Tenets of the The Satanic Temple

I hate to push my particular beliefs, but this post is going to be dedicated to tenets of The Satanic Temple and what they mean to me. I've only recently began to describe myself as a Satanist, specifically a non-theistic and rationalistic Satanist. That's why I've aligned myself with TST. I'm not religious at all, and while I would say agnostic to appease myself, I do find it really hard to believe there's a higher power when most things can be blamed on the universe, karma and coincidence. So there's something incredibly appealing about the idea of holding a faith in something which in essence comes down to me alone, and my behaviour and interactions with the world. And I know, it could be done without claiming myself a part of a wider organisation. But there's something to be said about feeling like you're in a group, that you can back up your beliefs and ultimately, can be held accountable for your actions. You can lose weight without joining a group (though you definitely shouldn't feel pressured to do this, your body is worthy the way it is), you can practice improv without having people to riff of of (maybe...) but it's the perceived accountability which makes certain group activities appealing, and it was the same for a 'religion' for me.

I've always envied those who had a strong faith. I long for definitive answers. I have an inherent NEED to know how things will pan out, what's going to happen to me and when. But I can't find that anywhere, and maybe, trying to live my life as best as I see fit is the ultimate goal in knowing how things will be. Expecting a kindness by giving a kindness. And Satanism, contrary to popular belief, is all about kindness and equality. More so than any other religion I've studied. And I know it seems like such an edgelord statement, one that I am afraid to admit to people still. But I am a Satanist.

TST Satanism doesn't believe in a deity, it's specifically non-theistic. We don't believe in Satan or God. We don't believe, as a rule, about the paranormal. We don't believe in, and therefor do not practice, rituals and the power of magick. Though members are encouraged to express themselves however they see fit, and to believe in whatever they want, these aren't steadfast rules of this particular branch of Satanism. And while the symbol Baphomet has been adopted by TST, it's not something which holds any significance in the real realm we are living in. The only thing Satanists under the TST should do, is live by and practice the seven fundamental tenets.

I've been thinking about the tenets for a while, and originally found them appealing as they aligned with my already strong, and very liberal, stances and beliefs. I'll go over each of the tenets and what I believe them to command and how they should be practiced.

Tenet 1

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

I am an empathetic person, to a fault most of the time. I can find sympathies with everyone, regardless of who they are, what they've done, or what they think. I don't think that is a particularly bad thing and I'm glad to think of myself as someone who can be in the corner of a person who needs it most. I take this to fit in with this first tenet.

However, by adding "within reason" it makes me feel more comfortable about setting my own boundaries around empathy. It makes me feel more justified, for want of a better word, for eating meat, which I do. It's a nice way to look at my overly sympathetic behaviours and think "is this within reason?" or "does this warrant my empathy?" and even "do I have empathy to spare right now?" and it's good to practice this.

Tenet 2

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

I'm not a hugely outspoken person, mostly down to my anxiety disorder. I would never feel like I had a right to be at a protest, celebration or gathering. But I speak up at injustices as best as I can and I try my best to force myself to learn and unlearn certain behaviours each day. I don't want to go all wooeewoo, but some conspiracy leanings around the government and law enforcement scare me because I believe them to be true. There's no one to stop those in charge when they become corrupt. And so, we must fight for our justice regardless of laws put in place to stop us from achieving it.

I really love the words ongoing and necessary in conjunction to the concept of justice. It's a nice reminder of those who have fought, those who are fighting and those who will continue to pursue it.

Tenet 3

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

Abortion, birth control, weight loss, weight gain, the importance of consent, self-love and freedom of expression. It's your body, and no one else can tell you what to do with it.

Tenet 4

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

This is the only one I struggle with a little bit. I enjoy my personal beliefs and morals being made fun of a little bit. I try not to take myself too seriously. However, a lot of people I know and love are not like this, and so I take it upon myself not to offend or to discuss offensive content around them. Along with this, I'm a huge PC supporter, so this kind of contradicts this maybe.

I will take this tenet into practice by not encroaching on someone's freedom of speech provided that speech isn't hate filled. I will also support anyone's freedom to act any way they choose, provided these actions do not hurt any others.

Tenet 5

"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."

A nice way to say that nothing is more truthful than that which we can physically observe or backup with proof. It's really important to put scientific proof and research before personal beliefs. I've never really though against science before so this is just somethign I've always lived by.

Tenet 6

"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."

I believe most human beings are capable of reform, and are therefor deserving of some form of forgiveness. I would extend this to even the most hated of our society. Punishment is necessary, and laws are there for a reason. However, I think everyone deserves a second chance to prove themselves worthy of living and existing.

And on a smaller scale, I would take this to mean 'don't beat yourself up'. We make mistakes, and as long as we can look back on them, either straight away or down the line, and recognise what we did and try our best to make up for it, then we should be able to put it behind us and move on. Our transgressions are not what defines us.

Tenet 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."

I take this to mean "actions speak louder than words" and that my knowledge and ability to recite these tenets pales in comparison to me putting them into practice in order to make my share of the world a kinder space.