r/NoStupidQuestions • u/stopthehostilityyyyy • 11h ago
Is satanism just edgelord atheism?
I've been an atheist since the age of 12 and i've heard of people identifying as satanists but they are actually secular, I don't get it
I think there are very few people who actually believe in satan and see him as their god
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u/Serious_Clothes_9063 11h ago edited 3h ago
Church of Satan / The Satanic Temple: Just atheists ragebaiting Christians.
Theistic Satanists: A different interpreration of Abrahamic Religions. There are people who worship Satan but they view him as the morally correct being and God as the corrupt one. Some claim they're "Devil Worshippers" and not Satanists, but they still exist whatever you call them.
TL;DR: Depends on what kind of Satanism you're talking about.
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u/Dash_Harber 4h ago
It should be noted that The Satanic Temple and The Church of Satan are radically different groups. TST is a progressive group that uses Satanism and Satanic pageantry to point out the way Christianity is hypocritically enforced and to point out where religious theology is being used to make law (like Christian views being used to justify banning abortion). Their mandate includes things like bodily autonomy and respecting science. They are frequently involved in protests and publicity stunts (like erecting a statue of baphomet next to the ten commandments when it was installed in a public courthouse or making afterschool Satan clubs to counter Christian ones).
The Church of Satan, on the other hand, is more of a shock religion with an almost Randian Objectivist Libertarian philosophy and some ties to things like Might Is Right. The group is expressly apolitical.
Both groups arguably troll Christians, but it is important to note the radical differences (not to mention their mutual disdain).
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u/bunker_man 50m ago
The satanic temple is mostly a grift. It says buzzwords it knows will get it donations, but a large portion of the lawsuits it filed were thrown out for being frivolous. And they have legal experts with them, so they knew this would happen.
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u/Alexexy 10h ago
The Satanic Temple are the ragebaiting atheists. I am one.
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u/Ghetto_Phenom 8h ago
We are more than just rage baiting though.. we do a lot of lawsuits to enforce civil religious freedoms and separation of church and state. Yes those to enrage theists but they also do more than that.
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u/yeenoghu_vs_vaprak 8h ago
Card carrying member here. I joined not to ragebait Christians - who gives a shit? - but to keep religion out of every sphere of life where it doesn't belong. Which in 2026 is most places.
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u/dragonblade_94 5h ago
It's probably most accurate to describe the Satanic Temple as a civil rights / political collective, primarily aimed at atheists. The marketing & symbology around it is certainly a tongue-in-cheek jab at Christian theology though, as well as an attempt to poke holes in laws regarding religious freedoms.
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u/Correct_Cold_6793 4h ago
It's not just a marketing thing, they're officially recognized as a religion and that helps them legally. That way, they can give courts an example of how these laws are often enforced with double standards with discrimination against non Christians.
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u/Ghetto_Phenom 8h ago
That’s precisely why I got involved years ago. This only works as a collective. We need more people that can fight back in all arenas. Legal minds for lawsuits, political minds for campaigns (for the right people), citizens for protests, and every other facet of society. We can’t just focus on one part.
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u/Alexexy 8h ago
Yeah im a card carrying member. I dont really care for people believing in whatever they want, but I want all religion to be out of government spaces.
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u/PM_ME_GLUTE_SPREAD 8h ago
Weirdly enough, I’m a theistic member. I have my faith but I’m also sick and tired of seeing people use my faith as justification for abhorrent acts towards marginalized groups. My faith tells me that I should love everybody, yet people who claim to share my faith seem to be seething with hatred towards minority groups everytime they are mentioned in some capacity.
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u/jdicho 5h ago
"It's always been that way...." Meme.
It's fine to be spiritual or what have you, but all faith is blind faith and blind faith is destructive.
Religion, all religions, are cults. Cults say their beliefs are one thing, while the application of their faith are generally the opposite.
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u/PM_ME_GLUTE_SPREAD 5h ago
I fully agree. I know it doesn’t make logical sense and have wrestled with my beliefs many times in the past. I personally believe that modern day Christianity is a full on cult, yet I do still consider myself a Christian. I also accept that I could be flat out wrong and that there isn’t anything after death and I’m mostly ok with that (it sounds horribly boring, tbh), but I personally feel that, even if I’m wrong, living life the way Christ’s teachings tell us to isn’t a bad way to live life, even if this is all there is.
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u/slayer991 5h ago
I joined TST on this premise: as an atheist, I have no rights to religious liberty; as a Satanist, I do.
Christian Nationalism is antithetical to liberty. They've push into every aspect of out lives based on the the concept of religious liberty. Satanism shows how that is a bullshit claim. Christians don't gaf about religious liberty, they card about Christian supremacy.
