Random Thing About Two Religious Groups (12 items)

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  (#1) The Church Of Satan Finds The Satanic Temple Ridiculous

  The dichotomy between the Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple boils down to each group's definition of a Satanist. Followers of the Satanic Temple view the Devil as an "Eternal Rebel" who represents the timeless struggle against the abuse of power. Conversely, the Church of Satan follows a strict lifestyle aggressively adhering to its stated principles. 

  Without naming the Temple, the Church of Satan's website takes the Satanic Temple to task, by saying they're "making Satanism look as ridiculous as the theist belief systems" they mock. 
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  (#2) The Church Of Satan Believes The Satanic Temple Is More About Putting On A Show

  While the Church of Satan consists mostly of staunch hard-line social Darwinists, the Satanic Temple prides itself on the more theatrical aspects of aligning oneself with the Devil. Concerned mainly with social issues such as bodily autonomy and religious freedom, Temple members seek to go against abusive regimes and point out hypocrisy.

  Their stunts include trying to implement afterschool Satan-centric programs. Moreover, the Temple's co-founder, Lucien Greaves, said he turned a deceased Westboro Baptist Church member into a lesbian after putting his balls on her grave.

  Because the Satanic Temple does its best to stay in the press and supposedly draws an increasing number of members (they haven't provided any concrete evidence, though), they continue to draw ire from the Church of Satan.
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  (#3) The Church Of Satan Has Existed Since The 1960s

  On Walpurgisnacht, the night of April 30 and early hours of May 1, 1966, Anton LaVey officially opened the Church of Satan for business. Even though members of the congregation grew more serious over time, in the late '60s, LaVey and his parishioners kept things groovy.

  They dressed in robes in derision of high-ranking Christian clergy members and held rituals mocking right-hand religions. Because of this, LaVey received worldwide press to push his agenda as far as he could. 

  Despite the fact the modern Church of Satan doesn't host the same kind of rituals, they make it clear LaVey and early Church members are responsible for the notoriety of the Satanic Temple. They claim the Temple only piggybacks off their success.
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  (#4) Classic Satanism Has A Darwinistic Nature, While Modern Satanism Does Not

  One of the most significant differences between the Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple comes up in their varying beliefs on social Darwinism. Since Anton LaVey began the Church in 1966, members have followed a "dog-eat-dog world" mentality, an attitude putting them in the same Venn diagram as the alt-right and libertarian crowds in recent years.

  In direct opposition to this, the Satanic Temple takes a more leftist view on policies like reproductive issues and LGBTQ+ rights.

  When Satanist Brian Werner resigned from the Satanic Temple in 2014, he noted how the group became too politicized and took on a "very liberal, compassionate, borderline hippy-like outlook on politics and societal issues." He further claimed Satanic Temple members were far more "empathetic" than Satanists usually are.
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  (#5) Neither Have Official Places Of Worship

  Despite being called the Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple, neither practice boasts any churches or temples, respectively. The Church of Satan exists solely online; before the advent of the internet, the Church used the "grotto system," a loosely connected series of groups hosting meetings. However, those no longer exist. 

  The Satanic Temple does have a physical headquarters in Salem, MA, but it's less a place of worship, and more of an art gallery curating works with an anti-organized religion sway. 
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  (#6) The Temple Believes The Church Of Satan Has Become A Haven For The Alt-Right

  Possibly the greatest disparity between the Satanic Temple and the Church of Satan stems from their perceived political alignments. Though neither of the groups dictates anything about the specificity of a member's politics, the Satanic Temple boasts a largely left-leaning group of followers. They believe the Church of Satan has become a space for members of the alt-right to congregate in the hopes of meeting like-minded women. 

  Specifically, members of the Satanic Temple see the Church of Satan's views on gender and race as a sign of refusing to adapt to modern times. Though they are allegedly apolitical, the Church often runs anti-feminist and pro-fascist content on its website and social media pages.

  However, the Church of Satan's policy states they "fully accept all forms of human sexual expression between consenting adults." They're also happy to reflect gender and name changes on their official membership card as long as the member fills out the proper paperwork.
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  (#7) The Church Of Satan Thinks The Satanic Temple Is Wrecking Their Brand

  The biggest gripe the Church of Satan has with the Satanic Temple isn't due to the newer group overshadowing them - it's about how they're ruining the Church's brand. Reverend Raul Antony says the Satanic Temple is "borrowing brand equity," especially since they use a name similar to the Church of Satan for their internet trolling. Furthermore, Peter H. Gilmore, a Church of Satan high priest, harshly criticized the Temple's proposed designs for a Satanic statue for the Oklahoma statehouse.

