It's important to understand that there are distinct groups of satanists that believe and behave in different ways. Just a friendly FYI, both Church of Satan and Temple Satanists tend to get offended when you lump them all together and they generally go out of their way to point out that Church of Satan and Satanic Temple are different organizations with different approaches to politics.

The satanists who are often in the news fighting for Church/State separation are part of the Satanic Temple (founded in 2012 ish). They follow 7 tenants which encourage benevolence, reason, science, taking personal responsibility and egalitarian values. They tend to believe that being an activist and being involved in politics is an important part of their beliefs and identity. These are the good eggs that you're likely to have pleasant interactions with online or in real life.

The Church of Satan (founded in 1966 by Anton LeVey) follows the 11 rules set out in the Satanic Bible. Their philosophy emphasizes "do what thou wilt", being an outsider elitist and basically, self worship over god worship or superstition. LaVeyan Satanists also tend to believe in Ayn Randian objectivism, social Darwinism and "might makes right" philosophy. The official church people claims to be "neutral" about politics, though lately they've been whinging on Twitter against anyone who identifies as a satanist and has left leaning politics.

They've also started posting smear campaigns against the Satanic Temple on Twitter with fake "fact" sheets that are really just doxxing documents meant to personally attack the people who work in Temple. They do this because they are jealous of all the media attention the Temple gets, even though they pride themselves on being out of the spotlight. Try figuring that one out. shrugs

Both groups are atheistic (they don't worship or believe in a literal Satan), both use Satan as a metaphor/ symbol for rebelling against unjust theocratic authorities, both believe that rituals can have psychological benefits even if one does not believe in the supernatural and both promote science over supernaturalism (though since social darwinism isn't scientifically supported, I would argue the Temple does a better job of promoting actual science over debunked pseudo-science).

I personally prefer the Church of the Spaghetti Monster. If you're going to "believe" in something ludicrous, might as well go all out.

Satanists don’t believe in Satan as a deity. I think they mostly call themselves Satanists to piss off the god people.

I rather enjoy the way they stick it to the religutards. Their mere existence really pisses off the holy-rollers. I like them strictly for the entertainment value they provide.

My ex-wife used to say that she didn't believe in God but did believe in Satan. I tried to explain that if she believed there was a Satan then there had to be a God. Good & evil, positive & negative, etc. I don't believe in either.

I don't believe in Satan, but I like the Satanists.
Christians absolutely hate the Satanists so for that reason they're a good buffer between non-believers and Christians.
They like to demand that they get equal rights and equal space as Christians, and the bible thumpers don't like that.
They would rather take down their Ten Commandments monument than allow a Baphomet statue to be erected next to it.
The Christians back off of trying to get religion into public schools if the Satanists want their beliefs taught right alongside it.

I've brought this up in forums before, I'm not sure if I have here already, if so my apologies.

Way back in the 80s, I had a GF who was a LeVayan Satanist. She lived in a sort of commune - a huge house in Birmingham - with 9-10 others. Apart from one guy who was a complete dork, the others were about the nicest, kindest and most delightfully insane people you could hope to meet.
They don't believe in gods or devils as such and put no restrictions on each other. I considered joining but never did.

At first, I thought that this was just nonsense since I do accept any mythological creature as being reality. As I learned about the temple, I now really like them, although I have no personal experience with them or affiliation. They are categorized as a religion and therefore can demand to engage in and be given all of perks which violate the separation between state and church. They are fighting from within the definition of religion and I'm enjoying what they are doing. As an atheist, I can protest violations, but I can't claim to be part of a religion, nor do I want to do that.

From my understanding all these are masonic groups running against traditional masonic groups using king james bible. In essence a war of mythologies. I think its basically laughable to believe in supernatural beings as realities. Christians use the word Satan a lot more than any other word. In my view, the use of supernatural fictitious characters to justify a belief are just examples of analogous reasoning. But its funny that society is still at a level where people rely on fictitious entities to change each others behavior.

I would warn against this group about as much as any traditional religion. As the agenda is always political power and control of people. People know how to use beliefs as a tool to gain more support. In general, libertarianism has been around a long time without American political parties ruining it, or religious groups assigning some ideas to an imaginative figure.

A religion, a corporation, a government, etc is just a way to contain people into convenient social hierarchies for some people.

well as I neither believe in gods or devils I don't see the point except to piss off religious types.

