This is something I find confusing. I’m under the impression that most atheist (myself included) are not satanist, but I can’t find any real statistics. Still, it seems many religious people equate atheist with satanist. The actual horror some people have displayed upon finding out I’m an atheist seems mostly rooted in this belief. Maybe atheistic satanist seem more prevalent to people because they’re more organized and in the news than atheist in general? The satanic temple claims to be atheistic. It appears to be mostly about gleefully trolling christians and the power that being legally considered a church can give them. Does anyone know if thinking that atheist are all satanist is mainly a U.S. phenomenon? Has the category of atheistic satanist ever been considered in the profile? It would be interesting to see how many there actually are.
That is basically it. They often wait until someone starts offering special privileges to religions, line up to get them with all the other churches; then laugh when the program is cancelled because they don’t want Satanists to use it; or they exclude the Satanists, and then the Satanists sue their pants off for religious discrimination.
Hi, Kellii,
It’s been my experience that is the case because many religious folks think atheism is evil. To not be of their flavor of religion is evil. Evil is satan. Ergo, evil folks must be in league with the devil. To be in league with the devils to be satanist.
In the US they had a huge Satan Scare back in the 70’s-80s Led Zeplin Stairway to Heaven “My Sweet Satan’s blew up and then Motley Crew, Ozzy, carried the Satanic torch,
" Most people associate the Satanic Panic with so-called Satahnic Ritual Abuse a rash of false allegations made against day care centers in the ’80s, and with the case of the West Memphis Three in the ’90s, in which three teenagers whose wrongful conviction on homicide charges was based on little more than suspicion over their goth lifestyles.” We basically went non-religious crazy. In 1972 you have Billy Gram and Madalyn Murray O’Hair went to war. The atheist movement had begun. I think the music and the culture were a reflection of our ‘Waking up to the Fraud of religion.’ Atheism was tied to Satanism and a rebellion agains religion.
I was a counselor at the time and remember all the police experts coming out to give us presentations and warnings against Satanism. It was in our music, on TV, in the labels on our clothing, and more. This is the time we were playing Led Zeplin Backwards to hear the satanic messages. Looking at our kids being influenced by Satan. This was so prevelent in the culture we students got lectures warning them away from Satanic music in the schools. And I was NOT in the Bible Belt at the time. Southern California. Satan was real and the message of the Church was sthat if you listened to the music you would burn in hell. Madalyn Murray O’Hair Talks Atheism, on Johnny Carson, 1972
And yet they use the religious symbols of christianity - the goat, the reversed pentagram and everything that christians believe in. Which is why I haven’t joined the satanic temple’s chaper here in my country. AFAIK there was such a thing here at some point, but it’s quite possible that they have left the country.
Anyway, here are two images from their website (I put them together for easier upload) - the first is their logo, the second image appears if you click “learn more”. Atheists don’t use goats and reversed pentagrams, so no, they’re not true atheists.
How do you figure? Iconography is just art, why can’t it have no meaning at all? If you don’t believe gods exist, their iconography then should hold no meaning to you. Owning them or wearing them isn’t indicative of any actual belief.
If a Christian gets a cross tattoo can they never become an atheist?
It doesn’t mean anything to me, yes. But the fact that they use all the stuff christians believe in and they even have rituals - that suggests they’re just another imaginary friend’s religion, not true atheists. We atheists don’t have rituals and we use the atheist symbol which originates from atoms, not from another fictitious character of the bullshit book.
Just look at them: it’s as if I’m looking at a new version of KKK, just with changed named and changed color of the robes.
It’s so pathetically obvious what organization they are…
This is my comment under their video:
" It’s funny how you claim to be nontheistic (which is basically the same as atheistic) and yet you use all of the symbols that christians believe in - the goat, the pentagram, the reversed cross embedded in one of the images on your website, you even have rituals… True atheists don’t use these symbols because we don’t believe in that creature either and we definitely don’t have rituals! Seriously, it’s as if I’m looking at KKK, only with a changed name and color of the robes, and we all know what KKK was. And I don’t see any black hands and necks on your video, which raises some interesting questions about who can join your religion…
It seems that weak-minded Americans long to be ruled and if the main imaginary friend doesn’t provide, they turn to the other imaginary friend. Not that he’ll provide either. 
