Lucien Greaves
| Lucien Greaves | |
|---|---|
 Greaves at SASHAcon in March 2016 | |
| Born | ~1976 |
| Other names | Lucien Greaves; Douglas Mesner |
| Occupation | Spokesman |
| Organization | The Satanic Temple |
| Religion | Satanism (The Satanic Temple) |
| Website | http://www.process.org/discept/ |
Lucien Greaves, also known as Douglas Mesner is a social activist and the spokesman for, and co-founder of, The Satanic Temple.[1][2][3][4] Prior to the founding of the Satanic Temple in 2012, Greaves studied neuroscience at Harvard University.[3]
Activities
The Satanic Temple was established as a vehicle to facilitate civic and political activism. The organization isn't, in practice, a religion, but was set up that way to take advantage of laws and benefits afforded religious institutions. The founders do not believe in tax exemptions for religious organizations, and have not requested one. The concept of the Satanic Temple was first envisioned as a direct response to President Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and is intended to address the encroachment of organized religion in government and politics. Neither Greaves, nor the co-founder of the organization, actually believe in supernatural beings such as gods or Satan: "To us, we embrace rational inquiry, removed from supernaturalism and archaic, tradition-based superstitions. We actively work to hone our critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things. [...] Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs."
In 2012, Florida governor Rick Scott promoted a bill to allow student-led prayer at school assemblies. After the bill passed, Mesner and members of the Satanic Temple responded by holding a mock rally in support of Rick Scott outside the Florida State Capitol expressing how "we were coming out to say how happy we were because now our Satanic children could pray to Satan in school".[1]
In 2013, the Satanic Temple conducted its "pink mass," at the burial location of the mother of Fred Phelps, founder of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church. The ritual involved same-sex couples kissing over the grave site. The Satanic Temple subsequently announced that the ceremony had turned Mr. Phelps’s mother "gay in the afterlife."[1]
In 2014, Greaves was instrumental in setting up the Protect Children Project, to afford First Amendment protection to children subjected to mental or physical abuse in school by teachers and administrators through the use of solitary confinement, restraints, and corporal punishment.[4]
In 2016, Greaves was successful in establishing The Satanic Temple headquarters in Salem, MA. The facility is used as an art gallery and witch hunt museum. [5] [6]
Personal life
Greaves was born in Detroit, Michigan. He doesn't use his legal name, to avoid threats to his family.[4][1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Oppenheimer, Mark (2015-07-10). "A Mischievous Thorn in the Side of Conservative Christianity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- ↑ Miller, Matt (November 21, 2015). "Why the Satanic Temple Is Opening Its Doors to American Muslims". Esquire (magazine). Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
- 1 2 Bugbee, Shane (July 31, 2013). "Unmasking Lucien Greaves, Leader of the Satanic Temple". Vice. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- 1 2 3 "Lucien Greaves of the Satanic Temple". Detroit Metro Times. May 27, 2014. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- ↑ https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2016/09/20/satanic-headquarters-hopes-for-quiet-opening-salem/GcS4kooiHUCdDGdRHVq9xK/story.html
- ↑ https://thesatanictemple.com/