That Which Can Be Destroyed by the Truth Should Never be Spared Its Demise:
Tags: Enlightenment, Satanism, Religious Freedom, Misinformation, The Satanic Temple

“Hail Satan?” Magnolia Pictures (2019)

That Which Can Be Destroyed by the Truth Should Never be Spared Its Demise: Viceovervirtue Aug 10·20 min read

Part I: Is TST Secretly a Sinister Alt-Right Group Luring People Under a Pretense of Progressivism?

**Disclaimer: I am NOT speaking ON BEHALF OF The Satanic Temple nor am I an authorized representative of TST**

Reasons Why I Sometimes Argue With Internet Trolls and Blind Haters Before I launch into this lengthy and detailed explanation, let me be crystal clear: I do not believe The Satanic Temple is above scrutiny. I do not believe that leaders within the Satanic Temple are deities who can do no wrong. I believe that, like all people, they are fallible. They have made and will continue to make mistakes in the future; as will we all (myself included). I am not perfect, nor am I claiming to be. In this piece, I offer my own personal perspective and understanding on each of the most common accusations lodged against the Satanic Temple along with examples of the type of encounters one can expect to experience if you happen to be an opinionated woman who dares to correct (with facts and screenshots,) or even to request proof of the fabricated tales this particular group of sour and pathetic individuals chooses to spin online. Here goes…

To Ignore or Destroy, that is the Question

Allow me to set the stage for those who may be unfamiliar: there is one story (identical story; interchangeable characters) which occurs every few months or so. The ending is hackneyed and nauseatingly predictable; which results in an ever-growing roster of anti-TST sociopathic grifters.

Step one: An individual becomes involved in TST due to aligned values claiming that it is their wish to altruistically benefit the organization. All the while, they seek self-aggrandizement and personal acclaim.

Step two: Individual becomes indignantly offended when TST fails to become their own cult of personality.

Step three: Individual dramatically exits;

Step four: Individual accuses TST of BEING a cult.*

*this is often accompanied by a Medium article, blog post, video or some combination of these outlets platforming their cries for attention and persecution delusions.

Now, these folks claim that they’re just sharing their own personal experiences (their “truths”) and that they wish to protect others from suffering a similar fate to their own. Some even proclaim that they narrowly “escaped a cult” when referencing their decision to leave TST. Many seem to share similar delusions of persecution which I would speculate is merely a coping mechanism deployed to shield their narcissistic egos. I am not, however, a doctor or psychologist.

A predictable cycle ensues whenever somebody calls out their hypocrisy, showcases their inconsistencies, and/or proves that they’re lying about a particular issue. Immediately after they realize someone has debunked one of their claims, they hurl a new (and often completely unrelated) allegation….as if that will change the fact that they just lied.

These folks will say anything to fit their predetermined “TST Bad” narrative and never admit to their willful deception and slander. After they’ve deployed two or three accusations or half-truths, their last resort is inevitably to decry: “wElL tHiS oNe TiMe MaLcOlM oR lUcIeN sAiD…”

Co-founder, Malcom Jarry, is not TST. Co-founder, Lucien Greaves, is NOT TST. Malcolm and Lucien are both human. Malcolm and Lucien are both fallible. However, Malcolm and Lucien are wonderful people who have sacrificed many of their personal freedoms and virtually all of their safety to fight for causes they truly believe in. Personally, I find that admirable and it is more than can be said of any of these self-righteous keyboard warriors who will do anything to create a public problem with one of TST’s cofounders (even when it means completely fabricating stories and contorting every single TST-related interaction they’ve ever experienced into something sinister) in the hopes of gaining a few more social media followers.

However, when I defend TST’s reputation from slanderous falsehoods or offer my own opinion on something a cofounder may or may not have even said, I am automatically labeled a “cultist” or a “groupie” because apparently disagreeing with the “TST bad” doctrine is equivalent to drinking Jonestown flavor aid.

This article will no doubt have many people saying the same thing and labeling me a “TST apologist”. If that is your opinion after reading my rationalizations for why each of the following claims deserve to be confronted and how to do so, so be it. Nonetheless, I encourage you to think critically about each of these instances, the demonstrated motives and contradictory behaviors deployed by those peddling these claims as well as the potentially negative consequences of misinformation and propaganda.

