These 7 Satanic Religions Are Both Fascinating And A Little Bit Creepy
Satanism, like any other religion, is divided into many different sects. Here are a few of the more influential ones.
Might seem like a bit of a misnomer, but the Satanic Temple doesn't actually worship Satan as a deity. It's a religion that finds its roots based in empathy, justice, and caring for your fellow man, and its followers emphasize science over belief in mythology. The members of the Satanic Temple use Satan as a symbol of rebelliousness and anti-authoritarianism, and abide by a desire for personal fulfillment through knowledge. They see this as antithetical to Christian-based religions–thus, "Satanic."
Though the name would suggest a worship of demons, those who follow Demonolatry see them more as co-workers who help with the practice of magic and rituals. Demonolatry is not exclusively associated with Satanism, though Satan is one of the possible demons to worship.
The Temple of Set began as an offshoot of the Church of Satan. Set is essentially the Egyptian anti-god; he was depicted as the deity of darkness and violence in Egyptian mythology and the enemy of all other gods. Like other Satanists, Setians, at their core beliefs, value self-improvement over all other motives for living. In their creed, Setians believe it is possible to self-improve all the way to a divine state.
Anti-Cosmic Satanists believe, essentially, in two separate "realities." One "reality" is essentially an illusion of order created by God, made to place restrictions such as time and flesh upon humans. The other "reality" is one of utter chaos that is ruled by Satan and not bound by such restrictions.
Members of the Cult of Cthulhu follow the namesake character created by H.P. Lovecraft–though perhaps not literally. They, like other Satanist sects, believe there are two versions of reality. One is termed "Generally Accepted Reality." Cthulhu-ites believe this is an illusion, and that true reality lies beyond the peripherals of what all others believe to be true. They believe in the reality of chaos that existed when the "dark ones" presided over the universe.
Luciferians, like members of the Satanic Temple, regard Lucifer as a symbol and do not directly worship him. They also see Lucifer (translated as "light-bringer") as separate from the popular notion of Satan. Luciferians emphasize personal morality and responsibility, rather than seeing themselves responsible to God or some other external being.
As the name would suggest, Christian-based Duotheists believe in two–or dual–gods. They accept that the Christian God exists, and that he is opposed by Satan in eternal war. These Satanists believe (or at least very strongly hope) that Satan will ultimately defeat God in this war, though on their website they fully acknowledge that God could win, and encourage all of their followers to be prepared for eternal torture in the event of God's victory.