A Blasphemous Suggestion, or a Statement of Fact?

It is a profoundly provocative suggestion, one that instantly ignites a firestorm of theological and historical debate. To suggest that Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, might find more resonance with the ethics of The Satanic Temple (TST) than with the actions of many within the very church bearing his name, challenges centuries of established thought and belief. Yet, by stripping away dogma and focussing purely on ethical principles and actions, the question begs for a thoughtful, if uncomfortable, examination.

At its core, Jesus’s message, as distilled from the Gospels, is one of radical love, compassion, justice for the oppressed, mercy, and humility. He preached forgiveness, urged his followers to “turn the other cheek,” condemned hypocrisy, and tirelessly advocated for the marginalised—the poor, the sick, the ostracised. His parables consistently champion empathy over rigid adherence to law, and sacrifice for others over self-interest. His harshest condemnations were reserved not for sinners, but for the self-righteous and those who used religion as a tool for power and oppression.

Now, consider the Seven Fundamental Tenets of The Satanic Temple, principles that guide their actions and advocacy, as outlined on their website:

1. Compassion and reason should guide all decisions.
2. The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit.
3. One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
4. The freedoms of others should be respected.
5. Beliefs should conform to one’s best scientific understanding of the world.
6. People are fallible; mistakes should be rectified.
7. Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought.

Strikingly, these tenets, born of a secular, humanistic framework, resonate deeply with many of the ethical imperatives attributed to Jesus. The emphasis on compassion, the pursuit of justice, the respect for individual autonomy (the inviolability of the body being a key point in debates around medical freedom and reproductive rights), and the call to rectify mistakes all echo themes central to Jesus’s teachings. TST’s advocacy for secularism, rationality, and individual rights often translates into defending marginalised groups and challenging oppressive power structures, aligning with Jesus’s own stance against the religious and political establishments of his time.

When we hold these two ethical frameworks – Jesus’s teachings and TST’s tenets – against the backdrop of the actions of the established church, a stark contrast emerges. The Crusades, the horrors of the Inquisition, the burning of “witches,” the murder of Cathars and Joan of Arc, the pervasive sex crimes, chauvinism, and the sale of indulgences within Christian history all stand in direct opposition to Jesus’s calls for love, mercy, humility, and justice. They also directly contradict TST’s tenets of compassion, reason, justice, and respect for bodily autonomy and freedom.

Moving to contemporary issues, the chasm often widens. Followers of Tommy Robinson, those racists who rioted against refugees, whilst displaying intolerance to ethnic minorities by weaponising national flags in order to create a culture of threat and fear, or organisations, such as Reform UK, who advocate sending vulnerable women and children back into humanitarian crises like the clutches of the Taliban, fundamentally betray Jesus’s injunctions to love one’s neighbour, care for the stranger, and extend compassion to the most vulnerable. Their actions are also utterly irreconcilable with TST’s tenets of compassion, justice, and respect for the freedoms and inherent worth of all individuals. Similarly, the destructive actions of those who marched on Capitol Hill, undermining democratic processes and inciting violence, stand in stark contrast to both Jesus’s teachings on peace and order, and TST’s emphasis on reason and justice.

The uncomfortable truth is this: while TST critiques religious dogma and superstition, its ethical framework champions many of the values that Jesus himself embodied and preached. It advocates for the vulnerable, fights for justice, and promotes a reasoned, compassionate engagement with the world. Meanwhile, many of the darkest chapters in Christian history, and indeed some of its contemporary manifestations, have seen the ethical mandates of Jesus distorted, ignored, or actively subverted.

The question is not about who believes in God, or who practices what ritual. It is a profound ethical inquiry: whose actions, whose guiding principles, more closely reflect the spirit of love, justice, and compassion that Jesus himself sought to instil? In this light, the “blasphemous suggestion” transforms into a disturbing and challenging contemplation, urging us to look beyond labels and instead focus on the true measure of faith: not in pronouncements, but in deeds. It suggests that perhaps the genuine echo of Jesus’s ethical voice can be found not only within the walls of his institutional legacy, but also, surprisingly, in the secular fight for humanistic values championed by groups like The Satanic Temple.