Satanic Grotto poised to hold ‘Black Mass’ and dedicate Kansas legislature to Satan



“The slow seeping of secularism into our government in the name of tolerance” is a cancer in this country, says Blaze News senior politics editor and Washington correspondent Christopher Bedford.

Like actual cancer that attacks healthy cells, secularism “is waging open warfare on the religion that underpins our entire civilization,” which is Christianity.

If it wins, the future of America looks dark.

Someone who’s been exploring this issue in depth is John Daniel Davidson, senior editor of the Federalist.

Davidson recently joined Bedford on “Blaze News Tonight” to share his thoughts on the sickness that’s threatening to destroy the fabric of America.

“The future of a post-Christian America is not going to be this liberal utopia where we all kind of live and let live and we have like a libertarian kumbaya,” says Davidson. “In the absence of the Christian religion being sort of the basis of our society, the basis of our civic culture and our government and our public morality, something else is going to replace that, some other religion, and what I argue is that it'll be a resurgence of paganism.”

There’s already ample evidence that Davidson’s theory is right. Satanic groups are cropping up all over the country.

Bedford points to a Kansas-based group called the Satanic Grotto that is planning to hold a “Black Mass” on March 28 at the Kansas Capitol in Topeka in the name of the First Amendment. According to the event’s Facebook page, the gathering aims to “dedicate the grounds and our legislature to the glory of Satan.” The event apparently will include a Bible-burning and a cross-burning, as well as a mockery of the Catholic Eucharist.

“I think a proper understanding of what America is and where we come from would have to recognize that freedom of religion, like freedom of speech, has its limits, and the founders who instituted freedom of religion never imagined that it would be used as a pretext to attack what they would have called true religion or legitimate religion,” says Davidson.

All of the things that we associate with the American way of life — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, tolerance, consent of the governed, the rule of law, individual rights, the equality of people before the law — “come from Christianity.”

“If you get rid of Christianity, all those things are going to go too,” says Davidson. “It's not going to be the kind of country that you want to live in whether or not you're a Christian.”

Bedford agrees and wonders if this Satanic Grotto as well as the various “after-school Satan clubs” popping up in public education across the country are mostly composed of “useful idiots” pushing a radical leftist agenda or if they really are seeking to destroy Christianity.

Many satanic groups claim that Satan is just a symbol for their social justice causes and not an actual deity they worship.

Davidson, however, says that’s not always the case.

“I think a lot of them are useful idiots, as is often the case, but the ones who are driving it — the radicals, the ideologues, the people who are out here on the front lines trying to stage a Black Mass here in Kansas … they are attacking Christianity, and they're not attacking Christianity because they're radical atheists and secularists. They are people who increasingly do believe in the spiritual world; they do believe in an enchanted cosmos.”

These individuals, he says, “just hate Christianity, and that's why they attack it relentlessly.”

To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above.

Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?

To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Blaze News original: Satanic group threatens to invade Kansas Capitol to worship Lucifer — but Christians fight back with holy resistance



A satanic organization plans to hold a "Black Mass" at the Kansas Capitol in Topeka on March 28, mocking Christians — particularly Catholics, their faith, their central sacrament, and the stations of the cross.

Proponents of the anti-Christian hate group, which maintains that "only might is right and violence is the ultimate source of all authority," apparently intend to break crosses, destroy Bibles, and dedicate the Capitol building to the devil.

The Satanic Grotto originally planned to hold its dark ritual inside the Capitol, but following backlash, the group was informed that organizers would have to take their mockery of Christians outside. The satanists bemoaned their pre-emptive ouster, threatening to break into the statehouse and suggesting that their First Amendment rights may have been infringed.

Dr. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, and others told Blaze News that contrary to the satanists' contention, lawmakers are within their rights not only to keep the planned "Black Mass" ritual out of the statehouse but to keep it off government property.

Apparently Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R) and Kansas lawmakers agreed.

The state Legislative Coordinating Council has amended Capitol grounds policy to prevent a "Black Mass" from taking place, and Kobach noted that in this circumstance it would be appropriate "for the state not to facilitate this crime occurring either inside the Capitol or on the Capitol grounds."

In the event that the Grotto flouts the prohibition and follows through on its threat, Kansas Catholic groups and other opponents of the demonic are planning to hold a counter-demonstration on site as well as to pray for the conversion of the satanists.

Satanic infestation

The Satanic Grotto is a leftist anti-Christian hate group that goes out of its way to provoke adherents of the Abrahamic religions both with demonic imagery and by denigrating their faith.

This unpolished, less organized knockoff of the Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple identifies as a "non-denominational satanic church that utilizes philosophies from many walks of the left hand path." Among the leftist outfit's stated goals is support for satanic art and culture, the promotion of satanic education, and political advocacy for "pluralistic change."

'Kansas will be embrace by the black flame of Lucifer.'

The satanist knockoff group, like the better-known Satanic Temple, appears to be insincere about its claims of religiosity and religionhood — using these claims as an excuse for such anti-Christian demonstrations. Nevertheless, John Daniel Davidson, the author of "Pagan America: The Decline of Christianity and the Dark Age to Come," told Blaze News that they "are indeed in service to demonic powers even if they personally don't believe in the existence of them."

