As early as 1996, I knew I was a Satanist. At that time, there was only the Church of Satan, founded by “Anton Lavey,” in 1966. With the founding of the church, came the “Satanic Bible,” and the tenets which governed the belief system. One particular tenet set forth by Anton Lavey, did not sit well with me at the time. The tenet came from “The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth,” and it states the following: “Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.” That rule seemed to be out of place to me, as Satan was a personification of self. Therefore, under Satanism, one puts self at the very center, and no other acknowledgement of any deities. That made it non-theistic, yet to acknowledge magic in accordance with “The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth,” seemed to open the door to a gray area.
Fast forward 2012, “The Satanic Temple,” is born and new tenets are established. These tenets are dubbed, “The Seven Fundamental Tenets.” And, the 5th Tenet, which states, “Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs,” addresses what I viewed as flawed under “The Church of Satan” rule.
With The Satanic Temple newly founded, I am not so quick to jump on board. I want to see how strong their convictions were before I decided to join this bunch. I could cover the numerous law suits fighting for equal rights and pluralism. But, I think anyone who wants to join should do their homework to make sure it is the right fit for them. For me, it is not until 2020, when I finally purchase my membership cards, making the commitment to myself, and what I believe is a great group of followers.
Ave Te Ipsum! Ave Satana!