NEW RELEASES

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL

Academic Book about The Satanic Temple Released

Joseph P. Laycock’s highly anticipated Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion (Oxford University Press) was released on January 20, 2020. This is the first time a full-length study on The Satanic Temple has been conducted and released as an academic work. Its data was drawn from interviews with over fifty TST members, as well as other cohorts and critics.

From the description:

“Speak of the Devil is the first book-length study of The Satanic Temple. Joseph Laycock, a scholar of new religious movements, contends that the emergence of "political Satanism" marks a significant moment in American religious history that will have a lasting impact on how Americans frame debates about religious freedom. Though the group gained attention for its strategic deployment of outrage, it claims to have developed beyond politics into a genuine religious movement. Equal parts history and ethnography, Speak of the Devil is Laycock's attempt to take seriously The Satanic Temple's work to redefine religion, the nature of pluralism and religious tolerance, and what "religious freedom" means in America.”

Read more about Speak of the Devil in an interview Joseph Laycock recently did with Sacred Matters Magazine.

You can order your copy at the TST Shop: Speak of the Devil

Satanic Planet. Photo by Becky Diglio.

SATANIC PLANET

Releases Premiere Song and Video, "999"

Revolver Magazine premiered the video for "999", which is the first song released from Lucien Greaves’s music project, Satanic Planet. In addition to Greaves, the band features Justin Pearson (of Dead Cross and The Locust) and producer Luke Henshaw. Greaves notes that the track is the first in “an array of sci-fi sermons that range from doom and industrial to evil exotica." He describes "999" as the ominous rolling thunder on the blackened horizon harkening the coming apocalyptic storm of anti-theocratic revolution and a new Satanic era soundtracked by Satanic Planet."

LAWSUIT UPDATES

TST legal team in Scottsdale, AZ via Lucien Greaves.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA RULING

The Battle will Continue

A Victory and an Appeal

TST has been fighting for the right to deliver an invocation at a Scottsdale, Arizona city council meeting. This opportunity has been afforded to other religious organizations. While rejecting Scottsdale city officials’ claim that The Satanic Temple is not a “real” religion, a US District Judge ruled that religious discrimination was not the reason for their invocation being denied, in spite of blatant evidence showing otherwise.

In the latest development of a four-year-long legal battle that has cost taxpayers from the city of Scottsdale an excess of $170k, a US District judge ruled that despite a slew of discriminatory commentary publicly documented against The Satanic Temple by Scottsdale city officials, there was no means to prove that their refusal to allow a Satanic invocation was based in religious discrimination.

While disappointing, and divorced from reality, the court did reject Scottsdale’s argument that The Satanic Temple is not a “real religion”. While the ruling on discrimination is problematic, this component is a significant victory for TST. With this fact established, TST will be filing an appeal to address the evident discrimination.

TST attorney, Stu de Haan, had this to say about the outcome:

“Though disappointing, this ruling hinged on a factual issue rather than a legal failure on the part of The Satanic Temple. The Court rejected the City’s claims that we are an illegitimate religion and that we failed to show that we had legal standing to sue. Instead, the Court accepted the City’s claim that this decision was purely administrative and not made at the request or by the influence of the City Council and Mayor.

Despite evidence showing the brazen and outward disdain and assertions that this minority religion would not be given a rightful place at the table because of their religion, the Court found that there was not sufficient evidence to tie this to the ultimate decision. Of course, we very much disagree. We will discuss whether or not to bring this dispute to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals moving forward. This ruling will in no way impact other ongoing litigation as these situations tend to be very fact-specific.”

AP Photo/Jill Zeman Bleed

ARKANSAS TRIAL SET

For Lawsuit over Ten Commandments

The Satanic Temple has sued the state of Arkansas over the installation of a Ten Commandments statue on capitol grounds. TST argues that the state is violating the First Amendment by privileging one religion over others and has requested that TST be allowed to install its Baphomet statue alongside the Ten Commandments.

A trial has been set for July 13th in Little Rock, AK for The Satanic Temple to argue for the installation of the Baphomet statue. Two other Plaintiffs also contend that the Ten Commandments monument is Unconstitutional, but they argue that it should be removed. This ongoing battle was addressed in the movie Hail Satan? that was released last year. 

OTHER NEWS

In related Arkansas news, a Twitter poll posted by a Christian Lawmaker group (headed by none other than Arkansas Senator, Jason Rapert) has become a rather hot topic. The unscientific poll asks, "Do you believe America would be better off if more Christians served in elected office?" Of the 101K respondents, 90% responded, "no", much to the dismay of those hosting the poll. Additional coverage can be found on Huffington Post or Daily Dot.