The Satanic Temple
| The Satanic Temple | |
|---|---|
| Family | Modern Satanic / Non-theistic |
| Origin region | United States |
| Founding period | 21st century CE |
| Estimated adherents | Unknown; public chapters and congregations exist in multiple regions. |
The Satanic Temple is the Satanic Temple is a modern non-theistic Satanic religious organization that uses Satan as a symbol of resistance to tyranny, religious liberty, bodily autonomy, compassion, and secular pluralism.
Overview
[edit | edit source]The Satanic Temple should be distinguished from the Church of Satan and from theistic Satanism. It is generally non-theistic and does not teach worship of a literal Devil. Its public identity combines religious symbolism, ethical tenets, legal activism, and challenges to religious privilege in public institutions. Supporters view it as a legitimate minority religion and civil-rights movement; critics often dispute its religious status or object to its provocative symbolism.
Key beliefs
[edit | edit source]- Satan as a literary or symbolic figure of rebellion against tyranny
- Compassion, justice, bodily autonomy, and reason as ethical themes
- Religious liberty and church-state separation
- Non-theistic or atheistic interpretation of Satanic identity
- Pluralism and resistance to authoritarian religious power
Practices
[edit | edit source]- Congregational meetings
- Public rituals and symbolic actions
- Advocacy for religious liberty and equal treatment
- Educational and community events
- Personal identification with the Seven Tenets
Places of worship
[edit | edit source]- Congregation meeting space
- Private home altar or study space
- Public demonstration or civic setting
- Online community
Sacred texts
[edit | edit source]- The Seven Tenets
- Official organizational statements
- Modern Satanic and secular humanist writings
- Literary sources such as Milton in some symbolic readings
Holidays and observances
[edit | edit source]- Tenet-based personal observances
- Unveiling Day in some Satanic Temple contexts
- Local congregation events
- Secular and symbolic holidays
Branches and related traditions
[edit | edit source]- Satanism - The broader family of Satanic religious and philosophical movements.
- LaVeyan Satanism - A distinct atheistic Satanic tradition associated with the Church of Satan.
- Theistic Satanism - A distinct family of Satanic traditions involving belief in Satan as a real being.