The Satanic Temple is a science-positive, socially progressive religion in Halloween regalia.
Penny Lane’s 2019 documentary Hail Satan? is an illuminating – “Lucifer” being the Light Bringer, after all – and well-produced documentary on a fast-growing but still widely misunderstood religious movement. Far from being the embodiment of all evil, the Satanic Temple is revealed as being very much in tune with the most progressive ideals of modern democracy.
Some of the concepts discussed in this entertaining expose of the Temple’s mid-late 2010s activities will be novel to many viewers, such as the notion of non-theistic religion – in other words, a legitimate spiritual path that refutes the very idea of the “supernatural”. They employ the traditional symbols of Satanism to represent the defiance of authoritarian power structures, especially that of fundamentalist Christianity and most especially the incursion of undue Christian influence into American politics and civic life.
When a science-positive, socially progressive religion emerges in 21st century America it’s bound to attract massive attention and attendant controversy. Watch Hail, Satan! and learn the “sinister” truth …
