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117-594: The Satanic Temple ( TST ) is a non-theistic organization and new religious movement , founded in 2013 and headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts. Established in reaction to the "intrusion of Christian values on American politics", congregations have also formed in Australia , Canada , Finland , Germany , and the United Kingdom . Co-founded by Lucien Greaves , the organization's spokesperson, and Malcolm Jarry,

234-404: A Venus glase & an Egg" to learn "what trade their sweet harts should be of." The infamous Salem witch trials began in 1692, and 19 people were executed by hanging because of the false accusations; Giles Corey was pressed to death for refusing to plead innocent or guilty, thus avoiding the noose and instead dying an innocent man. Salem is also significant in legal history as the site of

351-462: A hot-summer humid continental climate (abbreviated Dfa ), or a hot-summer humid sub-tropical climate (abbreviated Cfa ), depending on the isotherm used. Throughout the colonial period and thereafter, Salem was one of the largest municipalities in the United States; as late as the 1820 census , Salem was ranked in the top ten cities in the country by population, and would not drop out of

468-479: A pilgrimage to Bladensburg, Maryland , to pay tribute to their fallen veterans. Chapters throughout the United States have erected various displays to appear adjacent to Christian Nativity scenes on public grounds. A display in the Florida State Capitol rotunda in 2014 featured an angel falling from the sky into a pit of flames, which was vandalized and then modified as a result. That same year

585-527: A serpent coiled around a woman's hand presenting an apple, and the message "Knowledge is the Greatest Gift" inscribed on the supporting pedestal; the same sculpture returned in 2019. The West Michigan chapter installed a Yule goat outside their state's capitol on the 2019 winter solstice . Following a pandemic hiatus on holiday displays in their State Capitol, the Illinois congregation announced

702-474: A Satanic monument intended to pay homage to veterans, was approved for installation on public grounds. Planned to be placed in a memorial park in Belle Plaine, Minnesota , next to an established religious statue of a soldier kneeling at a cross the monument faced opposition from local residents and external Christian groups. Subsequently, the city retracted its permission for the installation just days before

819-617: A display at the Michigan State Capitol featured the message "The Greatest Gift is Knowledge" and a depiction of a snake wrapped around a black Leviathan cross . Sponsored by the Detroit chapter, this "Snaketivity" display returned to Lansing capitol grounds in 2015, and again in 2016. The Chicago chapter updated "Snaketivity" as a sculpture for display in the Illinois State Capitol rotunda in 2018: with

936-765: A drugstore building marks the former site of the Korn Leather Factory, which burned in the fire. Coast Guard Air Station Salem was established on February 15, 1935, when the United States Coast Guard opened a new seaplane facility in Salem because there was no space to expand the Gloucester Air Station at Ten Pound Island . Coast Guard Air Station Salem was located on Winter Island , an extension of Salem Neck which juts out into Salem Harbor . Search and rescue , hunting for derelicts , and medical evacuations were

1053-514: A faith-based right. In 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , ending federal abortion rights and allowing individual states to regulate their own abortion laws. Following this, the Satanic Temple commented on Twitter that the organization was "the leading beacon of light in the battle for abortion access", and that "a religious exemption [from

1170-495: A felony and violation of "individual rights" under Iowa's hate crime law . Scottsdale City Council denied a 2016 request from the Satanic Temple's Arizona chapter to give an invocation at the Council meeting; denial was based on the grounds that only groups with "substantial connections to the community" are allowed (the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of Scottsdale was selected instead). The Satanic Temple maintains there

1287-408: A household in the city was $ 44,033, and the median income for a family was $ 55,635. Males had a median income of $ 38,563 versus $ 31,374 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 23,857. About 6.3% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over. The Pickman House , built c.  1664 , abuts

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1404-476: A medical clinic in New Mexico offering medication abortion . Operating under the name TST Health, the " Samuel Alito 's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic" will offer free medical consultations and prescribe abortion medication, delivered by mail. Guided by a Satanic Temple minister, patients participate in the abortion ritual, reciting tenets about bodily autonomy and the importance of science. On August 22, 2015,

1521-795: A multi-community area, thus laying the foundation for what became the Army National Guard . In 1637, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered the organization of the Colony's militia companies into the North, South and East Regiments. The colonists adopted the English militia system, which obligated men between the ages of 16 and 60 to own arms and take part in the community's defense. Each April,

1638-411: A new sculpture for the rotunda in celebration of Sol Invictus 2021: Baphomet as a newborn baby. Local Catholic bishop Thomas Paprocki declined an invitation to attend the installation of the statue, which took place December 20. Illinois congregants returned to the rotunda in 2022 with a crochet display of apples and the serpent of Genesis , paired with a book by Copernicus that had been banned by

1755-597: A nineteen-month voyage that was perhaps the first from the newly independent America to the East Indies . In 1795, Captain Jonathan Carnes set sail for Sumatra in the Malay Archipelago on his secret voyage for pepper . Nothing was heard from him until eighteen months later, when he entered Salem harbor with a cargo of pepper in bulk, the first to be so imported into the country, and which sold at

1872-517: A professional form of therapy, and that anyone struggling with addiction should also seek help from a medical professional. A monumental bronze sculpture depicting Baphomet , a goat-headed, angel-winged occult idol, was crowdfunded in 2014 and unveiled in 2015. The statue has figured prominently in challenges about the display of the Ten Commandments at the capitols of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The sculpture, Baphometic Bowl of Wisdom,