I am a Satanist, damnit. As such, I don’t see pride as a “sin”. I am proud of my religious identity, and I willingly choose to volunteer my time to TST because the tenets resonate with me and I enjoy participating in TST-related causes, campaigns, and projects. TST and the community of Satanists within have helped me become a better version of myself; as such, I take it personally when I witness opportunistic, lying, self-serving, bottom feeders behaving in such a dishonest manner and going on active campaigns built on foundations of lies against something that means so much to me. Below is PART I of an ongoing series of pieces I will be releasing to counteract this dangerous misinformation.

SPECIAL THANKS AND SHOUTOUT TO KAELEAKAE FOR HELPING ME TURN MY ANGRY MUSINGS INTO SOMETHING COHERENT, FOR BEING A WONDERFUL AND INSIGHTFUL EDITOR, SHARING HER IDEAS, AND BEING A BEAUTIFUL PERSON INSIDE AND OUT. I LOVE YOU. ❤

“Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect: like a man, who hath thought of a good repartee when the discourse is changed, or the company parted; or like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead.

― Jonathan Swift

Part I:

Accusation: TST is Secretly a Sinister Alt-Right Group Luring People Under a Pretense of Progressivism

This one in particular is baffling to me. Shall we count the reasons? Of course, when we’re finished addressing each point in the conspiratorial arsenal, someone will likely proclaim: “where there’s smoke there must be fire!” If you engage in willful confirmation bias toward an organization as large and as active as TST, you can easily create the appearance of a lot of smoke. Still, some assert that the sheer number of idiotic accusations and logical fallacies presented must equate to “truth”. If that is your line of thinking and what you’re inclined to believe, I must ask: have you checked the basement of Comet Ping Pong for a child sex-trafficking ring? Those emails, man.

Working with Randazza = Supporting Nazis?

First off, “taking offense” is neither a valid nor productive form of activism. Nonetheless, there was a mass exodus from TST over the decision to accept pro-bono legal representation for one of TST’s court cases pertaining to the First Amendment from a competent and nationally renowned First Amendment Lawyer, Marc Randazza. Randazza is a controversial figure because he’s a First Amendment lawyer who has had far right clients as well as far left clients, though the outrage brigade entirely ignores the left-wing clients he’s represented. Accepting someone’s professional services is no more an endorsement of said professional’s personal views than it is a prerequisite for an attorney to agree with their client’s personal views prior to defending them.

What prompted the situation in which TST accepted Randazza’s pro bono legal support?

A Twitter user threatened to burn down the Satanic Temple’s headquarters and was subsequently retweeted by celebrity and former child-actor Corey Feldman (along with commentary stating he was crying after watching a video of a woman who claims to have been sexually abused by a Satanic cult). Feldman had no small number of followers on twitter and his tweet implied that The Satanic Temple is a cult who sexually abuses people. This retweeted call for violence was shared with Feldman’s significant twitter following.

TST’s spokesperson reported the tweet for being a violation of Twitter’s Terms of Service (which explicitly prohibit the targeting of religious groups and bars calls for violence against both groups and individuals) however, the response he received stated, after review, Twitter had decided the tweet did not violate their ToS. Oftentimes, social media moderators are underpaid and lack the ability to interpret and apply basic policies without being influenced by their own personal biases. Being all too familiar with the type of religious zeal that motivates religious extremists to commit violent atrocities, TST’s spokesperson recognized the potential consequences of a violent call to action (to burn down TST’s physical headquarters) being shared with a wide-audience. As such, he shared Feldman’s post with his own followers, requesting the tweet be reported. It is reasonable to conclude that, with enough reports, this obvious ToS violation would be routed to a content moderator who possessed the ability to act in a manner consistent with reason (and Twitter’s actual policy). Rather than requiring the original tweet author to delete her tweet, Twitter issued the decision to permanently disable TST’s spokesperson’s twitter account because, apparently, Twitter’s belief was that TST’s spokesperson was guilty of “targeted harassment” due to the influx of reports submitted pertaining to the original tweet (per his request).

