{"id":106871,"date":"2026-05-23T18:33:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T23:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=106871"},"modified":"2026-05-28T11:40:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:40:55","slug":"a-rise-in-christian-nationalism-leaves-a-number-of-the-satanic-temple-illinois-members-worried-about-practicing-openly-but-some-continue-to-fight-for-their-right-to-be-heard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/a-rise-in-christian-nationalism-leaves-a-number-of-the-satanic-temple-illinois-members-worried-about-practicing-openly-but-some-continue-to-fight-for-their-right-to-be-heard\/","title":{"rendered":"Rise in Christian nationalism leaves number of The Satanic Temple Illinois members worried about practicing openly, but some continue to fight for right to be heard"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Madison Roth<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A black-and-gray face\u00a0with horns sprouting out of its head paints the upper arm of\u00a0Minister Sharper\u2019s\u00a0right arm. Red flames poke out from the undone buttons of Sharper\u2019s shirt, revealing a black barbed-wire\u00a0heart on their chest. Their black\u00a0jean jacket\u00a0is littered with pentagram patches.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It might not be a surprise to learn\u00a0Sharper\u00a0belongs to\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois,\u00a0one of the congregations connected to the\u00a0non-theistic religious organization\u00a0The Satanic Temple. But a bystander\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0know Sharper is the Illinois congregation head because only the people closest to Sharper know they identify as a non-theistic Satanist.\u00a0Sharper\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0their real name, rather a “Satanym” used to protect their identity.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharper\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0believe in Satan \u2013 none of\u00a0The\u00a0Satanic Temple members do.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To them, Satan is a metaphor, a symbol that embodies the values of the organization. Satan is the original rebel, a character they admire for going against the norm.\u00a0The group believes in creating a safe space for anyone interested in exploring\u00a0religious pluralism, or the acceptance of multiple religions coexisting at once\u00a0and treating believers of those religions with respect.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But doing so can be difficult in this day and age.\u00a0Christian\u00a0nationalism,\u00a0a political ideology merging Christianity and American identities,\u00a0has risen since President Donald Trump retook office in January 2025. About\u00a0<\/span>30% of Americans<\/span><\/a>\u00a0express ideologies that align with Christian\u00a0nationalism,\u00a0and the\u00a0Illinois Satanists\u00a0are living the repercussions.\u00a0Despite the fears expressed by The Satanic Temple\u00a0members on being out as a Satanist, the organization has also seen its\u00a0numbers steadily growing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe individual members can be incredibly diverse in their opinions and interpretations,\u201d Sharper said. \u201cWe\u2019re not telling anyone how to think; we\u2019re trying to find community together and support the idea of\u00a0religious pluralism.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Satanists who\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0believe in Satan<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The national Satanic Temple was\u00a0founded in 2013\u00a0by\u00a0Doug Mesner\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Cevin Soling, more commonly known as\u00a0<\/span>Lucien Greaves\u00a0and\u00a0Malcolm Jarry,\u00a0<\/span>who remain the organization\u2019s leaders today.\u00a0Greaves has publicly\u00a0<\/span>said<\/span><\/a>\u00a0he started The Satanic Temple\u00a0as a\u00a0social activism group, but it quickly morphed into something more than that.\u00a0<\/span>Headquartered in\u00a0Salem, Mass.,\u00a0The Satanic Temple has 38 congregations across the globe.\u00a0Each congregation\u00a0is required to\u00a0have regular meetings and some sort of leadership structure.\u00a0Other than that, congregations are allowed to function however they choose, according to Sharper.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is not\u00a0one member in the entire organization of The Satanic Temple who believes in the existence of Satan, according to their\u00a0<\/span>official website<\/span><\/a>, and people who do will be turned away from the group.\u00a0The organization roots its beliefs in tenets that\u00a0emphasize\u00a0empathy, bodily autonomy, a person\u2019s own\u00a0freedoms\u00a0and a belief in science.\u00a0Each congregation of The Satanic Temple follows\u00a0seven specific tenets\u00a0that coincide with their group,\u00a0according to the organization\u2019s\u00a0website.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Satan as a symbol may carry a different meaning to each The Satanic Temple member but\u00a0represents\u00a0a rebellious figure. Members often reference \u201cParadise Lost\u201d by John Milton\u00a0as a model for how they view Satan.\u00a0In the poem, Milton portrays Satan as one of God\u2019s most beloved angels who is misunderstood and is a rebel at heart.\u00a0He is a complex character driven by his individual goals. The work is often linked to the Romanticism literary movement, and The Satanic Temple refers to their beliefs as\u00a0Romantic Satanism.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Satanic Temple\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0recruit members but are open to talking about their beliefs with anyone who inquires.