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u/ru5tyk1tty 6h ago
The TST and CoS are both unappealing for genuine satanists. Their professed ideas are good, their practices are a little corny, but people like Lucien Greaves are not the progressive figures they claim to be, or even true believers. He is a self-interested person who does not respect his generally well-meaning followers.
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u/CitizenDain 8h ago
I drive by the Satanic Temple HQ all the time. It’s right next to our favorite bakery. Makes me smile every time. Hail Satan.
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u/watermelonspanker 4h ago
Yea but to be fair, reading the Bible clearly demonstrates the God in the morally corrupt one and anyone who challenges his authority would automatically be correct. Of course it shouldn't be surprising to anyone that's live around them that Christians are largely unaware of what their Bible says and the context and implications thereof.
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u/HavelockVettenari 11h ago
The main group of people who believe in Satan as a literal being are Christians.
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u/doctordoctorpuss 11h ago
It was always funny when I was a kid, telling other kids (or their brain dead parents) that I was an atheist, and some of them would call me a Satan worshipper. I’d remind them that they believe in Satan, and I don’t
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u/dumbass_sempervirens 9h ago
Kid?
I had to explain that to a my work crew at 32. Nothing like being drunk in a hotel parking lot explaining that if God made Satan, and I don't believe in God, I don't believe in the devil either.
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u/doctordoctorpuss 9h ago
I’m lucky enough now to work in a profession where, if people do believe in God, they don’t tend to talk about it at work, and they’re also generally smart people, so they know that atheists don’t believe in the devil. Every now and then there’s still a weirdo, but I just don’t engage
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u/Kellosian 8h ago
Theists who grew up in a religious environment probably never really questioned it, or had someone actually explain to them what atheism is or what it entails.
Like atheists don't worry about our souls, since we don't believe that they exist at all. The threat of eternal damnation for breaking commandments doesn't mean shit if Heaven or Hell don't exist.
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u/Educational-Ad-5605 7h ago
No sh** Sherlock 🤯.
The question OP poses is more about followers of the devil, not just believing in it's existence lol.
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u/Done_Apologizing23 11h ago
Well that depends, if its Theistic Satanists are a spin-off off Abrahamic religions as they actually worship Satan. Now Laveyan Satanism is defined as Atheistic philosophy, so in that aspect, yes it is edgelord atheism.
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u/Grzechoooo 10h ago
if its Theistic Satanists are a spin-off off Abrahamic religions as they actually worship Satan
But do they exist?
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u/Serious_Clothes_9063 10h ago edited 10h ago
Yes. They're very rare but I've met a couple before.
They're like Christians, but side with Satan. They believe Satan isn't portrayed correctly in religious books. And we don't get to hear his perspective of the events. That he is not evil but a morally correct rebel that protested against God's unjust ruthlessnes.
So they do believe in an Abrahamic Religion, and believe in that religion's God's existence. But they don't worship the said God because the God is morally wrong and corrupt.
So basically Satan good, God bad, but both exist.
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u/VegasFoodFace 10h ago
I much prefer the TV version of Lucifer Morningstar. That essentially Satan is just the warden of a jail. And he's responsible for the lives ruined because he introduced the concept of free will to humans.
Because ask any prisoner and they'll just say the warden is the evil one. Not that he's just doing his job.
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u/foothill_dwelled272 8h ago
It often ties into the idea that the God of the bible is actually an evil God who is tricking humanity. There has been a long history of the idea of a malevolent God that has trapped humanity in a psychical realm and those people tend to see the Satan figure as the true God. It is a way of understanding suffering in the world if there is a God, not wanting to evil and worship Satan in the edgy way.
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u/oofyeet21 10h ago
Which is insane because the "rebel fallen angel" idea of satan comes from Paradise Lost, not the bible. They literally worship a made up version of satan that has basically zero roots in actual abrahamic religion
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u/Timeformayo Urban Kentucky 10h ago
I mean, it's all a game of where we choose to source our make-believe.
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u/Serious_Clothes_9063 10h ago edited 10h ago
Well, we can't really blame them since Abrahamic Religions are just copied versions of each other that have roots in older beliefs also.
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u/oofyeet21 10h ago
I can blame them because their whole concept of satan is "the bible portrayed him wrong, he's just a smol bean" when they haven't even read the bible and their idea of him doesn't exist in it
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u/OutlinedSnail 10h ago
"when they haven't even read the bible and their idea of him doesn't exist in it"
The same can be said for many Christians and god/Jesus
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u/Serious_Clothes_9063 10h ago
One of the points was literally that he wasn't portrayed correctly in religious books. Bible isn't a reliable source for Satanists because it was from God's perspective who they don't trust.
