People have 'misconception' of Satanists, S.A. group's leader says

When you think about the Alamo, the devil is not what comes to mind. But one group of Satanists says maybe it should.

They're called the Satanic Temple of San Antonio. It is one of dozens of chapters around the world under a national umbrella.

They're just over a year old, and because they don't have a congregation where they meet in San Antonio, the number of members is hard to pin down, but they all consider themselves Satanists.

We spoke to people at Alamo Plaza to find out what they thought Satanists were.

Responses included: "I would call them devil worshippers," and "Satanists worship the Devil and love evil."

That's pretty much what I thought too, until I talked to the director of the San Antonio chapter.

"I would say that most people have a misconception of what Satanism is, especially what our form of satanism is, because we endorse things like compassion and empathy, and generally speaking people think Satanists are full of hate and worshiping the devil," Satanic Temple of San Antonio Director Sebastian Alexander said.



Alexander says they fight for human rights issues, such as women's health and same-sex marriage. So where does Satan come into all of this?

"We use the symbol of Satan as archetypal imagery. It represents a symbol of mankind. The indomitable spirit of mankind. And it represents the symbol of all man from oppression," Alexander said.

So why does the group's Facebook page feature the Alamo as the cover photo? Alexander says he has good reason for putting it there.

"I've always had an affinity for the Alamo and I'm a Mission Scholar myself, so I thought it more than appropriate to put the Alamo on the page, one of the most recognized symbols in the world and it's meaningful to me," he said.

Alexander also said he believes the symbol of the Devil and the Alamo go hand in hand, with the devil being seen as a liberating figure, and the Alamo a shrine to Texas Liberty.

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