Satanists to host ritual in Maryland to honor the "Bladensburg Satanic Peace Cross"

Salem, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/08/2021 -- In response to a Supreme Court decision, The Satanic Temple has designated the 40-foot-tall Bladensburg Peace Cross in Maryland to be a Satanic icon. TST has updated the name of the monument as "The Bladensburg Satanic Peace Cross" and will be hosting a ritual in honor of Satanist veterans at the Bladensburg site on July 10 at 5:00 PM.

In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in American Legion v. American Humanist Association that maintaining the Peace Cross on public land does not violate the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution. Delivering the decision, Justice Alito wrote that "The Bladensburg Cross has come to represent… a place for the community to gather and honor all veterans and their sacrifices for this Nation..."

TST spokesman and co-founder Lucien Greaves notes, "Deciding that the Bladensburg Cross does not just represent Christians, but people of all faiths including Satanists, is a kind of blasphemy that is consistent with Satanism. As a symbol for all veterans, the Cross represents Satanist veterans who we are honoring in our ceremony."

TST has a long tradition of supporting its military members. This has included assisting TST members who want to organize prayer at the US Naval Academy, the appointment of lay leaders to establish a religious ministry in the US military, and the construction of a veterans memorial that was intended to be erected in Minnesota.

While Belle Plaine, MN, has the distinction of being the first city to approve a Satanic monument, consistent with the Supreme Court ruling, Bladensburg, MD, is the first city to actually have a Satanic monument on state property.

Greaves added, "The Satanic Temple will refer to the memorial as the Bladensburg Satanic Peace Cross. We expect the celebration of this Satanic icon will be a recurring event, and we encourage Satanists everywhere to make pilgrimages to Bladensburg. Outside of Salem, MA, we expect Bladensburg will become known internationally as a destination for Satanists."

About The Satanic Temple
The Satanic Temple, subject of the critically-acclaimed documentary, Hail Satan?, and the academic analysis, Speak of the Devil, confronts religious discrimination to secure the separation of church and state and defend the Constitutional rights of its members. In response to Oklahoma and Arkansas placing a Ten Commandments statue on Capitol grounds, TST offered its bronze Baphomet statue to stand alongside the Christian monuments. TST hosts the "After School Satan" club to counter the Evangelical "Good News Clubs" in public schools across the country to promote a plurality of religious viewpoints. The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits for the individual will. For more information about The Satanic Temple, visit https://thesatanictemple.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Shortly after announcing Religious Exemption from Texas Fetal Burial Rule, The Satanic Temple announces exemption from controversial Ohio Fetal Heartbeat Bill

Salem, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/12/2016 -- Last week, both houses of the Ohio Legislature passed a controversial "Fetal Heartbeat Bill" that would ban abortion, without exception for rape and incest, 6 weeks into pregnancy -- often before many women even know that they are pregnant. The Satanic Temple (TST), a non-theistic religious community widely recognized for challenging attacks against Church/State separation, is already claiming exemption from the Bill should it be signed into law by Ohio Governor John Kasich. "To us, the heartbeat is irrelevant to the claim of personhood," TST spokesperson Lucien Greaves explains. "We do not advocate for a belief in the soul, therefore we feel that complex cerebral functions necessary for perception are what makes a person a person. The non-viable fetus (a fetus that cannot survive outside the woman's body) is, we feel, a part of the woman's own body, and it is her choice whether or not she continues the pregnancy."

One of The Satanic Temple's fundamental tenets proclaims the inviolability of one's body. As such, TST affirms that the "Heartbeat Bill" violates the free exercise of the religious beliefs of their Ohio members who might want to terminate pregnancies later than 6 weeks but prior to viability. "Our tenets assert bodily autonomy and uphold Science as the arbiter of claims over what is true, to which we give deference in our decisions. As the Ohio Bill is imposed for no medical purpose and presents no compelling state interest, it is simply a violation of our free exercise, we will fight back against it, and we will very likely prevail" Greaves states.

Recognizing that the increased efforts of theocrats to restrict and ban abortion may lead to more clinic closures and increasingly restrict abortion access in coming years, Greaves ominously hints, "it may be time for a pioneering religious organization to pursue opening clinics that are themselves protected by way of Religious Freedom."

For more information on this issue and other issues affecting The Satanic Temple's efforts to protect the reproductive rights of its members, visit http://www.religiousreproductiverights.com.

