Scott Hogenson: Satanism and the American Left

What’s up with all the Satan stuff these days? The news is regularly filled with stories about Satan clubs after school. New Mexico is home to Satanists who are trying to raise money for abortions. A Satan-themed song and dance routine were featured on the Grammy Awards. Joe Biden’s “Dark Brandon” speech. I can’t recall such a rapid-fire assault from this societal fringe.

It’s easy to reflexively react to this as the latest promotion of evil, which it is. It’s easy to dismiss this as preposterous, which it also is. These observations are a reminder that Satanism is just another false ideology. 

Satanism isn’t monolithic, but it’s instructive to examine some of the more prominent sects to better understand what they’re up to. I would ordinarily add hyperlinks to a lot of the information below but I’m not entirely comfortable doing that for this column so I beg your trust in my cutting, pasting, and transcription skills. 

The Satanic Temple at Salem, Massachusetts does not believe that Satan exists. The Church of Satan also does not believe that Satan is a person or a being. This structure is analogous to me saying I’m a Wolfmanist; I don’t believe in the existence of the Wolfman, just Wolfman-y ideas. 

These groups are, in essence, mirrors that reflect what others think and feel about Satan. However they don’t actually believe in him. The Temple is fluid about what they believe. “our beliefs must be malleable.” Concerning the Church of Satan, it asserts that “each individual is his or her own god—there is no room for any other god and that includes Satan.”

It reminds me of comedian Flip Wilson’s ‘Church of What’What’s happening now’ sketches from the 1970s, which skewered phony churches, and expertly so. Flip Wilson was a funny man.

But there’s something else we need to understand about these Satanists: the political implications of what they do. There’s no ambiguity in the Temple’s belief in “building a politically active Satanic movement.” The Church of Satan is more cautious, exhorting its followers to “support political candidates and movements whose goals reflect their own practical needs and desires.”

What could this political activity look and feel like? Some of it is revealed in the Temple’s fundraising come-ons to subsidize abortionists in New Mexico. It suggests that people vote for politicians who will help to accelerate the pursuit of America’s 330 million individual gods. 

Other political inclinations are seen in the Satanic Temple’s upcoming SatanCon event in April which demands “proof of COVID vaccination,” Further, it is stated that “attendees must wear an N-95, KN-95, or disposable surgical mask.” These COVID mandates clearly contradict the Temple’s claim to “protect the bodily autonomy of our members,” This is the predicate of its fundraising pitches for abortion. 

For an ideology whose beliefs and values are flexible, contradictions don’t matter. In this respect, there’s a lot of connective tissue between these Satanists and America’s modern authoritarian Left. 

The Left was vocal about this not too long ago. Whales can be saved. Today, they couldn’t care less about whales dying You will find offshore windmill development in large numbers. 

The Left was opposed to the Genital mutilation They are a group of girls. They are today a majority of girls. Advocate and Facilitate it. 

The Left used demonstrations for Freedom of speech. Today they show that Restrict speech.

The Left was once anti-war. They demand that we be there today support war In eastern Europe 

The Left used protest against Big Business. They bow before it today, seeking Money from billionaires. 

The Left used to say Homosexuality was inborn. They say today, Sexuality is fluid. 

The Left used to oppose racial segregation. They are agitating for today’s elections Separation between the races.

Beyonce used say that she supported LGBTQ rights. Today, she makes a decent living. $26 Million an Hour For a concert in Dubai Gay people are a crime.

This is what you get from the flexible beliefs of Satanists or the American Left. I’m not saying the Left is necessarily Satanic but the tactics of the two ideologies are well aligned. If there is no fundamental belief, belief can shift according to the cultural whims. This allows for the propagandization and agitation necessary to exert control over people. And it doesn’t end well. 

People are driven to find meaning in their lives, and most people do this through a belief system. People who are misguided find meaning in Leftism or Satanism, secular humanism, or other ill-conceived ideologies. These people believe these ideologies have merit, but they are falsely led to believe that they are hollow and even worse. 

I hope these lost souls will find something that is based on truth, absolutes, and a heliocentric view of the world. These attributes are absent in many ideologies. They might consider the words and ideas of a man globally acknowledged by Hindus Buddhists Muslims Jews Christians, Muslims, Hindus and other religions. He said it 2,000 years back. “Know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” It may be worth trying.