Are you feeling devilish? Then this list is for you! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most devilishly interesting tidbits of information about Satanism.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most devilishly interesting
00:08tidbits of information about Satanism.
00:10I am complete!
00:14Number 15.
00:15Satanism is an officially recognized religion in the United States.
00:19There isn't just an ideological belief set behind modern Satanism.
00:22Non-theistic organizations such as the Satanic Temple have succeeded in becoming officially
00:26recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service.
00:29In multiple releases, Satanic Temple reps say they got IRS approval and received 501c3
00:34status.
00:35That's a government designation that basically means you're federally tax-exempt.
00:39This status has allowed the Temple's spokesperson, Lucien Grieves, to enter the conversation
00:44when it comes to allowing alternative religious representation in schools.
00:47NBC News published an article in May of 2024 describing how the Satanic Temple is seeking
00:53to potentially install chaplains in states such as Texas and Florida.
00:56The demonic-sounding group using this debate to push back on certain Christian ideals and
01:01its increasing overlap on public life.
01:03If they pass these bills, they're going to have to contend with ministers of Satan acting
01:08as chaplains within their school districts.
01:11These latter areas have set precedents in allowing religious spokespersons in public
01:14school, a precedent that the Satanic Temple would very much like to exploit.
01:19Essentially what they're doing here is going up against Christian or conservative movements
01:23that are trying to upend or break through protections that are already in place, and
01:27the Temple is working to highlight those inequalities even more so.
01:3014.
01:31Satanism and Paganism Aren't the Same Thing
01:33The 1960s and 70s saw an influx of alternative religions and spiritual viewpoints.
01:38Hail Satan!
01:39Hail Satan!
01:40Satan is his father, and his name is Adrian.
01:43He shall overthrow the mighty and lay waste their temples.
01:47Some of these would eventually fall under the banner of a New Age movement, yet the
01:50term Paganism possesses a much longer history.
01:53Still, Satanism and Paganism are often confused with one another, despite some rather notable
01:58differences.
01:59So Paganism is a term that gets thrown around a lot, and there's lots of different definitions
02:03of it.
02:04Although Luciferian witchcraft is a darker and more occult-focused offshoot of Wiccan
02:07religions, the modern face of Paganism, sometimes referred to as Neo-Paganism, tends to be more
02:12nature-focused.
02:13The term Pagan also no longer means someone that isn't Christian, but rather an overarching
02:18umbrella of faiths that can be polytheistic or rooted in ancient cultural traditions.
02:23The Paganism that I follow treats the divine masculine and the divine feminine in an equal
02:31way.
02:32Number 13.
02:33There are historical analogies to Promethean freedom figures
02:35One shared aspect between both Satanism and Paganism concerns considering Satan as similar
02:40to the Greek figure Prometheus.
02:42This titan gifted man with fire and was punished with eternal torture.
02:45So who is this guy?
02:47Best I can tell, Prometheus.
02:51Seriously?
02:52Yeah.
02:55But didn't he steal fire or something?
02:58Satanists often view Satan as a fallen angel who is frequently seen as a rebel, one who
03:02thumbs their noses at authority and lives independently with free thought.
03:05And he's punished by being banished from heaven.
03:11Russian mystic and occultist Helena Blavatsky spoke of Satan as a bringer of wisdom, similar
03:16to that old biblical serpent that tempted Eve with knowledge from the tree.
03:20Supernaturalists tend to take a view of Satan as a literal figure, whereas rationalists
03:24see him as a symbol.
03:25But there's a Promethean connection in either view.
03:28Number 12.
03:29Splinter groups have leaned into Satanic scare methods
03:31Organizations such as the Satanic Temple currently enjoy what's arguably the biggest public
03:35profile for commercial Satanism in recent history.
03:38I think what attracted me most to Satanism was just, I think, how preposterous a lot
03:44of stuff that was coming from people who called themselves Christians.
03:48That said, for every left-leaning, socially progressive organization such as the Temple,
03:52there are other Satanic splinter groups that lean into the term's sinister pedigree.
03:56Groups such as the Order of the Nine Angels approach Satanism in a more traditional sense,
04:00while also retaining the right-leaning politics that have seen the Order labeled as a neo-Nazi
04:04hate group.
04:05In recent years, it's grown in popularity thanks to an increase in far-right sentiment
04:09around the world.
04:10Still, the group is only believed to number a few thousand.
04:13Those with ties to the 09A have committed or plotted acts of violence and terrorism
04:17in countries such as Sweden, Canada, and the United States.
04:20There have been too many examples of individuals who have been radicalized by this material.
04:25These ideas can directly lead to violence.
04:27Number 11.
04:28Christians historically cast a wide net with regards to devil worship
04:31Just as the term pagan was once loosely utilized by Christians to typecast those of non-Abrahamic
04:36faiths, so too have the terms Satanist and devil worshiper been used interchangeably
04:40and incorrectly.