\u00a0The organization lets any prospective members reach out to them if interested in joining.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another pillar of The Satanic Temple is its desire to be seen as equal to other religions, as they believe every religion should have a place in\u00a0social and cultural settings,\u00a0not just Christianity, Sharper said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For\u00a0The Satanic Temple\u00a0Illinois\u00a0specifically,\u00a0members have petitioned to deliver invocations, a prayer or moment of\u00a0reflection, at the beginning of Chicago City Council meetings a few times.\u00a0A\u00a0range of members from different religions\u00a0have\u00a0given\u00a0invocations\u00a0at these meetings, but\u00a0in 2024,\u00a0<\/span>The Satanic Temple\u00a0Illinois\u00a0ministers\u00a0were\u00a0denied<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0one of the\u00a0many lawsuits\u00a0the\u00a0national organization has been involved in over the years.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a right to follow our religion, according to the Constitution,\u201d Sharper said. \u201cIf one has a right, everyone has a right.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your friendly, local neighborhood Satanist\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One\u00a0afternoon in\u00a0February,\u00a0Sharper sat at October Cafe in North Park, drinking a taro latte and described what they did with their wife for\u00a0Lupercalia, an ancient Roman\u00a0holiday\u00a0Satanists celebrate\u00a0the day after Valentine\u2019s Day\u00a0to mark one\u2019s bodily autonomy.\u00a0They said they performed a small ritual with their wife and enjoyed a nice dinner together. Other members performed their own rituals, spending the holiday as a community, Sharper said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a044-year-old\u00a0is a registered minister of Satan.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0been\u00a0a part of\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0for five years,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0congregation head\u00a0of\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0for a little\u00a0more than\u00a0three.\u00a0Their\u00a0wife, Riley, is also a registered minister of Satan and was\u00a0the head of\u00a0<\/span>The Satanic Temple-Indiana<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>before moving to the Illinois congregation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Sharper\u00a0also\u00a0has\u00a0a role in the\u00a0international\u00a0Satanic\u00a0Temple\u00a0congregations\u00a0and\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0co-director of the\u00a0Satanic Good Works program,\u00a0The Satanic Temple\u2019s\u00a0volunteer branch.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Two
Riley and Sharper (Photo courtesy of Sharper).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beyond their work with the Satanic Temple, Sharper has a day job and lives in a northwest neighborhood of Chicago. The other members of The Satanic Temple Illinois interviewed for this article are in similar situations as their leader.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharper said most of the\u00a0130 members\u00a0of\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0live in Chicago or its suburbs with a few scattered around the state. Several members get together for\u00a0internal rituals the organization hosts, including\u00a0unbaptisms.\u00a0Sharper said\u00a0unbaptisms\u00a0are a way for people to \u201cshake off\u201d their baptism as children.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people were raised in the church,\u201d Sharper said. \u201cAfter they lose faith, they miss that sense of community and want a place where they can start over.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In these\u00a0unbaptism\u00a0rituals, members may choose to be marked with ashes of burnt Bibles, according to Sharper.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Satanic Temple members\u00a0also engage in social activities like bowling, book\u00a0clubs\u00a0and game nights, according to\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0member\u00a0Istus\u00a0Alegria.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alegria,\u00a0which is\u00a0her\u00a0Satanym, said she has been a member of\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0since 2022 and has enjoyed finding a place focused on community.\u00a0Alegria said she\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0fully\u00a0resonate with Satan as a symbol, but she loves The Satanic Temple because of the freedom she\u00a0has to\u00a0be herself\u00a0and\u00a0she\u00a0admires the seven tenets.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To the\u00a045-year-old Elgin resident, the seven\u00a0tenets\u00a0are simply how to be a good person, and\u00a0she believes\u00a0the way The Satanic Temple\u00a0operates\u00a0is common sense. But\u00a0Alegria is\u00a0cognizant\u00a0of the negative connotations that\u00a0come\u00a0with being a Satanist\u00a0since Christianity\u00a0has\u00a0\u201cbeen the only narrative for so long.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She said people never know when a Satanist is around them, though,\u00a0because in her opinion, they\u00a0look like everyone else.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Satanist is just a person who has a background, certain traumas, likes and dislikes, and they\u2019re just like everyone else,\u201d Alegria said. \u201cThey just have some part of The Satanic Temple that speaks to them.