1989-676: A religious sacrament that should be governed under the First Amendment 's protection of religious freedom which should prevail over state laws. The group views restrictions on abortion , including mandatory waiting periods , as an infringement on the rights of Satanists to practice their religion. TST is apparently "the largest Satanic organization in history". Its adherents generally refer to their religion as " Satanism " or "Modern Satanism", while others refer to TST's religion as "Compassionate Satanism" or "Seven Tenet Satanism". Cofounders Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jarry met in 2012, and

2106-600: A resident of Salem, as a United States consul of the early years . The Old China Trade left a significant mark in two historic districts, Chestnut Street District , part of the Samuel McIntire Historic District containing 407 buildings, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site , comprising 12 historic structures and about 9 acres (36,000 m ) of land along the waterfront in Salem. Elias Hasket Derby

2223-551: A second smallpox epidemic struck, killing two of Nanepashemet's successors, Montowompate and Wonohaquaham , and leaving his remaining heir Wenepoykin scarred. So it was that English settlers met little resistance on their arrival in Salem. Although Wenepoykin would join Metacomet in King Philip's War in 1675, the English settlers at this point had the numerical superiority to defeat Metacomet's indigenous coalition. It

2340-471: A site nearby called Proctor's Ledge was identified as the true site of the executions. Gallows Hill now serves as a city park. Native Americans lived in northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European colonization of the Americas . The peninsula that would become Salem was known as Naumkeag (alternate spellings Naemkeck, Nahumkek, Neumkeage ) by the native people who lived there at

2457-642: Is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts , United States, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston . Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one of the most significant seaports trading commodities in early American history . Prior to the dissolution of county governments in Massachusetts in 1999, it served as one of two county seats for Essex County, alongside Lawrence . Today, Salem

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2574-698: Is a residential and tourist area that is home to the House of Seven Gables , Salem State University , Pioneer Village , the Salem Maritime National Historic Site , Salem Willows Park , and the Peabody Essex Museum . It features historic residential neighborhoods in the Federal Street District and the Charter Street Historic District . The city's population was 44,480 at the 2020 census . Salem

2691-459: Is also a memorial to the victims of the infamous Witch Trials at Proctor's Ledge, the execution site from that time. The memorial is "meant to be a place of reflection" for the city. In 2000, the replica tall ship Friendship of Salem was finished and sailed to Salem Harbor, where she sits today. The Friendship of Salem is a reconstruction of a 171-foot (52 m) three-masted East Indiaman trading ship, originally built in 1797, which traveled

2808-400: Is cited by James Buchanan in his 1857 Modern Atheism under its forms of Pantheism, Materialism, Secularism, Development, and Natural Laws , who however goes on to state: "Non-theism" was afterwards exchanged [by Holyoake] for "Secularism", as a term less liable to misconstruction, and more correctly descriptive of the real import of the theory. Spelling without hyphen sees scattered use in

2925-599: Is divided by its natural features into several small neighborhoods. The Salem Neck neighborhood lies northeast of downtown, and North Salem lies to the west of it, on the other side of the North River. South Salem is south of the South River, lying mostly along the banks of Salem Harbor southward. Downtown Salem lies 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Boston , 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Gloucester and Cape Ann , and 19 miles (31 km) southeast of Lawrence ,

3042-528: Is guided by TST's Seven Tenets and utilizes the Seven Rituals, which were crafted specifically for the Sober Faction's recovery program. The ritual process promotes self-empowerment while giving structure to each individual's recovery journey. The group recognizes and respects that there are multiple perspectives and multiple approaches to recovery. The group explicitly says that meetings are not

3159-513: Is land and 9.9 square miles (26 km ), or 55.09%, is water. Salem lies on Massachusetts Bay between Salem Harbor, which divides the city from much of neighboring Marblehead to the southeast, and Beverly Harbor, which divides the city from Beverly along with the Danvers River, which feeds into the harbor. Between the two harbors lies Salem Neck and Winter Island, which are divided from each other by Cat Cove, Smith Pool (located between

3276-460: Is not a theist", and an entry for the adjectival non-theistic . An early usage of the hyphenated non-theism is by George Holyoake in 1852, who introduces it because: Mr. [Charles] Southwell has taken an objection to the term Atheism. We are glad he has. We have disused it a long time [...]. We disuse it, because Atheist is a worn-out word. Both the ancients and the moderns have understood by it one without God, and also without morality . Thus

3393-407: Is the furthest point from residences and where the winds are the strongest. The 30-acre park has been open to the public since the early 1970s. In 2011, a master plan was developed with help from the planning and design firm, Cecil Group of Boston and Bioengineering Group of Salem. The City of Salem paid $ 45,000 in federal money. In the long term, the projected cost to rehabilitate just the barracks

3510-647: Is widely noted for the Salem witch trials of 1692, which strongly informs the city's cultural identity into the present. Some of Salem's police cars are adorned with witch logos, a public elementary school is known as Witchcraft Heights, and the Salem High School athletic teams are named the Witches. Gallows Hill was originally believed to be the site of the executions during the Witch Trials, but in 2016

3627-476: The Dorothy Talbye Trial , where a mentally ill woman was hanged for murdering her daughter because Massachusetts made no distinction at the time between insanity and criminal behavior. William Hathorne was a prosperous entrepreneur in early Salem and became one of its leading citizens. He led troops to victory in King Philip's War , served as a magistrate on the highest court, and was chosen as