The “permanent” decision to disable TST’s spokesperson’s twitter account turned out not to be so permanent. Twitter chose to reinstate access five days later; however, in the interim, a man with no prior connections to TST showed up at the Satanic Temple headquarters threatening violence culminating in the individual being charged for “assault with a deadly weapon”. Coincidence? Possibly. However, this incident demonstrably proves that calls for violence frequently leveled against TST (and prominent figures within TST) are not all empty threats and that they should not be dismissed lightly.

TST decided to sue Twitter and accepted Randazza’s free legal support in doing so.

Despite this chain of events, you may still be screaming hysterically “How dare they work with a Nazi defender!? I thought TST was progressive!” Or you may attack the premise of this case itself by condemning it as an egotistical move to “get the account of TST’s spokesperson verified. Something not worth getting into bed with Nazis over”. You may take the road of indignation, opining that TST could have chosen to work with any other attorney, even if it cost more money.

Before you run crying in outrage, it’s worth re-contextualizing, as these viewpoints lack perspective. Tropes like this are bludgeoned to death by folks who are committed to misunderstanding, regurgitating half-truths, or are simply unaware of the background and facts surrounding this incident.

Imagine that you’re facing death row for a crime you did not commit; the trajectory and duration of your life is in the hands of our judicial system along with a history of bias against everything you stand for and who you are. Are you going to turn down pro bono legal representation from a competent lawyer with legal expertise specific to your case and a proven record of winning? Will you look that lawyer in the face and ask them to justify the political convictions of prior clients before agreeing to said legal assistance? I doubt it.

I suppose it is easy to be choosy on behalf of others in need of legal representation when it’s not your money being spent, not a battle you’re currently fighting, and not an issue you take seriously. If you find religious discrimination and threats of violence unworthy of your time (particularly from behind your keyboard with the privilege to ignore it), all of these scenarios may seem to be a hypothetical problem rather than an immediate reality. The decision to sue Twitter over their egregious mishandling of the situation was reached because it threatened the safety and lives of any Satanist visiting TST’s headquarters. That in and of itself should explain why Randazza’s help was accepted.

The principle of the matter is of even greater importance, and yet, is even less frequently understood.

Satanism is a religion and The Satanic Temple is a religious organization. Why would TST accept being treated as “less than?” Do you honestly believe that Twitter would have responded in the same manner if a Christian or Catholic church been threatened with arson? Or if a protestant preacher had asked his followers to report a tweet calling for his church to be burnt to the ground? It was important for TST to reject this singling out as well as the implicit notion that Satanists’ lives and safety don’t matter as much as “real religions”.

Additionally, it is worth noting that TST would accept Randazza’s pro bono legal support in the future, even recently if Mississippi had followed through with plans to place “in God We Trust” on their state flag. Those who pretend to hold some moral high ground for fear of “Randazza cooties” fail to understand the dire importance of TST’s fight against encroaching theocracy. TST is desperately fighting to keep religious pluralism alive and chooses to prioritize its principles over these particular optics. These legal battles are no small feat. It is of utmost importance to deploy any legal means, advantages, and tactics within their disposal. To do anything less is to risk setting poor legal precedent and to risk the physical safety and lives of TST members.

People Are Fallible

“TST fraternizes with Nazis” soon devolves into: “Well, this one-time Lucien said” and “Greg Stevens (Director of Executive Ministry) previously befriended a Nazi and even wrote an article to an audience of Nazis!”

Lucien Greaves: In 2002 (nearly 20 years ago, now) and more than a decade prior to The Satanic Temple’s conception, Lucien Greaves, TST’s co-founder and most prominent spokesperson, was a guest on a podcast in which he jokingly proclaimed himself an “Aryan King” in reply to someone speculating — because Lucien had been speaking directly about the unreason in holding prejudice against people of Jewish lineage — that Lucien himself must be Jewish (this was also after he ruefully noted that his physical appearance and aesthetic — boots and short hair — had on at least one occasion caused him to be mistaken for a skinhead). He spoke about the potential benefits of selective genetics from an explicitly de-racialized perspective. This was not the anti-Semitic rant detractors claim it was (focusing partially on a segment where Lucien stated that he feels it is okay to mock superstitious religious fundamentalist Jews for their beliefs, but not their bloodlines). It is also clearly not representative of the beliefs of Lucien Greaves today, who co-founded The Satanic Temple as a clear repudiation of the Social Darwinist LaVeyan beliefs he subscribed to at the time the podcast was recorded. It is certainly fair to point out that he used crass and inconsiderate statements to make his points; however, it is absolutely a misrepresentation of facts to claim that he is or ever was a white supremacist.

