The Satanic Temple's Quest for Religious Liberty w/Lucien Greaves

In a thought-provoking episode of the Faithful Politics Podcast, co-hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Bertram engage with Lucien Greaves, spokesman and co-founder of the Satanic Temple. Greaves delves into the misconceptions about the Satanic Temple, emphasizing its role as a non-theistic religious organization committed to political activism against theocratic impositions. The discussion illuminates the Temple's advocacy for religious liberty, separation of church and state, and societal pluralism. Greaves articulates the Satanic Temple's unique approach to religious and cultural issues, highlighting its commitment to rational discourse, science, and ethical values. The conversation also explores the Temple's stand on controversial issues like abortion and its differentiation from other satanic groups. This episode offers deep insights into the complex interplay of religion, politics, and society, showcasing the Satanic Temple's role in advocating for a more inclusive and rational public discourse.
Guest Bio:
Lucien Greaves is the co-founder and spokesperson of the Satanic Temple, a non-theistic religious and activist organization. With a background that melds intellectual rigor with advocacy, Greaves has become a prominent figure in the fight for religious freedom, separation of church and state, and rational public policy.
Greaves holds a degree in neuroscience and has been an active participant in socio-political discourse, focusing on issues related to religious pluralism and cultural diversity. Under his leadership, the Satanic Temple has gained recognition for its unique approach to activism, employing satirical religious rituals and symbols to challenge theocratic policies and to promote secular values.
Greaves is known for his articulate and reasoned approach to controversial topics, advocating for a rational and ethical worldview that respects individual freedom and collective responsibility. His work with the Satanic Temple extends beyond mere political activism, delving into realms of art, literature, and social commentary, thereby fostering a comprehensive cultural movement.
As a spokesperson for the Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves has been featured in various media outlets, contributing a fresh perspective on the role of unconventional religions in contemporary society. His commitment to upholding the principles of free expression and secularism has positioned him as a unique voice in modern discussions about the intersection of religion, politics, and human rights.

[@Majeed.]

Lucien is a very articulate, thoughtful and admirable person. The movement is definitely a much needed force in the face of theocracy.

[@soo31369]

Lucien always rocks🎉. This pastor Josh seems very peaceful open minded. Gives me some hope that different people with different faiths can really live and let live. HS❤

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Thank you for your kind words! It's important for us to have open and respectful conversations, even when we come from different faith backgrounds. Lucien brought some interesting perspectives, and I'm glad we could engage in a meaningful dialogue. It's through these types of discussions that we can find common ground and promote mutual understanding. Here's to more peaceful and constructive conversations! 🙏🎉

[@soo31369]

@@FaithfulPolitics totally agree with you. Thank you for being true to your feelings and staying open minded to others. :)

[@GlaneciaXCat]

I came here to listen to Lucien Greaves, but I'm really impressed with this channel. I just subscribed. :)

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Thank you! Let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see!

[@JohnWMorehead]

Thanks for not only talking to Lucien, but doing so respectfully and seeking understanding even when you differ.

[@e4r0r4]

May I ask you, are you a member of any of their churches?

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Thank you, we try our best. It's the premise of our show

[@JohnWMorehead]

@@e4r0r4 No, I'm an evangelical who works in multifaith engagement and religious diplomacy who has podcasted with members of TST.

[@e4r0r4]

@@JohnWMorehead Thank you.

[@Nutmeg_6666]

Great interview! It is great to see those who do not 100% agree on some things have a civil discussion and try to understand each other.

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Thanks so much, that's sorta our jam for the pod!

[@janetd.8216]

Ok at about 9 min in, as a person who debates and listens to hours of debates and is actually FOR people who are atheists/agnostics, etc although I am a Christian…this so far is what we refer to as “word salad.” The conversation is congenial, which is what I prefer in an exchange of ideas, but it’s essentially saying nothing. And I cannot imagine listening to this for an hour.

