Atheistic satanism
Atheistic satanism or atheosatanism is an umbrella term for a group of quasi-religious atheistic movements whose adherents identify themselves as "Satanists." The two largest organizations for atheistic satanism are the Church of Satan (CoS) and The Satanic Temple (TST), which have a rivalry with each other.
Atheistic satanists do not believe in the existence of Satanael or any other spirit. They usually hold to some basic Satanic values with theistic Satanists, such as striving for self-love, knowledge, pride, pleasure, and freedom.
Atheosatanism was originally created in opposition to Yahwism, especially Christianity, so adherents often hold outspoken anti-Christian views. Many also show opposition to theism itself, and some may additionally identify as antitheists. Some, primarily those who align with The Satanic Temple, advocate for religious pluralism in society and take no issue with non-Yahwist religions; however, they still typically oppose Yahwism due to its oppressive characteristics.
Types
There are two major types of atheistic satanism, as well as several smaller movements and a minority of independent atheistic satanists.
LaVeyanism (Church of Satan)
The Church of Satan, the first atheistic organization to identify itself as "Satanist," was founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey. Thus, the adherents of its ideology are usually called LaVeyans by others. LaVeyans themselves, however, often identify only as "Satanists," since they believe their movement is the only one with a legitimate right to the word "Satanism."
LaVeyanism is based primarily on The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey. It presents Satan as a symbol of carnality, pride, individualism, self-interest, indulgence, and opposition to what LaVey viewed as hypocritical religious morality.
The Church of Satan, unlike The Satanic Temple, is officially apolitical. Its value system promotes individualism, stratification, personal power, rational self-interest, and indulgence. LaVeyans often view social activism as a waste of time and energy. Most LaVeyans reject any association of egalitarianism or humanitarian aid with their movement. The Church of Satan sharply distinguishes itself from The Satanic Temple, and many LaVeyans harshly deride TST and any other organization identifying as Satanist.
Romantic Satanism (The Satanic Temple)
The Satanic Temple (TST) is a modern atheistic satanist organization primarily known for its progressive politics, highly publicized lawsuits, and use of Satanic symbolism as a form of protest. Its ideology is often called "Romantic Satanism," and it is inspired mostly by literature, such as John Milton's Paradise Lost, that features Satan or Lucifer as symbolic figures who stand against tyranny, fight for liberty, or give freedom to mankind.
In comparison to the Church of Satan, the Satanic Temple is much more Right Hand-aligned, and is often described as a secular humanist organization. Its activism centers on freedom of religion, bodily autonomy (especially the right to abortion), and the separation of church and state. Its Seven Tenets compel its members to highly value compassion, justice, science, ownership of their own bodies, and acceptance of human fallibility. The purpose of their tenets, as stated in the seventh one, is "to inspire nobility in action and thought."
Smaller organizations
Independent atheistic satanists
A relatively small number of self-identified atheistic satanists are independent. Their personal belief and value systems are often eclectic, synthesized from multiple sources. Common inspirations for independent atheosatanists include both CoS and TST beliefs, Aleister Crowley's writings and ideas, the work of various philosophers, anti-Christian symbolism derived from the Bible, and concepts from theistic Satanism, Demonolatry, and even paganism.
Independent atheistic satanists often cite personal disagreement with the beliefs or actions of both the CoS and the TST as a major reason they chose an independent path. Most are critical of both the Church of Satan's aggressive elitism and The Satanic Temple's heavy political focus.
Symbolism
Most symbolism used by atheosatanists is derived from theistic Satanism, other forms of occultism, or Christianity. The best-known symbol of atheosatanism is Baphomet. The head of Baphomet is commonly combined with the inverted pentagram; such a combination is found in the official logos of both the Church of Satan and The Satanic Temple, as well as numerous smaller atheosatanist organizations. Baphomet is commonly seen in atheosatanist artwork; its use by theistic Satanists is rare in comparison.
Depictions of Baphomet are not to be confused with depictions of Azazel in a goat-like form — unlike Azazel, Baphomet bears a torch between its horns and is usually portrayed with breasts.
Aside from Baphomet, other common atheosatanist symbols include the inverted cross (derived from Christianity), the inverted pentagram (derived from theistic Satanism and other Left-Hand-Path traditions), and the Leviathan cross. The Leviathan cross is most commonly used by LaVeyans; it is derived from the alchemical symbol for sulfur.
Practices
Practices of atheistic satanists may vary. Some do not have any practices related to the ideology, only subscribing to it as a worldview.
Rituals
Some atheistic satanists, especially LaVeyans, perform rituals, although these rituals are not believed to have any spiritual effects.
Controversy
Some controversies exist between atheosatanists and theistic Satanists regarding the definition of Satanism and the legitimacy of claims to the Satanist label.
Atheosatanist views on theistic Satanism
Many atheistic satanists assert that theistic Satanists are not real Satanists. This position is held most strongly by LaVeyans. The Church of Satan openly ridicules all other groups or individuals calling themselves Satanists, believing that Satanism is synonymous with LaVeyanism. They deny the existence of any Satanism before LaVey founded the Church of Satan, despite the fact that scholars have documented the existence of pre-LaVeyan theistic Satanism.
Other atheosatanists, mostly Satanic Temple members and some independents, have a more inclusive view of theistic Satanists, ranging from neutral to slightly positive. The Satanic Temple does not deny the existence of other forms of Satanism. However, some still take issue with theistic Satanism on the grounds that worship of any deity is contradictory to Self-first thinking.
General Theistic Satanist views on atheosatanism
In the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and even 2010s, most theistic Satanists had a very negative opinion on atheosatanists, viewing them as imposters and considering the very idea of atheistic satanism to be disrespectful to Satanael. This intense disdain was largely motivated by the Church of Satan's harsh public ridicule of theistic Satanism, as well as their claims that theistic Satanism is primarily based on corrupted forms of LaVeyan ideas, which left no room for neutrality.
In the 2020s, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, neutral and positive sentiments toward atheosatanism have become increasingly common among theistic Satanists. This may be attributable to the rapid proliferation of Satanic and occult topics on social media, which created a new generation of freshly converted Satanists, mostly teenagers. The Satanic religions adhered to by the new generation are also different from those that predominated prior to 2020: a greater degree of eclecticism can be observed, as well as an emphasis on inclusivity. These new Satanists have created many online Satanic communities that welcome both theists and atheists with open arms. In turn, the atheosatanists who are likely to join these communities tend to be the more tolerant ones, usually TST or TST-inspired independents, since traditional LaVeyans have little desire for friendly interaction with theistic Satanists. This exposure to friendly atheosatanists causes many new-generation Satanists to accept them much more openly.
Despite this growing acceptance of atheosatanists, many theistic Satanists still exclude atheosatanists from the Satanist category. Their views on atheosatanism may range from neutral definitional exclusion (such as that of the Grigorist Temple of Satanael) to passionate rejection of atheosatanism as an imposter movement that corrupts the public perception of Satanism (such views are held by many Diabolists).
Satano-Grigorist views on atheosatanism
The Grigorist Temple of Satanael does not affirm that atheistic satanism belongs to a shared religious category with theistic Satanism and generally refers to theistic Satanism as simply "Satanism." Even though the Temple does not accept that people who does not believe in Satanael can be Satanists, it recognizes the values it shares with them, and Satano-Grigorists are encouraged to approach atheosatanists with civility.
Satano-Grigorists often write "atheistic satanism" with a lowercase 's' to indicate that adherents of these movements follow the concept of opposition, as in the Hebrew common noun satan, rather than the deity Satanael.