One of TST’s seven core tenets is: “People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one’s best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused”. Unlike many belief systems based in supernaturalism that require individuals to beg a father figure for clemency, TST’s atheistic Satanism demands that individuals be judged by their concrete actions. Make a mistake? Do what you can to fix it.

So, what is there to be done? For starters, he can live a life that’s worth living, do his best to use his skills and abilities to fight against social injustices, and be open-minded enough to continue to grow, improve, and revise his positions on social issues. He renounced LaVeyan Satanism and social Darwinism long ago, has written and willingly shared a public apology for his previous commentary, and has completely revised his world view.

Lucien isn’t perfect, none of us are. Will he make mistakes in the future? Absolutely. However, he has personally sacrificed so much on behalf of TST. His personal safety is constantly at risk, he receives a steady barrage of death threats, and has lost friendships with many people who meant a great deal to him due to his commitment to TST’s mission and principles. Nonetheless, there are numerous articles on the internet dissecting every word said in the outdated interview, and social media is flooded with people declaring this is “proof” that he is a bad person.

The most outspoken keyboard warriors who claim to be sounding the alarm and warning people to save themselves from Lucien’s anti-Semitism are often former members who knew the details of the incident long before they decided to leave TST, and who were once extremely vocal about their support for TST and for Lucien specifically. I find it particularly ironic for former TST members (one of whom was such a Lucien fan that they edited together at least three videos dedicated to his greatest quips and quotes and felt comfortable enough in their relation to him to publicly declare their desire to one day “peg” him) to have clearly renounced their former views and revised their understanding of the situation by asserting that it is impossible for someone (Lucien) to change or revise his manner of thinking”. They also conveniently fail to address the fact that if Lucien actually were Antisemitic, there is no way he would have chosen to co-found The Satanic Temple with a Jewish person.

Greg Stevens: Once these brazen falsehoods are addressed, it is inevitable that the “guilt by association” tactic will be deployed by those committed to justifying their anti-TST sentiments. “GREG STEVENS WORKED FOR BREITBART” is a common piece of misinformation that has become so prevalent, that it is often accepted as truth. However, this too is a gross mischaracterization of facts. Greg once wrote an article titled: “When Satanism Met the Internet,” (https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2015/10/31/when-satanism-met-the-internet/ ). This is no secret, and he has no reason to feel ashamed of taking advantage of any opportunity to write an article about Satanism (for an audience that would not otherwise be exposed to an honest article about Satanism). There is nothing alt-right about it or its contents, nor was he financially compensated for having the piece published.

Anyone familiar with the type of “news’ Breitbart typically publishes may be wondering: “How the hell did an article providing an objective perspective on Satanism get published by Breitbart!?” The reason is due, in part, to Greg’s former friendship with Milo Yiannopoulos. **insert sound of a record player coming to a screeching halt. ** Wait, What? Yep. That’s right, Greg was once friends with Milo Yiannopoulos.

The “M-Word”

Greg met and befriended Milo back in 2007 (long before Milo became famous.) At the time, he and Milo shared many common pop-culture interests (un-related to politics) that made their shared time together enjoyable. Additionally, they were both writers interested in exploring similar topics (though approaching them from vastly different perspectives).

When they first met, Milo was struggling to reconcile his political and religious views with his identity as a gay man. Greg (who is also gay) empathized with Milo’s inner turmoil, all the while adhering to a polar opposite set of personal, political, and religious beliefs. Greg knew a version of Milo that most never will, especially now. That version of Milo, the version that existed before his desire for fame completely outweighed his humanity, no longer exists. Now, Milo is a Fox News-esque caricature for conservative politics who thrives on attention generated through outrage. It is hard for anyone who sees his behavior today to fathom that he could have ever existed as anything other than a vile and despicable person. People, however, are complicated. Even Milo Yiannopoulous hasn’t always been 100% awful. Greg’s perception of Milo was that he changed over the period of time in which they knew one another, and part of Greg sincerely hoped that by being the friend who “didn’t give up” on Milo, he might be able to stop and potentially even reverse Milo’s trajectory down the alt-right rabbit hole.

