What Horror Movies Get Wrong About Satanism
Horror movies have made Satanism far more famous than it would be on its own. While some great films focus on this new religious movement, almost none of them have any interest in the actual beliefs of Satanists. Let’s give the devil his due and see what the High Priest of the Church of Satan has to say about his beliefs.
Movies don’t understand that Satanism is not about Satan
Satanism has inspired chilling horror classics like Rosemary’s Baby and The Witch alongside lighter fare such as Hocus Pocus and The Babysitter. These films are very different overall but homogenous in their portrayals of Satanism. According to these films, Satanists worship the devil and engage in supernatural rituals.
For the most part, that’s a lot of hocus pocus. There are two main Satanic groups out there: the Church of Satan and The Satanic Temple. Neither group believes in Satan, God, or the supernatural in general. Rather, they use the devil as a symbol of rebellion against authority. The groups still engage in rituals because they believe such practices have positive psychological effects.
A prominent leader in Satanism bears all
The current High Priest of the Church of Satan is Peter H. Gilmore. During a 2016 interview with Dread Central, Gilmore discussed the history and ideology of his religion. “The Church of Satan was founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey as a means of promoting his atheist, individualist philosophy which uses aspects of religion, such as symbolism and ritual, to offer a perspective allowing each adherent to be the center of his or her own subjective universe,” he explained. “Each Satanist is his or her own ‘god’ and is thus free to develop a subjective hierarchy of values meant to enhance their lives and those of the people, objects, and ideas they chose to cherish.
“Satanists consider the Universe to be indifferent to their existence, and so the responsibility for their own successes and failures are completely on their heads,” he added. “This form of total responsibility is a challenge for many, especially those who ask for help from supernatural forces or seek to blame anyone but themselves for how their lives might be. We are skeptical, pragmatic materialists, and so the Church of Satan defines itself as a carnal religion, rejecting the spiritual in favor of embracing reality, for however long we might live to enjoy ourselves.”
The Church of Satan’s philosophy has a lot of parallels with libertarianism. Meanwhile, The Satanic Temple takes things in a more progressive direction. Unlike the Church of Satan, The Satanic Temple is very active politically, often in the name of promoting secularism in the United States.
Horror movies don’t even understand actual devil-worshippers
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. There are some tiny groups and individuals that believe in — and worship — Satan. People of that persuasion are known as “theistic Satanists” or “devil-worshippers.” Perhaps the most well-known of these groups is the Temple of Set. That religion identifies Satan with Set, the ancient Egyptian god of chaos and violence. Of course, Hollywood has never made a movie about their beliefs.
The devil is in the details — details that pop culture doesn’t seem to understand.