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For\u00a0member\u00a0Nerpenov II,\u00a0his\u00a0Satanym,\u00a0The Satanic Temple\u2019s push for religious\u00a0equality\u00a0stood out to him.\u00a0He became interested in The Satanic Temple\u00a0when he saw\u00a0the news about\u00a0The\u00a0Satanic Temple Iowa displaying a\u00a0Baphomet statue, a goat-headed figure connected to the occult, in Iowa\u2019s state\u00a0capitol\u00a0building for Christmas in 2023.\u00a0That event was his introduction to The Satanic Temple, and he quickly\u00a0looked into\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0and how to become a member.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since he joined, Nerpenov has been a part of several public The Satanic Temple Illinois events, such as their Meet A Satanist at The Brewed Coffee in Avondale; a public reading at the Daley Center from \u201cThe Revolt of the Angel,\u201d a 1914 novel depicting God\u2019s angels revolting against him so Lucifer can rule Heaven; and a Q&A at the Leather Archives and Museum with a Satanic Panic movie marathon, where an unbaptism was performed afterward for anyone interested.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nerpenov, who is\u00a036 and lives in a southwestern Chicago suburb,\u00a0said one of his favorite parts of being in The Satanic Temple is being able\u00a0to follow his own moral compass and not having a \u201cGod\u201d tell him how to live. He said he believes Satan is a form of self- empowerment as the original rebel.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Growing up Catholic, Nerpenov\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0like the hypocrisy he saw in the Bible. He said he saw Jesus saying be good to others but then saw people around him claiming to be Christian not doing that. Satan was a scapegoat for evil to Christians, Nerpenov said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they don\u2019t have a bad guy to scare them, why listen and follow God?\u201d Nerpenov said. \u201cThey need someone to blame for all the bad things.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharper has\u00a0witnessed\u00a0firsthand the pushback\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0has gotten from those who oppose\u00a0the existence of the organization, like when people come to protest their\u00a0Meet\u00a0A\u00a0Satanist events.\u00a0They\u00a0said there is danger in being out as Satanist\u00a0\u2014 only a few members of\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0are\u00a0open about that part of their lives.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But\u00a0Sharper\u00a0said they will continue to fight for what they believe in, expressing their belief\u00a0\u201cSatan is a reasonable guy\u201d and their willingness to talk about their Satanism with people who \u201cbring a genuine curiosity.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pushing for the good of everyone,\u201d Sharper said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to make religion an open and welcoming space for everyone.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Former congregation head of\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0Adam Vavrick\u00a0said he\u00a0first\u00a0became\u00a0involved in The Satanic Temple because he was interested in the\u00a07-foot-tall Baphomet\u00a0<\/span>statue<\/span><\/a>\u00a0placed\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0grounds of the\u00a0Oklahoma state capitol\u00a0in 2014, in\u00a0protest\u00a0of the\u00a0building’s Ten Commandments monument.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vavrick said he shortly joined The Satanic Temple after reading about the statue because he just \u201cgot it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI understood the point of going into a space that is open to all and saying, \u2018I\u00a0wanna\u00a0be here, too,\u2019 and then watching everyone go\u00a0\u2018Wait, we don\u2019t want you here,\u2019\u201d Vavrick said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though he is no longer a member of The Satanic Temple, Vavrick said he still leads a Satanic life, often\u00a0reflecting on\u00a0the time he spent helping others and his own growth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been\u00a0unabashedly\u00a0who I am for way longer\u00a0than\u00a0I was a member of The Satanic Temple,\u201d Vavrick said. \u201cThe Satanic Temple\u00a0fit\u00a0really well into a mold that I was already\u00a0walking.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Illinois Satanic Temple\u2019s tumultuous past<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vavrick used to be the congregation head of\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0before leaving in the summer of 2024 due to disagreements with management decisions. He said there were certain members who either resigned or were removed from the congregation because of\u00a0the\u00a0ramifications\u00a0from\u00a0these management\u00a0decisions.\u00a0Vavrick\u00a0has been known\u00a0not\u00a0to\u00a0shy away from speaking bluntly, and when he\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0come to an understanding with the other leaders, he resigned.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The summer 2024 decisions led to a\u00a0religious schism, or\u00a0a split between opposed members of a group.\u00a0In response,\u00a0the\u00a0Illinois Satanic Collective\u00a0was created by\u00a0those who left\u00a0The Satanic\u00a0Temple\u00a0Illinois.\u00a0Vavrick is not involved in this new collective.