Disturbing rise in hell worshippers flocking to the Church of Satan

Everyday citizens are joining the Church of Satan en masse in Chile, petitioning the government to legally recognize it as a religious association in the traditionally Catholic country.

The Temple of Satan: Satanists and Luciferians of Chile consists of 100 members - including cops, firemen, lawyers, psychologists and publicists - who seek to challenge the moral norms, dogmas and religious impositions of the country.

Applicants have to go through a process that includes filling out a form and showing proof of not having a criminal record. They are grilled by a special commission and have to undergo an evaluation conducted by a psychologist.

Once allowed in, members can adopt a new name - normally that of a demon or fallen angel - with which they will be identified inside the Temple and among other members.

They meet at a building in downtown Santiago, the South American nation's capital, where they sip on their favorite wine and the smell of tobacco and incense fill the room. Black candles burn on top of an altar decorated with chalices and knives.

Although devotees accept the 'Satanist' label, they don't honor or believe in Satan. Instead, they focus more on rationality, individualism, pleasure and the mundane life. They praise humankind over gods.

'You are the owner of your present and future, there is no God that makes decisions for you,' said Haborym, a spokesperson for the group.

To members, the figure of Satan is purely symbolic and their rituals are performed 'to bring out the emotions and leave the intellect aside.'

Chile's Temple of Satan was founded in 2012, and more than 400 people have applied for membership over the last couple of weeks, Haborym said.

Interest grew in late July after the group approached the Ministry of Justice and requested that it be legally recognized as a religious association.

The petition comes five years after the Satanic Temple of the United States raised fears after it was designated as a church.

The group's request for recognition has received mixed reviews from scholars and the faithful in a conservative country that counts half of it 18 million residents as Catholics and that in recent years has been rocked by sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic church.

'These types of organizations now feel that they have greater support to challenge what was virtually impossible before,' said Luis Bahamondes, a professor at the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Chile.

And that's because, 'until very recently, the Catholic Church enjoyed an unprecedented power. It had an opinion on everything: politics, economics, geopolitics, sexuality and education.'

Hollywood movies like 'Rosemary ́s Baby' and TV series such as 'True Detective' helped to portray the idea of Satanists as linked to sacrifice, evil, pain and death. But modern groups like Chile's Temple of Satan are strongly against animal abuse, prohibit the affiliation of people with criminal records, see pleasures as a delight rather than a sin, and do not express their opinions unless asked.

'We don't want people killing in the name of Satan,' said Haborym.

'The history of Satanism is well known (and) it has often been the cause of tragedies,' the leaders of several churches in Chile, including the Catholic, Anglican, Jewish and Evangelical, said in a joint statement.

Following the steps of the Church of Satan, founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey, modern Satanists praise skepticism and logic over celestial or supernatural beings. Its followers are free to formulate their own beliefs, rites and spiritual practices.

Many self-described Satanists and Luciferians are atheists, while others are witches or believe in the power of magic.

'We do accept that there are certain bases, both academic and esoteric, that give meaning to our existence and reality,' said Azazel, who quit Judaism four years ago and, one year later, founded the Temple of Satan of Chile.

His words resonate in the darkness of the chamber and are interspersed with chants, clapping, mantras and readings of passages from the Satanic Bible and the Bible of the Adversary, the main guidelines of the group.

Just like Azazel, others have turned to the Temple of Satan out of disappointment with traditional religions. The new congregants include not only occultists and esotericists, but also Catholics, Jews, Protestants and Evangelicals.

'In Satanism there are no solutions or absolute truths. You are your own god and you create your own reality,' said Kali Ma, a dentistry student who was born and raised in a Jehova's Witness family. 'If we compare both, Jehova's Witnesses are the real sect,' she said.

'They don't let you do certain things, they tell you how to dress, what to do, how to behave, whether or not to grow a beard.'

Néstor da Costa, an expert in secularism and religion at the Catholic University of Uruguay, said the influx of people seeking answers through different perspectives might be linked to the search for less dogmatic approaches.

'It may be a readjustment of the religious side of people who leave Catholicism but continue to believe in something,' he said.

It is unclear if the Chilean government will legally recognize the Temple of Satan as a legitimate religious association, but its very existence has already helped to spark a discussion that until recently was unthinkable in this conservative society.

Demanding recognition is the ultimate expression of everything praised by Satanic aesthetics: the rebellion against the status quo and the breakup with deep-rooted traditions.

'We comply with everything that is requested of us as a religious entity,' said Haborym. 'So there would be no reason to reject us beyond the fact that w're a controversial figure.'