"Such a thing is not only possible but quite common," said Davidson. "When insincere satanists invoke the devil or other demons, they are calling on real created beings that have agency and will and power. If these beings are invited, they will come. It's foolish — and indeed quite dangerous — for the Satanic Grotto to suppose that because it uses the term 'satanist' ironically or sarcastically, then its practitioners are safe from the machinations and malevolence of Satan. They're not."

The group recently shared an event listing inviting people to join them at the Capitol building in Topeka to "dedicate the grounds and our legislature to the glory of Satan."

"We will be performing rites to the Black Mass and indulging in sacrilegious blaspheme [sic]," said the event listing. "God will fall and Kansas will be embraced by the black flame of Lucifer. Hail Satan."

Michael Stewart, the leader of the anti-Christian hate group, noted that he received a permit to hold the "Black Mass" at the state Capitol on March 27.

Responding to a 2014 Satanic Temple re-enactment of a satanic Mass on the Harvard campus, Monsignor Roger Landry, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, struck a distinction between political stunts by "publicity-hounding satanic groups," and the diabolic worship undertaken by "committed believers in the devil who don't send out press releases and whose clandestine Black Masses always feature stolen consecrated Hosts."

In the early days of Black Masses, rebellious clerics consecrated the Eucharist during the ceremony before defiling the Host with spit, blood, urine, excrement, sexual fluids, and blasphemies. Since renegade ex-priests willing to debase what they once adored are hard to find, however, Satan worshippers eventually began to resort to stealing consecrated Hosts by breaking into church tabernacles or taking them from Mass.

Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the Catholic Bishops of Kansas, suggested the "Black Mass" that the Grotto has planned will be more of the "publicity-hounding" variety, calling it an "act of bigotry from a small minority who crave public attention by insulting Christians."

Stewart told KSNT-TV that he would lead the "Black Mass," calling it an "act of defiance." He further indicated that the Grotto would "heavily lean into the four blasphemies, kind of representing an alternate to the stations of the cross."

Stewart subsequently suggested to the Topeka Capital-Journal that the event was a "specific response to our legislatures continuing to pander to groups like the Kansas Catholic Conference and to Kansans for Life, where they keep trying to come back and attack abortion rights, much less other rights."

'It would [do so] in violation of the constitutional tenets established in Lynch v. Donnelly.'

Weeping and gnashing of teeth

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly refrained from characterizing the Grotto as bigots but indicated on March 12 that in order to "keep the statehouse open and accessible to the public while ensuring all necessary health and safety regulations are enforced," the group's anti-Christian demonstration would have to take place outside.

Kelly noted in her lukewarm statement that while there were "more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols," she had a duty "to protect protesters' constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, regardless of how offensive or distasteful I might find the content to be."

The group seeking Kansas' "embrace by the black flame of Lucifer" still did not take the news well.

"We will not be swept aside to protect your career madam. We will not acquiesce the same rights you have afforded to other religious organizations. You do not get to decide what is appropriate for us," stated the satanic group. "Your only job is to protect your constituents constitutional rights. You have failed in this in the most cowardly way, like Pontius Pilate washing his hands."

The satanists are planning to defy the governor and execute their dark ritual inside the state Capitol on March 28.

"The Satanic Grotto lead by its President Michael Stewart will enter the state capitol building and perform our ritual on March 28," the Grotto noted in its statement. "You will have to have us arrested to stop us from practicing our free speech and religious rights."

Whereas the violence championed by the Satanic Temple — which is basically a devil-branded Enlightenment cult that supports hyper-individualism and secularism — appears to be limited to the unborn babies it seeks to help mothers kill at an average cost of $91 per head via its satanic abortion clinics, the Grotto appears to excuse all forms of violence if exercised by the maximally powerful.

According to the "Law of the Grotto," "only might is right and violence is the ultimate source of all authority."

Blaze News asked the Grotto a number of questions, including whether it would rule out the use of violence on March 28. The response was: "The Satanic Grotto says get f**ked blaze news."

While the satanists are prevented from legally holding their dark ritual inside the state Capitol, lawmakers and the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City figured it would be better to boot their dark ritual off state property altogether.

Legal action

Catholic League President Bill Donohue suggested that not only should Kansas refuse to permit the "Black Mass" outside the Capitol building, it has an obligation not to allow it on state property.

"If a private institution uses private space to perform a 'Black Mass,' it is protected by the First Amendment," Donohue noted in a written statement to Blaze News. "But if the government were to authorize a 'Black Mass,' it would [do so] in violation of the constitutional tenets established in Lynch v. Donnelly (1984): the Constitution forbids hostility to religion. And the Satanic Grotto has admitted that its purpose is to blaspheme Catholics."

"The one planned in Kansas is being launched by a private group, the Satanic Grotto, so that part is constitutional," continued Donohue. "However, it is being done on public grounds near the Kansas statehouse, and thus it could be argued that the government is giving tacit endorsement to it. That is why the event should be moved to a spot where no one would think the government is sanctioning the 'Black Mass.'"

Donohue noted further that "state lawmakers have a right to object on constitutional grounds and should therefore seek to have the permit revoked."

Donohue was hardly alone in his assessment of lawmakers' duty and ability under the law.

John Horvat II, vice president of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property's TFP Student Action, noted that "total cancellation is the only reasonable option."

"Public officials are elected to foster the common good of society. Satanism, by definition, is evil and therefore harmful to the common good. That’s why the Kansas state Capitol and its grounds should not be misused as a platform for evil to defile what is sacred or mock what is most holy," added Horvat.