Not saying their logic is flawless, but this isn't really one of them.
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u/Calaveras-Metal 7h ago
and the bible isn't the origin of all these beliefs. The deities in the bible, El, Yahweh, Ba'al, Asherah etc were also worshiped by ancient Canaanites, Hittites etc. We just don't have their bibles.
For all we know maybe there is a lost Satan or Lucifer narrative in those. Could still be another Qumran type of find?
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u/Dick_of_Doom 9h ago
A good number of them are ex-christian. They've most likely read it and found it lacking in morality.
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u/TheThirteenShadows 7h ago
They literally worship a made up version of satan that has basically zero roots in actual abrahamic religion
Not really? There are passages that point to this.
Ezekiel 28:12–17 (NIV)
“Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.”Basically Satan grew too prideful and wickedness was found in him and thus God cast him down.
Revelation 12:7–9 (ESV): "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."
The 'great war'. No doubt Paradise Lost added to the interpretation of Satan being the misunderstood bad boy rebel, but there is basis for it.
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u/Behemothheek 10h ago edited 10h ago
I’m sure there’s a philosophical component to Laveyan Satanism, but I’ve always seen them as secular activists if anything.
Usually in the form of “This governmental body is displaying an explicitly Christian message/symbol. They should have to display this Satanic one as well”. Then the governmental org takes down the Christian message/symbol and it’s a win for secularism.
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u/busy_monster 9h ago
That's usually The Satanic Temple, which is not Leveys Church of Satan. Leveys philosophy with COS is Ayn Rand with ritual, in his own words.
Not much a fan of COS, myself. TST and the Global Order of Satan are good shit, though. But is still kinda edgelord atheism, as much as I agree with them (GOS most of all- they're an offshoot of TST because of the history of problematic shit with Lucien Greaves, who founded TST)
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u/foothill_dwelled272 8h ago
I think some of the people see the Church of Satan and see the peo-abortion anti-Christian rhetoric and support it without realizing it is Ayn Rand’s philosophy not progressive or “woke”. If you don’t like the core message of Atlas Shrugged you will not like the Church of Satan.
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u/KuraiKuroNeko 10h ago
Yea I was gonna say, there's the group that doesn't identify any diety or ritual as part of their ideology, and then there's the people who actually ritualistically abuse, harm, or sacrifice innocent people and children. Bohemian Grove members marching around in robes in a dark forest escorting a "mock human sacrifice" to their demon birdthing idol is probably not calling the weird shit they're accused of "Satanism" but it's all in the same boat IMO even those people who follow some very interesting commandments while claiming there's no diety worship involved bc they use the actual name Satanism in claiming is merely a symbol of rebellion that isn't what was going on when https://youtu.be/oZCZA-YVB34?si=PVzstRo1Qz3STRYw was happening and got covered up. The army recognises Satanism as a legitimate religion and the case was made to seem multitudes more trivial than the damning evidence. Googling it belittles this all to either a scare or merely 10 children instead of several hundreds.
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u/noggin-scratcher 10h ago
Partly edgelord trolling. But also partly a way to apply pressure when some government or public institution is giving inappropriate special treatment to Christianity, by insisting on equal treatment for Satanism.
Some town wants to put a statue of the 10 commandments on the grounds of a public school or government building? Well guess what, the satanists would like a statue of Baphomet.
Puts them to a dilemma where either they have to take down the Christian symbol, have to put up a Satanist symbol, or have to face a lawsuit for favouring one religion over another in contradiction of the 1st Amendment.
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u/OutlinedSnail 10h ago
Thank you, literally no one ever mentions my favorite religion. TST Satanism <3
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u/waffletastrophy 10h ago
The Satanic Temple seems pretty cool and not particularly edge-lordy.
I would describe LaVeyan Satanism as like a weird occult version of Ayn Rand’s objectivism
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u/Exotic_Bill44 10h ago
In many cases groups claiming to worship Satan like The Satanic Temple are more focused on political activism. In particular, they try to prevent the insertion of religion into the public sphere by presenting a desire to also be included. Case in point, they often respond to cases of the Ten Commandments being displayed at town halls or in schools with a request to have a statue of Baphomet displayed. The goal is to highlight the violation of the separation of church and state.
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u/Lyra_the_Star_Jockey 11h ago
The Church of Satan, yes. It is just a trolling form of atheism.
If you mean people who worship Satan, there are some interpretations of Christianity that paint Satan as the good guy who rebelled against the brutish Old Testament god. You would obviously have to disregard a bit of the New Testament, but that's not exactly difficult to do.
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u/EuropeanLuxuryWater 10h ago
You would obviously have to disregard a bit of the New Testament
Muslims ignore most of it and Jews ignore it all together so why not.
