Steve Hill does not believe in God, or the devil, but he is a Satanist and is running for the Senate seat of the 21st district of California. Hill is not well received by the Democratic establishment as they view his beliefs as too extreme, but that has not stopped him from running again after an unsuccessful special election attempt, as a write-in candidate last year.
His platform is a classic liberal one, supporting school reform, job creation, and less incarceration, but his background is far from that of a traditional democratic candidate.
Hill, who also works as a stand-up comedian in Los Angeles, is currently helping organize an L.A. chapter for the Satanic Temple, a nationwide Satanic activist organization. Hill said he identifies with the temple’s mission, which he described as a “humanist approach that raises levels of consciousness.”
“I don’t go worship Satan and pour milk on me,” he said. “But [Satanism] would influence me greatly because I could deal from a different perspective, as a regular human being.”
In the last few years the Satanic Temple has tried to push Satanism away from its perception of devil worship and into politics. The group says its mission is to “encourage benevolence and empathy” in society while using Satanic imagery to further its goals. Hill says he reconciles his atheism with Satanism by not believing in any sort of deity or otherworldly presence and instead adheres to the Satanic Temple’s goals like keeping church and state separate.
Because of his extreme views, the Democratic Party has abandoned him, and with only $100 in his campaign account, he plans to file as an Independent.
He’s also running in what he calls the “most religious area of Los Angeles County,” an area just north of the city. And it’s not just the party that’s left him behind. He said many of his friends have kept their distance since it’s come out that he’s an open atheist running for office.
Perhaps Hill, in order to win this Senate seat, needs to go down to Georgia and make a deal with the devil.
Source: Time