'This is to be expected, as he works for the prince of lies.'

John Davidson told Blaze News, "These kinds of stunts are explicitly anti-Christian and not be construed as 'religious' activities or services. They are public attacks against one religion, Christianity, and should be understood in that light."

"As such, they shouldn't be permitted or allowed to take place at all," continued Davidson. "Religious freedom was never meant to sanction, let alone endorse, religions that are hostile to our American heritage and the Christian faith which is the substance of our heritage."

State legislators apparently are using the allegation of theft to cancel the event.

Lawmakers belonging to the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council met on Tuesday and unanimously passed new guidelines pertaining to the use of Capitol property, which include a prohibition on gatherings if the actions of the group or its members are unlawful.

Now, people cannot gather if a group or a member of a group "has stated explicitly that the meeting or gathering will involve a violation of law," reported the Kansas Reflector.

Grace Hoge, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kelly, indicated that the "governor's office is reviewing actions from the Legislative Coordinating Council."

A stolen consecrated host is required in order for an authentic "Black Mass" to proceed, hence the suggestion that the new guidelines preclude the satanic ritual from taking place on Capitol grounds.

The Kansas Republican Party previously indicated that if the group intends to use a real consecrated Eucharist, "then it was obtained via theft or deception, meaning these people are in possession of stolen property."

Attorney General Kobach noted, "You cannot use the cloak of the First Amendment to commit crimes, and here there would be at least two crimes committed on state property," referring to the alleged theft and intended destruction of a consecrated host.

Catholic Archbishop Joseph Naumann also filed a lawsuit Friday against the Grotto seeking the immediate recovery and return of whatever consecrated hosts and wine are currently in the satanists' possession.

"We are fully aware that the Satanic group and its leader have made conflicting and contradictory claims about their possession of the Sacred Eucharist," Chuck Weber of the Kansas Catholic Conference said in a statement Tuesday. "This is to be expected, as he works for the prince of lies. Sadly, there is enough evidence to believe that this group does in fact have the Eucharist. We cannot take chances, and we will continue to pursue, to the extent possible, every practical legal action to secure what rightfully belongs to the Catholic Church."

"I find it very entertaining that he is convinced that I have Jesus trapped in a cracker and he would take it to court," Stewart said in a recent interview.

Condemnation

TFP Student Action was quick to condemn the Grotto's event, noting that prayer and action proved decisive in May 2014 when satanists attempted to hold a "Black Mass" at Harvard University.

"Saint Michael won a great victory that day. And God can win again now," wrote TFP Student Action.

Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

The conservative group has a petition form on its website, which quickly surpassed its initial goal of 7,000 signatures and at the time of publication was roughly 9,000 signatures short of its 50,000 signature goal.

'Satanic worship is disturbing, spiritually harmful, and an affront to every Christian.'

"The only purpose of a black mass is to attack God, mock the Catholic Mass, and desecrate the Holy Eucharist," John Horvat II, vice president of TFP Student Action said in a statement. "Satanists typically desecrate a stolen consecrated Host in unspeakable ways. Nothing is more obscene, indecent, and hateful."

TFP Student Action has invited counterprotesters to attend a rosary rally of reparation at the south side of the Kansas state Capitol building at 10:15 a.m. on March 28.

Davidson told Blaze News that praying the rosary outside the satanists' event would be a great response on the part of Catholics, noting that by invoking "the intercession and protection of Our Lady, the satanist event would not happen at all. The satanists would be forced to abandon their event in defeat."

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City noted in a March 14 statement that Archbishop Naumann and the Kansas Catholic Conference are asking the faithful to pray for the conversion of those taking part in this "act of anti-Christian bigotry" and noted that "legal options are being explored.

"Satanic worship is disturbing, spiritually harmful, and an affront to every Christian," said the archdiocese. "Participants may claim that the destructive and offensive acts during a 'black mass' are part of their religious freedom or free speech rights under the First Amendment. However, these rights have limits and do not allow individuals to act in ways that include or incite lawless behavior."

"We are deeply disappointed that such blasphemous acts that are intended to mock Catholic worship, the beliefs of all Christians, and those who believe in the one true God are being allowed on the Kansas statehouse grounds," continued the archdiocese. "We call upon Governor Kelly and the state legislature to disallow this act of blasphemy to take place, which is clearly designed to mock Christianity and be provocative."

'Politicians who align themselves with satanists have no political future.'

In addition to encouraging prayer, the Catholic archdiocese invited the faithful to attend a Mass on Mach 25 where Archbishop Naumann will reconsecrate the state to Jesus as well as to attend a Eucharistic Holy Hour at Assumption Church, just north of the statehouse, on March 28, which will be followed by Mass; to spread Christ's love through acts of charity on March 28, whether through the Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas or other organizations; and to implore Gov. Kelly, the Kansas Senate president, and the Kansas speaker of the state House to cancel the permit for the event.

Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, pledged prayers throughout the remainder of this month for the conversion of the hearts of those who participate in the satanic event.

Stephen Minnis, president of the college, stated, "Pope Francis has reminded the Church that our greatest battle is a spiritual one against evil and said, 'For this spiritual combat, we can count on the powerful weapons that the Lord has given us,' especially the Eucharist and the rosary."

Blaze News reached out to the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas and to the Kansas District of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, regarding whether they were similarly taking or recommending action. Neither responded by deadline.