About The Satanic Temple
The mission of TST is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, pursue justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will.

For more information about The Satanic Temple, please visit http://www.thesatanictemple.com.

Contact:
media@thesatanictemple.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Temple members will not be subjected to violations of their religious beliefs

Salem, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/05/2016 -- The Satanic Temple (TST), an international religious organization headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, has declared immunity for its members from the Texas rule requiring the cremation or burial of fetal remains that is slated to go into effect on December 19th. One of The Satanic Temple's fundamental tenets is the inviolability of one's body. As such, TST affirms that this rule violates their religious beliefs and their members may refuse to adhere.

"Texas health officials are baldly imposing the view that the fetal tissue is elevated to personhood -- a religious opinion that conflicts with our own. If Texas is going to treat the disposal of fetal tissue differently from the disposal of any other biological material, in contradiction to our own religious beliefs, they need to present a compelling state interest for doing so. Of course, there is no such state interest, and it is obvious to everyone that the demand for fetal tissue burial is a punitive measure imposed by sadistic theocrats." said TST spokesperson, Lucien Greaves. "These officials deem harassment an acceptable form of pushing their misguided religious agendas."

Per a recent article in the Texas Tribune, the new rule will forbid hospitals, abortion clinics and other healthcare facilities of disposing remains in sanitary landfills, allowing for only cremation or burial. Because this mandate impacts burial rites, which are a well-established component of religious practice, and they infringe on TST's tenet of bodily autonomy, TST insists that under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the rule cannot apply to their members. RFRA, a federal law enacted in 1993 designed to protect religious freedom, requires that when a religious practice conflicts with laws of the State, the State must provide a compelling reason for why religious rights should not be honored. "To be clear, members of The Satanic Temple will not be made to pay for these punitive, superfluous, and insulting burials. We claim exemption on Religious Liberty grounds, and we will almost certainly prevail in the courts. It's time that petty sanctimonious panderers like Texas Governor Abbott come to realize that Religious Liberty means freedom from unreasonable government imposition upon religious opinion and practice -- not his own 'freedom' to impose a particular religiously-dictated practice upon those whom he serves."

For more information on this issue and other issues affecting The Satanic Temple's efforts to protect the reproductive rights of its members, visit http://www.religiousreproductiverights.com.

About The Satanic Temple
The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, pursue justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will. For more information about The Satanic Temple, please visit http://www.thesatanictemple.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Satanic Temple will open its doors to the public on September 23rd, 2016 at its Salem, MA headquarters, which also serve as an art gallery/witch-hunt museum

Salem, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/14/2016 -- The Satanic Temple (TST) is announcing the opening of its international headquarters in Salem, MA on September 23rd, 2016. The headquarters resides at 64 Bridge Street in an old Victorian house built in 1882 that was once used as a funeral home. TST headquarters will also house the seven-and-a-half foot tall bronze statue of Baphomet until an offer to donate the statue to Arkansas for display on State Capitol grounds alongside the Ten Commandments is accepted.

According to TST spokesperson Lucien Greaves, "Salem emerged as an obvious choice to be established as the base for our operations. In addition to Salem's history and proximity to the intellectual hub of Boston, the people we have spoken to have been incredible friendly and supportive. Salem is quaint, and quite lovely, and we intend to contribute to the cultural climate while maintaining the community's high standards. The irony that a town which one executed people because of alleged ties to Satan will now be hosting the headquarters of the world's largest satanic organization is not lost on us. The fact that we have a home in Salem is a testament to the progressive mentality of the people there, and the local government's support for plurality."

In addition to displaying the one-and-a-half ton statue of Baphomet, TST will open the property to the public as the Salem Art Gallery - a gallery with a permanent exhibition dedicated to "Satanic Panic" witch-hunts past and present. The space will also host a media room where the organization plans to hold regular lectures, film screenings, educational seminars, and other events.

The TST/Salem Art Gallery opening will feature Baphomet's sculptor, Mark Porter, who will also present limited edition photographs. In addition, Chris P. Andres will be exhibiting his armature sculptures of Baphomet based on Eliphas Levi's design.

About The Satanic Temple
The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will. Civic-minded, The Satanic Temple has been involved in a number of good works including taking a stand against the controversial and extremist Westboro Baptist Church.