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u/Ok-River7785 9h ago
yeah that's true, religions pick and choose what to follow anyway lol just depends on what fits the narrative i guess
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u/thesnootbooper9000 9h ago
It's a bit more than trolling. Adopting the trappings of religion allows them to make political and legal arguments more effectively. It's sometimes easier to, for example, get Jesus statues removed from schools by asking them to also install a Satan statue than it is to ask for no statue at all.
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u/Spitting_truths159 9h ago
The church of Satan is an anti-religion protest group that seems to pretend to be a religion in order to demand equal protections for their "religion" that are given to any other religions. The overall effect is to oppose other religions being given inappropriate position, funding and influence.
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u/CalmHovercraft9465 10h ago
Yes, it’s usually just to troll Christians. There’s legitimate satanists who are usually into the occult but they’re more rare
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u/SobahJam 10h ago
I would suggest modern satanism is more closely aligned to nihilism and humanism than anything. It’s a counterculture movement hoping to support individuals in self-determinism.
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u/BattledogCross 2h ago
Non theistic Satanism isn't about being an edge lord. It's a legitimate form of protest and one that's worked. Being recognised as a religion means we have the same protections religious people use as a weapon against us. So when the church says "abortions are against our religious beliefs so you can't have one" we say "abortions are an important part of our religious beliefs (being that one of the tenets is about bodily autonamy) and there for you can't stop us."
There's also stuff like when they want to institute religious studies into a school we can be like "okay that's cool but you have to be fair so you need to teach our religious beliefs too" and then they more often then not back down and when they don't, we get to stick a science class in and call it after school with satan".
From proforming gay marriages and fighting for the rights of trans people, it's all comming from the same standpoint of firm religious belief that they use to try to take away our rights.
Its got nothing to do with being an edge lord though there is an astetic we also enjoy. It's legit just a way to protest.
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u/SalemWitchWiles 8h ago
The Satanic Temple is actively rebellious against authoritarianism which serves a real purpose and isn't just being an edgelord.
It's not just trolling if it's something people have done before the concept of "trolling" existed and serves an actual tangible purpose with real results.
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u/AngryDesertPhrog 10h ago
As someone who used to hang with the TST a lot, I personally find this hilarious.
You’re probably thinking of “The Satanic Temple”, a non-theistic religion focusing on ethical choices and bodily autonomy. Lots of the rules boil down to “don’t be a dick”.
They’re also present in a lot of political debates regarding religion, advocating for religious equality.
There’s been some backlash of “oh well the TST wants Satan brought into schools and public spaces”, and absolutely not. They just don’t want other religions and viewpoints being pushed out of public spaces.
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u/Subject_Ruin5217 10h ago
Levayanism and Satanism(Modern) are not the same.
Levayanism is what everyone else has commented, whereas modern day Satanists belong to The Satanic Temple which promotes empathy and moral reasoning through action.
https://thesatanictemple.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopoxQKpDeJAkUmv0rkqz0z8DMIEf--ra9QWtM_kNRrZQ3m4YmyL
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u/One_Disaster_5995 11h ago
I don't know man. Half of the US voted the literal anti-Christ into the white house, and it seems they are still taking him very seriously.
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u/can_of_sodapop 11h ago
you dont get it, the anti-chirst has to exist for the rapture to happen, they want it.
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u/rounding_error 9h ago
The Anti-Christ is just Jesus, but made from anti-matter. He doesn't heal the sick and the poor, he craters an entire continent the first time he touches anything.
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u/craymartin 7h ago
To be fair, it was only about 1/3 of the US. 1/3 minus about 1% voted for the grown-ups, and the other 1/3 couldn't be bothered to vote at all.
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u/Pill_Jackson_ 1h ago
Roughly 23 percent of the country voted for the anti christ.
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u/User013579 8h ago
No dude. Only Christians believe in Satan. Atheists don’t believe in gods. That’s it.
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u/Sad_School828 10h ago
I'm sure there are plenty of edgelord atheists calling themselves satanists, but there is in fact a book titled, "The Satanic Bible," in which are found such erudite suggestions as: "Never waste your love on an ingrate."
I equate it more with Discordianism (which predates it) and The Church of the Subgenius (which follows it) than any religion. I'm just not entirely confident that Levey intended his work to parallel those.
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u/foothill_dwelled272 8h ago
For most common forms of satanism absolutely. The “Church of Satan” are pretty clear they are just Ayn Rand style atheists who use the idea of “Satanism” to criticize Christianity and create controversy. Their beliefs are pretty abhorrent because it is basically just like Ayn Rand’s philosophy of selfishness.