[@Popular_Novel]

As against it as Lucien may be, I don't think I'll ever be able to see him again without thinking "Satanic Messiah" 😂

[@gulbaharsen1197]

O deccal olabilir Mesih değil... Kendisi bile bunun farkında olmayacakmış islam bize bunu söylüyor. Deccal bir anda ortaya çıkacak bir öfke ile.

[@SinderellaScapegoat]

The love of Jesus Christ shows that he loves Lucien Greaves too. That's what real love is.

[@PontiusLucifugous9594]

I'm sure he would wholeheartedly disagree 😂

[@mwitchb]

The thing about Lucien Greaves is that he’s an amazing person. You can really have a meaningful conversation with him and he advocates really well on the issues. Currently I’m at the point when I’m trying to redefine myself, and he’s been a tremendous help and influence. Hail Lucien! 🔥

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Thank you for the comment, we agree that if you care about getting to know people, it's really important to be able to speak with them as equals.

[@kermit9978]

@@FaithfulPoliticsthat person is one of LGs deeply mentally unstable followers. You shouldn’t encourage it.

[@johnmchale9800]

dont sell your soul. the demons eat you and hell is hell, a burning inferno. pray to the holy mary.

[@Persun_McPersonson]

@@kermit9978 Are you a member of QueerSatanic?

[@jasonaltig985]

@@johnmchale9800😂

[@someonesomeone25]

Hail Satan.

[@janaenae1338]

I apologize to all people who suffer from religious trauma because my mom just so happens to be one of those people and its a rather serious situation to me.and I just so happen to be one of those people who strongly over did the "I think that I get the message that that one Jesus guy might have been trying to share" due to a psychedelic experience that I had and I really really got overly excited and even may have shared Jesus content obnoxiously and may have even experienced a bit of intensity while doing so. my intentions were very pure and were always with a sense of confidence that every single person was going to be easily understood. I shared the information with any and everyone with the belief that i was able to turn every single frown upside down. when I first felt triggered to turn every frown upside down at the very beginning I had a less evolved understanding about the two opposite sides and I actually did begin my journey of teaching with a good guy vs bad mentality and it didn't take very long for me to come to the realization that every person is good in nature or rather somehow innocent and a victim to their own impulses or desires in some kind of way and when my eyes were opened to the innocence to all people, via astrological education and learning about my moms very powerful religious traumas a bit later on while studying the depths of my moms astrological makeup, my genuine care for all people who "oppose the push of Jesus content" truly started to develope and now my love and consideration for every person with every belief has transformed my purpose from "pointing out the wrongness of people with opposing beliefs " to "hey christians you've got it all wrong these guys are just unique because of their time and place of birth and if anything they are just a part of the whole of this universe and its ways of working with everything having an opposite to exist" here's the thing......when I do something that is the opposite of my normal way, I usually suffer from some kind of emotional discontent and that may be my own personal experience but due to my constant rejection from society I have the tendency to people please and not self serve because rejection or out right anihilation is always creeping around the corners for me because my inconvenient existence seems to make self serving behaviors intolerable for the majority of society so every time I make a self serving decision I suffer deeply from some kind of regret and so I have sympathy for those who self serve more then people please and develope a sort of sympathy for self serving people may or may not be suffering from internally and offer a mutual relationship of understanding, human forgiveness and desire to point out my own personal experience with the negative emotions I personally experience from self serving

[@Þórsteinn.-le3rc]

47:30 / 1:03:58 Fun fact in 1994 When Marilyn Manson was a part of The Self Destruct Tour He met Anton Szandor LaVey I wish you would ask them about this American culture and the character Lilith

[@janaenae1338]

I wish to now think about ways to open the eyes to the religious "opposers" to the potential pain behind the oppositions actions and the cause of their decisions to oppose Christianity in the first place. I wish to point out the silliness of the opposing actions of either side and even to point out that lack of understanding seems to be the fuel for fear and that christians may be simply lacking in an awareness of just exactly what being a member of the satanic temple is and because of that they daydream something that naturally would create a strong sense of fear and sort of react with intense emotions like they are swinging a sword towards a perceived giant enemy in the dark.