Michael Cassidy, the Christian Navy veteran who toppled a satanic statue at the Iowa Capitol just before Christmas 2023, told Blaze News, "Our ancestors would look in horror at explicitly anti-Christian activities being sanctioned by civil authorities. [The Colombian philosopher Nicolás Gómez] Dávila said, 'The modern world demands that we approve what it should not even dare ask us to tolerate.' Kansas should make it clear that politicians who align themselves with satanists have no political future."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Catholic League answers atheists' Christmas grouchery with bold 'Christmas gift'



Atheists routinely come out of the woodwork around Christmastime to remind their fellow Americans about their antipathy to Christianity. In apparent hopes of provoking American Christians and/or dissuading them from marking the occasion with public displays such as Nativity scenes, some activists have in recent years erected satanic altars and pagan installations on government property.

So far, this year has been no different.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation, among the groups apparently hoping to pre-empt the celebration of Christ's birth with protest, set up an atheist display at the Wisconsin Capitol for the 29th consecutive year. The provocation from the activist group did not, however, go unanswered.

Unlike Christian Navy veteran Michael Cassidy who toppled the Satanic Temple's Baphomet statue at the Iowa Capitol last year, the Catholic League opted to respond to the FFRF's display with a bigger display of its own.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue said in a statement, "Call it our Christmas gift to them."

Earlier this month, the Satanic Temple erected a statue of a demon outside the state house in Concord, New Hampshire. The goat-headed demon statue — an apparent counter to the nearby Christmas tree and Nativity display — was dressed in purple vestments marked with inverted crosses and placed next to what appeared to be a black-and-white American flag knockoff with the stars swapped out for the symbol of the Satanic Temple.

Although vandals allegedly smashed the statue overnight, it was subsequently restored.

This week, the Minnesota Satanists, a chapter of the Satanic Temple, set up a satanic display mocking the Lord's Prayer and the Eucharist at the Minnesota State Capitol. The display featured a horned phoenix and a pentacle medallion along with a document titled "you are your own god."

Andrew T. Walker, associate professor of Christian ethics and public theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, noted, "It was wrong when Iowa satanists did this and it is wrong when Minnesota satanists do this, too. This obscenity is not what our Founders envisioned for religious liberty protections."

'Celebrate the Birth of Christ.'

The FFRF, a group whose members have adopted the ahistorical view that "most social and moral progress has been brought about by persons free of religion," similarly got in on the action. The atheist group set up its annual "Winter Solstice" exhibit at the Wisconsin Capitol.

A golden sign accompanying the exhibit says, "At this season of the Winter Solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but a myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

Although there was no mistaking the antagonistic nature of the exhibit, the FFRF made clear in a statement that it was responding to and mocking the Nativity scene.

In a statement, the group explained the corresponding cutout:

A major addition to the exhibit in the Capitol for over half a decade has been FFRF’s Bill of Rights "nativity," in response to a Christian Nativity display. The irreverent cutout by artist Jacob Fortin depicts Founders Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington gazing in adoration at a "baby" Bill of Rights while the Statue of Liberty looks on.

The Catholic League noted in a Monday release, "Every year the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a group of Christian-hating atheists, likes to erect a silly Winter Solstice exhibit at the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. This year they are in for a surprise. We have decided to send these activists a lesson, reminding them that the Christmas season is our season."

The Catholic League has a 12'x50' billboard displayed in the vicinity of Madison — home to the FFRF's headquarters — on the beltway that reads, "ATHEISTS STRIKE OUT AT CHRISTMAS. Celebrating Winter Solstice is a Child's Game. This Is Our Season — Not Theirs. Celebrate the Birth of Christ. Merry Christmas."

"Their stunt is done to compete with, and therefore neuter, the meaning of the Nativity scene at Christmas. The billboard will be up for two weeks, until Dec. 29," Donohue told the Christian Post.

Donohue indicated that he hopes "our billboard emboldens Catholics, letting them know that we will not be bullied by our adversaries."

The FFRF, which previously insinuated that Christians' faith has left them with hardened hearts and enslaved minds, responded to the news of the billboard, tweeting, "The scrooges at the Catholic League really know how to spread love and joy during the holiday season."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Satanic Temple opens abortion clinic in Virginia for its 'destruction ritual'



After helping kill over 100 unborn babies in New Mexico at an average cost of $91 per head, the Satanic Temple has expanded its abortion enterprise to Virginia.

The anti-Christian group, based in Massachusetts, announced on Saturday that it is now offering expectant mothers in the Old Dominion telehealth abortion services and possible travel assistance, noting that patients need only cover the cost of the abortifacient from its California-based partner pharmacy.

While co-founder Lucien Greaves and other proponents of the radical group deny actually worshipping demonic forces — indicating that theirs is effectively an atheistic leftist organization wearing the skin of a satanic cult that just happens to erect statues of Baphomet around Christmastime — the Virginia death dispensary, like the Temple's "Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic" in New Mexico, blurs the lines between role-play and the real thing.

'The ritual, which includes the abortion itself, spans the entirety of the pregnancy termination procedure.'

For women seeking to snuff out the life growing inside them, the Satanic Temple offers an "abortion ritual," which it describes as a "destructive ritual that serves as a protective rite."

The stated purpose of this death ritual is to "cast off notions of guilt, shame and mental discomfort" associated with the extermination of innocent life and to altogether affirm the choice.