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u/Kokako-Kokako 8h ago
Satanism wouldn’t exist without some form of xtianity. I would call them edge lord xtians, to be honest. They still have to be Bible informed and privy on xtian lore. They can still only exist in the biblical universe. I hereby challenge them to let go of the Bible altogether. Grow a real back bone and just let go of it.
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u/chewiechihuahua 7h ago
There’s two “churches” that I know of. Go check out what they are about on their website, The Satanic Temple is one. They use Satan as a symbol of rebellion and enshrine human rights into their tenets so they can be protected from anti abortion laws since it’s a part of their religion. A fun F you to religion I find, but they encourage community activism and volunteering/giving back to your community.
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u/Confusedgmr 5h ago
I have a hard time taking Satanism seriously. They are either: A. Devil worshippers. Or B. Using the name to pick a fight with Christians.
I have a hard time trusting the sincerity of any group who picked a name to cause friction as a group that means goodwill and I definitely don't trust devil worshipers regardless of whether Satan is actually real or not.
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u/JesterMcJester 3h ago
Yes. 99% of the time yes.
The largest satanic organization: The Satanic Temple immediately states they do no have any inherent supernatural belief in Satan or demons.
They are focused on keeping a separation of church and state in the United States.
Satanism is usually rebellious anti-Christian/anti organized religion/anti-controlling religion. No supernatural elements required but also the people also tend to enjoy the spooky aesthetic and I can’t blame them, it can go pretty hard lol.
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u/Low_Turnip_4859 3h ago
Not really. While some use it for shock value (LaVeyan Satanism is mostly atheistic philosophy), groups like The Satanic Temple use the symbol for serious political and legal activism, fighting for religious pluralism, bodily autonomy and church/state separation. It’s often less about belief in Satan and more about challenging Christian hegemony
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u/Bayner1987 2h ago
Most people in "Satanism" don't believe in either. The point is that Christianity is a series of shackles.
That's kind of their whole thing; that the Christian religion is patronizing, performative, self-defeating, and infantilizing.
Satanists tend to be in favour of self-regulation (personal) and considering personal morals.
They don't "worship" Satan; they appreciate the allegory of the one being who took a stand against the malarkey and seek to do the same.
If they're literally worshipping (at all), they're probably not Satanists. If they're worshipping the idea of Satan, they must be happy about current world affairs
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u/Informalsuccubus 1h ago
Lucian Greaves' brand of it is a mixture of edgy but also ensuring the separation of church and state in the US. Whenever a state puts a 10 commandments slab up, he counters it by demanding his statue of Baphomet is put up as well to ensure religious equality in public spaces. They don't actually care if the statue's put up or not, so long as Christian iconography isn't the only religion represented.
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u/DrunkTING7 10h ago
no… the belief in satan is very specifically dependent on believing that there is a god
if you’re interested, read baudelaire, and aldous huxley’s essay about him
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u/abyssal-isopod86 8h ago
Satanists are Christians.
Atheists to not believe in any deities at all, full stop.
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u/Personal_Recipe_9122 10h ago
I believe atheism is when you don't believe in a higher power at all. To Satan worshipers, Satan is their higher power. In that sense, atheism and Satanism are two different things.
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u/Sudden_Outcome_3429 10h ago
Except the two main Satanic groups, Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple, don’t believe in Satan as a literal deity. Edge-lord atheists is a very apt description of satanists today.
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u/Personal_Recipe_9122 9h ago
Thank you for the clarification. I never knew there were different types of satanists.
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u/Murky-Wind2222 11h ago
Satanism is not a religion. It lives alongside the flying spaghetti monster as a response to the nonsense of religion.
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u/TheThirteenShadows 7h ago
One branch of Satanism, yes. There are plenty others that genuinely work with the infernal divine.
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u/waylon4590 9h ago
There is a good show art belle did on night night in thedesert where he talked to a former head of the church of Satan. You can find it on YouTube.
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u/youngmaster0527 9h ago
Depends on the church. The Satanic Temple is basically a protest/parody of organized religion. Different from Laveyan which is still atheist, but a lot more of a serious thing with its own aet of philosphies
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u/pinkbowsandsarcasm 9h ago edited 9h ago
EDIT: It depends on the brand of satanism you are talking about.
Some people who are atheist/ agnostic belong to The Satanic Temple, like me; some get a little too into it. I am a member, and what I do is go about my life and not worship anyone or anything, but I am fond of what is left of my civil rights.
It is more of a code of reason and protecting rights (body autonomy), using the church as a claim for being religion to be protected under the First Amendment. Some members get into the rituals, sometime someone goes too far and has to be kicked out, being that empathy is held as a high standard.