I think the most attractive feature of any religion is a sense of community and belonging. The Satanists provide that probably abotu as well as any other religion. Outside of fiction, I've never heard of the Satanic Temple actually doing any harm to anyone.

I think a lot of its members are just people who don't like traditional religions and the Pastafarians (the church that has the Flying Spaghetti Monster as its god) r just too silly for them to be a part of.

Anyway, I thik the belief is secondary when a person joins a religion, the first priority is to find a sense of community and belonging.

"Thoughts on Satanism?"

Just as silly as Christianity except it attracts rebels rather than conformist types but both are just as reactive as each other - just in different ways.

"Satanism/The Church of Satan seems like a decent pseudo-religious group"

If they claim to believe Satan exists yes.

"(though I realize there are multiple with overlapping tenets)."

Are there? What? Worship perhaps? I don't 'get' worship & never have.

"From what I have read they use their classification as a religion to combat oppressive legislation & encourage values similar to what this website's guidelines are."

OK & I kind of 'get' that & I guess that much is useful but in that case are they really really Satanists or simply making a point instead?

"So I was just wondering if anyone had any additional thoughts/information, experience, etc."

My only thought is that if Satanists are trying to make Christians see atheism in a different light leave that job up to atheists not people who present themselves as people who believe in supernatural entities like Satan or whoever. I'm not entirely sure it helps us look for reasonable if we get associated with what I consider Satanists to be: attention seekers.

"Though I don't have a religious affiliation, I would consider joining them - The Satanic Temple specifically. Thanks!"

I wouldn't. I see it as a knee jerk reaction to Christianity & perhaps every bit as bad maybe worse. I really cannot take people like that seriously. I don't have the same feelings about authentic Pagans but again I don't support any supernaturalism in any shape or form because it's unwarranted & therefore potentially harmful too.

I wrote a blog on this recently: [theautarkist.wordpress.com]

Blennon has an in depth explanation here with all the political in and outs that covers Satanism very well. My take on it is much more simple.
Religious trolls might ask if I believe in Satan. My standard reply is "of course not" because I found god and the devil coming out of the same book.

I love the fact that they are using laws pushed by the Ivangelicals to attack anti-abortion laws and Ten Commandment signs.

Deities and demons are all pretend. Id suggest getting a productive hobby; play an instrument, volunteer at a school or nursing home, read Cosmology books, take art classes or just draw, tutor neighbor kids, walk neighbors' dogs .....etc.

I kind of like LeVeyan Satanism. As I understand it, it's basically a philosophy and code of conduct. I know a little about it, but haven't studied it much.

How many armies have gone to war in the name of God?
How many armies have gone to war in the name of Satan?

If I had the slightest notion that there was an actual Satan, I would run, not walk, to the nearest catholic church and dive into the baptismal font. And I don't see any better strategy for anyone acknowledging a Devil or a Satan or whatever. In my upcoming novel (WARNING: shameless self-promotion) SCAPEGOATS (Golden Fleece Press March 2018) I have a character who worked out materialist answers to Biblical phenomena but couldn't get it peer reviewed. Then Nick (the devil character) offers to get him published in exchange for his soul. So he converted to Catholicism.

It's like any other religion, used to control the masses, belief in any religion is loss of total freedom

I don't believe in anything that has any kind of religious context or tenets.

I will never commit myself to membership in an organization which believes in a non-existing being.Gree yourself from all of that crap -- including Satanism.

I would recommend joining the Church of Satan. The Satanic Temple shows up how ridiculous ALL religions are and is a good way to protest against Christianity and Islam who have the same imaginary god (Yawah and Allah) under diferent names.

The Satanic Temple is explicitly atheistic and from everything I've seen do great work. Most of what I'm aware of is them doing things to enforce the separation of church and state. Things like putting up 'satanic' displays next to nativity scenes on government land or going into schools and handing out secularist fliers if the school lets churches do it. Most often the schools or whatever will pull all religious things rather than let anything 'satanic' go up. Sometimes so quickly it's just funny.

ive never met a satanist that wasnt an atheist. there is a big difference between a satanist and a devil/satan worshipper. my understanding is in the old hebrew a satan is one who is in opposition. even the old testament gad is described as a satan once. so satanist have litterally named themselves as the opposition (to christianity and the other abrahamic faiths)