"With unprecedented access, HAIL SATAN traces the rise of The Satanic Temple: only six years old and already one of the most controversial religious movements in American history. The Temple and its enigmatic leader Lucien Greaves are calling for a Satanic revolution to save the nation's soul. But are they for real?"
Hail Satan? is a controversial, eye-opening, and educational documentary about the origins of Satanism and specifically The Satanic Temple. The Satanic Temple was founded in 2013 and is, as per the website, about encouraging benevolence and empathy, rejecting tyrannical authority, advocating for practical common sense, opposing injustice, and undertaking noble pursuits. They also follow seven fundamental tenets:
I
One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
II
The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
III
One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
IV
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.
V
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.
VI
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.
VII
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.
Directed by Penny Lane, Hail Satan? is a glimpse into a world that not many know about, nor understand. Lucien Greaves, co-founder and spokesman for The Satanic Temple, smashes all preconceived notions of what modern Satanism is and the struggles American Satanists face when it comes to the concept of Freedom of Religion.
As a Canadian Atheist, these aren't my lived experiences - I am not burdened, or harmed, by Christianity nor is it necessarily forced into my sight regularly, by Church or “State”. Hail Satan? is as enlightening as it is infuriating in the best possible way. It shows the defensive hypocrisy (and violence) of the Christian Supremacy of the USA, and also describes the idea that Satan is the symbolic image (or figure) against tyranny. Satan is a symbol of independence and freedom. The Satanic Temple is non-oppressive and welcomes everyone who believes in the image of Satan and the seven tenets. They fight for reproductive rights, secularism, and much more.
On August 25th, Kyle Rittenhouse, a supporter of Donald Trump and gun ownership, shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protestors. Right now, while The Satanic Temple is donating socks to the homeless and in November 2019 created the Satanists of Color Coalition as believers in the Black Lives Movement, a fundraising campaign hosted by GiveSendGo, a self-described “Christian crowdfunding site,” has raised more than US$357,000 to help with Rittenhouse’s legal costs.
Who are the real villains here? That is the compelling argument that Hail Satan? raises and I can not recommend it enough to literally everyone with an open mind. It almost makes me want to throw up the horns and say Hail Satan!
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