  In a more disparaging statement, Joel Ethan, a spokesperson for the Church, says because the Satanic Temple refuses to acknowledge their "shared lineage" with the Church, they are nothing more than "an intentionally misleading and baseless" group. 
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  (#8) The Church Of Satan Is More Straight-Laced Than The Satanic Temple

  Though the Church of Satan began as a kind of faux-religious swingers' party, it's since toned down the rough nature of its existence. Members of the Church no longer meet up and aren't interested in hedonism of any kind. Their FAQ states:

  The Church of Satan’s philosophy is Epicurean, not hedonistic. For us, a balanced and controlled seeking of pleasures is our goal - indulgence, not compulsion, as would be the case under hedonism.

  While the Church condemns a hedonistic lifestyle, the Temple welcomes all lifestyles. According to the Temple's website:

  The Satanic Temple is not interested in establishing itself as the sole arbiter of Satanic practice. Rather, we are open to working with other self-identified Satanic organizations to promote general recognition of Satanic legitimacy.

  While many Satanic organizations seem to revel in superfluous hierarchies while isolating themselves in petty organizational autocracy, the Satanic Temple eschews rigid, centralized authority and focuses its efforts on effecting tangible, constructive change. We believe in building a politically active Satanic movement and invite others to join us in these efforts.

  The Satanic Temple follows seven tenets, two of which are "one’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone," and "the freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own."

  These tenets suggest each person is autonomous and wholly in control of their own body. The Temple does not take a stance on how individuals should live their lives.
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  (#9) The Church Of Satan Has A Hierarchy, But The Satanic Temple Does Not

  One internal difference between the Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple is the former's use of a hierarchy in their ranks. The Church follows a system ranging from a "Registered Member" to a "Magus/Maga," and the only way to move through the ranks involves active participation in the Church. The "administration" suggests members keep them up to date on their accomplishments so "progress may be noted."

  On the other hand, the Satanic Temple doesn't keep a ranking system. While their local chapters and various group leaders exist, they tend to form through local efforts rather than a Temple-wide decree.
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  (#10) The Satanic Temple Is Fine With Being Silly

  While the Church of Satan endeavors to appear serious and deliberate in all aspects of their work, the Satanic Temple spokesperson and co-founder, Lucien Greaves, says his group doesn't share the same sentiment. When asked by Vice whether the Temple was "Satanic" or "satirical," Greaves answered, "Why can't it be both? We are coming from a solid philosophy that we absolutely believe in and adhere to. This is Satanism, and to us, it couldn't be called anything other than Satanism."

  In the Temple, philosophy and free-thought outweighs dogmatics and worship of a higher power, so Greaves's answer makes sense on many levels. It opens the Temple's beliefs to multiple interpretations and says a great deal about how religion in general operates. After all, religion and faith only have as much power as you give them.
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  (#11) The Church Of Satan Is Far Less Active Than The Satanic Temple

  While Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan kept active in the late '60s, LaVey's health began to wane, and the Church slowly left the spotlight. They still exist, but they don't get out there as much as they did in the old days. Instead, the Church has more of an online presence, a place where people with similar beliefs discuss whatever they feel like talking about in a haven of like-minded individuals.

  Lucien Greaves of the Satanic Temple told Vice he thinks the Church has lived past its usefulness in the 21st century. Moreover, he believes if either group fails to "prove ourselves to our membership," they run the risk of becoming a non-entity.

  He continued, "I believe that organizations should be measured for their effect in the real world, and should work to advance the general goals of their membership."
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  (#12) The Satanic Temple Seeks To Add Onto LaVey's History

  While the Satanic Temple thinks the Church of Satan is too settled in their ways, the former uses the teaching of Anton LaVey as a "jumping-off point" for their philosophy, according to Lucien Greaves. He noted how LaVey's teachings worked in the '60s, but now Satanists are in a "position to evaluate what’s working for us, and where we went wrong previously."

  The Church of Satan still holds fast to their original beliefs promoting a dog-eat-dog, man-against-the-world philosophy, but Greaves believes, "We do better when we work in groups, where altruism and compassion are rewarded."

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