Earlier this week, news of the first Satanic church to be officially registered in South Africa broke out and no little stir has been raised due to the latest development.
South Africa, a religious and Christian-majority country officially registered the Satanic Church which was reportedly launched in February and according to the co-founder of the church, the registration has been a 4-year process, but has now ‘sailed through.’
In response to the criticism that followed the development, Riaan Swiegelar, the co-founder of the Satanic Church had said;
“It’s worth clarifying that those who form a part of the Satanic church do not identify as ‘devil worshippers’ bare with us here:
“They do put their faith in Satan, but rather than seeing him as an evil figure, he’s more of a ‘fitting archetype that best represents true human nature’. It’s a concept that requires some alternate thought,” he said.
According to the group, they do not condone sacrifices, either human or animal.
They however reject the principles of shame and guilt that exist in Christianity. They claim to be supportive of other religions, and their teachings range from ‘expressing kindness’ to ‘condoning vengeance.’
Allowing the church to exist means South Africans are ‘accepting evil as something that is good for our society when in fact, it is not.”
On its website, the group also said “it’s on a mission to educate the public to what legitimate satanism is, but also more importantly, to address the misconceptions that exist in South Africa as a result of the ‘satanic panic.'”
For the devout religious ones, the latest development may be one out of many that makes 2020 one of the most apocalyptic year ever, while for some others, it was a win for freedom of worship.
However, an online petition opposing the existence of the SA Satanic Church is gaining momentum and has almost reached its target of 1000 signatories, with over 850 people having signed it.
The petition was launched by Sfiso Mbatha, who said allowing the church to exist means South Africans are “accepting evil as something that is good for our society when in fact, it is not.”
Smanga Kubheka, one of the signatories to the petition, also said, “the church poses a threat to society” and the kids in the community are in danger if the Satanic church is left to continue.