"TST's abortion ritual can be performed to address definable concerns or to overcome unproductive feelings," says the ritual guideline. "The ritual, which includes the abortion itself, spans the entirety of the pregnancy termination procedure. There are steps to be performed before, during, and after the medical or surgical abortion."

The radical group makes repeated mention of individual rights and "scientific reasoning" on its site, suggesting that in the case of individual rights, "one's body is inviolable, subject to one's own will alone," and in the case of scientific reasoning that "beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world."

However, such statements amount to little more than a rhetorical smokescreen. After all, the Satanic Temple appears keen to overlook the rights of the unborn as well as the scientific reasoning concerning fetal pain, fetal cognitive function, and the separate genetic identity of the unborn child.

'The Satanic Temple's ultimate goal is to undermine Christ's kingdom.'

Erin Helian, the executive director of the Satanic Temple, told the Christian Post that the Virginia death dispensary — which deals in the kind of dangerous chemical abortion pills that effectively killed Amber Thurman in 2022 — was made possible in part by the funding of donors.

The Satanic Temple has been chasing after donations of $66.60 for its burgeoning abortion enterprise.

"As abortion rights continue to be a central issue in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, we remain steadfast in our mission to expand access and protect bodily autonomy," the radical group noted in a release. "We will not stop until we have made a lasting difference."

Helping American women abort their children is not the Satanic Temple's only preoccupation, although it has certainly made a habit of challenging pro-life legislation.

The radical group has also distributed satanic literature to children; publicly performed "unbaptisms"; held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra; promoted euthanasia and pornography; and erected demon statues on government property.

Blaze News' Kevin Ryan recently noted that despite its members' denial, the Satanic Temple's "devotion to Satan — a mythological character, they say — is unmistakable."

"If they were truly godless, they wouldn't fixate so obsessively on Christianity. The Satanic Temple's ultimate goal is to undermine Christ's kingdom," wrote Ryan.

"The Satanic Temple and other movements that promote abortion rights in the name of autonomy are in fact beholden to an anti-freedom," added Ryan. "Christians know that Satan cannot create life — he only destroys. He may offer seductive ideas cloaked in equality or liberty, but his goal is always to eradicate the value of human life, which stands at the core of God's creation."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Satanists worship Satan for real, whether they believe it or not



Why does the media support satanic abortions?

The Economist is the latest outlet to celebrate Satanism and its nomination of abortion as a sacred rite. Like so many others, the article profiles the Satanic Temple's founder with a tone of reverence. The Washington Post indulges in similar coverage, exploring everything from its "revolutionary roots" to a live-blogged abortion, as though this were just another milestone in progressive politics.

Perhaps the most absurd claim from the Temple is that adherents don't 'really' believe in Satan. But how does an avowed satanist engage in satanic rituals without acknowledging Satan?

PolitiFact, part of Poynter's "fact-checking" empire, once again joins in with a fluff piece disguised as objective reporting. Over and over, media outlets portray the Satanic Temple as a champion of religious freedom and abortion rights.

Its telehealth service offers medication and "abortion care," which the press portrays as some bold exercise of liberty. Meanwhile, more honest sources see it for what it is: open antagonism toward Christian values, dressed up as mischievous rebellion.

The Economist claims the Satanic Temple is battling "Christian encroachment" in public life, while the Atlantic frames the movement as a "satanic rebellion," comparing it to Satan’s original fall from grace.

This is the language of warfare.

The Guardian applauds the Temple's "fight against the religious right.” Vice literally frames the issue as “Satanists v. Republicans.” In doing so, the outlets establish the actual dichotomy at play: In their fight against Republicans and Christianity, Democrats ally with Satan.

Devil in a blue dress

LGBTQ+ rights and the Satanic Temple go hand in hand, with the anti-religion placing Black Lives Matter and “social justice” at the forefront of its activism.

Adherents are pro-vaccine in the name of "science," one of their sacred idols. They protest Christian monuments like the Ten Commandments, often leaving satanic sculptures in their place, as if to mock traditional values.

They’ve even used loopholes to infiltrate public schools, supposedly to expose the overlap of church and state. But what exactly does that mean in the context of their anti-religious ideology?

The Satanic Temple’s stated mission includes a tenet about adhering to "scientific understanding."

It sounds reasonable, until you see its “scientific” understanding at work. Adherents are too selective in their data, too fantastical in their logic, too elusive in their methods, too uneven in their irony, too bitter in their discourse. Under these conditions, politics is merely a tool of the deceiver.

Ironic worship?

Perhaps the most absurd claim from the Temple is that adherents don't “really” believe in Satan. The Atlantic smugly informs readers of this point. But how does an avowed satanist engage in satanic rituals without acknowledging Satan?

They claim to be atheists or “non-theistic,” but their devotion to Satan — a mythological character, they say — is unmistakable. They hold religious services and rituals, and they pray, or a version of prayer. They also enjoy “satanic picnics, and the occasional orgy.”

If they were truly godless, they wouldn’t fixate so obsessively on Christianity. The Satanic Temple’s ultimate goal is to undermine Christ’s kingdom.

Adherents' true aim is secularism — a complete dismantling of Christianity, with abortion as their sacrament. They twist the literary and biblical Satan into a rebellious hero, ignoring the fact that this figure has always represented rebellion against God, the very source of life.

