THE SATANIC TEMPLE, ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY, HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS A CHURCH

It was announced today that The Satanic Temple, the focus of filmmaker Penny Lane’s (Nuts!, Our Nixon)critically-acclaimed documentary HAIL SATAN?, has been officially recognized as a church by the IRS, setting a historical precedent. Since the inception of the United States, no satanic religious organization has ever been recognized as a church. This distinction, in addition to qualifying TheSatanic Temple for tax exemption, will help profoundly with their efforts to demand all of the privileges enjoyed by other religious organizations. This includes: assuring that The Satanic Temple has the same access to public spaces as other religious organizations; affirming its standing in court when battling religious discrimination and enabling The Satanic Temple to apply for faith-based government grants.

In HAIL SATAN?, now in theaters, media-savvy members of The Satanic Temple organize a series of public actions designed to advocate for religious freedom and challenge corrupt authority, proving that with little more than a clever idea, a mischievous sense of humor, and a few rebellious friends, you can speak truth to power in some truly profound ways. As charming and funny as it is thought-provoking, HAIL SATAN? offers a timely look at a group of often misunderstood outsiders whose unwavering commitment to social and political justice has empowered thousands of people around the world.

"In light of theocratic assaults upon the Separation of Church and State in the legislative efforts to establish a codified place of privilege for one religious viewpoint, we feel that accepting religious tax-exemption -- rather than renouncing it in protest -- can help us to better assert our claims to equal access and exemption while laying to rest any suspicion that we don't meet the qualifications of a true religious organization,” said SatanicTemple co-founder Lucien Greaves. “Satanism is here to stay."

THE SATANIC TEMPLE HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS A CHURCH

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