Lucien Greaves
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Douglas Mesner, better known as Lucien Greaves, is an American
social activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from ...
and co-founder of, and
spokesperson A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
for,
The Satanic Temple The Satanic Temple (TST) is a non-theistic new religious movement, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. Established in response to the "intrusion of Christian values on American politics", congregations hav ...
.


Early life

Greaves was born in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. His mother was a
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
who took him to
Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...
. In 2002, Greaves took part in a podcast titled Might Is Right, Might is Right, to promote a reprint of an 1896 book of the same name. Greaves had also created illustrations for the reprinted edition. In the podcast, Greaves made antisemitic statements.


Activism

Greaves has spoken on the topics of
Satanism Satanism refers to a group of religious, ideological, or philosophical beliefs based on Satan—particularly his worship or veneration. Because of the ties to the historical Abrahamic religious figure, Satanism—as well as other religious ...
,
secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion. It is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened ...
, and The Satanic Temple at universities throughout the United States, and he has been a featured speaker at national conferences hosted by American Atheists, the
American Humanist Association The American Humanist Association (AHA) is a 501(c) organization, non-profit organization in the United States that advances secular humanism. The American Humanist Association was founded in 1941 and currently provides legal assistance to defe ...
, and the Secular Student Alliance. Greaves has been instrumental in setting up the Protect Children Project, the After School Satan project, and several political demonstrations and legal actions designed to highlight social issues involving religious liberty and the
separation of church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and Jurisprudence, jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the State (polity), state. Conceptually, the term refers to ...
. Greaves has received many death threats, and deliberately does not use his legal name to avoid threats to his family. Greaves and his colleagues envisioned The Satanic Temple as a "poison pill" in the Church/State debate: Satanists asserting their rights and privileges where religious agendas have imposed themselves upon public affairs, serving as a reminder that such privileges are for everybody, and can provide a religious agenda beyond the current narrow understanding. Neither Greaves nor members of The Satanic Temple worship
Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
; instead, their beliefs focus on personal sovereignty, independence, and freedom of will. Greaves appears throughout the 2019 documentary film '' Hail Satan?'' regarding religious freedoms and early days of The Satanic Temple. Greaves contributed the foreword to '' The Little Book of Satanism'' by La Carmina (2022) as well as artwork for multiple endeavors by Shiva Honey.


References


External links

*
Lucien Greaves Archive
* group blog, primarily 2008–2013
''Letters to a Satanist''
column by Greaves in '' Orlando Weekly'', 2014–2015 {{DEFAULTSORT:Greaves, Lucien Year of birth missing (living people) Activists from Michigan American atheism activists American critics of Christianity American founders American Satanists American social justice activists Converts to new religious movements from Christianity Founders of new religious movements Harvard University alumni Living people Religious leaders from Michigan Satanist religious leaders The Satanic Temple