For more information about The Satanic Temple, please visit http://www.thesatanictemple.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Liberty Council voices spurious objections to Satanic after-school clubs after years of litigating in favor of religious clubs in schools

Salem, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/03/2016 -- A litigious group masquerading as a so-called "Liberty Council" recently made news when it stated spurious objections to The Satanic Temple's plans to introduce afterschool clubs across the nation. These clubs will only be established at schools where Good News Clubs currently meet. Sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), the Good News Clubs threaten children with eternal suffering if they do not behave in accordance with CEF doctrine. Many people consider this to be a form of child abuse. The Satanic Temple has stated that their After School Satan Clubs (ASSC) will be support the autonomy of every child and be devoid of religious teaching.

The so-called Liberty Council claims that their mission is to advance religious freedom, but the only religion they seek to advance is their own version of Christianity. They have announced that they are offering their legal services to maintain their privileged status by trying to keep ASSC out of schools. This effort flies in the face of the very same Supreme Court ruling that the Liberty Council fought for. In a Washington Post article dated July 30, 2016, Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman, Mat Staver, stated, "[A]fter-school Satanic clubs… have a First Amendment right to meet." By August 02, 2016, Liberty Counsel released a press statement quoting Staver saying, "The so-called Satanist group has nothing good to offer the students and its entire reason for existence is to be disruptive. Schools do not have to tolerate groups which disrupt the school and target other legitimate clubs."

"The argument levied by the Good News Club is insensible and absurd," claims Satanic Temple spokesperson and co-founder Lucien Greaves. "When the Good News Club first tried to insinuate its way into public schools, the reasonable concern was that its presence would be considered disruptive. Justice Scalia rejected this argument stating that speech could not be limited just because somebody objected loudly enough." Despite the fact that many people find the Good News Club's presence to be loathsome and disruptive, the Good News Club was permitted to hold meetings at public schools. "Further," Greaves adds, "Staver has never seen the After School Satan Club curriculum, yet he seems to be commenting upon its content. Staver claims that the After School Satan Clubs only exist to counter the Good News Clubs, and are therefore 'disruptive.' A better argument can be made that Good News Clubs only exist to counter secular education, and are much more disruptive."

Greaves adds, "The hypocrisy of the Liberty Council is so egregious that it should be offensive to even their supporters who genuinely advocate for religious liberty and seek Government viewpoint neutrality. Mat Staver has made a mockery of the Liberty Counsel's claimed mission with his recent disingenuous and unintelligent statements. Claiming the Liberty Counsel fights for religious freedom while offering pro bono services to suppress religions they disapprove of is hypocritical and a bald faced attempt to advance theocracy."

For more information, see the After School Satan Club website: http://www.afterschoolsatan.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Campaign Grants Students Religious Exemption from Being Hit or Placed in Solitary Confinement in School

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/10/2014 -- The Satanic Temple, a religious organization based in New York City, has declared May 15th "Protect Children Day" with the mission of putting an end to corporal punishment and the use of isolation rooms in schools for Temple followers and those who share these beliefs. The Protect Children Project campaign encourages students to register at the project website, as the temple will then notify their respective school boards that their deeply held beliefs oppose physical and psychological abuses, including the use of corporal punishment, physical restraints, and isolation rooms as forms of punishment.

In the latest census, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education reported that over 210,000 students were struck during the course of a single year, with cases of physical restraints numbering over 39,000. In light of such shocking statistics, the Temple hopes that the Protect Children Project will be an effective method of combatting these abuses. In addition to online registration where students can affirm their beliefs and allow for the Temple to place their school board on notice on their behalf, a letter that outlines these beliefs is available for download for students to sign and deliver to their school principal. Parents and volunteers all over America are encouraged to download copies of this letter and physically distribute it to students at their local schools on May 15th.

"One of the fundamental tenets of The Satanic Temple is personal sovereignty and the inviolability of one's body and mind. Hitting a child or placing them in solitary confinement goes entirely against our beliefs," says Lucien Greaves, Temple spokesperson. "The documents we have made available not only provide students with a notice they can give to their principal that explains their beliefs, but also informs schools that if they refuse to acknowledge the deeply held beliefs of students, they would be violating their civil rights. School officials could potentially face criminal charges if they disregard a student's convictions. If students report to us that they have notified their principal of their religious views and they are physically or psychological abused despite that, it is our intention to intervene."

