On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the infamous Church of Satan and its founder, the Black Pope, Anton LaVey. First off, we begin our discussion by distinguishing between the formal Church of Satan that practices what is called “LaVeyan Satanism” (based on the content of The Satanic Bible) and other types of Satan worshipers. Because the distinction is huge.

LaVeyan Satanists are actually atheists that believe in Satan only as symbol, an archetype that represents things that they consider important for the world. Satan, to them, is a symbol of freedom from oppression, an escape of herd mentality, and a rebellious spirit bent on physical pleasures and sexual freedom. There is no God to them, there is no devil, there is no heaven or hell.

Started in 1966 in San Francisco’s famous Black House, the Church of Satan gained popularity within just a few years thanks to LaVey’s charisma and several public Satanic ceremonies. He attracted celebrities such as Liberace and Sammy Davis Junior, which isn’t surprising since they could find in his teachings a freedom from sexual oppression against homosexuals and a freedom from racial oppression against African Americans.

While we researched this one, we kept waiting to discover how insane the church’s beliefs were, but we have to admit, we didn’t find much crazy. Even the church’s belief in “magic” is really a belief in two things—symbolic rituals meant to purge negative emotions from the body, and the use of guile, charisma, and willpower to make things happen your way.

So even though the Church of Satan started as a counter-culture movement, it counteracted the free love of the hippies. It encouraged sex of all types (as long as it was consenting human adults), but unlike hippies, it preached violence if someone got in your way. It called for Lex Talionis, the law of an eye for an eye and retribution, not turning the other cheek.

We also look at the recent one ton statue of the demon lord Baphomet that was unveiled in Detroit, a Satanic coloring book for children, and theories about Taylor Swift’s connections as a Satanic priestess and a clone of Anton’s daughter Zeena LaVey! If you’ve ever wondered what this group preaches, what “commandments” its Black Bible holds, or what philosophies this particular flavor of Satanists adhere to, you don’t want to miss this episode.