This file is an exerpt from The Book of Darkness, an official work
of the Ordo Templi Satanis, P.O. Box 1093, Atwater, CA 95301. It is
copyright 1991. All persons are hereby given permission to make
copies and/or distribute this exerpt, so long as in so doing the
contents of this work is not altered in any way, including this
paragraph.
The Concept of the Order
(From the Book of the Order)
The words "Ordo Templi Satanis" are Latin for "Order of the
Satanic Temple," and are derived from the name for the old
Knights Templar-- the Knights of the Temple. The OTS has been
conceived to be a modern equivalent to an Order of knighthood,
and is organized along lines similar to those used in medieval
Europe. The ultimate goal of the Order is to bring this nation
back to the Satanic principles upon which it was founded, and to
ensure that the natural Satanic elite is no longer on the brink
of destruction at the hands of the masses.
We recognize that the only way for humanity as a whole to
realize its potential is to return to the old social formulae,
which recognize the existence of a natural aristocracy within the
human species. We give that aristocracy the label of Satanist,
and borrow the imagery of Satanism and the occult for our pur-
poses. We do not believe in a literal extraterrestrial being
known as Satan, Lucifer, or any other such thing. We see humanity
as the ultimate expression of the force of evolution, which is
constantly working to improve the species and drive it forward.
We see this as a good thing, but we recognize the necessity of
the stratification of the Satanists from the slaves, the elite
from the masses, the leaders from the followers, in order to
achieve greatness for ourselves as a species.
Our philosophy is rooted in materialism, and is quite a
cynical one. We do not deny this, indeed, we revel in it. It is
only through such tough, realistic approaches that the vast and
awesome problems which face our planet and species today can be
overcome, and we believe that through the application of our
philosophy, we can bring this about.
While the Satanist is, by definition, a creature of individ-
uality and self-reliance, we recognize that it is only through
the application of an iron Will that our goals can be accom-
plished. This is Realpolitik. Without a consistent, centralized
organization backing and pushing for our programs to be accepted
by the masses, we stand no chance against the vast bureaucracy of
egalitarianism which has entrenched itself in Western society
through the vehicle of Christianity and which threatens to spread
the world over. To that end, we conceive of the Order of the
Satanic Temple as a group which can work together, drawing the
strength of its members and focusing it in a single direction, as
a vehicle, a living, breathing Working spanning the course of
years, that may bring about the fundamental realignment of our
society and culture.
In order for this to occur, however, we as members of the
natural Aristocracy must realize that we shall be called upon to
make even greater sacrifices than the current system of charity-
at-gunpoint could ever dream of asking. We shall be forced to
work together, as a single entity, for the fulfillment of our
goals. In order to be able to bring this about, a certain amount
of externally imposed discipline must be employed, but in no case
will the spirit of individual effort and creation, central to the
Satanic philosophy, ever be quelled. Indeed, it should be stated
here and now that, should the leadership of the Order, singly or
collectively, ever attempt to quench the fires of individuality
among the membership beyond the bounds demanded by the need for
discipline, or should the leadership ever silence out of hand
questioning and healthy non-derisive debate, then those individu-
als of the leadership responsible should realize that they have
betrayed the most fundamental principles of our Faith, and should
bear the brunt therefore.
It is felt that, in order to make the most efficient use of
our available resources, communication and some degree of coordi-
nation is necessary. Merely awaiting the timely confluence of
like-minded individuals, trusting on some vague sense of "the
time being right" for a host of people to act in concert, is not
a realistic prospect. The effort we make to change our society
along the lines we espouse must be a consciously directed act,
derived from the combined creative and motivating forces of all
the membership of the Order.
The goals of the Order thus established, its methods must
also be elucidated. While it is true that we oppose much of the
legal structure of our society, based as it is upon principles
which are entirely alien to a vibrant, living, expanding culture,
we recognize the fact that any large-scale changes (such as those
which we envision) must be wrought from within, rather than
imposed from without. This goes back to the idea that the Masses
must be lulled as much as possible; nothing must be perceived as
a threat to their comfortable, staid, and ultimately uninspired
lives.
On the other hand, we must recognize that there may come
times when our society is either unwilling or unable to grant us
the protections and rights which we deserve, as much as any other
citizens or organizations. We must forge instruments whereby we
can ensure that our fate lies within our own grasp, rather than
placing our fullest trust in the good will of our most bitter
enemies. Each member of the Order, and the organization as a
whole, must have the capacity for self-sufficiency in all things,
most of all protection.
It will be the ultimate test and expression of the Will that
the Order and its members will have the strength to lash out and
inflict vast harms upon society, but willingly will refrain from
doing so. Only in the most dire cases, where the very life itself
is threatened, must such measures be employed, and then only when
all other avenues have been exhausted. We should be reluctant to
do so, but when forced to, we should be able to stand alone and
succeed.
The chief weapon of the Order, and of the entire Satanic
movement, should be to lead and convert by example. If the mind-
less drones of the Masses see that Satanists are prospering, and
that those who follow the Satanic ideology are the "winners" of
society, they will be much more inclined to do so themselves. And
this should not only apply to the individual members of the
Order; the organization as a whole must be seen to be a respect-
able and flourishing one. To this end, we envisage the construc-
tion of an actual, physical, Satanic Temple in some major metro-
politan region, to serve as a shining beacon-- an example of what
can be done by following and espousing our philosophy.