04:41I'm innocent to which the devil knows not!
04:45One need only look to the advents of witch-finding and sham trials to witness how a social panic
04:49can influence accusations of devilry or witchcraft.
04:52What say you, Corey?
04:54More.
04:55Wait.
04:56These accusations weren't limited to areas like Salem, however, since history has seen
05:01faiths both large and small, from Judaism to Paulitianism, being labeled as in league
05:05with Satan.
05:06They swim.
05:07The mark of Satan is upon them.
05:10The Catholic military order known as the Knights Templar even saw some of its members accused
05:14of ritual sacrifice and Luciferian behavior.
05:18Number 10.
05:19Stupidity is the cardinal sin of Satanism Yes, there are nine satanic sins, and being
05:23a moron is the biggest of them all.
05:25Not ignorance that can be cured with learning, but stupidity allows people to be manipulated
05:29and to do only as they are told.
05:30The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as posture that is not only acceptable but
05:35laudable.
05:36The subsequent sins on the list are quite pragmatic.
05:38Satanism also forbids pretentiousness, herd conformity, lack of perspective and aesthetics,
05:43and counterproductive pride.
05:44The first word is important.
05:47Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
05:50A lot of the church's principles are fairly aligned with the law and, to some degree,
05:54other religions.
05:55One major difference is they support the idea of lex talianus, or an eye for an eye.
06:00So whoever strikes you on your right cheek, you go ahead and smack them on their left
06:03cheek.
06:04That's the Satanist's way.
06:05Eye for an eye.
06:06You want me to blind them?
06:089.
06:09Manson and Satan
06:10Just as the 60s and 70s fostered a new interest in the new age, so too did Satan earn his
06:15flower power within the media.
06:17Films such as Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist did big dollars for the devil, and many were
06:21morbidly fixated upon the dark side of what they saw as hippie sexual liberation.
06:27Susan Atkins was a notorious member of the Manson family, one of those involved in the
06:31Tate-LaBianca murder.
06:36Atkins also possessed a connection to another notably dark figure from this period and Church
06:40of Satan founder, Anton LaVey.
06:42The future family member worked as an adult entertainer or nude witch for LaVey, and the
06:47latter's attempt to utilize sex as a selling point for Church of Satan enrollment.
06:50There's a song I heard some time ago that one line says, there is no sin that you could
06:57imagine that is greater than God's love to forgive.
07:018.
07:02The Church of Satan was founded by a former carny
07:04Confucianism was founded by Confucius, Buddhism was founded by Buddha, and Satanism was founded
07:09by, nope, not Satan, but by Anton Zandor LaVey.
07:12So I honestly feel occultism gives many people a chance to be big fish in a little pond.
07:19Details of his biography are often disputed or disproved, but supposedly he joined the
07:22Clyde Beattie Circus as a teenager and soon became a lion tamer.
07:26His musical ability earned him a position playing the calliope and the organ for notable
07:30circus greats as he traveled around the Pacific coast.
07:33After leaving the circus, he developed an interest in occult and magic.
07:36He became a bit of a local celebrity in San Francisco for his occult lectures and rituals.
07:40Ultimately, in 1996, he founded the first official Church of Satan and was its leader
07:45until his death in 1997.
07:46The only way to rid oneself of carnal desires is to release them fully.
07:547.
07:55Satanism, youth culture, and heavy metal
07:56It's not uncommon for young people to seek out music that will deliberately annoy their
08:00parents.
08:01The age generation gap is natural, as teenagers seek to differentiate themselves from expectation
08:05and tradition.
08:12That said, the rise of black metal music specifically from countries like Norway made headlines
08:16back in the 1990s with some reports of real murder and church arson.
08:20When it comes to the media coverage of black metal in Norway, it all started with the criminal
08:30cases.
08:31Some viewed it as a fully-fledged movement, largely rooted in anti-Christian Satanism,
08:36and point to cases like heavy metal fan Ricky Casso's murder of his friend as resulting
08:40from it.
08:41Others dispute the extent of its influence.
08:43Black metal may have been spawned in the 1980s, but the scene as it exists today was reinvented
08:47a decade later with a fresh coat of corpse paint.
08:536.
08:56Church of Satan has accepted all forms of sexuality since 1966
09:01Our society still gets all shaken up when talking about sexuality in the military, churches,
09:05government, and other institutions.
09:06But not at the Church of Satan.
09:07What goes on in the privacy of your own bedroom is between you and your lover.
09:12Satanism doesn't discriminate against any sexual orientation or acts, as long as it's
09:16consensual between two adults, or however many adults are involved.
09:20It has come to be.
09:22The four horsemen are drawing nigh.
09:24The time of prophecy is upon us.
09:27I love when you get all biblical, Satan.
09:29The religion values gratification and pleasure very highly, and doesn't believe in any absolute
09:33morality that might condemn one's sexuality.