Genuinely caring about someone who holds atrocious views is something many people will grapple with at some point in their lives. Oftentimes, there comes a point where the friendship is no longer viable, because the person’s views and/or actions cause too much harm. The towel must be thrown in and the individual who espouses the conflicting views is so far gone that there is no longer hope in them being brought back from a state of unreason. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to critique that process when it involves someone else’s decisions (especially when the ex-friend in question is someone like Milo!)

Some will sit behind their keyboards and posture that Greg maintained this friendship for too long and should have cut Milo out of his life much sooner than he did. The truth of the matter is this: Greg never endorsed or adopted any of Milo’s vitriolic views or harmful rhetoric, and he chose to end the friendship. For someone like Greg, having deep, intelligent, philosophical discussions about important issues with someone he vehemently disagrees with is something to be celebrated, not shied away from. Being challenged to defend his personal logic and reasoning in an intelligent and articulate manner reinforces and reinvigorates the passion that he has for issues like LGBTQIA+ rights and religious freedom, as does the hope in his arguments one day swaying someone’s mind and helping them to become a more open and accepting person. Should he have given up on Milo sooner? Perhaps. Nonetheless, characterizing Greg as “alt-right” is genuinely laughable as there is absolutely zero proof to support that theory and much more to contradict it.

Guilt By Association

Stephen Bradford Long does an excellent job of explaining the difference between the concepts of Contagion Left and the Conversion Left in his article “Why I Haven’t Left the Satanic Temple” (well worth a read: https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/05/21/why-i-havent-left-the-satanic-temple/) He explains: “To me, a reformed Nazi is a triumph, because that means that Nazi won’t be able to hurt people in the way they used to. To me, a formerly homophobic pastor realizing they are wrong is a triumph, because it means the vulnerable gay kids in his church will be less abused… I celebrate any occasion when someone changes their mind in favor of leftism, regardless of how toxic their former beliefs. Progress is not inevitable, and if we don’t fight for progress, I fear that fascism, racism, and tyranny will win. While we are wringing our hands in our leftist enclaves, the far-right Christian nationalist movement is wasting no time in turning every level of our nation into a bigoted theocracy. Whereas the Contagion Left seems to see fascism, nationalism, and Nazism as a spiritual quality which can infect a person with secret inner evil… not only does the spiritual contagion travel between people, it travels through time. An additional hallmark of Contagion Leftism is assuming guilt before it is established, and then expecting innocence to be proven”. The accusations refuted within this piece are textbook examples of Contagion Leftism which spreads so easily through dishonest online discourse. There should be no need to “prove” Lucien’s or Greg’s innocence. Their good deeds and actions speak for themselves; nonetheless, I feel this piece is worth writing, as (hopefully) an antidote to the toxic sickness of Contagion Leftism afflicting many otherwise reasonable individuals. Growing up in a Christian household, I remember being taught that my self-worth should be directly tied to my sexual purity and abstinence — that if I were to give into temptation and have sex prior to marriage, I would be forever tainted. This was once demonstrated to me with the analogy that a sexually pure woman was like a brand-new stick of gum, whereas a sexually impure woman is equivalent to chewed gum: used and tasteless. Why would anyone ever choose someone else’s chewed gum? This is exactly the type of logic being deployed against Greg and others when the guilty by association card is played. “Greg was once friends with someone awful; well…he must be forever tainted and unworthy of your time, and incapable of doing any good in the world”. Positioning oneself as “holier than thou” and looking down upon Greg’s relationship with a FORMER friend takes a special kind of self-importance. To opine that someone with truly important and meaningful work to contribute is somehow “tainted” by a former association is disgraceful. It leads to the creation of a new, self-righteous purity culture that is just as twisted, nonsensical, and appalling as Christian purity culture. Imagine being in Greg’s shoes; he is part of a marginalized community as a gay man who is now exiled from members within his support network based solely on “guilt by association” logic.