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3744-618: The Internal Revenue Service , being classified as a "church or a convention or association of churches". The Satanic Temple had previously been reluctant to pursue tax-exempt status until the Johnson Amendment was weakened by an executive order "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" signed by President Trump in May 2017, which TST viewed as unfairly giving higher status to religious individuals. Announcing

3861-531: The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation , which advocates the discredited practice of recovered-memory therapy . The group has also petitioned for investigation into the killing by Gigi Jordan of her child, which was connected to the discredited practice of facilitated communication . In July 2013, the Satanic Temple held a "Pink Mass" over the grave of Catherine Johnston,

3978-715: The Peirce-Nichols House and Hamilton Hall . The Witch House or Jonathan Corwin House ( c.  1642 ) is also located in the district. Samuel McIntire's house and workshop were located at 31 Summer Street in what is now the Samuel McIntire Historic District . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 18.1 square miles (47 km ), of which 8.1 square miles (21 km )

4095-699: The Texas Equal Access (TEA) Fund, also commented on the Satanic Temple's position, with both the TEA Fund and the Yellowhammer Fund —an abortion fund serving the states of Alabama and Mississippi—having previously spoken out against the Satanic Temple's position. Though the Satanic Temple offers a dedicated email address for members who encounter legal problems when seeking an abortion using its religious exemption form, former TST reproductive rights spokesperson, Jex Blackmore , stated that there

4212-612: The Texas Heartbeat Act , the Satanic Temple wrote the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , saying that it had a faith-based right to access medical abortion drugs, including misoprostol and mifepristone . Temple lawyers protest a specific Texas abortion law , recently sustained by the US Supreme Court , arguing that the Temple's status as a non-theistic religious organization should ensure access to abortion as

4329-669: The War of 1812 . Following the American Revolution , many ships used as privateers were too large for short voyages in the coasting trade, and their owners determined to open new avenues of trade to distant countries. The young men of the town, fresh from service on the armed ships of Salem, were eager to embark in such ventures. Captain Nathaniel Silsbee, his first mate Charles Derby, and second mate Richard J. Cleveland were not yet twenty years old when they set sail on

4446-515: The West Indies , imported sugar and molasses from the West Indies , tea from China, and products depicted on the city seal from the East Indies —in particular Sumatran pepper. Salem ships also visited Africa in the slave trade— Zanzibar in particular. They also traveled to Russia , Japan , and Australia . The sail frigate USS  Essex was built at one of Enos Briggs 's shipyards on Winter Island in 1799. The neutrality of

4563-710: The Westboro Baptist Church came to Boston, where Jarry and Greaves lived, to picket the funerals of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing . Jarry and Greaves decided to retaliate by going to Meridan, Mississippi, to perform a "pink mass" over the grave of the mother of the Westboro's founder, Fred Phelps Sr. During the July 2013 "pink mass", gay couples made out over the grave and the Temple announced that this ritual would turn Phelps' mother gay in

4680-579: The canonization of Junípero Serra by Pope Francis and in October 2015 they held a ceremony where they "demonized" the Christian missionary , stating that Serra helped enslave thousands of Native Americans and that he "also led The Spanish Inquisition in his territories, trying residents of the Missions for the crimes of sorcery, witchcraft and devil worship." Individuals dedicated to the tenets of

4797-565: The continental United States , Canada , and Australia . Congregations were initially known as chapters; the first chapter was established in 2014 in Detroit, Michigan . That chapter went on hiatus in 2018, the same year chapters in Portland, Oregon , Los Angeles, California , and the UK seceded from the Satanic Temple over internal disputes with national leadership. Lucien Greaves has described

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4914-496: The separation of church and state ; relying on religious satire , theatrical ploys, humor, and legal action in their public campaigns to "generate attention and prompt people to reevaluate fears and perceptions", and to "highlight religious hypocrisy and encroachment on religious freedom ." The organization participates in political actions such as lobbying efforts, with a focus on exposing Christian privilege when it interferes with personal religious freedom. It considers marriage

5031-499: The 19th century. Boston and New York City eclipsed Salem and its silting harbor. Consequently, the city turned to manufacturing. Industries included tanneries , shoe factories, and the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company. The Great Salem Fire of 1914 destroyed over 400 homes and left 3,500 families homeless but spared the historic concentration of Federal architecture on Chestnut Street. A memorial plaque on

5148-617: The American cause, including Francis Cabot, William Pynchon, Thomas Barnard, E. A. Holyoke, and William Pickman. During the American Revolutionary War , the town became a center for privateering. The documentation is incomplete, but about 1,700 Letters of Marque were granted during that time, issued on a per-voyage basis. Nearly 800 vessels were commissioned as privateers and are credited with capturing or destroying about 600 British ships. Privateering resumed during

5265-654: The California city of Lancaster in Los Angeles County, to support California State Senate candidate Steve Hill, who hoped to be the first Satanic Temple member elected to public office. On February 12, 2022, the Satanic Temple held their first SatanCon convention inside Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona . Outside the hotel, hundreds of Christians protested the convention holding crucifixes, crosses, and signs denouncing Satan. The Satanic Temple announced

