very self. "
"We've talked a lot about the funny side [...] but I honestly feel that this is a religion in every way - the cultural identity, the narrative threads that put your life, your work, your goals into context. And you have these ingrained beliefs that, when violated, injure the inner self. "
In an interview with Vice magazine , Lucien Greaves used the term "Religious Nonbeliever" (= "Religious non-believer"):
"It is our goal to separate religion from superstition. Religion can and should be a metaphorical narrative construct by which we give meaning and direction to our lives and works. Our religions should not require of us that we submit ourselves to unreason and untenable supernatural beliefs based on literal interpretations of fanciful tales. Non-believers have just as much right to religion — and any exemptions and privileges being part of a religion brings — as anybody else. "
"It is our goal to separate religion from superstition. Religion can and should be a metaphorical, narrative construct that gives meaning and direction to our lives and our work. Our religions should not require us to submit to illogical and untenable supernatural beliefs Non-believers have the same rights to a religion - including all the special rights and privileges that membership in a religion entails - as everyone else. "
According to German law, TST most likely corresponds to a worldview community due to its strong philosophical orientation .
Criticism from the Church of Satan
From the very beginning, Lucien Greaves and the TST have clearly demarcated themselves from Satanism according to Anton Szandor LaVey and the Church of Satan he founded . Lucien Greaves, for example, disapproves of the effectiveness of the CoS since LaVey's death. In particular, social Darwinist and authoritarian as well as occult tendencies of the CoS are criticized by the TST. The TST official website states:
"TST has its own guiding principles and tenets, distinct from the LaVeyan school, that we feel represents a natural evolution in Satanic thought."
"TST has its own guiding principles and tenets that differ from the LaVey school that we believe are a natural evolution of satanic thought."
Members of the CoS have reacted to the activities of the TST with sometimes sharp criticism. In an official press release, the CoS responded with "Schadenfreude" (sic) and criticized various questionable aspects of the TST, such as: B. the lax admission criteria, the advertising of the TST for the commercial Hollywood film The Witch or the contradicting statements from the time the TST was founded. It was further criticized that the TST misuses the symbolism and metaphors of the CoS for media-effective "pranks", does not understand core elements of satanic philosophy, and overall it is nothing more than a bad joke:
"The important concept is, as an individualist religion, what we're opposing depends entirely on your perspective. It's a sign of intentional coattail riding that, rather than create distinctive terminology and iconography, these pranksters decided to crib ours, and this creates a giant hole in their joke for anyone looking. "
"The most important concept is that in an individualistic religion only your own perspective determines what you stand against. It is a clear sign of conscious free-riderhood that these pranksters, instead of creating their own characteristic terminology and iconography, copied ours have; and this tears a huge hole in their joke for anyone who looks. "
The online magazine The Rooster compared the conflict between the two organizations to the Reformation .
canon
TST appeals to the literary figure of Satan as a rebel against the (horror) rule of God. The canon therefore includes a. the following works:
- John Milton: Paradise Lost , 1667
- Anatole France : Riot of the Angels (“La révolte des Anges”), 1914
literature
- Joseph P. Laycock: Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion. Oxford University Press, New York 2020, ISBN 978-0-19-094849-8 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Anna Merlan: Trolling Hell: Is the Satanic Temple a Prank, the Start of a New Religious Movement - or Both? In: Village Voice . July 22, 2014 ( villagevoice.com [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ^ Membership in satanic churches soars in Trump's America . In: Rooster Magazine . ( therooster.com [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ a b c d Find Chapter . In: The Satanic Temple . May 1, 2015 ( thesatanictemple.com [accessed April 16, 2017]). Find Chapter ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d FAQ . In: The Satanic Temple . May 1, 2015 ( thesatanictemple.com [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ Meet the Satanists who don't believe in Satan | IOL . ( iol.co.za [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ https://thesatanictemple.com/about-us/our-mission/
- ↑ https://thesatanictemple.com/about-us/our-mission/
- ↑ https://thesatanictemple.com/about-us/tenets//
- ↑ ABC News: Why Detroit Has the Largest Satanist Temple Chapter in the US. July 28, 2015, accessed April 16, 2017 .
- ↑ Chapter Affiliation FAQ's - THE SATANIC TEMPLE DETROIT. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ^ A b c Mark Oppenheimer: A Mischievous Thorn in the Side of Conservative Christianity . In: The New York Times . July 10, 2015, ISSN 0362-4331 ( nytimes.com [accessed January 24, 2017]).
- ↑ a b Trump has challenged a powerful opponent: the devil himself . ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed on April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ Paige Lavender: Rick Scott Praised By 'Satanists' At Mock Rally . In: Huffington Post . January 26, 2013 ( huffingtonpost.com [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ a b Got Your Ticket? - The Satanic Temple Los Angeles. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on April 17, 2017 ; Retrieved April 16, 2017 (American English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Campaigns . In: The Satanic Temple . May 1, 2015 ( thesatanictemple.com [accessed April 16, 2017]). Campaigns ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Trump has challenged a powerful opponent: the devil himself . ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed on April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ Baphomet |. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ↑ Religious Reproductive Rights - THE SATANIC TEMPLE DEFENSE OF RELIGIOUS REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ^ Protect Children Project - A Campaign of The Satanic Temple. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ↑ Events | The Satanic Temple Austin. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on April 17, 2017 ; accessed on April 16, 2017 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ The Satanic Temple Seattle: Official Website. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ^ The Satanic Temple, London & UK. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ^ Pinknews: The Satanic Temple is in favor of equal rights for LGBT + people
- ↑ Satanic Temple: Why Jex Blackmore blogs about her abortion - WELT. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ↑ Lilith Starr Does the Devil's Work | Seattle Met. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ↑ Lilith Starr. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ↑ Hey's to atheist. A satanist. And He Wants Your Vote. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
- ↑ a b c Not satire, not evil: The growing Satanic Temple of Detroit . In: Hopes & Fears . ( hopesandfears.com [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ Mark Joseph Stern: Devil's Advocates . In: Slate . November 24, 2014, ISSN 1091-2339 ( slate.com [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ a b c Unmasking Lucien Greaves, Leader of the Satanic Temple. Retrieved April 16, 2017 (American English).
- ↑ a b The drama between two satanic churches is really giving Satan a bad name . In: Rooster Magazine . ( therooster.com [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ↑ a b Reverend Joel Ethan: On the internet, there's a sucker born every millisecond . ( churchofsatan.com [accessed April 16, 2017]).
- ^ Canon . In: The Satanic Temple . May 1, 2015 ( thesatanictemple.com [accessed April 16, 2017]). Canon ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