Enlightenment Values

The argument that “TST is secretly a sinister alt-right group luring people under a pretense of progressivism” relies upon the frail notion of guilt by association (chiefly Randazza and Milo, but there are others as well). It should be reiterated that TST will always preference principles over pristine optics. TST was founded upon and stands for Enlightenment values which include, but are not limited to: liberty, progress, tolerance, constitutional government, separation of state and church, and the inalienable right of freedom of speech. These are values that TST seeks to uphold, even as they’ve fallen out of popular favor with many. The principle of free speech is a very difficult concept for many to grasp (particularly when the discussions are limited to the Twittersphere and especially when the espoused opposing views are in fact deplorable). To defend someone’s right to speak and their ability to voice dissenting opinions in no way equates to endorsement or adoption of those views. This is a principle that Satanists (of all backgrounds and identities) should think deeply about prior to demanding that all spaces be 100% ideologically pure; this is a double-edged sword that can just as easily be used to silence our voices, get us disinvited from speaking events, and prevent us from attaining the equal representation in public spheres we are constitutionally entitled to.

To be clear: I am in NO way arguing that racism and Satanism are at all aligned with one another, nor that I personally think racist views are worth listening to or are anything other than disgusting. Do I want racism eradicated? Yes. Do I want justice for people of races, religions, sexual orientations, genders, creeds, countries of origin, etc. YES. Absolutely. However, it is foolish to proclaim oneself a supporter of free speech if one only supports free speech that one personally agrees with.

When governments are given the power to arbitrarily dictate which speech is considered permissible or worthy based on “moral” standards, you can bet your ass Satanists will inevitably be discriminated against as well. It takes a great degree of privilege to nitpick at the ideologically impure and reduce nuance to essentialist condemnations. Said condemnations become a dogwhistle to those online with nothing better to do, those who are making no real efforts to end systemic oppression, or to those who contribute nothing meaningful to their (non-Twitter) community. The real struggles faced by minorities in this country are not addressed by sectarian sniping, but instead by unity, real world activism, and organizing/rallying around common enemies.

Confirmation Bias and Circular Reasoning

There are a handful of repeat offenders online who intentionally engage in dishonest conspiratorial fear-mongering, obfuscating the truth through essentialist logic:

1.) Lucien said X on a podcast

2.) I interpret X as being Y

3.) Because X is Y, Lucien must also be Y

Once anyone points out information to the contrary, do they admit to the intentional misrepresentation of the facts or to the possibility that they came to the wrong conclusion? No. Instead they seek new evidence to “prove” that their subjective interpretations (facts be damned) must be the real “truth”. The whataboutism, the reductive boiling down of everything into singular condemnations are all tactics the actual “right” often uses to oppress queer people, people of color, and anyone left of center.

If you take any organization TST’s size (nearing half a million members in 2021) and you desperately search for any prior associations that support your bias, you will inevitably be able to come up with a narrative as feeble as the one being propagated that seeks to convince the ill-informed and easily persuaded spectator: “TST is secretly a sinister alt-right group luring people under a pretense of progressivism”. This can easily be achieved by painting associations in a specific way, quoting things out of context, and ignoring all counterevidence. The narrative completely falls apart once scrutinized and looked at logically, recognizing that organizations are comprised of complex human beings rather than two dimensional “good guys” or “bad guys”. Unfortunately, instead, individuals are accused of irredeemable transgressions and are treated to unattainable purity standards being imposed upon them to have always been perfect, always have made the ‘right’ decisions, to have shining records, and to have never made a single mistake or poor judgment call in their entire lives.

Final Note

Feel free to submit any genuine inquires directly to me via email: viceovervirtue666@gmail.com and please be patient for my response(s) as there is a plethora of misinformation that I plan on combatting prior to addressing (or even reading) any replies to this piece.

Bear in mind, this is only “Part I” of an entire series, the next installment will delve into TST’s alleged Ponzi scheme; shell corporations; money laundering practices and corrupt hierarchy of self-promoting narcissistic ne’er-do-wells. Stay tuned…