The Church of Satan does not condone vandalism of any sort. Our policy for dealing with others is to have a rational and equitable social contract, so we champion a law and order approach wherein criminals are punished in a manner that fits in kind and degree the crimes committed. The registration statement that all of our members sign states, “I recognize that failure to practice the principles of the Church of Satan and/or engaging in illegal activity may result in termination of this membership.” Thus, a Church of Satan member committing such a crime would be expelled.
The position of the Church of Satan has always been “live and let live” concerning other belief systems—so long as they are not attempting to force themselves upon us. If we consider that such a situation is occurring, we use existing legal channels to deal with it. We are secularists and individualists, so our organization does not perform acts of political activism, as each member’s political views are his or her own affair. Our members who feel that religious monuments in public spaces are inappropriate support and participate in secularist organizations which have the ability to deal with their removal via legal and legislative means. Our literature has stated these views for decades.
There are people claiming to be Satanists who do not fit our definition of the term and so it is crucial for anyone examining this situation to ascertain what such people believe, as it is may be incongruous with the philosophy and policies of the Church of Satan.
Vandalism of the Oklahoma monument is not an act that we endorse.
—Magus Peter H. Gilmore