Because the Satanic Temple's assault is more than just political theater: It’s yet another reminder that Satan’s domain thrives on lies and deception. Followers of Satan have no problem with falsehoods. You won’t find any mention of “truth” in their screeds about “scientific understanding.”

As Paul writes in Ephesians, Christians must “put away falsehood" and speak truthfully. While Satan sows division and death, Christians must stand firm in the belief that truth, rooted in God, will ultimately set us free.

Exceptions for radicals

Satanism serves as a leftist parody of religion, thriving on mockery and inversion. Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" is their playbook. Alinsky dedicated his work to Satan, the "original rebel."

Rule 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”

This schtick is distinctly, well, satanic. Make it seem like “trolling,” a kind of political mockery. NPR even declared: “When they write the bible on the great trolls of history, the Satanic Temple should be on the cover.”

The media typically admire that satanists take ridicule to unprecedented heights, even gaining tax-exempt status and providing an official app available in Apple and Google app stores.

Or how the Satanic Temple is headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, site of the Salem witch trials. The building includes an eight-foot statue of Baphomet, an early representation of Satan — the horned, goat-hoofed, angel-winged idol worshiped by pagans.

Ha ha ha … good one.

Ritual sacrifice

Their ridicule lacks all dignity and humor. Satanists twist everything upside down.

Their rituals mock Christianity; their philosophy contradicts the sacred. They hate not just Christians but Christ Himself. In place of faith, they celebrate pornography, euthanasia, and debauchery.

Their liturgical life is a parody of Catholicism. They “unbaptize,” they pray in reverse, they perform black masses. It’s all a perverse reflection of Christian worship, ending not with communion but with the sacrifice of the unborn, a deliberate inversion of birth.

It’s a strategy similar to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who mocked the Christian faith with impunity and were celebrated by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Satanism’s only true “creed” is opposition. Its rituals are empty negations of Christian practices, its activism a hollow rejection of God’s law.

Defend us in battle

The Satanic Temple and other movements that promote abortion rights in the name of autonomy are in fact beholden to an anti-freedom.

Christians know that Satan cannot create life — he only destroys. He may offer seductive ideas cloaked in equality or liberty, but his goal is always to eradicate the value of human life, which stands at the core of God’s creation.

Scripture tells us that Satan "was a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44), and his mission has never changed. His followers don’t realize that their master is a horrible accomplice; just ask Judas. Paul’s warning in 2 Corinthians is especially relevant here: Satan has “blinded the minds of the unbelievers,” keeping them from seeing the light of Christ.

But despite the satanists' chaos and noise, the Christian message is simple but profound: Love and life, rooted in God’s truth, will always triumph over the forces of chaos and death. Satan offers nothing but division and death. Christ offers redemption and love.

Judge upholds hate crime charges against Navy veteran who toppled satanic statue — but a jury will have the final word



A Christian Navy veteran toppled a satanic statue at the Iowa Capitol just before Christmas. A Democratic prosecutor subsequently slapped him with hate crime charges. This week, a judge ensured that the charges would stick.

While the Satanic Temple and the Democratic prosecutor might like to see Michael Cassidy ultimately locked up, his fate will be determined by a jury — a jury likely to contain at least a handful of sympathetic, God-fearing Americans.

"We believe that the jury will have the opportunity to consider all of the facts in this case, including Mr. Cassidy's military service and motivation," Davis Younts, Cassidy's lawyer, told Blaze News. "He was compelled by his faith to act to protect others."

'Enemy of humanity'

The Satanic Temple is an anti-Christian leftist organization that has performed public "unbaptisms"; advocated for mothers to kill their unborn babies by way of its "religious abortion ritual"; agitated to prevent chaplaincy in Florida schools; disseminated satanic literature to kids; held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra; and pushed the LGBT agenda.

In recent years, the ST has also erected multiple demonic statutes across the country on public property. Ahead of Christmas 2023, the Satanic Temple raised one such statue — a ram-headed Baphomet statue holding a red pentacle — along with a satanic altar on the first floor of the Iowa Capitol.

We have reached the point where our Capitols are removing Jefferson while monuments to Satan are erected.\n\nRealize where we are.
— (@)

There was plenty of impotent rage in the face of the seemingly intentional Christmastime affront to both Christians and Muslims. After all, Blaze News previously reported that Baphomet possibly originated as a slight against the Muslim faith.

UCLA professor Zrinka Stahuljak indicated "Baphomet" was originally a French corruption of the name Mohamed. British historian Peter Partner suggested further that the Knights Templar, who reclaimed territory previously occupied by Islamic forces, were accused by inquisitors of worshiping Baphomet as part of what was likely a 14th-century smear.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) called the demonic altar "objectionable" but encouraged critics to engage in prayer at the state Capitol.

State Rep. Jon Dunwell (R), a Christian pastor, outlined why this was the optimal response, noting that the Satanic Temple successfully "petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification."

Lucien Greaves, co-founder of the ST, noted, "I would hope that even people who disagree with the symbolism behind our values, whether they know what those values [are] or not, would at least appreciate that it's certainly a greater evil to allow the government to pick and choose between forms of religious expression."

Younts, Cassidy's lawyer, told Blaze News, "The reality is that the Satanic Temple of Iowa chose a symbol of hatred, lies, death, and destruction in an effort to mock religious displays during the Christmas season. It would have been reasonable and appropriate for the State of Iowa to deny their application, the same way we would hope an application to display obscene material or a statue honoring Adolf Hitler would be denied."

