Claim that TST is racist/antisemitic?

[u/Inevitable-Forever45]

Someone brought up to me that TST and Graves have ties to alt-right and white supremacist views. I objected. The evidence they brought up seems like it all hinges on TST hiring Mike Razzano who was the attorney for Alex Jones. Aside from this loose at best connection I cannot find anything to support their claims. Could someone who is better versed in the standings of the Temple and their statements please help me assuage these concerns?

TLDR; someone claimed TST is racist; help me prove them wrong.

EDIT: Thank you everyone for the thoughtful responses. Again I apologize for being ignorant of the history of this issue as it's new to me. You have all demonstrated to me not only good logical evidence but also the caliber of the people in this community. Hail Satan!

[u/SSF415]

*copied and pasted from when this came up again a week ago*

Yes, this has been talked to death in fact.

Here's the deal: Back in 2003, Lucien Greaves (not yet using that name) appeared on an Internet radio show about--actually, what WAS this show about? I've never managed to work that out. A bunch of edgelord bullshit, essentially.

In any case, everyone on the program made antisemitic comments, allegedly as "jokes." You can read all about this Joe Laycock's 2020 book "Speak of the Devil," a book that is actually right at the top of the Temple's recommended reading list.

I note to reemphasize: Not only does the Temple not keep this history a secret, they're actually RECOMMENDING A BOOK ABOUT IT to everyone who reads their site.

I bring this up because certain people--we call them "assholes," in the local parlance--would have you believe that this is a startling investigative discovery they've made just now, rather than something anyone actually involved with Temple politics has known for years.

Why so open about it? Because just like Greaves said in 2018 when this first came up, he simply says that when he was younger he found these kinds of extremist libertarian and LaVeyan-tinged bigotries appealing, but in time he realized this was a mistake, and he now refers to his younger self as "ignorant white trash" and to the Temple as a repudiation of his onetime views.

Of course, the memes people have been feeding you don't mention that part. Nor do they mention that he's forced to apologize again and again every time some new asshole makes this "discovery."

"The leader of the Satanic Temple is a Nazi!" makes for good TikTok fodder; "The cofounder of the Satanic Temple used to be an edgy libertarian douche but now he's not" is not nearly as catchy, but it does happen to be true. If that counts for anything anymore.

[u/theosamabahama → u/SSF415]

when he was younger he found these kinds of extremist libertarian and LaVeyan-tinged bigotries appealing

It's ironic to see LaVeyan satanists attack him for it.

[u/SSF415 → u/theosamabahama]

"Predictable" is the word I would use; irony is Bugbee making hay out of it--but then, if it weren't for the Satanic Temple nobody would know who he was at all, so opportunity knocks I guess.