09:36LeVay himself encouraged sexual exploration and expression.
09:39And so, if one is transgender, gay, bisexual, lesbian, or asexual, the Church of Satan welcomes
09:44you with open arms.
09:495.
09:50The biggest holiday in Satanism is your birthday
09:52What do we do on our birthdays?
09:53All I want for my birthday is a big booty house.
09:56All I want for my birthday is a big booty house.
10:00We make ourselves the center of attention, eat a big fat cake, get bombarded with gifts,
10:04and spend the whole day restaurant-hopping for free birthday meals.
10:07Well, that's a core tenet of Satanism, self-indulgence.
10:09What do we treat ourselves to?
10:11Clothes.
10:12Treat yourself.
10:13Fragrances.
10:14Treat yourself.
10:15Massages.
10:16Treat yourself.
10:17Mimosas.
10:18Treat yourself.
10:19Fine leather goods.
10:20Treat yourself.
10:21For most modern Satanists, one's birthday is the most important day, since Satanism
10:24is a self-centered religion.
10:26The holiday doesn't require anything spectacular, as long as it's celebrated however the Satanist
10:30wants.
10:31If you find this revelation repulsive, just look back on your past birthdays and see how
10:34well you behaved.
10:35It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to.
10:404.
10:41The Satanic Temple differs from the Church of Satan
10:43The Satanic Temple and LeVay's Church of Satan aren't the only instances of those
10:47associated with modern Satanism shifting positions.
10:50So within the Satanic community, there's a lot of discourse as to which organization
10:55is better, the Church of Satan or the Satanic Temple.
10:58Former Church of Satan member Michael Aquino left behind the rationalist position of LeVayian
11:02Satanism in favor of his newly founded Temple of Set.
11:05Yeah, well, I'm gonna go build my own theme park with blackjack and hookers.
11:12This organization took a supernaturalist view of real occult worship, as opposed to the
11:16Church's metaphorical Satanic stance.
11:18LeVayian Satanism is also, generally speaking, one of right-leaning libertarianism.
11:23The Satanic Temple, on the other hand, has openly endorsed causes of social justice and
11:27body reproductive rights advocacy in a manner that's comparatively more liberal.
11:31As a Satanist, I believe that confronting injustice is an expression of modern Satanic
11:35faith.
11:363.
11:37Satan, from a certain point of view
11:38It's easy, particularly with hindsight, to label LeVayian Satanism as simply an orgiastic
11:43exercise in excess and indulgence.
11:45There's a lot of truth to that, and Anton LeVay was showman enough to exploit that,
11:54as well as to allegedly get people like actress Jane Mansfield and entertainer Sammy Davis
11:57Jr. involved.
11:58Can you come up right now?
11:59Oh, honey, if I come up there now and Lucifer catches me, I'm gonna be in all kinds of trouble.
12:04LeVay's text, The Satanic Bible, became popular and influential after its publication in 1969.
12:09It helped codify a Satanic point of view, one that assisted in softening Old Scratch's
12:13reputation as a demonic opponent into something more sympathetic, even heroic.
12:22This contemporary view of Satan felt linked to the poetic, Byronic portrayals of romance,
12:27while some of the Bible's essays outlined the church's atheistic views of morality and
12:31behavior.
12:322.
12:33There was a Satanic moral panic in the 1980s
12:35The rise of heavy metal groups like Slayer and Bathory, combined with shock news pieces
12:39on tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons, helped usher in the popular term Satanic Panic.
12:55This phenomenon peaked during the 1980s and was largely a conservative reaction to these
12:59aforementioned elements, specifically with regard to their perceived contribution to
13:03moral decay.
13:04This paranoia had some real-life casualties, however, as evidenced by the McMartin Preschool
13:08trial and hysteria regarding the allegations of ritual Satanic abuse in daycares across
13:13the country.
13:17Satanism had turned a corner, it seemed, as the generation that previously asked the question
13:20is God dead now had kids of their own and were scared to death of the devil.
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13:55Number 1.
13:56There is no Satan in Satanism You're probably scratching your head with
13:59this one.
14:00According to the Satanic Bible, written by LaVey, the Church of Satan is atheistic.
14:12To a true Satanist, the idea of a god or a devil is pure fiction.
14:16Satan is used as a metaphor, a symbolic paragon of enlightenment, hedonism, wisdom, individualism,
14:21and liberty.
14:22LaVey discouraged the worship of Satan as a deity, though Satan is an appropriate symbol
14:26for the church as he represents non-conformity and rebellion, especially against the Abrahamic
14:30religions, which LaVey saw as irrational.
14:37The church sees no real connection between Satan and the number 666, though they enjoy
14:41using it to mock superstitious Christians.
14:43And to those looking to sell their soul to the devil, the church says, if you want something
14:47out of life, get off your lazy butt and work for it.
14:55Do you feel that interest in the occult has increased over recent years?
14:58Let us know in the comments.
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