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While\u00a0being\u00a0interviewed for this article, some\u00a0past and\u00a0previous\u00a0members of\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0have alluded to\u00a0<\/span>decisions being made by Greaves<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that trickled down into the congregations as\u00a0the\u00a0reason for\u00a0why this schism took place.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But\u00a0all\u00a0religions go through schisms, and The Satanic Temple is no different, according to\u00a0Dr. Joseph Laycock,\u00a0associate professor\u00a0of religious studies\u00a0at Texas State University. The Satanic Temple has had several schisms over the years because \u201cSatanists don\u2019t play well together,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the split from\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois,\u00a0Mike Tauler, a member of\u00a0Illinois\u00a0Satanic Collective, said the organization shares a lot of\u00a0DNA\u00a0with their former group.\u00a0Tauler and others\u00a0in the ISC\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0explicitly leave\u00a0The Satanic Temple\u00a0because of anyone in the congregation\u00a0but because of differences in opinion with how the organization should be run.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMembers of The Satanic Temple are fellow Satanists,\u201d Tauler said. \u201cWe hope one day to work with those individuals. We don\u2019t hold any ill will towards any individual members.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0easy for\u00a0members of Illinois Satanic Collective, but Tauler said\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0proud of how everybody in the group has stepped up and come together.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s meant\u00a0everything to have this community, especially in the time we were splitting from The Satanic Temple,\u201d Tauler said. \u201cThere was a lot of uncertainty. We\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0know what we were going to do to hold the community\u00a0together,\u00a0and\u00a0our community had pulled together to give that space to ourselves and each other.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Illinois Satanic Collective\u00a0has been around for two years\u00a0and\u00a0is\u00a0in the process of becoming\u00a0a non-profit organization. Unlike\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois, there is no hierarchy of membership in Illinois Satanic Collective.\u00a0Tauler said the group is open to\u00a0new ideas\u00a0and thoughts, urging members to have civil conversations if they\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0agree with everything the group does. People who are uncomfortable with being labeled Satanists can join\u00a0as long as\u00a0they respect the values of the group, Tauler said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a community; we\u2019re a group of friends,\u201d Tauler said. \u201cWe choose to be a chosen family, so all the things you celebrate normally as a family we celebrate together.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Non-theistic satanism tends to attract people who are already marginalized, Tauler said, and\u00a0the religion\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0judge anybody who society sees as different.\u00a0He has a snake and apple tattoo on his forearm as an everyday reminder of that.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing your true and authentic self will often put you at odds with society,\u201d Tauler said.\u00a0\u201cBut we welcome that here.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A religion or a provocation?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Laycock\u00a0is the only\u00a0person who has academically\u00a0written\u00a0a book centered\u00a0around The Satanic Temple.\u00a0Published in\u00a02020,\u00a0his\u00a0book\u00a0\u201cSpeak of the Devil: How the Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion\u201d\u00a0gave insight on who The Satanic Temple is as a group and the religious boundaries\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0been pushing since being founded.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The United States Supreme Court has never defined religion, and\u00a0Laycock said\u00a0The Satanic Temple is forcing this\u00a0conversation on what\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span><\/i>religion and what it means to have religious freedom.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Laycock said the organization\u00a0of The Satanic Temple as a group at large\u00a0has bigger implications than what people realize.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, what The Satanic Temple is doing is really important and it\u2019s forcing people to think about what\u00a0do we actually mean\u00a0when something is a religion or not?\u201d Laycock said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But Laycock acknowledged the downsides that can come with identifying as a Satanist. He said he attended The Satanic Temple events in Texas that were meant to act as a shock factor to Christian protestors and saw members use this shock\u00a0as a way to\u00a0ignite change.\u00a0However,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0the shock factor that causes people to not take The Satanic Temple seriously as a religion, Laycock said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That shock factor is what turns off people like\u00a0Jon Trott, a Christian who studied Satanism for a decade\u00a0and\u00a0wrote\u00a0the book \u201cSelling Satan: The Evangelical Media and the Mike Warnke Scandal.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trott\u00a0said he views Satanists as people who are sticking their tongues\u00a0out at those who oppose them, doing whatever they want to do as radically as possible.