Per the report "A Violent Education," issued in 2008 by the Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union, corporal punishment at school has led to tens of thousands of emergency room visits where some children have even died from their wounds. Studies have also shown a clear correlation between corporal punishment and lower IQ, depression, early heart attacks and a higher propensity for addiction and obesity. It also adversely impacts family relationships. What's more, a report issued by the U.S. Alliance to Stop the Hitting of Children shows that spanking perpetuates child abuse and teaches children it is acceptable for people in positions of authority to resort to violence as a means of getting what they want.

Corporal punishment is practiced in 19 states, but where it is not permitted, many schools place students in solitary confinement sometimes called: "seclusion rooms," "isolation rooms," "decompression rooms," "time-out rooms," or "scream rooms." The prevalence of this form of punishment is dramatically rising even as its use is being markedly reduced in prisons because it is ineffective and inhumane. According to Greaves, this form of punishment is also unacceptable treatment for Temple members. "The physical and psychological abuse of children is completely immoral. It is disturbing that no other religious organization has publicly expressed this sentiment and we sincerely hope our colleagues of other faiths will come forth to protect children from these kinds of violence and support our initiative."

In addition to making a letter available to students and their parents, The Satanic Temple is also providing educational fact sheets on corporal punishment and solitary confinement, a Satanic-themed activity book and FAQs so that students can understand their religious rights in the school setting. "We want children to know that they are permitted to pray to Satan in school and that they can even share their religious beliefs with others in accordance with certain guidelines," Greaves said.

About The Satanic Temple
The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will. Civic-minded, The Satanic Temple has been involved in a number of good works including taking a stand against the controversial and extremist Westboro Baptist Church. For more information about The Satanic Temple, please visit http://www.thesatanictemple.com/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Satanic Temple has submitted plans for a monument featuring a seated Satan, whose lap serves as a chair for visitors to Oklahoma City

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/06/2014 -- Following up on its offer to donate a monument for placement on the Oklahoma City Capitol grounds, The Satanic Temple has formally submitted its Request for Approval of Architectural Modifications application along with an artist's rendering for consideration.

In late November, The Satanic Temple wrote to the Oklahoma City Capitol Preservation Commission expressing their desire to donate a monument "to complement and contrast the Ten Commandments monument that already resides on the North side of Oklahoma City's Capitol Building."

In the application, Satanic Temple spokesperson, Lucien Greaves, explains:

"The monument has been designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma City and beyond. The statue will serve as a beacon calling for compassion and empathy among all living creatures. The statue will also have a functional purpose as a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation."

The proposed monument features a 7 foot tall goat-headed Baphomet that sits cross-legged flanked by a smiling child on both sides. The lap will serve as a seat for visitors.

Inscribed on the front of the statue above an inverted pentagram will be one of the Satanic Temple's fundamental tenets that proclaims: "The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word." The back of the stone slab will display a passage from Lord Byron's dramatic work, Cain that reads:

Then who was the Demon? He
Who would not let ye live, or he who would
Have made ye live forever, in the joy
And power of Knowledge?

Another quote from William Blake states: "Prisons are built with stones of Law, Brothels with bricks of Religion."

According to Lucien Greaves, "Our monument celebrates an unwavering respect for the Constitutional values of religious freedom and free expression. Satanism is a fundamental component at the genesis of American liberty. Medieval witch-hunts taught us to adopt presumption of innocence, secular law, and a more substantive burden of proof. Today, we are rightly offended by the notion of blasphemy laws and divine fiats. Acknowledging wrongful persecutions has helped shape the legal system that preserves the sovereignty of our skeptics, heretics, and the misunderstood. It has shaped a proud culture of tolerance and free inquiry. This is to be a historical marker commemorating the scapegoats, the marginalized, the demonized minority, and the unjustly outcast."

In addition to the statue's spiritual purpose, Greaves also noted: "We trust that this unique monument will also prove a favorite tourist attraction to Oklahoma's Capitol for years to come."

A fundraising campaign on indiegogo has been set up to help pay for the monument.

About The Satanic Temple
The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will. Civic-minded and a believer in universal acceptance, The Satanic Temple has been involved in a number of good works, including taking a stand against the controversial and extremist Westboro Baptist Church. Additionally, the temple has worked to raise funds to participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program so as to keep New York City highways clean and protect the environment. For more information about The Satanic Temple, please visit: www.TheSatanicTemple.org

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Satanists Hope to Resolve Dispute between Oklahoma City and ACLU

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/01/2013 -- The Satanic Temple, an established New York City-based religious organization, has offered to donate a public monument to Oklahoma's Capitol Preservation Commission for display upon Oklahoma City's capitol grounds. Described as an "homage" to Satan, the purpose of the monument is to complement and contrast the Ten Commandments monument that already resides on the North side of the building. The donation offer has been submitted and is currently awaiting the commission's reply.