5382-611: The City of Salem as a historic house museum. Hamilton Hall is located on Chestnut Street, where many grand mansions can be traced to the roots of the Old China Trade . Hamilton Hall was built in 1805 by Samuel McIntire and is considered one of his best pieces. It was declared a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1970. In recent years, tourism has been an occasional source of debate in

5499-454: The City of Salem completed plans for the 30-acre (12 ha) Winter Island Park and squared off against residents who are against bringing two power-generating windmills to the tip of Winter Island. The Renewable Energy Task Force, along with the Energy and Sustainability Manager, Paul Marquis, have recommended the construction of a 1.5-megawatt power turbine at the tip of Winter Island, which

5616-427: The Detroit chapter of the Satanic Temple held a counter-protest outside of a Ferndale Planned Parenthood location in response to anti-abortionist groups that were planning to protest Planned Parenthood on that same date. As part of the protest the Temple held a guerrilla theatre performance that included two men dressed as clergy pouring milk on kneeling actresses. This was not the first protest of this type that

5733-565: The LaVeyan Church of Satan for its lack of political lobbying and what he sees as their exclusivity, referring to them as autocratic and hierarchical , and saying that the Church fetishizes authoritarianism . Nontheism An early usage of the hyphenated term non-theism is attributed to George Holyoake in 1852. Within the scope of nontheistic agnosticism, philosopher Anthony Kenny distinguishes between agnostics who find

5850-688: The Massachusetts Bay Charter was issued creating the Massachusetts Bay Colony with Matthew Craddock as its governor in London and Endecott as its governor in the colony. John Winthrop was elected Governor in late 1629, and arrived with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, one of the many events that began the Puritan Great Migration . In 1639, Endecott, among others, signed the building contract for enlarging

5967-473: The Milton Hall exhibition space, and a room for its Statue of Baphomet . The library includes a focus on the history of Satanic panic . The space has since come under threat on multiple occasions. Chelsea resident Daniel Lucey set fire to the Salem facility's porch on June 10, 2022. Local fire rescue personnel had the flames under control shortly after arriving on the scene. The building was occupied at

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6084-515: The Naumkeag. Many Naumkeag died in a war with the Tarrantine and as a result of a smallpox epidemic in 1617–1619, including their powerful sachem Nanepashemet . The disease had probably been contracted by members who came into contact with European fishermen or explorers. Their strength was reduced just prior to the arrival of English settlers in 1626 to what became modern-day Salem. In 1633,

6201-423: The Satanic Temple can join on the organization's website. Members can apply to join local congregations, though local requirements may differ: "If there's a local [congregation] where you are, to join you do have to be accepted, but there's no initiation or anything. You don't even have to be a Satanist, you can just be a strong ally who believes in the political and secular actions without being super stoked about all

6318-509: The Satanic Temple expressed interest in holding a similar ceremony for the church founder. The blessing of same-sex marriages is allowed in the Satanic Temple. In November 2015, the Temple received media attention for offering to take in Muslims or refugees that were afraid of experiencing backlash over the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris . The Temple's Los Angeles Chapter has also protested

6435-482: The Satanic Temple was active by January 2013. In an interview with The New York Times , Malcolm Jarry stated that the idea of starting a Satanic faith-based organization was first conceived to meet "all the Bush administration 's criteria for receiving funds, but was repugnant to them". Jarry was referring to former president George W. Bush 's formation of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships . According to scholar Joseph Laycock, Jarry

6552-531: The Satanic Temple] will be the only available challenge to many restrictions to access". In response, Jezebel magazine critiqued the organization's position that a religious exemption would guarantee its members freedom to seek abortions even in states where they were no longer legal, criticizing its position as overly-simplistic, unproven, and put pregnant people attempting to use the Satanic Temple's religious exemption to have an abortion in legal jeopardy. Other organizations focused on reproductive rights, such as

6669-407: The Second Corps of Cadets gather in front of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, where the body of their founder, Stephen Abbott, is buried. They lay a wreath, play " Taps " and fire a 21-gun salute . In another annual commemoration, soldiers gather at Old Salem Armory to honor soldiers who were killed in the Battles of Lexington and Concord . On April 14, 2012, Salem celebrated the 375th anniversary of

6786-529: The Temple as being a progressive and updated version of LaVey's Satanism . The Temple views itself as separate and distinct from its forerunner, representing "a natural evolution in Satanic thought". Greaves has written and posted a fairly long refutation of LaVey's doctrines in an essay "CHURCH OF SATAN VS. SATANIC TEMPLE", and said that the elements of Social Darwinism and Nietzscheanism within LaVeyan Satanism are incongruent with game theory , reciprocal altruism , and cognitive science . He has also criticized

6903-569: The Temple had held in support of the organization, as they had previously held a 2013 protest where they brought children to the Texas State Capitol who chanted "Fuck You" and "Hail Satan", while holding signs reading "Stay Out Of My Mommy's Vagina". On April 23, 2016, led by Jex Blackmore , members of the Detroit chapter of the Temple counter-protested the Citizens for a Pro-Life Society's protest of Planned Parenthood. Temple members dressed in bondage fetish clothing , wearing baby masks and diapers while engaging in flagellation . The Temple said that

7020-401: The Temple scheduled a Black Mass to be held on the Harvard University campus, sponsored by the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club; the event was forced to relocate off campus due to significant opposition by Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and school administrators. On January 14, 2017, the Temple hosted what it billed as the largest Satanic gathering in history, hoping to double

7137-448: The United States was tested during the Napoleonic Wars . After the Chesapeake–Leopard affair , Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807 . President Thomas Jefferson closed all ports, an economic blow to the seaport town of Salem. The embargo was the starting point on the path to the War of 1812 . Both the United Kingdom and France imposed trade restrictions to weaken each other's economies. This disrupted American trade and tested

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7254-544: The United States' neutrality. Royal Navy ships frequently interdicted U.S. merchant ships trading with France and seized their goods, and at times would impress American sailors. The Federal period (1788–1845) marks the beginning of U.S. international relations. Salem had established trade relations with merchants in distant lands, which were a source of livelihood and prosperity for many. Charles Endicott, master of Salem merchantman Friendship , returned in 1831 to report Sumatran natives had plundered his ship, murdering

7371-413: The Vatican for centuries . New displays were organized by local congregations in 2023, with a decorated tree at the National Railroad Museum in Wisconsin, as well as a mirror-covered, red-cloaked Baphomet statue at the Iowa State Capitol . After the Iowa display was vandalized, organizers salvaged some remaining altar elements. A former Republican Congressional candidate from Mississippi was charged with

7488-402: The Witch Memorial and Burying Point Cemetery, the second oldest burying ground in the United States. The Gedney House is a historic house museum built c.  1665 and is the 2nd oldest house in Salem. One of the most popular houses in Salem is The Witch House , the only structure in Salem with direct ties to the Salem witch trials of 1692. The Witch House is owned and operated by

7605-676: The aesthetic aspects." Membership is subject to termination for "failure to uphold the spirit of the Satanic Temple and its tenets." A member who used a TST event to call for violence against then-president Donald Trump was expelled. Local groups of organized TST members may form congregations. Some congregations are endorsed by TST to "participate in campaigns, social events, and other activities relevant to their local regions, as well as in concert with national TST campaigns". TST encourages members to form congregations where none exist or join pre-established ones, but does not actively establish them itself. Congregations are currently established across

7722-401: The afterlife. The positive publicity the event received reportedly made the Satanic Temple nationally known. The Satanic Temple opened its official headquarters in Salem, Massachusetts , in 2016. The former Victorian funeral home is painted charcoal and doubles as the Salem Art Gallery. The headquarters includes a Fine Art room, La Voisin Chamber (dedicated to Catherine Monvoisin ), Library,

7839-406: The attendance of the 2015 gathering in Detroit for the Baphomet unveiling. Film crews from VICE and NatGeo were on hand to document the event. The mass included three parts: Invocation Ritual, Destruction Ritual and a Bloodletting Ritual. Local Los Angeles media was also on hand to cover the event, calling the event "a bloody good time". On June 6, 2016, the Temple performed a pentagram ritual around

7956-515: The bill did not specify a religion, the prayers could be led by a student from any religion—including Satanism. The TST members announced they "were coming out to say how happy we were because now our Satanic children could pray to Satan in school." Launched by the Satanic Temple in the spring of 2014, the Protect Children Project aims to offer " First Amendment protection to support children who may be at risk for being subjected to mental or physical abuse in school by teachers and administrators through

8073-445: The case of "foreseeable legal complications", the Temple refers its members to Kezhaya "for further evaluation and discussion". The Grey Faction is a project of the Satanic Temple with the goal of exposing malpractice and pseudoscience associated with Satanic ritual abuse conspiracy theories. The Grey Faction protests medical conferences, initiates legal action, and petitions medical boards. The faction has protested conferences held by

8190-418: The celebration of its 10th anniversary at SatanCon 2023, held April 28–30, 2023, in downtown Boston, Massachusetts . The Satanic Temple Sober Faction is a peer support group that offers a Satanic approach to recovery from addiction. Sober Faction meetings assist those who are suffering from addiction in finding sobriety without including or invoking religion in the recovery process. The Sober Faction's method

8307-435: The city, with some residents arguing the city should downplay witch tourism and market itself as a more upscale cultural center. In 2005, the conflict came to a head over plans by the cable television network TV Land to erect a bronze statue of Elizabeth Montgomery , who played the comic witch "Samantha" in the 1960s series Bewitched . A few special episodes of the series were actually filmed in Salem, and TV Land said that

8424-640: The claim "God exists" uncertain and theological noncognitivists who consider all discussion of God to be meaningless. Some agnostics , however, are not nontheists but rather agnostic theists . Other related philosophical opinions about the existence of deities are ignosticism and skepticism. Because of the various definitions of the term God , a person could be an atheist in terms of certain conceptions of gods , while remaining agnostic in terms of others. The Oxford English Dictionary (2007) does not have an entry for nontheism or non-theism , but it does have an entry for non-theist , defined as "A person who

8541-550: The drawbridge at the North River on North Street, preventing British Colonel Alexander Leslie and his 300 troops of the 64th Regiment of Foot from seizing stores and ammunition hidden in North Salem. Both parties came to an agreement and no blood was shed that day, but war broke out at Lexington and Concord soon after. A group of prominent merchants with ties to Salem published a statement retracting what some interpreted as Loyalist leanings and professing their dedication to

8658-650: The end of 2023. In 2024 The Satanic Temple partnered with the Secular Student Alliance , another organization promoting secular values among students, in supporting After School Satan clubs. The organization first gained media attention in January 2013 after a group of Satanists assembled at the Florida State Capitol to show their approval over a bill Governor Rick Scott signed into law the prior year, Senate Bill 98, which allowed student-led prayer at school assemblies . The group further stated that as

