Theistic Satanism
[2][3][4] Organizations who uphold theistic Satanist beliefs most often have few adherents, are loosely affiliated or constitute themselves as independent groups and cabals, which have largely self-marginalized.
[2][4][7] Since the first half of the 1990s, the internet has increased the interaction, visibility, communication, and spread of different currents and beliefs among self-identified Satanists and has led to the propagation of more conflicting and diverse groups,[10] but Satanism has always been a heterogeneous, pluralistic, decentralized religious movement and "cultic milieu".
[4] According to the survey, the statistically-average demographic and ideological profile of a Satanist is an unmarried White male raised as a Christian who began to explore other religions during his teenage years, upholds non-theistic humanism and practices magic.
[22] The first recognized esoteric, non-LaVeyan Satanist organization was the Ophite Cultus Satanas,[23][24] which claimed to have been founded in 1948 by Herbert Arthur Sloane and therefore to allegedly precede the foundation of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan.
[25] The doctrine of the Temple of Set, an occult initiatory order founded in 1975 by Michael Aquino as a splinter group from LaVey's Church of Satan, heavily relies on the writings of Aleister Crowley with elements borrowed from ceremonial magic, the left-hand path, Western esotericism, and mysticism.
[3] Religion scholar Kennet Granholm regards the Temple of Set as an occult organization that should not be labelled "Satanist" anymore, since it has cut all ties with the Satanic milieu and today entirely belongs to the left-hand path tradition.
[27] Joy of Satan Ministries (JoS), founded in the early 2000s by Maxine Dietrich (pseudonym of Andrea Herrington),[17][28] wife of the American National Socialist Movement's co-founder and former leader Clifford Herrington,[17][29][30] combines theistic Satanism with Neo-Nazism, racial anti-Semitism, anti-Judaic, anti-Christian sentiment and Gnostic Paganism, as well as Nordic aliens, UFO conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
[29] According to Introvigne (2016), "its ideas on extraterrestrials, meditation, and telepathic contacts with demons became, however, popular in a larger milieu of non-LaVeyan "spiritual" or "theistic" Satanism".
[34] The Order of Nine Angles identify as theistic Satanists, practicing "traditional Satanism",[2] but observers have found a number of different occult and political beliefs.
[33] The Order of Nine Angles believe that the seven planets and their satellites are connected to the "Dark Gods", while Satan is considered to be one of two "actual entities", the other one being Baphomet, with the former conceived as male and the latter as female.
[35] Since the 2010s, the political ideology and religious worldview of the Order of Nine Angles have increasingly influenced militant neo-fascist and Neo-Nazi insurgent groups associated with right-wing extremist and White supremacist international networks,[36] most notably the Iron March forum.
[38] In 2015, Ford announced that the Order of Phosphorus would be integrated into the Greater Church of Lucifer, which welcomes both theistic and rationalistic Satanists, as well as Neo-Pagans and various followers of diverse occult spiritualities.
Pekka Siitoin founded the satanist group called the Turku Society for the Spiritual Sciences (Turun Hengentieteen Seura) on September 1, 1971.
[48][49] Their doctrine is largely based on the writings of H. P. Lovecraft mixed with elements of Central Asian folklore and the advocacy of social welfare;[49] the group became notable mainly for their online activism and usage of communist symbols merged with Satanist ones.
[49] The religious practices of the Satanic Reds comprise occult rituals and a form of baptism, and the organization advocates a "renewed New Deal", a moderate social program of reforms inspired by Franklin D.
Other groups such as the 600 Club,[55] are accepting of all types of Satanists, as are the Synagogue of Satan, which aims for the ultimate destruction of all religions, paradoxically including itself, and encourages not self-indulgence but self-expression balanced by social responsibility.
This is due to the Satanists' idea of Satan, who is seen to encourage individuality and freedom of thought, and the quest to raise one's self up despite resistance, through means such as magic and initiative.
From a theistic Satanist perspective, the Abrahamic religions (chiefly Christianity) do not define "good" or "evil" in terms of benefit or harm to humanity, but rather on the submission to or rebellion against God.
[50] The TotBL rejects Christianity, Judaism, and Islam as "the opposite of everything that strengthens the spirit, and is only good for killing what little that is beautiful, noble, and honorable in this filthy world".
[73] The most notorious cases were those of two German Inquisitors and Dominican priests under the patronage of Pope Innocent VIII: Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, authors of the Malleus Maleficarum (1486),[2] in the Holy Roman Empire,[73] along with the Salem witch trials that occurred during the 17th-century Puritan colonization of North America.
[73][76] It is not known to what extent accusations of groups worshiping Satan in the time of the witch trials identified people who did consider themselves Satanists, rather than being the result of religious superstition or mass hysteria, or charges made against individuals suffering from mental illness.
[82] In the 1700s, various kinds of popular "Satanic" literature began to be produced in France, including some well-known grimoires with instructions for making a pact with the Devil.
[84] Nineteenth century occultist Éliphas Lévi published his well-known drawing of the Baphomet in 1855, which notably continues to influence Satanists today.
[105] The American serial killer Richard Ramirez claimed that he was a (theistic) Satanist; during his 1980s killing spree he left an inverted pentagram at the scene of each murder and at his trial called out "Hail Satan!
[2][73][109][110] Allegations included the existence of a worldwide Satanic conspiracy formed by large networks of organized Satanists involved in criminal activities such as murder, child pornography, sexual exploitation of children, and human trafficking for prostitution.
[109] One case took place in Jordan, Minnesota, in which children made allegations of the manufacture of child pornography, ritualistic animal sacrifice, coprophagia, urophagia, and infanticide, at which point the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was alerted.
[111] These notorious cases were launched after children were repeatedly and coercively interrogated by social workers, resulting in false allegations of child sexual abuse.
[109] However, the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect conducted a study led by University of California psychologist Gail Goodman did find "convincing evidence of lone perpetrators or couples who say they are involved with Satan or use the claim to intimidate victims.
"[112] One such case Goodman studied involved "grandparents [who] had black robes, candles, and Christ on an inverted crucifix--and the children had chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, in their throats", according to the report by a district attorney.
"[113] An investigation by the BBC found that members of this Satanic cult "seek out vulnerable young girls on social media, often in communities dedicated to self-harm or mental health.