The Ten Commandments monument, donated to the Capitol Preservation Commission in 2009 by Mike Ritze, a representative of the Oklahoma State Legislature and ordained Southern Baptist Deacon, has raised the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who filed suit in August of 2013, noting that, "the monument stands alone, with no other monuments or memorials in the immediate vicinity." Also of concern to the ACLU is the "self-evidently exclusive" religious message "that supports and endorses the faiths and creeds of some churches and sects." The Satanic Temple believes that in being allowed to place their monument within the proximity of the Ten Commandments monument, they can appease the ACLU's concerns.

According to the temple's spokesperson, Lucien Greaves, "by accepting our offer, the good people of Oklahoma City will have the opportunity to show that they espouse the basic freedoms spelled out in the Constitution. We imagine that the ACLU would also embrace such a response. Allowing us to donate a monument would show that the Oklahoma City Council does not discriminate, and both the religious and non-religious should be happy with such an outcome. Our mission is to bring people together by finding common sentiments that create solutions that everyone can appreciate and enjoy."

In addition to conveying the message they hope to bring with the monument installation, The Satanic Temple is keenly attune to the need for a public-friendly design and seeks out resident ideas in order to encourage acceptance from the public and render the monument an object of play. If permission is granted by Oklahoma's Capitol Preservation Commission, the temple will allow for submissions from the public and likely have people vote on which design they like best.

About The Satanic Temple
The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will. Civic-minded and a believer in universal acceptance, The Satanic Temple has been involved in a number of good works, including taking a stand against the controversial and extremist Westboro Baptist Church. Additionally, the temple has worked to raise funds to participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program so as to keep New York City highways clean and protect the environment. For more information about The Satanic Temple, please visit www.TheSatanicTemple.org

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Satanic Temple Performs Same-Sex Union Celebrating “Pink Mass” at Grave Site of Westboro Baptist Church Founder’s Mother

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/18/2013 -- This past Sunday, July 14, top officials from the New York-based Satanic Temple traveled to the Meridian, Mississippi gravesite of the mother of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps in order to stage a formal ceremony celebrating same-sex unions. Photos of the ceremony are publicly available on the new Satanic Temple-operated website, http://www.westboro-baptists.com, where The Satanic Temple encourages other same-sex couples to submit their own photos from similar pilgrimages to the cemetery.

Satanic Temple spokesperson Lucien Greaves officiated the ceremony while two same-sex couples celebrated their homosexuality at the gravesite.

The Satanic Temple supports freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all people, thus they support same-sex couples' legal equality. The Satanic Temple claims that the mass was conducted as an affirmation of those values, and claims that the action is meant to convey a message of love in the face of hate.

The Westboro Baptists, famed for their "God Hates Fags" anti-homosexual activism, raised the ire of the Satanic Temple months previous. "The idea for the Pink Mass ceremony and website came during the aftermath of the tragic Boston Marathon bombings, during which time the WBC were threatening to protest the funerals of the bombing victims," explains Greaves. "Members of The Satanic Temple were in Boston, waiting for them, but they failed to show. Later, the WBC issued a statement that they had been present 'in spirit'. We decided that a same-sex couple celebrating ceremony at the gravesite of Fred Phelps's mother was an appropriate way to meet the Westboro Baptists, 'in spirit', but this time on our terms."

Explaining the ceremony itself, Greaves continues, "The Satanic Temple now believes that Fred Phelps must believe that his mother is now gay, in the afterlife, due to our Pink Mass... And nobody can challenge our right to our beliefs."

This revelation of The Satanic Temple's graveyard ritual comes fast on the tail of the Westboro Baptist Church's announcement that they intend to picket the death of 31 year-old "Glee" actor, Cory Monteith.

The Satanic Temple is hoping their recent action will draw attention to the organization's efforts to raise funds so that they may participate in the New York City Department of Transportation's Adopt-a-Highway program. More information on the campaign can be found at: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-satanic-temple-adopt-a-highway-campaign?c=home

About The Satanic Temple
The Satanic Temple, (http://www.thesatanictemple.com), based in New York, is the leading active Satanic religious organization in the United States. Our mission is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm