Last time Lucien Greaves found himself in hot water over a photograph, he had his private parts on display. In July 2013, Greaves gained widespread media attention for placing his scrotum on the gravestone of the Reverend Fred Phelps’s mother as a protesting gesture against the homophobia of the Westboro Baptist Church. The church was notorious for picketing soldiers’ funerals and spreading hateful messages towards the LGBTQ+ community. Greaves retaliated by claiming to have performed a “Pink Mass” that would turn Phelps’s mother gay in the afterlife.
This stunt was a prime example of Greaves’ and the Satanic Temple’s approach to confronting and challenging Christianity’s privileged status in American society. Think of the Satanic Temple as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) with a twist, using provocative acts, like Greaves’ photograph, along with strategic lawsuits to address the inequalities they perceive in public life. Greaves himself stands out with his charismatic and witty presence. He is usually dressed in black, occasionally donning a bulletproof vest and sunglasses. His name, or rather his pseudonym (Doug being his real name), has been featured on Fox News headlines, legal documents, and envelopes containing death threats. For the past decade, he has been a master of calculated provocation. However, in recent times, it has been his own followers who have been offended by his actions.
In June of this year, Greaves found himself embroiled in controversy yet again when he posed for a photograph in front of a statue of Baphomet at the Satanic Temple’s headquarters in Salem, Massachusetts. The problem wasn’t the nine-foot bronze monument itself, adorned with rainbow balloons in honor of Pride month, and featuring children gazing adoringly at the occult goat deity. Nor was it Greaves’ attire, as he was fully clothed this time. The issue arose from the person standing beside him in the photo, David Silverman, a former president of American Atheists. Silverman had been expelled from American Atheists a few years prior due to allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied. He had also faced criticism for his stance on transgender rights. Despite this, he expressed gratitude for Greaves’ activism in a tweet accompanying the photo, which drew instant division within the radical atheist community. Some Satanic Temple members objected to their leader posing with Silverman, accusing him of being an outsider with hateful and anti-trans views.
Silverman explained via email that people were quick to judge him and assumed he held negative beliefs without any understanding of the situation. Greaves shrugged off the backlash, downplaying his relationship with Silverman and stating that he couldn’t vet everyone who wanted a photo with him.
The discontent with Greaves’ response quickly escalated into a dramatic split within the Satanic Temple. The British congregation announced their unanimous decision to leave, rebranding themselves as Satanists in the Wilderness. In the United States, the Temple’s Sober Faction, which provided alternative sobriety programs for individuals who disliked the religious structure of Alcoholics Anonymous, also strongly objected to the photo. The faction’s Intersectionality and Diversity Outreach Legion held a Molotov Mocktails event on Zoom to voice the concerns of transgender and nonbinary Satanists. Some speakers argued that the photograph had caused harm and criticized Greaves for his sarcastic response, which they believed demonstrated a lack of allyship. Eventually, the Sober Faction also splintered off, denouncing the Temple’s leadership and the purported patriarchal, white supremacist structure.
Even some members who remained within the Temple expressed their discontent publicly. A group letter, signed by approximately 120 individuals, including chapter heads from various locations, was sent as a call for open dialogue and growth rather than a call-out. This revolt within the Satanic Temple mirrored similar instances in charities, museums, theaters, and political organizations, where evolving ideas of harm and managing discord within the rank-and-file have led to social justice controversies.
The most crucial aspect to understand about the Satanic Temple is that its members do not genuinely believe in Satan. They are atheists, and if they hold reverence for anything, it’s the establishment clause of the United States Constitution, which prohibits the establishment of a state religion. They adopted Satan as their symbol because of his representation as the ultimate revolutionary in Christian tradition; the fallen angel from Paradise Lost who would rather reign in hell than serve in heaven.
Initially starting in 2013 as a politically-driven performance art group, the Satanic Temple has transformed into a complete nontheistic religion under the leadership of Greaves and co-founder Malcolm Jarry. With a following of 260,000 on Facebook, an HR department known as the “Suryan Council,” and a merchandise store selling branded items like hoodies and hot sauce, the organization, ironically, now claims tax-exempt status as a church or association of churches.
Many Temple members hide their true identity due to the threats and hate mail the organization receives. Greaves and Jarry maintain a deliberate air of mystery around their personal lives. Reports indicate that Jarry grew up in New York State and has produced documentary films under his legal name. However, even in the 2019 documentary Hail Satan?, which explores the Temple, Jarry refuses to reveal his face. Greaves, on the other hand, is in his 40s, hailing from Detroit, and has used multiple surnames in the past. Their caution in protecting their identities is not without reason. In 2022, an individual wearing a GOD T-shirt attempted to set fire to the Salem building using lighter fluid. However, the secrecy surrounding their identities also contributes to the Temple’s allure, appealing to those who desire a rebellious and enigmatic persona. As showcased in Hail Satan?, one individual introducing himself before a protest in Arkansas says, “I’m Jeremy—Skullcrusher when we’re using pseudonyms.”
According to Joseph Laycock’s book Speak of the Devil, which provides a history of the Satanic Temple, Greaves and Jarry grew up during the “Satanic panic” era when sensationalized stories of child sacrifice and blood-drinking rituals spread across America. They claim to have met at a Harvard event in 2012 and developed a bond over their shared experiences of attending public schools. As young adults, they witnessed the establishment of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives by George W. Bush, which allocated federal funds to religious philanthropy. Jarry recalls thinking, “They wouldn’t allow a Satanic organization to take advantage of this.”
This realization set the foundation for the Satanic Temple’s activism. They have advocated for Satanic prayers in classrooms and public meetings, established after-school programs, and argued that abortion falls within the realm of Satanic religious rituals and should be exempt from bans and restrictions. Whenever a state proposes erecting a monument of the Ten Commandments on government property, the Satanic Temple intervenes with their Baphomet statue, demanding equal treatment. Otherwise, the statue resides at the Temple’s Salem headquarters, where visitors like Silverman often choose to have their photos taken.
Who joins the Satanic Temple? According to a casual survey by Laycock, the membership leans towards those of Caucasian descent. Although the founders are straight men, the organization appears to have a balanced gender representation and includes individuals from diverse backgrounds.
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