[@witchywomen6650]

❤ 💯 correct! ❤

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Thank you for your positive feedback! We're glad to hear that you found the episode insightful. If you have any specific thoughts or questions about the discussion with Lucien Greaves and The Satanic Temple's quest for religious liberty, we'd love to hear them. Thanks for tuning in!

[@Jeff-si8uv]

Great job 😊

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Thanks! 😊

[@StarLopez-wn1fn]

❤ lucien is soooo gorgeous 😢

[@GlaneciaXCat]

I know, right?

[@Jeff-si8uv]

You rock 😊

[@rickwalker6400]

I love Lucien he speaks well, very intelligent and extremely sexy

[@lexprontera8325]

Secularism as religious neutrality, an how to not confuse it with antitheism: My best way to picture it: Properly done, a secular society is a better home for Christians than a theocratic Christian state ever could be... because what are the odds that the ruling theocrats would end up being YOUR exact denomination? Slim to none. Everything would be a constant test of purity/piety/sincerity... plus a slide into dictatorship almost guaranteed. Meanwhile in a pluralistic secular country you'd still have all your religious freedom of belief anc peactice anyway.

[@lexprontera8325]

An example of this contrast is playing out in real life as we speak: Muslims enjoy a better life (prosperity, freedoms, safety) in secular pluralistic countries of Europe and America... than in their own - explicitly muslim - countries of origin. It's a contrast so blunt and stark and obvious I donxt even need to list the metrics and statistics, you already know.

[@Jeff-si8uv]

Cool 😅 love ❤️ it

[@bat2485]

Excellent interview thank you.

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@janaenae1338]

hi angel

[@janaenae1338]

choices and also like to share the truth about how much happier I am when I choose to love others and serve others and literally how depressed self serving made me feel anytime I oartook in it. it was like people pleasing to survive as a burden to the majority somehow made some kind of sunshine and rainbows perspective that was noticeably destroyed and absent when ever I made the choice to self serve and this realization came to be through my unique circumstances. and seeing the moans and groans of the everyday individual on a regular basis was similar to the changes within my self during those moments of self serving which sort of opened my eyes to the cause of what I believe to be a sense of worldwide unhappiness and decided to point out a potential solution and reasons to feel motivated to take these kinds of behaviors having any kind of benefit whatsoever anyway bye guys

[@carolyncottier9466]

At least he's honest.

[@kermit9978]

He's not honest whatsoever. If he was he'd be financially transparent with TST which he isnt. If people knew how he dipped into funds like his personal piggy bank they'd be less supportive. Which is why the refusal.

[@carolyncottier9466]

@@kermit9978 Fair play if that's the case, and you know that from your own knowledge, I suspend my comment that he is honest...perhaps then not so.

[@ironsausage808]

Kermit9978. Any proof of that claim? Don’t tell me to look it up myself. I did and there is nothing. So your dishonest, or mistaken.

[@Persun_McPersonson]

@@ironsausage808 There's no evidence he's doing that with the money, since they're hiding their financial records we can't tell, but it is still suspicious that TST is hiding its financial records in the first place.

[@Jeff-si8uv]

Bounty 😂 you’re kidding me 😮

[@e4r0r4]

It's early in our understanding of time, which is a measurement to try and understand the events of light being added and removed. Amongst other thing's. Which is pretty cool and inhibiting. Polarisation is a funny thing to be Amongst too. Life is a trip alright.

[@e4r0r4]

I would have thought that this would reach a bigger audience, considering the way social media is nowadays. I remember this being more aware of. The algorithm is suffering a Freudian? Lol Why didn't you discuss about how all agreed upon perspectives do indeed have forms that do not benefit society? That would have been a quite good subject. Appreciate the video. I found it quite cool tbh. 🤘🏻👁👁👁🤘🏻

[@FaithfulPolitics]

Thank you for watching!