8775-546: The extraordinary profit of seven hundred per cent. The Empress of China , formerly a privateer, was refitted as the first American ship to sail from New York to China . By 1790, Salem had become the sixth-largest city in the country, and a world-famous seaport —particularly in the China Trade . It had a large cod fishing industry, conducted off the Newfoundland Banks. It exported codfish to Europe and

8892-478: The first muster on Salem Common, with more than 1,000 troops taking part in ceremonies and a parade. Samuel McIntire was one of the first architects in the United States, and his work is a prime example of early Federal-style architecture . The Samuel McIntire Historic District is one of the largest concentrations of 17th and 18th century domestic structures in America. It includes McIntire commissions such as

9009-622: The first officer and two crewmen. Following public outcry, President Andrew Jackson ordered the Potomac on the First Sumatran Expedition , which departed New York City on August 19, 1831. In another direction, diplomat Edmund Roberts negotiated a treaty with Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman on September 21, 1833. In 1837, the sultan moved his main place of residence to Zanzibar and welcomed Richard Waters,

9126-442: The first speaker of the House of Deputies. He was a zealous advocate of the personal rights of freemen against royal emissaries and agents. His son Judge John Hathorne came to prominence in the late 17th century when witchcraft was a serious felony. Judge Hathorne is the best known of the witch trial judges, and he became known as the "Hanging Judge" for sentencing accused witches to death. On February 26, 1775, patriots raised

9243-553: The group views Satan neither as a supernatural being, nor a symbol of evil, but instead relies on the literary Satan as a symbol representing "the eternal rebel" against arbitrary authority and social norms, or as a metaphor to promote pragmatic skepticism , rational reciprocity, personal autonomy, and curiosity. The organization's mission encourages "benevolence and empathy" among all people, using Satanic imagery to promote civil rights , egalitarianism , religious skepticism , social justice , bodily integrity , secularism , and

9360-475: The judge's ruling. The Satanic Temple sponsors After School Satan , an after-school program where students engage with rationalist pursuits, scientific games, nature activities, and community service. The program offers an alternative to after-school Christian missionary programs such as the Good News Club . Organized by individual local groups since 2016, four After School Satan clubs were active at

9477-514: The later 20th century, following Harvey Cox 's 1966 Secular City : "Thus the hidden God or deus absconditus of biblical theology may be mistaken for the no-god-at-all of nontheism." Usage increased in the 1990s in contexts where association with the terms atheism or antitheism was unwanted. The 1998 Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics states, "In the strict sense, all forms of nontheisms are naturalistic , including atheism, pantheism , deism , and agnosticism." Pema Chödrön uses

9594-600: The meeting house in Town House Square for the first church in Salem. This document remains part of the town records at City Hall. He was active in the affairs of the town throughout his life. Samuel Skelton was the first pastor of the First Church of Salem , which is the original Puritan church in America. Endecott already had a close relationship with Skelton, having been converted by him, and Endecott considered him as his spiritual father. Salem's harbor

9711-544: The mother of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps . The mass was held after the Westboro Baptist Church announced their intention to picket the funerals of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing . Queerty.com suggested they had based the idea of the mass on similar activities held by factions of the Latter Day Saint movement , where they would perform proxy baptisms . The Pink Mass

9828-487: The new tax status co-founder Lucien Greaves stated: "In light of theocratic assaults upon the Separation of Church and State in the legislative effort to establish a codified place of privilege for one religious viewpoint, we feel that accepting religious tax exemption—rather than renouncing in protest—can help us to better assert our claims to equal access and exemption while laying to rest any suspicion that we don’t meet

9945-934: The organization's website, the mission of the Satanic Temple is to: ...encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits. The Satanic Temple has publicly confronted hate groups, fought for the abolition of corporal punishment in public schools , applied for equal representation when religious installations are placed on public property, provided religious exemption and legal protection against laws that unscientifically restrict women's reproductive autonomy, exposed harmful pseudo-scientific practitioners in mental health care, organized clubs alongside other religious after-school clubs in schools besieged by proselytizing organizations, and engaged in other advocacy in accordance with our tenets. The Satanic Temple has seven fundamental tenets: The Satanic Temple promotes five holidays. In May 2014,

10062-462: The other county seat of Essex County. Salem is bordered by Beverly to the north, Danvers to the northwest, Peabody to the west, Lynn to the south, Swampscott to the southeast, and Marblehead to the southeast. The town's water rights extend along a channel into Massachusetts Bay between the water rights of Marblehead and Beverly. According to the Köppen climate classification , Salem has either

10179-505: The population (9.1% Dominican , 2.9% Puerto Rican , 0.5% Mexican , 0.3% Guatemalan ). Non-Hispanic Whites were 75.9% of the population in 2010, compared to 95.9% in 1980. There were 17,492 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were non-families. Of all households 34.9% were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who

10296-421: The practice was all but eliminated, with many slaves winning their freedom. In 1768, Samuel Hall established Salem's first print shop and founded The Essex Gazette Salem's first newspaper, and the third to emerge in Massachusetts. One of the most widely known aspects of Salem is its history of witchcraft allegations, which started with Abigail Williams , Betty Parris , and their friends playing "with