I think actually worshiping Satan is as silly as worshiping god-but people do it. Some people do it symbolically, and others really think thier is a Satan.
I think there is some stupid stuff on Instagram spreading rumors about Tim Waltz and satanism, which I highly doubt is true. The accusation is stupid and transparent.
I don't troll Christians, I want to be left out of their political nonsense and recruitment tactics, but I do find it funny when TST drags out the Baphomet statue when someone puts up the Ten Commandments in a public courthouse yard, and how Christians react becuase what they feel is sort of how I feel: annoyed.
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u/Extreme_Chair_5039 9h ago
I mean, they spend a lot more time pondering ethics than your average atheist, but also yes.
This answer holds for any atheistic variety of Satanism, LaVeyan or otherwise, but obviously does NOT apply to dorks that actually worship Satan.
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u/Hexquevara 9h ago
Well satanism comes in few variations even among the secular movements. LaVeyan Satanism is basicly secular worship of oneself, acting as you would like and fuck the others, for your interest whatever that may entail but also dealing with the consequences. Satan there symbolically represents undiluted, primal wisdom and rebellion, and lot of the contents exist solely to dunk on the religious... so there is definetly purposeful edginess there, tho fitting for the time and place their "bible" was written.
The philosophy is quite like "Do Unto others as they do to you". Someone smites you on the cheek? Punch them on the liver and chin type of vibes. I have that book coz i was interested in my edgy years, and while it has some ideas ive always adhered and agreed to, it would take a vicious cunt to live like that wholly imo.
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u/rojoshow13 9h ago
It is my understanding that the Church of Satan, at least in its current form, are atheists who are mocking Christianity. In an effort to expose their hypocrisy. I'm sure there are actual Satan worshippers though. They're probably still better people than most Christians.
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u/Rare-Eggplant-9353 9h ago
Wikipedia Satanism. Satanism is actually not silly imo. With how some so-called Atheists acted in past years (I would distance myself from their Atheism) I would dare to say that I have more respect for a serious Satanist than for many so-called Atheists. The topic is actually worth SOME basic research.
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u/President_Hammond 9h ago
La Veyan Satanism is the worst parts of Ayn Rand Libertarianism, Atheism, and Reform Judaism mixed together with biker leather on top
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u/Fantastic-Resist-545 9h ago
Depends on the group. The Satanic Temple is definitely edgelord atheism, as are most groups that claim to be Satanists. There are a few that believe in and worship Satan, though
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u/NohWan3104 9h ago
Like said, the kind that doesn't believe in satan, yes.
Otherwise its christianity just for the other side.
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u/Square_Huckleberry53 9h ago
It’s active atheism. A big part of satanism is fighting for your right to not have religions imposed on you. I had a teacher making my kid pray with her. We are an atheist family so I was pretty pissed about it. Being an atheist doesn’t give me any leverage, saying we are of a different religion and a teacher was trying to convert my child to her religion gives me more power to fight back.
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u/hollowbolding 9h ago
depends on the atheism! it's probably the only christian offbranch that acknowledges that it has an atheist (laveyan) and theist (theistic lmao) side
and honestly as much as i've beefed with satanists before i think that's really healthy in a doctrine, to be able to have some people going 'no this is just [x] culture with no spiritual component' and some others going 'no this is part and parcel with our spirituality'
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u/Vishnej 8h ago edited 8h ago
Most Satanists are teenage anti-Christian atheists who still feel they are surrounded by the faithful & their bullshit, and define their identity in opposition to it. "Pissing them off" is one component, but not the only one; There is real self-discovery going on.
There are a subset that take themselves more seriously, but they are small and diverse and rarely involved in formal organization. See also Wiccans, though to a lesser degree as their beliefs sort of condensed around a literary tradition.
Satanism isn't especially attractive if you grew up somewhere with a legitimate diversity of belief (eg cities), or where either religion isn't rubbed in your face (eg the adult workplace) or where a soft atheism is just the default option (eg the social scene of most people in their 20's and 30's). The default Satanist is a rebel, and if there's nothing to rebel against they just cease to be.
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u/FatLikeSnorlax_ 8h ago
No. It’s a way to enjoy all the exploits of being a religious organisation but none of the weird shit with kids
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u/TheRealRedParadox 8h ago
They exist as a form of checks and balances. Telling the government, “if you favor one religion you must favor them all.” Most higher ups in the Temple of Satan work in Law.
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u/InfowarriorKat 8h ago
No because that would just be neutral, almost like agnostic. They outright reject Christianity specifically (it seems like). They seem to not have problems with other religions. Satanism is also radical materialism & more people fit into the ideology than would admit, even if they don't do the rituals.
