Editing The Satanic Temple (section)

==History==
[[File:LucienGreavesSASHAcon2016.jpg|thumb|left|[[Lucien Greaves]], spokesperson for the Satanic Temple, at SASHAcon, March 2016|278x278px]]
Cofounders Lucien Greaves and Malcolm Jarry met in 2012,<ref name="Esquire1" /><ref name="NYT1" /> and the Satanic Temple was active by January 2013.<ref name="MSNBC1">{{cite web |title=Bashir: Satanists hail Florida Gov. Rick Scott |url=https://www.msnbc.com/martin-bashir/watch/bashir-satanists-hail-florida-gov-rick-scott-14650947887 |website=[[MSNBC]] |date=January 14, 2013 |access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref> 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 [[Presidency of George W. Bush|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]].<ref name="NYT1" />

According to scholar Joseph Laycock, Jarry 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<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2013-01-25/satanists-for-scott-real-or-fake |website=kfsu |date=25 January 2013|access-date=7 January 2023 |title=Satanists for Scott: Real or Fake? }}</ref> which would allow satanic students "to share their love of Satan" in public schools.<ref name=JPLS2023:sect.7-temple/>  After this event, 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 the afterlife. The positive publicity the event received reportedly made the Satanic Temple nationally known.<ref name=JPLS2023:sect.7-temple>[[#JPLS2023|Laycock, ''Satanism'', 2023]]: 7 Contemporary Developments in Satanism. The Satanic Temple</ref>

===Headquarters===
[[File:The Satanic Temple, Salem, MA 2023-02-23 01.jpg|thumb|Headquarter of the Satanic Temple at [[Salem, Massachusetts]]]]
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.<ref name="Carmina2021">{{cite web | last=Carmina | first=La | title=Salem's Satanic Temple hosts macabre art and movie nights in a former funeral home | website=Roadtrippers | date=2021-01-22 | url=https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/satanic-temple-salem-art-gallery/ | access-date=2021-01-24}}</ref> The headquarters includes a Fine Art room, La Voisin Chamber (dedicated to [[Catherine Monvoisin]]), Library, the Milton Hall exhibition space, and a room for its [[Statue of Baphomet]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Satanic Ceremonies: Little Black Chapel |url=https://www.salemartgallery.com/pages/satanic-ceremonies-little-black-chapel |access-date=March 29, 2024 |website=The Satanic Temple}}</ref> The library includes a focus on the history of [[Satanic panic]].<ref name="Carmina2021" />

The space has since come under threat on multiple occasions. [[Chelsea, Massachusetts|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 the time, but everyone was evacuated and no injuries occurred; damage was limited, though the porch and several windows had to be replaced.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Alexander |date=June 11, 2022 |title=Boston man arrested after alleged arson at Salem's Satanic Temple that damaged porch |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/11/metro/boston-man-arrested-after-alleged-arson-salems-satanic-temple-that-damaged-porch/ |access-date=2023-03-02 |work=[[Boston Globe]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[Salem Police Department (Massachusetts)|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.<ref>{{Cite tweet |author=City of Salem MA |user=CityofSalemMA |number=1631301925281972224 |title=We received another bomb threat to the Satanic Temple |date=March 2, 2023 |access-date=2023-03-02 }}</ref>

===Tax-exempt status===
On April 25, 2019, the Temple announced it had received tax-exempt status from the [[Internal Revenue Service]], being classified as a "church or a convention or association of churches".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.apnews.com/6addf2f0ecb646919cb1cfcfdacfc6c1 |title=Satanic Temple: IRS has designated it a tax-exempt church |website=Associated Press |date=April 25, 2019 |access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref> The Satanic Temple had previously been reluctant to pursue tax-exempt status until the [[Johnson Amendment]] was weakened by an [[s:Executive Order 13798|executive order "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty"]] signed by President [[Donald Trump|Trump]] in May 2017, which TST viewed as unfairly giving higher status to religious individuals.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/irs-satanic-temple-church-tax-exempt-826931/|title=The IRS Officially Recognizes the Satanic Temple as a Church|magazine=Rolling Stone|last1=Dickson|first1=Ej|date=April 24, 2019|access-date=February 15, 2023}}</ref>

Announcing 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 the qualifications of a true religious organization. Satanism is here to stay."<ref name="PatheosTaxExempt">{{cite web |last1=Matirko |first1=Jack |title=The Satanic Temple is Now a Registered Tax-Exempt Church |url=https://www.patheos.com/blogs/infernal/2019/04/the-satanic-temple-is-now-a-registered-tax-exempt-church/ |website=Patheos |date=April 24, 2019 |access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426104758/https://www.patheos.com/blogs/infernal/2019/04/the-satanic-temple-is-now-a-registered-tax-exempt-church/|archive-date=April 26, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Satanic Temple: Empathy. Reason. Advocacy |url=https://thesatanictemple.com/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=The Satanic Temple |quote=The Satanic Temple is the only Satanic religious organization recognized as a church by the IRS and the Federal Court System.}}</ref>

===International followers===
TST was structured based on the assumption of operating within the [[United States]]. TST has had challenges acclimating to the diverse needs of international followers, chapters, and congregations.  The organization 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.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Joseph P. Laycock|title=Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion|quote=There are communities all over the world that have expressed interest in TST, and many have formed unofficial chapters. However, there have been numerous difficulties in incorporating these groups into the US-based structure ... Greaves explained the NC was already overwhelmed by the demand for new chapters in the United States. He also had concerns about extending the TST brand into nations troubled by conflict. He had been contacted by a woman in Peru who wanted to create a chapter but was worried they might be subjected to violence by "Catholic militants." Greaves ... advised the woman to be safe and not start a chapter. Greaves explained he could never endorse, say TST-Uganda, asking, "How are we gonna feel if they all get fucking gunned down over it?"|chapter=Satanic Schisms|page=9.23|isbn=978-0190948498|doi=10.1093/oso/9780190948498.001.0001|date=2020-02-17}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Joseph P. Laycock 9.19-9.23">{{Cite book|author=Joseph P. Laycock|title=Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion|quote=TST-UK collaborated with artist Darren Culleb to subvert a new law in Bavaria requiring all public buildings to be adorned with a cross ... When TST leadership learned of this, they asked [TST-UK's leader] to step down as chapter head. ... [TST-UK's leader] was briefly replaced as chapter head by Cain Abaddon ... there were personality clashes and [TST decided] to remove Abaddon as well. ... At this point, TST-UK had ... "a universal vote of no confidence" ... and elected to become independent. ... [TST-UK and London] created its own leadership, rituals, and tenets (the six pillars) and began networking with TST members in such countries as France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland. in February 2019, the group changed its name to the rather ominous sounding Global Order of Satan.|chapter=Satanic Schisms|page=9.19-9.23|isbn=978-0190948498|doi=10.1093/oso/9780190948498.001.0001|date=2020-02-17}}</ref>