10413-630: The qualifications of a true religious organization. Satanism is here to stay." The Satanic Temple claims on its website to be "the only Satanic religious organization recognized as a church by the IRS and the Federal Court System." TST was structured based on the assumption of operating within United States . TST has had challenges acclimating to the diverse needs of international followers, chapters, and congregations. The organization

10530-614: The reason for the protest was to "expose the anti-choice protest as an act of fetal idolatry , highlighting the fetishization and abstraction of the 'baby.'" Following a failed abortion lawsuit in June 2020, the Satanic Temple announced a religious abortion ritual on August 5, 2020, which allowed members living in RFRA states to be exempt from "enduring medically unnecessary and unscientific abortion regulations when seeking to terminate their pregnancy". In September 2021, as part of its opposition to

10647-696: The scheduled event, leading to the removal of both the proposed statue and the existing religious sculpture. Following the Supreme Court's 2019 ruling that the Bladensburg Cross does not conflict with the First Amendment , since it honors veterans of all faiths, the Satanic Temple created a monument to honor Satanic veterans. Named the Bladensburg Satanic Peace Cross, TST held its first memorial ceremony on 10 July 2021. The Satanic Temple encouraged satanists to make

10764-491: The settlers to survive the first two years, but John Endecott replaced him by order of the Massachusetts Bay Company . Conant stepped aside and was granted 200 acres (0.81 km ) of land in compensation. These "New Planters" and the "Old Planters" agreed to cooperate because of the diplomacy of Conant and Endecott. To recognize this peaceful transition to the new government, the name of the settlement

10881-560: The station's primary areas of responsibility. During its first year of operation, Salem crews performed 26 medical evacuations. They flew in all kinds of weather, and the radio direction capabilities of the aircraft were of significant value in locating vessels in distress. During World War II (1939–1945), air crews from Salem flew neutrality patrols along the coast, and the Air Station roster grew to 37 aircraft. Anti-submarine patrols flew regularly. In October 1944, Air Station Salem

10998-408: The statue commemorated the 35th anniversary of those episodes. The statue was sculpted by StudioEIS under the direction of brothers Elliott and Ivan Schwartz. Many felt the statue was good fun and appropriate to a city that promotes itself as "The Witch City", and contains a street named "Witch Way". Others objected to the use of public property for what was transparently commercial promotion. There

11115-587: The term connotes more than any well-informed and earnest person accepting it ever included in it; that is, the word carries with it associations of immorality, which have been repudiated by the Atheist as seriously as by the Christian. Non-theism is a term less open to the same misunderstanding, as it implies the simple non-acceptance of the Theist's explanation of the origin and government of the world. This passage

11232-923: The term in the context of Buddhism : The difference between theism and nontheism is not whether one does or does not believe in God.[...] Theism is a deep-seated conviction that there's some hand to hold [...] Non-theism is relaxing with the ambiguity and uncertainty of the present moment without reaching for anything to protect ourselves [...] Nontheism is finally realizing there is no babysitter you can count on. Nontheistic traditions of thought have played roles in Buddhism , Christianity , including Nontheist Quakers , Hinduism , Jainism , Taoism , Creativity , Dudeism , Raëlism , Humanistic Judaism , Laveyan Satanism , The Satanic Temple , Unitarian Universalism , and Ethical culture . Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( / ˈ s eɪ l ə m / SAY -ləm )

11349-565: The time of contact in the early 1600s. Naumkeag was a major settlement for the indigenous group that controlled territory from the Merrimack to the Mystic rivers. The English and other Europeans referred to them as the Naumkeag people . There are probable indigenous settlement sites near the mouths of the North, South, and Forest rivers in Salem. The contact period was a disastrous time for

11466-408: The time, but everyone was evacuated and no injuries occurred; damage was limited, though the porch and several windows had to be replaced. The Salem Police Department reported a bomb threat to the headquarters on March 2, 2023, stating they were taking the threat seriously and following public safety management mandates. On April 25, 2019, the Temple announced it had received tax-exempt status from

11583-569: The top 100 until the 20th century. As of the census of 2010, there were 41,340 people, 19,130 households, and 9,708 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,986.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,925.1/km ). There were 18,175 housing units at an average density of 2,242.7 per square mile (865.9/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 81.5% White , 4.9% African American , 0.2% Native American , 2.6% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 6.7% from other races , and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.6% of

11700-485: The two land causeways to Winter Island), and Juniper Cove. The city is further divided by Collins Cove and the inlet to the North River. The Forest River flows through the southern end of town, along with Strong Water Brook, which feeds Spring Pond at the town's southwestern corner. The town has several parks, as well as conservation land along the Forest River and Camp Lion, which lies east of Spring Pond . The city

11817-709: The use of solitary confinement , restraints, and corporal punishment." The Protect Children Project's website asked participants to print out pre-written letters to send to their respective school boards on a day designated as "Protect Children Day" as a form of protest. In March 2017, the Satanic Temple launched an anti-spanking campaign against corporal punishment in schools, as part of the Protect Children Project. They unveiled billboards in Texas which read "Never be hit in school again. Exercise your religious rights." In February, 2023 TST announced it would open

11934-532: The world over a dozen times and returned to Salem after each voyage with goods from all over the world. The original was taken by the British during the War of 1812, then stripped and sold in pieces. In 2006, with the assistance of a 1.6 million dollar grant and additional funds provided by the City of Salem, Mayor Driscoll launched The Nathaniel Bowditch , a 92-foot catamaran with a top speed of 30 knots which makes

