The Satanic Temple turned 10 years old this year and will commemorate the occasion with what promises to be the “largest satanic gathering in history,” according to temple organizers, who added that tickets for SatanCon 2023 have already sold out.
The convention takes place this weekend in Boston, Mass., a quick commute from the temple’s official headquarters in Salem (of witch trial fame), and not too far from the Canadian border. Though planned programming does include “satanic rituals,” one thing that convention goers most certainly won’t be doing is summoning Satan himself. Why? Because the Satanic Temple doesn’t believe the devil exists.
What the devil is the Satanic Temple?
The Satanic Temple, not to be confused with the Church of Satan, is a satirical religious organization that pokes fun at modern-day religion and politics and forces us to ask what counts as a religion and which religious beliefs get preferential treatment.
Though the organization makes fun of religion, it is officially recognized as a church by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and is tax-exempt.
Another seeming paradox is that the Satanic Temple is non-theistic. One of its seven core tenets directs members to shape their beliefs through scientific understanding and “take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one’s beliefs.”
“To embrace the name Satan is to embrace rational inquiry removed from supernaturalism and archaic tradition-based superstitions,” the temple writes on its webpage. “Satanists should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things.”
As such, temple members don’t believe in Satan in the Judeo-Christian sense. Instead, they revere him as a literary figure who rebels against authority.
The Satanic Temple isn’t just about trolling Christians — its members truly believe in its unique religious doctrine of freedom, compassion and skepticism.
The Satanic Temple has drawn comparisons to humanism, a school of thought that emphasizes rationality and human potential over divinity and faith. Temple organizers say they’re distinct from humanists because of their “outside status” and “rejection of tyrannical authority.”
The temple estimates it has about 700,000 members around the world.
So, what’s up with SatanCon?
SatanCon 2023 is a weekend convention running from April 28 to 30 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place and promises to provide attendees with “satanic rituals, entertainment, discussion panels, a ‘satanic marketplace’ and a satanic wedding chapel,” if members are looking to get married under the eyes of the Beast.
SatanCon 2023 will be the second annual convention after the temple’s inaugural event last year in Scottsdale, Ariz.
This year’s event has been dedicated to Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu, according to a press release from the temple. The reason for this shout-out is “because she denied the group from delivering a satanic invocation at the Boston City Hall and has used unconstitutional efforts to keep The Satanic Temple out of the public spaces of Boston,” a spokesperson wrote. The Satanic Temple is actively suing the City of Boston for this.
Wu isn’t the only one who’s likely perturbed by SatanCon coming to her city. The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is planning a weekend of counter-programming full of prayer when the temple rolls into town.
“At the direction of the cardinal, we are approaching it through a response balanced and focused on prayer,” Terrence Donilon, a spokesperson for the archdiocese, said to the Catholic News Agency. “We are finalizing a list of places throughout our whole archdiocese where we will gather in adoration and prayer.”
Catholics “will be invited to more intense prayer during that weekend,” he said.
The theme of SatanCon 2023 is “Hexennacht in Boston,” which translates to “witches’ night” in German.
“This marks the ancient Pagan Holiday of May Eve and it is one of the 5 religious holidays that (the Satanic Temple) celebrates,” according to a press release, which promises it will be a “weekend of blasphemy and remembrance.”
A number of lectures by founders Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jerry will be given during the convention, including “Reclaiming the Trans Body,” “Deconstructing Your Religious Upbringing” and “Satanism and the BIPOC Experience,” organizers wrote.
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