[@e4r0r4]

@@FaithfulPolitics you are very welcome. Thank you for creating it. It's imperative that we find avenues to coexist through. If for nothing else, it widens our understanding. I do wish that you would have tackled the fact that there are factions of all your belief systems that have developed into harmful existences. It's so rarely talked about, that I don't even really know how define it across the board with any real conviction. As I haven't been able to seek other's understanding. Which I find I still need, even if I reject it as hogwash. It's something that if tackled correctly, could be useful to open the box of. I think people see it as such a negative topic, they aren't willing to tackle it without rejection and negativity being the sole driver's. But it obviously still draws some minds. Anyway, I'm just passing through. It's your world. Thank you for your acknowledgement. I appreciate it.

[@FaithfulPolitics]

You're not wrong in the harmful existence of many belief systems, the most pernicious being that of Christianity. We have dedicated an entire playlist focused on many of the experts that have spent their careers highlighting the effects of things like Christian Nationalism, and other offensive acts like the Doctrine of Discovery and Polygenesis. If there's a guest you think we should speak to that you feel will help further this discussion please feel free to let us know! Our contact info is on our website!

[@e4r0r4]

@@FaithfulPolitics I will certainly watch more of your content as it comes up. I really appreciate you taking the time to inform me of the work you have already done. I also appreciate the fact that you haven't been dismissive in articulating that, like other people tend to do. Something I have myself been guilty of. I wouldn't know where to begin to suggest someone who should be the focus, so you can interview. I do know that people across the spectrum have some really insightful observations. Sometimes I find that experts are so dialed into their niche, they miss very obvious thing's. As we all do, when we are dialed into a specific pattern. It's a precarious position that you are in really. Looking for a specific answer in a sea of multiple routes. I do respect what you are doing. I think it's imperative as I wrote beforehand. I really enjoy the fact that you don't interrupt your guest's. That is something that is rarely practiced. I think because people are very jittery about how they are perceived. Which is a shame, as it went from standing for something to standing for not being something. Which is cool I suppose as it's a spectrum that should exist. But not to the point where it's negatively effecting the outcome. I understand that that is a hypocritical thing to say, when I'm asking for all forms to coexist. But it's just how I feel. Thank you for spending this part of your existence with me.

[@alaindornseiffer2201]

Im for religious Liberty Tool, also for the satanists

[@johnmchale9800]

we live in the last days. worship the holy mary.

[@Persun_McPersonson]

@@johnmchale9800 The Bible says that no one can predict the end. You're a blasphemer.

[@Jeff-si8uv]

Satan temple is awesome 😎

[@adrievisser3676]

jirrie dude jy praat kak

[@ChEM_TRaiL_HaTER]

I put my money on Jesus the most high Joshua Yahweh whatever name you want to call it but Satan will never be my God

[@jasonaltig985]

TST does not believe in either.

[@johnmchale9800]

satan is fallible. believe me. he failed many times. trying to get my soul. i do not want to go somewhere bad forever. i would rather live life for a little time, die and go somewhere good.

[@Persun_McPersonson]

Souls aren't real and when you die you won't go anywhere, neither good nor bad, as you won't exist anymore.

[@johnmchale9800]

@@Persun_McPersonson wrong cheshire!

[@Persun_McPersonson]

@@johnmchale9800 The evidence is on my side, not yours. You can believe what you want, but it's not based on reality.

[@johnmchale9800]

@@Persun_McPersonson true. nothing is reality. godbless. we all must follow our destiny. even if we really dont want to.

[@johnmchale9800]

@@Persun_McPersonson teach me reality. i beg you.

[@xXpupperzXxx]

I’m a satanist and my best friend is a devout catholic, and we have a very healthy friendship. Regardless of beliefs it’s nice to be able to come together and coexist, even if we disagree 🖤