Beliefs
Most modern self-identified Satanists are atheists, meaning they don't believe in any devils, gods, or other supernatural beings. Non-theistic Satanism doesn't recognize a literal Satan, rather it honors the archetypal traits of the literary Satan character often depicted in works such as The Revolt of the Angels by Anatole France or Paradise Lost by John Milton. This portrayal of Satan encourages humankind to question the word of God, defy his arbitrary rules, think for themselves, act with empathy and compassion for one another, and indulge in the physical and material pleasures of life rather than deny such vices for fear of not entering Heaven.
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We are not anti-Christian (or anti-any-other-religion), nor are we satirists, "edgy atheists", activists, the black t-shirt club, or whatever other dismissive labels one might ascribe to our religion. We are a non-theistic religious group first and foremost. We believe no arbitrary religious or "moral" authority has the right to dictate what a person does with their own body, nor do they have the right to dictate what two or more consenting adults do with each other.
History
Modern Satanism was codified primarily by Anton LaVey in The Satanic Bible and was dominated by his organization, the Church of Satan (CoS), for decades. During this time, many splinter groups broke off to start their own paths, and many members within CoS developed new communities around Satanism which extend beyond CoS and the philosophy defined by LaVey's books. In the last 10-15 years, Satanism has experienced a new revival of growth and evolution with the rise of other prominent Satanic groups which have either modernized LaVey's movement or carved a new path for conventional Satanic thought.
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The Satanic Temple (TST) began with the collaboration of Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jarry in 2012 and the official formation of TST in 2013. Over the subsequent years, TST launched a number of campaigns promoting religious pluralism, rationality, and justice around the country. This movement soon spread beyond the borders of the United States and into other communities around the world.
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The first chapters formed in 2014, followed by an explosion of growth since then. In 2021, TST reorganized its entire internal structure and shifted chapters into congregations, among many other significant changes. The Satanic Temple has been consistently growing, evolving, and reorganizing itself into bigger and better iterations ever since its formation and it shows no signs of slowing down in the future.
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In 2017, a local community of like-minded Satanists and other freethinkers was formed in Western New York, fittingly called Western New York Satanists (WNYS). This group, while not directly affiliated with any single organization, was heavily influenced by TST in its mission, values, and operational structure. Eventually in 2019, it was decided that the group should pursue chapterhood with TST and its organizing efforts were spun off into a new group, Friends of The Satanic Temple - Western New York (FOTSTWNY).
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The WNYS community migrated to FOTSTWNY and continued to grow and evolve for several years, before finally becoming an official congregation of TST in 2022. We look confidently to the future, while reflecting proudly on the journey that led us to this point, as we enter our next phase of existence as The Satanic Temple - Western New York (TSTWNY).
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We invite you to follow us, or even join us, as we forge our path ahead. Hail Satan!