12051-433: Was "no guarantee" that the Temple would cover a member's legal fees or provide legal support. In response, the Temple's lawyer, Matthew Kezhaya, stated that part of the abortion ritual outlined by the Satanic Temple as the reason for its members' religious exemption required "consulting with your local minister", a step Jezebel noted was not mentioned on the Temple's website or either of its abortion ritual guides, and that in

12168-408: Was $ 1.5 million. But in the short term, there are multiple lower-cost items, like a proposed $ 15,000 kayak dock or $ 50,000 to relocate and improve the bathhouse. This is a very important project since Fort Pickering guarded Salem Harbor as far back as the 17th century. In 1637, the first muster was held on Salem Common , where for the first time a regiment of militia drilled for the common defense of

12285-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.95. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males. The median income for

12402-635: Was among the wealthiest and most celebrated of post-Revolutionary merchants in Salem. Derby was also the owner of the Grand Turk, the first New England vessel to trade with China and the second, after the Empress of China, to sail from the United States. Thomas H. Perkins was his supercargo and established strong ties with the Chinese and garnered the Forbes fortune through his illegal opium sales. Salem

12519-539: Was changed to Salem, the hellenized name of Shalem (שָׁלֵם), the royal city of Melchizedek , which is identified with Jerusalem . In 1628, Endecott ordered that the Great House be moved from Cape Ann, reassembling it on Washington Street north of Church Street. Francis Higginson wrote that "we found a faire house newly built for the Governor" which was remarkable for being two stories high. A year later,

12636-543: Was deep enough to host a seadrome with three sea lanes, offering a variety of take-off headings irrespective of wind direction unless there was a strong steady wind from the east. This produced enormous waves that swept into the mouth of the harbor and hampered water operations. When the seadrome was too rough, returning amphibian aircraft used the Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Beverly . Salem Air Station moved to Cape Cod in 1970. In 2011,

12753-519: Was defended by Fort Miller in Marblehead from 1632 to 1865, and by Fort Pickering on Winter Island from 1643 to 1865. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Salem was involved in the Atlantic slave trade , surpassing Boston in terms of the town's engagement with the triangular trade . Beginning in 1701 there was a steady political and social effort in Massachusetts to end slavery and by 1770

12870-620: Was designated as the first Air-Sea Rescue station on the eastern seaboard. The Martin PBM Mariner , a hold-over from the war, became the primary rescue aircraft. In the mid-1950s, helicopters came, as did Grumman HU-16 Albatross amphibious flying boats (UFs). The air station's missions included search and rescue, law enforcement, counting migratory waterfowl for the U.S. Biological Survey, and assisting icebound islands by delivering provisions. The station's surviving facilities are part of Salem's Winter Island Marine Park. Salem Harbor

12987-446: Was established at Juniper Point, a peninsula jutting into the harbor. Prosperity left the city with a wealth of fine architecture, including Federal-style mansions designed by one of America's first architects , Samuel McIntire, for whom the city's largest historic district is named. These homes and mansions now make up the greatest concentrations of notable pre-1900 domestic structures in the United States. Shipping declined throughout

13104-442: Was incorporated as a city on March 23, 1836, and adopted a city seal in 1839 with the motto " Divitis Indiae usque ad ultimum sinum ", Latin for "To the rich East Indies until the last lap." Nathaniel Hawthorne was overseer of Salem's port from 1846 until 1849. He worked in the U.S. Custom House across the street from the port near Pickering Wharf, his setting for the beginning of The Scarlet Letter . In 1858, an amusement park

13221-651: Was inspired to organize a rally of Satanists (hiring actors to play Satanists) after actions by Governor Rick Scott of Florida to promote religion. In March 2012, Scott had signed a bill that passed the Florida state legislature allowing public school students to read inspirational messages at assemblies and sporting events—a way to circumvent a Supreme Court's ruling against mandatory prayer in school. In January 2013, Jarry's pretend Satanists rallied to praise Scott for his new law which would allow satanic students "to share their love of Satan" in public schools. After this event,

13338-489: Was never any "local community" question during the application process. The Arizona chapter's co-founder Michelle Shortt filed suit against the city, saying they had "no written policy regarding prayer and only reversed its decision after backlash from the community and city officials." The City Council unanimously approved additional funds to litigate a January 2020 federal court trial in Phoenix. The Satanic Temple has appealed

13455-553: Was not until 1686, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter was recalled by King James II in the creation of the Dominion of New England that Wenepoykin's heirs pressed their claim to the land of Salem, for which they were paid twenty pounds. Colonists settled Naumkeag in 1626 when a company of fishermen arrived from Cape Ann led by Roger Conant . Conant's leadership provided the stability for

13572-427: Was officiated by Greaves and consisted of two gay men kissing over Johnston's grave while Greaves touched the tombstone with his genitals and chanted an incantation intended to change the deceased's sexual orientation. Greaves was charged with a misdemeanor and was told that if he returned to Lauderdale County , Mississippi, where Johnston's grave is, he would be arrested. Shortly before Phelps's death, on March 19, 2014,

13689-501: Was unwilling to assist members in establishing chapters where the risk of religiously motivated violence was considered too high (such as Peru and Uganda ) out of concerns for their well-being. The difficulties associated with incorporating international members into the organization has led to at least one religious schism , which gave birth to another religious Satanic organization called the Global Order of Satan. According to

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