Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an atheist organization founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey, which centers on the belief that individuals are the primary agents of their own existence, rejecting the existence of any divine being. Members do not worship the traditional Christian interpretation of the devil; instead, they view Satan as a symbol of individualism, freedom, and earthly pleasures. The church emerged from a collective of LaVey's followers with interests in the occult and philosophy, and it gained notoriety in the 1960s and 70s through LaVey's charismatic public persona and the publication of *The Satanic Bible*.
The church's beliefs emphasize personal responsibility and the acceptance of one's primal instincts, advocating for a philosophy that encourages self-indulgence while adhering to a code that prohibits harm to children and animals. Its organizational structure includes various levels of membership, with a basic registration fee required to join. While the Church of Satan has faced criticism and misconceptions, particularly during moral panics in the 1980s, it has sought to differentiate itself from other so-called satanic groups that it views as cult-like. Today, the church continues under the leadership of High Priest Peter H. Gilmore, maintaining its commitment to its foundational principles amidst evolving societal perceptions.
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an atheist religion based on the philosophy that no God or divine being exists and that the individual is the true center of existence. Church members do not worship the traditional Christian concept of the devil or express belief in any deity. They hold that humanity created gods, not the other way around. To them, Satan is a pagan symbol of pride, individual freedom, lust, and earthly indulgence, concepts members embrace.
The church was founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey, a former organist and lecturer on occult topics in San Francisco. LaVey’s shaved head, sinister facial hair, and over-the-top showmanship became synonymous with the church in its early years, attracting media attention and some curious celebrities. Membership is purposely shrouded in secrecy, and no accurate count is available on the number of adherents, although the church’s claims of tens of thousands of members could be greatly exaggerated.
History
The history of the Church of Satan is muddied by misinformation, some of it proliferated by LaVey himself. The church grew from a group LaVey formed in the early 1960s called the Order of the Trapezoid, so named because of the odd-shaped, bat-winged medallion members wore. The order was a collection of artists, attorneys, doctors, authors, and San Francisco socialites who shared LaVey’s penchant for the occult, philosophy, and hedonistic pursuits. Official church doctrine claims LaVey announced its creation on April 30, 1966, a date known in German folklore as Walpurgisnacht, the night when witches were rumored to gather. Other reports dispute this account, saying the church was founded later that year as an attempt to build on the publicity the Order of the Trapezoid was receiving.
Within a year, LaVey had begun conducting satanic weddings and funerals and even had performed a satanic baptism of his infant daughter, Zeena, using a naked woman as an altar. In 1969, he put the church’s teachings into book form and called it The Satanic Bible. Other books on satanic philosophy followed. The church and its activities began attracting national attention, and celebrities such as Sammy Davis Jr., Jayne Mansfield, and actor Laurence Harvey attended parties at its San Francisco headquarters. LaVey was even hired as a consultant for a low-budget 1975 movie called The Devil’s Rain (rumors he had worked as a technical advisor on the 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby were false). At first, followers were encouraged to organize in nationwide meeting places called "grottoes," but LaVey later banned the practice because he felt members were using the system as a social club and were not adhering to his satanic principles.
From its beginning, the church came under fire from Christian groups who saw it as the embodiment of evil and a haven for criminal activities. This criticism reached a high point in the 1980s, when the church was blamed for a series of high-profile incidents, from suicides to child abuse and child pornography. Members began a media campaign to distance themselves from other satanic organizations, which they viewed as "cults" that practiced demonic worship and had nothing to do with their core beliefs.
The church faced its biggest hurdle in 1997 when LaVey died of heart failure. In-fighting and legal squabbles among his ex-wife, children, and church high priestess Blanche Barton threatened to destroy the organization. The notorious San Francisco house that served as church headquarters since 1966 was demolished, and the main offices were moved to New York City in 2001. That same year, Peter Gilmore was named head of the church and remained in that position in the mid-2020s.
Beliefs
At the center of the Church of Satan’s doctrine is the belief that individuals are responsible for their own fate and are not reliant on spiritual beings. The church teaches that sexual and primal instincts govern humanity and that individuals should revel in these instincts rather than deny them. As part of their theology, Church of Satan members believe in a series of statements and commandments. These include rules about the proper way to speak about the church, treat guests, and use magic. The rules also forbid harming children or animals and discourage drug use and other criminal activities. LaVey published these ideals in The Satanic Bible. Among the core beliefs of the church are the following:
- People have created gods in many forms; pick one that might be useful to you.
- Heaven and Hell do not exist.
- Satan is not related to the concept of the Christian devil. Satan is a pre-Christian principle that represents the carnal, earthly, and mundane aspects of life.
- Satan is not a being, a living entity; he is a force of nature.
- Human life is held in sacred regard. Children, in particular, are not to be harmed.
- Satan represents love, kindness, and respect for those who deserve it.
- Black Masses—parodies of the Roman Catholic religious service—are not normally performed by Church of Satan members, except on rare occasions for their entertainment or publicity value.
Organization
The church hierarchy is divided into five levels: registered member, active member, witch or warlock, priest or priestess, and magistra/magister or magus/maga. Basic membership is open to any consenting adult for a registration fee of $225. To become an active member, respondents must fill out an application and undergo a review process. Those wishing to join the church are encouraged to read The Satanic Bible and acclimate themselves to the church’s teachings before applying.
Bibliography
“Born with a Tail: The Devilish Life and Wicked Times of Anton Szandor LaVey, Founder of the Church of Satan.” Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 31, Aug. 2024, p. 60. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=178963089&site=ehost-live. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
“The Church of Satan: A Brief History.” Church of Satan, www.churchofsatan.com/history-church-of-satan. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
Escobedo, Tricia. “5 Things You Didn’t Know about Satanists.” CNN, 11 Dec. 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/12/11/living/5-things-satanists/index.html. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
The Official Church of Satan Website, www.churchofsatan.com/index.php. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.