A religious organization advocating for individualism, secularism, and egoism, founded by Anton LaVey.
Religion: Satanism
Denomination: Church of Satan
Founder: Anton Szandor LaVey
Founded: 1966
Location: Worldwide
Other Names: LaVeyan Satanism
Website: churchofsatan.com
Founded on Walpurgisnacht, April 30, 1966, by Anton Szandor LaVey in San Francisco, the Church of Satan heralded itself as the first organized church in modern times to be devoted to the figure of Satan. Unlike traditional notions of Satan worship, members of the Church of Satan do not believe in a literal Satan, nor do they worship any deity. Instead, Satan is seen as a symbol representing pride, carnality, enlightenment, and the embodiment of human nature’s truest desires, challenging the repressive doctrines of Abrahamic religions.
Anton LaVey infused the church’s teachings with elements drawn from his varied background, including carnival work and a keen interest in occultism and ritual magic. LaVey’s vision was to create a platform that promoted individualism, self-assertion, and skepticism towards the supernatural, thereby crafting a philosophy that combines elements of Ayn Rand’s objectivism with ritualistic practices to celebrate the self. The Satanic Bible, published in 1969, is the most notable of LaVey’s writings, laying down the foundational beliefs and practices of the church, including the concept of the self as the true ‘god’ and the use of psychodramatic rituals to enhance individual empowerment.
The Church of Satan asserts that its form of Satanism is the only legitimate kind, strongly opposing theistic Satanism, which it views as a misinterpretation of its philosophy. LaVey’s teachings explicitly reject the existence of supernatural beings and advocate for a materialist worldview, where magic is understood as a form of psychological manipulation and self-fulfillment rather than supernatural practice.
Throughout its history, the Church of Satan has attracted attention and controversy, partly due to its provocative name and partly due to its unorthodox practices, such as the performance of a Satanic wedding and the Satanic baptism of LaVey’s daughter. Despite its countercultural stance and often sensational media portrayal, the church espouses values such as responsibility to the responsible and the pursuit of personal excellence over egalitarianism. Following LaVey’s death in 1997, Peter H. Gilmore was appointed the church’s high priest, and the headquarters were moved to Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan.
image via Axios