"
Hey if that’s your take on it, you do you. I’m a TST member and most certainly don’t believe in fairy tales. I’ve never met or talked to a member who believes in any kind of supernatural crap. If other members want to mock Christianity with a black mass ceremony and male strippers, have fun. I donate to fighting for abortion rights and championing religious pluralism.
If they had this as their logo and as a monument inside their facility, I would have believed them that they’re atheists.
But wit the goat and the rest of the fairy tales symbols - not a chance. To me this is just another sect disguised as atheists which in time will become a religion that will require the mandatory 10% and will want from its members to worship a certain guy as a messiah and who is supposedly communicating with Lucifer Morningstar. 
Believe whatever you want, as I said you do you.
@Valso You are communicating directly with a member of TST. I suggest you place your interpretation of symbols second to what you should be listening to.
Do you mean this?
Uh, here’s the deal. Just like any other “ism”, there are typically multiple variations within. Satanism is no exception. YES, there are those out there (individuals and groups) who call themselves Satanists, and they truly believe in Satan and worship Satan just like Christians believe in and worship God. But, like a couple of others have already said, THE Satanic Temple and the members thereof, DO NOT believe in, nor do they worship, Satan. Read the Satanic Bible. And the reason the Temple and its members use all the Christian imagery and icons is basically just to fuck with the Christians. And, as already mentioned, the Temple registers as a “religion” so that they can use that advantage and beat Christians at their own game.
I actually know a couple of Satanists personally, and they don’t believe in Satan or God any more than any of us here. Pretty good folks, in my opinion.
That may be so, but if I were you, I wouldn’t let my guard down around people who call themselves satanists and not atheists.
A question, if I may. How much experience or knowledge do you have regarding Satanists? And, would you please explain why I should “keep my guard up” around anybody who claims to be a Satanist?
For what it’s worth, my guard is ALWAYS UP whenever I meet new people. However, it is NOT because of whatever beliefs they may or may not hold, or for whatever religion they might practice. I’m simply a naturally cautious and untrusting Mo-Fo around strangers. But somebody telling me they are a Satanist (or Christian, or Muslim, or whatever) does not affect my level of caution. Why should it? If anything, I would become curious and want to have a chat with them.
True story…
My stepson (in his early thirties) lives in Texas near his dad and two half-sisters. Thankfully, my stepson is not religious, and he thinks it is all a bunch of nonsense. However, pretty much all the family on his dad’s side are highly religious Christians. Luckily for him, they all live out of state and rarely visit. As such, he is able to tolerate them during the limited time he spends with them. (Plus, he is a good guy, so he reins in his natural sarcasm and smart-ass mouth to avoid unnecessary conflicts with them.)
Well, during his weekly phone call to my wife, he was telling her how some of those kinfolk had recently visited his dad. And, while he was there making his obligatory appearance, a discussion with one of his cousins naturally turned to religion. (Because they simply can’t help themselves. 
) Long story short, one of them (for some odd reason) asked about me and what I believe. My stepson told them, “Well, he’s an atheist.” At which point his aunt stated very matter-of-factly, “Oh, so he’s a Satanist.” Puzzled by her remark, my stepson replied, “Uh, no. He doesn’t believe in Satan, or God, or any of the other bible stuff. Why would you say he’s a Satanist?” And his aunt said something to the effect of, “Well, if he doesn’t believe in God, then he must worship Satan.”
He told my wife he had to fight the urge to laugh in her face and “educate” her. As it was, he knew it would have no effect on their ignorance. So he bit his tongue and basically brushed it off and changed the subject. As I have said many times, “You can lead a dolt to knowledge, but you cannot make them think.”
“We atheists…”??? Dafuq? Are you the spokesperson for atheists? Please don’t speak for me.
No true atheist fallacy. All that qualifies one as an atheist is not believing in a god or gods. The fact that you may go to an atheist church (which I fucking hate) or TST has nothing to do with atheism. Buddhists and taoists, for the most part, can be heaped on that pile. These can all be atheistic belief systems. Atheism does not say anything about what a person believes. Atheism is a rejection of God claims.
The use of known atheist symbolism could make it difficult to claim the rights and privileges of a church in the U.S. By using religious imagery that christians know and are opposed to it can slow them down in trying to impose things like the ten commandments in public places if the other “religion” must be represented too. Christians are very powerful in the U.S. and atheist have lost ground in trying to keep it out of our lives and laws.