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re\u00a0using the devil as a cultural tool to make their point,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Trott said he\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0understand what drives someone to become a Satanist, he does respect\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u2019s fundamental ideas of what it means to be a good person.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While attending different The Satanic Temple events in different states, Laycock\u00a0has\u00a0seen all sorts of people show up.\u00a0Sometimes people come to protest events while others come to watch because\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0interested in\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0going on, he said.\u00a0He said he spoke to Christians who were protesting because they believe The Satanic Temple is going through spiritual warfare and need to be stopped.\u00a0But Laycock said\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0never seen any Christians at the events he\u2019s attended talking to a Satanist. To him, many Christians just want to be angry at Satanists for going against God.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Theistic Satanists are\u00a0pretty rare, according to Laycock,\u00a0but most people\u00a0may\u00a0think of sacrifices and people being murdered when they think of people who worship the devil. Laycock said so much of Satanism is linked to people who have murdered in the name of Satan, like serial killer Richard Ramirez.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a potential double standard here because we don\u2019t judge Christians by Christian serial killers, like the Ku Klux Klan or the Westboro Baptist Church,\u201d Laycock said. \u201cBut associating yourself with Satan has a lot of risks that come with it and may ultimately backfire.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Life as a modern day non-theistic Satanist<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nerpenov owns a few The Satanic Temple shirts and keeps Satanic pins on his jean jacket,\u00a0similar to\u00a0Sharper. He\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0open about being a Satanist at his job but will talk about it if people ask. Algeria, on the other hand, will say\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0in\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0but\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0go out of her way to let anyone know.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Satan\u00a0remains\u00a0a symbol of cultural fear in the country, especially with\u00a0<\/span>Trump being vocal about implementing laws that align with Christian values and beliefs<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>According to a study done by PEW Research<\/span><\/a>,\u00a062% of Americans identify as Christian, 28% identify with no religion\u00a0and 8% identify with other religions.\u00a0Sharper said the more Trump puts Christian ideals into law, the\u00a0scarier\u00a0it gets to not be a Christian.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharper said they believe Satan is a direct threat to Christianity, and he\u00a0remains\u00a0a symbol of fear because people cannot get outside of their own views, unable to stop their panic enough to see another perspective.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of outside pushback,\u00a0The Satanic Temple Illinois\u00a0is going to keep going, Sharper said, because they believe in fighting back against authority.\u00a0The Satanic Temple is still a\u00a0relatively young\u00a0religion, and internal parts of the group are still adapting and evolving as their needs change, Sharper said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes being an adversary is the right path; sometimes pushing back is the way to make things fair for everyone,\u201d Sharper said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Madison Roth is a\u00a0Medill Investigative Lab-Chicago\u00a0specialization graduate student at Medill.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Madison Roth Medill Reports\u00a0 A black-and-gray face\u00a0with horns sprouting out of its head paints the upper arm of\u00a0Minister Sharper\u2019s\u00a0right arm. Red flames poke out from the undone buttons of Sharper\u2019s shirt, revealing a black barbed-wire\u00a0heart on their chest. Their black\u00a0jean jacket\u00a0is littered with pentagram patches.\u00a0\u00a0 It might not be a surprise to learn\u00a0Sharper\u00a0belongs to\u00a0The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1041,"featured_media":106872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,5543,2952,5555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-msj26","category-politics","category-spring-2026"],"yoast_head":"\nRise in Christian nationalism leaves number of The Satanic Temple Illinois members worried about practicing openly, but some continue to fight for right to be heard - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/a-rise-in-christian-nationalism-leaves-a-number-of-the-satanic-temple-illinois-members-worried-about-practicing-openly-but-some-continue-to-fight-for-their-right-to-be-heard\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rise in Christian nationalism leaves number of The Satanic Temple Illinois members worried about practicing openly, but some continue to fight for right to be heard - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Madison Roth Medill Reports\u00a0 A black-and-gray face\u00a0with horns sprouting out of its head paints the upper arm of\u00a0Minister Sharper\u2019s\u00a0right arm. 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