The Satanic Temple

Western New York

Congregation

About Us

The Satanic Temple - Western New York (TSTWNY) is a local congregation of The Satanic Temple in the Western NY region. Our membership represents Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Finger Lakes, the Southern Tier, and everywhere else in-between. We are the only congregation in the area that is officially recognized by The Satanic Temple.

We are a group of non-theistic Satanists (read: we don't believe in Satan or any supernatural beings) who gather to exercise our religious beliefs, give back to our communities, stand up for pluralistic religious freedom, challenge unjust laws and institutions, and grow our congregation fellowship through a variety of social, educational, and religious functions.

...And we're just getting started.

What We Believe

The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits.

The Seven Tenets

I
One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.

II
The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.

III
One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.

IV
The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.

V
Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.

VI
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.

VII
Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.