"The idol was displayed as either a sincere attempt to worship Satan, the enemy of humanity, and promote lies, death, and destruction, or it was placed in an intentional effort to show hatred for and mock the Christian faith and traditional American values," added Younts.

Baphomet takes a tumble

After liking a post by Blaze News columnist Auron MacIntyre, which said, "Periodic reminder that the religious right were correct about everything," Cassidy, of Lauderdale, Mississippi, entered the Iowa Capitol on Dec. 14, 2023, and decapitated the Baphomet statue.

"I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged. My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted," Cassidy, a former F/A-18 Hornet pilot who served on the USS George Washington, said in an interview with the Sentinel.

"The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment," Cassidy continued. "Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water."

Cassidy was originally charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. However, Polk County Democratic Attorney Kimberly Graham's office enhanced the charge to third-degree criminal mischief on the basis of Cassidy's statements both to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property due to its anti-Christian nature — or what prosecutors referred to as "the victim's religion."

The Sentinel suggested that Graham, a failed U.S. Senate candidate, might have a bias against conservatives, highlighting the $300,000 of in-kind campaign support she reportedly received from the George Soros-funded Justice and Public Safety PAC.

Cassidy's legal team, which similarly suspects the charging decision was the result of anti-conservative bias, recently attempted to axe the hate crime charges. However, on Tuesday, an Iowa judge denied the motion.

Younts told Blaze News, "The judge ruled against our motion to dismiss even though the DA's office could not produce a single example in Iowa or across the United States where a similar statute had been used to justify charging a hate crime where the 'victim' was an organization rather than an individual."

Jury selection is expected to begin Monday. Cassidy reportedly faces as many as five years in prison.

"Our message is simple — America was founded by men and women whose primary source for the Constitution and our system of government was the Bible and traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs," said Younts. "Because of the religious beliefs and influences of our founders, America has experienced a profound history of religious freedom and prosperity. Our society will continue to collapse into chaos and tyranny if we abandon those beliefs and biblical principles that made our nation possible."


Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

'Not a religion': DeSantis outrages the Satanic Temple with pledge about new school chaplain program



The Satanic Temple is outraged that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) doesn't want satanists to counsel students in the Sunshine State.

Last week, DeSantis signed a new law allowing school districts and charter schools to invite chaplains into schools "to provide support, services, and programs to students." More than a dozen states now offer similar school programs, which have become necessary amid an epidemic of students facing mental health challenges.

But at a press conference on Thursday, DeSantis said satanists need not apply.

"Now some have said if you do a school chaplain program that somehow you're going to have satanists running around in all our schools. We're not playing those games in Florida. That is not a religion," he said. "That is not qualifying to be able to participate in this. We're going to be using common sense when it comes to this, so you don't have to worry about that."

— (@)

Despite claiming not to worship satan, the Satanic Temple — which is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt church — took offense to DeSantis' pledge.

Lucien Greaves, co-founder of TST, said:

Despite DeSantis's contempt for religious liberty, the Constitution guarantees our equal treatment under the law, and DeSantis is not at liberty to amend the Constitution by fiat, at whim. He just invited Satanic chaplains into public schools, whether he likes it or not.

Greaves, moreover, accused DeSantis of "engaging in empty grandstanding with a complete disregard for the intelligence of the people of Florida." Greaves is challenging DeSantis to a public debate on the issue.

But will satanists serve as 'chaplains' in schools?

Probably not.

First, the program is completely voluntary, both for school districts and parents. Satanic "chaplains" are not going to waltz into schools and start offering their "counseling."

Second, the law requires "parental consent before a student participates in or receives supports, services, and programs provided by a volunteer school chaplain."

Part of the consent process includes parents selecting a volunteer school chaplain from a list that each school district provides parents. That list must include the chaplain's religious affiliation. How many parents would actually select a satanic chaplain to help their student? The answer is likely zero.

Still, the law does not prohibit satanic chaplains or chaplains of any religious affiliation from volunteering for the program. Chaplains simply need to meet background screening requirements before being allowed to volunteer their services.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Firebomb was launched at the ​Satanic Temple in Salem. Cofounder says it was a 'horrific act of attempted terrorism.'



The Satanic Temple in Salem was reportedly struck by a firebomb in what one of the center's founders called a "horrific act of attempted terrorism." The same temple has also been targeted in the past.

The New York Post reported that an explosive device was launched at the three-story building around 4:15 a.m. Consequently, the Salem police are investigating the incident with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The authorities posted details of the incident to Facebook, saying: "No one was present in the building at the time and the device and damage it caused were not discovered until staff arrived at approximately 4:00 PM." The police have appealed to the community to bring forth relevant information about the attack.

The Satanic Temple's cofounder Lucien Greaves said that "it can't be overstated that this was definitely a horrific act of attempted terrorism and people could be hurt."

Following the attack, the building was searched for additional explosive devices by K-9s, according to CBS News.

"It is concerning, it is very concerning that now devices are being thrown because now it seems like it's escalating because for whatever reason people are actually taking it more serious," Cliff Alleyne said, who lives near the building.

"Every few months, bomb threats called, authorities come," Alleyne said. "And it just creates a lot of chaos for the residents because it's a busy street."

