Photo courtesy of Marc Nozell via Flickr

Much of society thinks of Satanists as child-sacrificing, blood-drinking Illuminati members, but real Satanists are more concerned with autonomy than any pentagram worship or ritualistic sacrifice. Whether Satanism is a religion partly depends on your definition of a religion, and if it needs worship or spiritual beliefs to be considered one. Regardless, Satanism is a legitimate belief system that is unfairly opposed and mischaracterized by the public.

Due to its active opposition to Christianity and other religions, Satanism is often attacked and misrepresented in society. The view of Satanists worsened in the 1980s due to the Satanic panic, a rise of conspiracies about ritualistic child abuse cults. Because of this, most members of the Satanic Temple, including the organization’s leaders, practice under a pseudonym, for fear of doxxing and harassment. Many have to keep their membership a secret due to potential safety risks, damage to their social status and even loss of employment. Satanic beliefs themselves aren’t unreasonable, and in some cases, are even virtuous.

There are two main Satanic organizations, the Church of Satan which was founded in the 1960s, and the more active and modern Satanic Temple which was founded in 2013.

These two organizations differ in their beliefs, but neither promotes the extreme ideas that the group’s detractors would have you believe. The common factor between these two denominations is a resistance to authority, with Satan as the chosen symbol for this. Both organizations are not theistic, and there is no legitimate belief in or worship of Satan, he is simply a symbol of individual liberty. This satanic belief is incredibly relevant in our current day, and dare I say, falls in line with American values.

Any idea of Satanists as people who sacrifice animals or children is categorically false and goes against Satanic beliefs completely. Not only does it go against ideas about the sanctity of life and empathy that exist in Satanism, but it also does not make sense because the action itself would be illogical to Satanists. The Church of Satan’s website says, “The only people who perform sacrifices are those who believe in supernatural beings who would consider a sacrifice to be some form of payment for a request or form of worship.”

While there are people who do commit indefensible actions in the name of Satan, the same can be said about Christianity, Islam or any other major religion or belief system throughout history.

The Church of Satan’s main values involve self-love, and in this comes the idea of pleasure-seeking. The Church of Satan promotes epicurean-style indulgence, favoring moderation over abstinence, while taking a stance against compulsion-driven overindulgence. Anyone who takes a message centered around seeking pleasure for oneself and uses it to justify hedonistic behavior does so at their own peril. The Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple’s beliefs differ on other things, but neither organization is promoting anything unreasonable or harmful.

The Satanic Temple’s beliefs are focused on bodily autonomy, with much action being taken by the organization to promote abortion access after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision leading to a great deal of controversy for the organization. Critics delegitimize it as leftist trolls pretending to be a religion, but if other religions can take stances on issues like abortion, why can’t the Satanic Temple? Especially considering that the Satanic Temple has taken the side in the abortion debate that a majority of Americans (69% as of 2023) support.

The Satanic Temple promotes empathy and compassion for others, within reason. The Church of Satan is a bit clearer, with its stance being kindness for those who deserve it, and vengeance for those who do not. While this doesn’t adhere to the beliefs around forgiveness in religions like Christianity, it could be argued that Satanism’s stance is more realistic and useful as it falls more in line with how our society and justice systems function.

When critiquing these beliefs, it is important to keep in mind who is drawn to Satanism. There are certain groups of people who, based on their own life experiences, would find messages of pleasure-seeking and vengeance legitimately useful. People are drawn to Satanism for the same reasons as they are to any religion or belief system: a source of guiding principles or community. It shouldn’t matter what symbols or stories resonate with others as long as they lead people to ethical conclusions.