Would you be interested in joining an organization that promotes equality, rejects tyranny and advocates practical ethical values?

A few months ago I felt lost. It seemed like all I saw were twitter battles and fake news on facebook. The left was a little too sensitive and the right was too religious. I didn’t really think any group encompassed what I believed.

I scoured the internet in search of a group that disseminated values similar to my own. I was never able to find a group that was entirely in line with my thinking, but one came pretty close.

It didn’t take me long to find a group that preached benevolence and equality as its core virtue. They are liberal political activists who oppose the increasing influence of the religious right in American politics. I was intrigued. Amidst their dark exterior, their cheery message glimmered like a beacon of light. The group of polite, eloquent activists was welcoming enough. Membership to their online community was free and relatively seamless–all they needed from me was my full name and email.

If you like what you’re hearing, consider joining The Satanic Temple.

Not devil worshippers, the group uses Satanic imagery to emphasize egalitarianism, social justice, and the separation of church and state. The extra publicity doesn’t hurt either.

They came about to combat the rise of theocratic efforts in American politics and evangelical nationalism that has the potential for extremism.

Here are the Seven Tenents members live by:

1. One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all creatures in accordance with reason.  
2. The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
3. One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.  
4. 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.  
5. Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.  
6. People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and remediate any harm that may have been caused.  
7. 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  

Junior Andrew Patashnik decided to join the organization earlier this year. When I asked him why he joined, he said “I was flabbergasted by the fact that it was a real thing. The principles of their ‘satanic’ organization were liberal, progressive ideals, and I just had to learn more.”