"I'm just annoyed that next door can't be left alone, they're nice people," Shawn Flynn said, another neighbor.

The most recent incident is not the first time the temple has been targeted. Earlier this year, a man from Michigan was arrested after being suspected of planning to bomb the temple.

In June 2022, the Post reported that a resident from Chelsea, Massachusetts, was charged after starting a fire at the temple, which burned the porch. No one was injured in the incident.

“People just have different religious perspectives and people should do what they can to live with that diversity,” Greaves said. “And they don’t have to resort to ridiculous actions like this.”

The temple was established in 2013. While those who attend the temple do not claim to believe in Satan, they describe themselves as a "non-theistic religious organization" that holds secularist views.

It is unclear if the authorities have arrested a suspect in the case.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Christian Navy veteran charged with hate crime for beheading demon statue at Iowa Capitol



Hundreds of statues of historical and religious significance have been toppled throughout the United States in recent years. Rather than stop the iconoclasts responsible, government officials have in many cases rewarded them — at least when they were not themselves directly responsible.

However, it became clear this week that the powers that be still hold some things sacred: abortion clinics and satanic idols.

Within hours of a federal court finding six more pro-life activists guilty of peacefully demonstrating inside an infamous late-term abortion clinic, Christian Navy veteran Michael Cassidy was charged with a hate crime Tuesday for toppling a satanic statute last year at the Iowa Capitol.

The Polk County Attorney's Office indicated that Cassidy's admission that he "destroyed the property because of the victim's religion" prompted the decision to increase Cassidy's previous misdemeanor charge to a class D felony.

What's the background?

The Satanic Temple is an anti-Christian leftist group that has distributed satanic literature to kids; championed the LGBT agenda; worked ardently to ensure that mothers can have their unborn babies legally killed by way of their "religious abortion ritual"; performed public "unbaptisms"; erected multiple statues of demons on public property; and held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra.

Blaze News previously reported that weeks ahead of Christmas, the Satanic Temple installed a demonic altar on the first floor of the Iowa Capitol along with caped figure of what appeared to be a ram-headed Baphomet holding a red pentacle.

Baphomet has long been associated with devil worship and the occult; however, it appears to have originated as a slight against the Muslim faith.

UCLA professor Zrinka Stahuljak indicated "Baphomet" was originally a French corruption of the name Mohamed. British historian Peter Partner suggested further that the Knights Templar, who successfully reclaimed territory previously occupied by Islamic forces, were accused by inquisitors of worshiping Baphomet as part of what appears to have been a 14th-century smear.

Lucien Greaves, the co-founder of the Satanic Temple, claimed the demon statue was not intended to be insulting despite its anti-Islamic significance and the installation's exhibition of the anti-Christian group's "seven fundamental tenets," including "the freedom to offend."

— (@)

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) faced significant pressure to have the statue taken down. While Reynolds acknowledged the demonic altar was "objectionable," she invited critics to join her in prayer at the state Capitol rather than in destruction.

State Rep. Jon Dunwell (R), a Christian pastor, outlined why this was the optimal response, noting that the Satanic Temple successfully "petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification."

Dunwell said the display "glorifies the evil influence we oppose" but was nevertheless lawful.

Satanic Temple co-founder Greaves stated, "I would hope that even people who disagree with the symbolism behind our values, whether they know what those values [are] or not, would at least appreciate that it's certainly a greater evil to allow the government to pick and choose between forms of religious expression."

Beheading Baphomet

Although a prayerful man, Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale, Mississippi, apparently figured it wouldn't hurt to also smash the demonic display.

After liking a post by Blaze News columnist Auron MacIntyre, which stated, "Periodic reminder that the religious right were correct about everything," Cassidy marched into the Iowa Capitol on Dec. 14, 2023, and decapitated the Baphomet statue.

Adding insult to symbolic injury, he tossed the ram head into a garbage can.

"I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged. My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted," Cassidy said in an interview with the Sentinel.

— (@)

Cassidy, a former F/A-18 Hornet pilot who served on the USS George Washington, turned himself in to police following the beheading without incident. He was subsequently charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

"The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment," Cassidy told the Sentinel. "Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water."

The Satanic Temple Iowa said in a statement, "This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair. ... [J]ustice is being pursued the correct way, through legal means. Solve et Coagula! Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!"

No good deed goes unpunished

The Polk County Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that on the basis of Cassidy's statements both to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property due to its anti-Christian nature — or what prosecutors referred to as "the victim's religion" — they had enhanced his original charge to "third-degree criminal mischief in violation of individual rights, a class D felony, according to Iowa Code Section 729A.2."

The attorney's office indicated that the cost to replace or repair the demonic installation was between $750 and $1,500.

The Des Moines Register indicated the radical group alternatively estimated the cost of replacing the statue was $3,000.

The attorney's office also underscored that prosecutors seek "fair and just resolutions of all cases, as we continue to apply the law equally to all, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, or economic status."

Casidy faces arraignment on Feb. 15. He has raised over $85,700 for his legal defense so far.

The Register noted that the Navy veteran's attorney, Sara Pasquale, declined Tuesday to comment on the new charge.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Iowa Demon Decapitation Is More About Righteous Anger Than Religious Liberty

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-15-at-1.40.41 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-15-at-1.40.41%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]Michael Cassidy made waves by actually doing what thousands and thousands of Americans have felt like doing for a very long time.