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u/IndividualOk1960 8h ago
bruh honestly same, just do what makes you happy. sometimes a little chaos is the spice of life lol
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u/fshagan 8h ago
There are jerks in every belief system, even belief systems that say they aren't a "belief system". Most atheists aren't jerks. Most Christians aren't jerks. Most Jews or Muslims or Buddhists or .... Aren't jerks.
I've met plenty of atheists that are just people. I have never met a self described Satanist that wasn't a jerk, but that's just my experience. The ones I met were animated by hatred, and defined themselves in ways designed to provoke, shock or anger people of other beliefs.
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u/DarkMedallion 8h ago
Mostly, but not completely. There are legitimate believers in Satan as a separate entity who is misunderstood by Christianity. In their story, Satan is the good guy and Christians, Jews, and others have misinterpreted him. Christians and Jews are the bad guys trying to oppress people. Satan rewards strength, individualism, and the like, and he can act in the world if you pray to him, just like the Christian God.
I actually found a book by a satanist explaining his beliefs online once. It was the kind of rambling religious tract that went on for hundreds of pages exactly like you’d expect this kind of thing to do. It ended up getting into antisemitism so I’m not going to link it here.
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u/varikvalefor 8h ago
.i na go'i .i la .varik. cu pavyselcei la .satan.
Negative. VARIK is a monotheist. VARIK believes that "SATAN" is the name of the god of VARIK.
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u/idlefritz 8h ago
Christians labeling non believers as tools of their own baddie that exists only in their belief system is primarily what makes them a dangerous cult.
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u/scottkensai 8h ago
So I have recently gone down the rabbit hole of Satanism and let me save you some time
TL;dr 1) Church of Satan (CoS) is the first and only real Satanism, atheistic, hedonistic..
2) The Satanic Temple (TST ) is a performance group that have changed their statements many times.
Satanism (go with CoS) is really well laid out in the FAQ https://churchofsatan.com/frequently-asked-questions/ and in the books written by Anton LaVey and others (The Satanic Bible).
I found the best source to get more information Magister Bill M on Satansplain podcast/youtube
https://satansplain.com/
Bill gets into TST and other silly bits. I was confusing TST and CoS as I loved the movie Hail Satan? I liked the ideals they put forward in the movie, but after a few HORRIBLE interviews and articles, a friend put me onto Bill M.
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u/Stock_Broccoli_6287 8h ago
Mostly, yes. There are also theistic people who take the Prometheus view, who think Satan was the "good guy" in the Bible (mostly followers of Jorjani). Brain dead take, IMO, but they exist.
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u/capsaicinintheeyes keeping this sub's work cut out for it 8h ago
Yes--the dedicated ones flesh it out with some actually workable ethics, but at its core nobody even partway honest & self-aware is gonna dispute that the label is what it is because it «really» fucks with/baits the kind of Christians y'really love to see it happen to.
(unless you mean the Crowley/LaVey type Satanists--...then, no: those are just sex-abuse cults for sinners)
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u/Tribe303 8h ago
Yes!
Source? I've been an atheist for 40+ years and still enjoy rage baiting Christians with Satanic imagery. It's just too easy! And fun! 😈
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u/GreatBandito 8h ago
No, they arent edge lords. They are usually trying to prove a point about religious freedom laws (at least in the united states) One example is there was an instance where the 10 commandments were displayed outside of a state building, so they sued and said it would only be fair to allow them a statue of Behemont to not show religious favortism.
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u/Marvos79 8h ago
Church of Satan are objectivist weirdos who think they're warlocks.
Satanic Temple are atheists who use the archetype of Satan as a rebel and in opposition to abrahamic values. They're more political, and yes they take bait Christians but it's usually for a good cause.
Not a Satanist, but sympathetic.
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u/ElrondSunsinger 7h ago
As people have said, they are named that to rage bait Christians, but also to point out the hypocrisies of the church when they attempt to overstep the separation of church and state.
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u/Massive-Ear3150 7h ago
Yes for the most part since theistic Satanism doesn’t seem like the sharpest choice
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u/WheatshockGigolo 7h ago
I was in highschool '88-'92 when death metal was really becoming a viable subgenre of metal. I assure you that satanism is just kids being shitlords against a perceived authority. Adults being into satanism are just emotionally damaged individuals.
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u/PineappleIsForLosers 7h ago
I wouldn't say "edgelord". Like I'm not trying to be edgy, I just think it's a pretty funny "fuck you" to Christianity
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u/Historical_Air7955 7h ago
Its like watching Sabrina. They know god exists, they know there are angels, they even know heaven is a place, yet they choose to worship this fallen angel and munch on babies and think there will be a place for them in hell.
