This Free-to-Stream Documentary Proves Satanism Makes the World a Better Place
I was raised in a religious household. For a long time, that’s all I knew. Because I grew up in a holy roller church without a lot of outside influence, I accepted most of what I was taught well into my teenage years. And some of what I learned even stayed with me into my thirties. As I eventually came to realize my status as a gay man, I started to hate myself. So many queer kids raised in the Christian church have a similar experience. And that’s just one way religious zealotry perpetuates inequity. That potential for harm grows exponentially, however, when puritanical values infiltrate our political system.
But not everyone is content to sit back and let antiquated ideals constructed thousands of years ago inform public policy. Penny Lane’s doc, Hail Satan shows how The Satanic Temple has emerged as an advocate of the marginalized and a voice of reason in the fight to separate church and state. The doc gives viewers a firsthand look at what The Satanic Temple actually stands for and how the church has used humor, irony, and old-fashioned common sense to fight back against a monotheistic system.
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Founded in 2013, The Satanic Temple has been shining the spotlight on hypocrisy in its various forms since its inception. When Arkansas opted to erect a monument featuring the Ten Commandments outside state legislative offices, congregants of The Satanic Temple fired back and requested their faith be given equal representation. The Temple posits that if a government institution can display religious propaganda, that same right should be afforded to all religions. Their request has resulted in a hotly contested legal battle that’s still ongoing. But it’s an important fight. Freedom of religion means freedom for all. Not just for those with whom you agree.
Throughout Hail Satan, we watch The Satanic Temple grow from something of a publicity stunt to a legitimate religious organization on a mission to expose hypocrisy and make the world a better place. It’s unexpected for an organization with such benevolent intentions to take on such an ominous façade. But that gimmick gives the group a much larger platform than they would have been able to conjure through more conventional means. And therein lies the genius.
Hail Satan reveals that the group has effectively outsmarted several religious extremists, ranging from former Florida Governor, Rick Scott to the reprehensible Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church. The Temple has staged many effective stunts that have left many speechless. Amongst the most memorable is their performance art piece declaring Fred Phelps’ late mother a lesbian in the afterlife.
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While their methods may be unconventional, The Satanic Temple is a nonviolent organization that believes in progress through peaceful protest. Surprisingly, their opposition from the religious right has taken a very different stance. Temple members have received death threats for exercising their right to demonstrate publicly. I’m not an expert in Christianity but I do remember that vengeance is supposed to be left to God, not doled out by his followers when their position is challenged.
Also surprising, outspoken critics of The Satanic Temple have used words like ‘hateful’ to describe the peaceful protests put on by Temple members. But that is flat-out inaccurate. It is the mission of The Satanic Temple to spread a message of acceptance and free thinking. No one within the organization is actively espousing hatred. In fact, one extremist practitioner of the faith was removed from her position for trying to incite violence against Donald Trump.
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In my estimation, The Satanic Temple has done more to better our country over the last decade than Christianity. Church members are putting their money where their mouth is and advocating for change, helping those in need, and trying to ensure our constitutional right to religious freedom isn’t trampled on. Programs like ‘Menstruation with Satan’ ensure women in shelters have access to pads and tampons. Local branches have also taken it upon themselves to adopt stretches of highway and beaches, where they pick up litter. Others have organized to stage pro-choice demonstrations alongside pro-life protests.
Hail Satan? is an eye-opening doc that provides a look at an unlikely religious organization and their good faith efforts to level the playing field so religious freedom means religious freedom for all.
The doc is funny, informative, and insightful. I would absolutely recommend seeking it out. And if you’re keen to do so, you’re in luck. As of the publication of this post, the film is streaming for free (with ads) via Xumo Play.
Categorized:Editorials