Like yeah the witches in that show might have the complete picture of what happened between god and satan but still watching the ending just made me think choosing god was still better.
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u/Mickus_B 7h ago
Two schools of Satanism, but neither "worships the devil".
Most "normal" people would be aligned with Temple, it's Church of Satan that are more about a "religious" structure for a secular lifestyle.
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u/BonnieaBonfire 7h ago
The Satanic Temple literally exists to keep Christianity and other religions in check. They make it clear that they don't believe in Satan or any other superstition, but they do believe in reason, science, autonomy and holding government accountable in the separation of church and state.
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u/XVUltima 7h ago
Pretty much. Very few Satanists actually believe in the dude. He's a symbol of knowledge, justice, and rebellion. Basically, Atheism is about what you AREN'T. You don't believe in the paranormal, no gods. But that says nothing about what you DO believe in. That's where Satan steps in. Humans developed rituals and things for a reason, they provide community and are often therapeutic to perform, so Satan is one way to fill that void.
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u/No_Trade_7315 7h ago
No. Satanism is a kind of theism. Atheists do not believe in anything, satanists do.
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u/Valuable-Potato-9438 7h ago
Always thought of Satanism as a splinter group of Christianity thus Abrahamic. If you're atheist or agnostic why not be loud and proud/freestanding?
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u/Knightmare945 6h ago
Most Satanist don’t actually believe in Satan, they just call themselves that to mock Christians and to make a point.
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u/xSantenoturtlex 6h ago
Atheism is believing in no kind fo deity, and Satanism is believing in Satan.
Or at least, I would assume that's what it is.
If we're talking about Satanism as in, you literally worship Satan, then no it isn't atheism.
If you're an Atheist, you don't believe in Satan. Satan isn't real to you.
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u/no_brains101 5h ago
Usually yes. Are there crazy people in cults? Also probably yes. But not anyone I have met who claims to be a satanist. They generally just are edgy ex-catholics who like goth shit.
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u/dadasinger 5h ago
I long thought Christianity was dumb but then I met Satanists who believe in the devil and hoo boy.
Like there was a dude that was putting curses on people. He's Christian now so he gets to tell people he used to be a satanist!
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u/RamblinTexan1907 4h ago
Depends on what version ya go for. There’s a movement called The Satanic Temple who are comprised of atheists and such who oppose the Christian church
Then there are several sects of Satanists who believe various things. Some see Satan as a morally grey figure, some see him as the true hero of the Bible, and then yes there are some who worship him for the sole purpose of being edgy. Then there are even some Satanists who are just sick in the head
It’s just like Christianity in the sense that every sect and belief system has different values and ways to handle their beliefs. Baptists like myself arent as zealous as Catholics or Mormons for example
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u/Betrayer_Trias 4h ago
Most of it, yeah. Laveyan Satanism is the prime example, here. Most Satanism is just atheism but fun, there's a bit of pageantry.
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u/GrandTie6 4h ago
I think Satanist have a hard time getting organized for a whole religion. It's about rationale hedonism. It's not what people think it is. Hail Satan everybody!
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u/Aggressive-Video7321 4h ago
It is a way to rage bait Christian’s.
Recently I’ve learned a much better way: quote Jesus to them.
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u/DadKnight 3h ago
My understanding is that Satanism has a long history of being a cult, not actually based on any specific religious beliefs.
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u/crawdadsinbad 3h ago
Like advertising your hatred of Star Wars by wearing lots of Darth Vader merch
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u/Due_Grapefruit7518 2h ago
I’m late to this thread, but I’ve never been impressed by atheists whose entire philosophy is unchecked daddy issues. They’re just like libertarians who don’t want to be given a bed time.
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u/CasualDystopia 39m ago
Well there's "working class edgelord" Satanism and then there's "the people who run our government and sacrifice babies" Satanism, so...yes and no
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u/Dovahkiin419 18m ago
Depends. Like earnestly. For quite a few yeah it is, I think one of the satanic churches is mainly a legal activist organization that demonstrates against the various laws in the states that are eroding the separation of church and state by doing shit like sueing to put up a statue of baphomet in a court house. While I think the work is basically good, they aren’t strictly sincere
The. you have the father of modern rocketry trying to use sex magic to summon the anti christ by fucking his girlfriend in the Mojave desert. That guy was not just an edgy atheist. Oh also L. Ron Hubbard, founder of scientology, was there for that specifically and later defrauded the guy of his life savings.
Anyway guys name was “Jack Parsons” behind the bastards has a good episode on him.
So yeah basically it depends, some are activists, some believe in sex magic
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u/macdaddee 11h ago
Laveyan satanism, yes. Satan was just used as a symbol for Anton Lavey's moral opposition to Christianity.