Christian leaders are responding to The Satanic Temple’s (TST) announcement about its second public convention – “a weekend of blasphemy” – to be held in Boston, Massachusetts this upcoming weekend.
The event known as “SatanCon 2023” will take place from April 28-30 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. It’s being advertised by the TST as the “largest Satanic gathering in history.”
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The official theme is “Hexennacht in Boston” or “Witches Night,” an ancient German holiday that occurs annually on April 30.
In response, Christians are sounding alarms and planning to fight a spiritual battle to push back against the darkness.
Three-Day Christian Revival Scheduled for Same Weekend
In what’s been described as a spiritual “counter-offensive” to SatanCon 2023, revivalist Dr. Jaymz Sideras, co-founder of ReviveBoston, and his wife Pascale have scheduled a three-day revival in Boston the same weekend.
Christian services will be held at 7:00 p.m. nightly on April 28-30 at the Revere Hotel Boston Common, 200 Stuart Street, which is less than a mile from the TST convention.
A street evangelism campaign is also being planned by ReviveBoston to be held Saturday, April 29.
“Now make no mistake friends, this is an all-out war between the kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of God for the soul of America,” Sideras said in a video trailer for ReviveBoston April 2023 posted to YouTube.
Former Occultist Provides Insight into Satanic Group
Author and evangelist John Ramirez, a former occultist, gave CBN News some insight into the Satanic group. In his book, Out of the Devil’s Cauldron: A Journey from Darkness to Light, he tells the story of how he was trained to be the third-ranked high priest of a satanic cult in New York City, casting powerful witchcraft spells and controlling entire spiritual regions.
Ramirez told CBN News in a telephone interview recently he’s not surprised at how TST has sought the public spotlight in recent years.
“They’re being aggressive now,” Ramirez said. “They’ve always been vocal, but now they’re being aggressive. It doesn’t surprise me. The Devil’s telling them now ‘Amp up your game. Amp up your hearts. Get aggressive.'”
After several decades of living as an ally of evil, God opened Ramirez’s eyes. He was born-again and gave his life to Jesus Christ, and everything changed. Now he warns people about dabbling with the darkness.
He understands “how the game is played” with the Devil after years of participating in the demonic realm.
“They know they have a time frame to establish something that the Devil has given them,” he told CBN News. “And if they don’t abide by that time frame the Devil has given them, then they have to deal with the consequences spiritually. I know that because I was in that for 25 years, so I know how the game is played.”
Founded in 2013 and based in Salem, Massachusetts, TST says it doesn’t technically follow Satan but describes itself as a “non-theistic religious organization” that advocates for secularism. On its website, under the question “Do You Worship Satan?”, TST answers: “No, nor do we believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural.”
Ramirez explained that no matter what Satanists may say, their methods and goals are very real. “They make it seem practical,” he said. “That’s what they say, ‘We don’t worship anything. We’re just a religion.'”
But he explained TST’s claim is just an attempt to disarm their critics and recruit new followers.
“You can’t be a religion without a god,” the ex-Satanist said. “Every religion has a deity to worship and to follow orders and to bow down to. You can’t bow down to nothing. You can’t worship nothing. You have to have a god. They say that because they want to recruit people.”
“It’s like me telling you, ‘Hey brother, I’m a Christian, but I don’t serve Jesus.’ Like, how ridiculous would that be?” he said. “‘I’m a Christian, but I don’t follow Jesus’?”
Ramirez noted TST uses rituals like the group’s “Satanic Abortion Ritual” and other ceremonies to advance their religion in order to get into public schools and even the political system.
“They make it attractive. They talk very smart. They talk very intellectually. That’s just part of their scheme to get people in,” he said. “They are devil worshippers and, of course, they do know how to dress it up in a way for new people. You don’t catch what they’re up to until it’s too late.”
Ramirez told CBN News the church needs to confront these people in love. “Bottom line, God loves them too,” he said.
An Adversary of the Christian Faith
The ministry Intercessors for America (IFA) agrees with Ramirez about the Satanic group and called it “an adversary of the Christian faith.”
“This is no neutral, ‘intellectual,’ quirky advocacy group. It is an adversary to the Christian faith and its free exercise in public spaces, to the protection of life, and to the advancement of Bible teaching in the public schools,” a blog post on the IFA’s website reads. “It reflects communist ideals and normalizes rituals, practices, declarations, and beliefs that are a gateway to allowing satanic footholds in people’s lives. There is real satanic power in all these things, and this power will ensnare anyone who participates.”
IFA CEO Dave Kubal recently told Fox News his organization with half a million prayer warriors fasted and prayed against SatanCon in Scottsdale last year, claiming that the event “fizzled” and “their numbers were very small for all practical purposes.”
This year at the Boston event, they are taking the same approach.
‘The Enemy Is No Longer Hiding’
Former Wiccan witch Jennie Weaver, who’s now a Christian worship artist and Bible teacher, warned in an email to CBN News that public events like Satancon mean “the enemy is no longer hiding.”
“As someone who has come out of witchcraft, and the demonic realm, I can say for sure that the enemy is no longer hiding. What we are seeing is a massive spiritual battle and the enemy is waging an all-out war right in our faces!! I think he’s overplayed this one because now Christians who have been silent on issues before are ‘Enough is enough’ – this is a SHOWDOWN!!!”
“As Christians, we must raise up and take back the land for Christ!” Weaver added. “These people are spitting on the biblical principles that our nation was founded on, and it’s time we take back the land.”
Either Way, ‘They Are Doing the Devil’s Work’
Andrew Beckwith, president and general counsel of the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFA) recently noted in a blog post on the MFA website, “While TST seems to be distinct from the Church of Satan as one that does not ‘worship Satan’ nor believe in his existence, that doesn’t seem to stop those embracing the name of the Lawless One from being particularly concerned with the law, especially where it intersects with faith.”
Beckwith said TST might be more accurately described as an anti-Christian trolling group than as a pro-Satan activist group.
“But like the Freedom From Religion Foundation and other organizations, TST is hell-bent on eliminating any reference to Christ in public spaces and removing Christian morality from American law. Therefore, whether or not its members truly worship Beelzebub, it’s not a stretch to say that they are doing the devil’s work,” he explained.
Dr. Joel P. Rutkowski, president of the American Voice Institute of Public Policy, asked all Christians to pray for Boston.
Rutkowski tweeted, “#Believers pray for Boston, Massachusetts were SatanCon 2023, is scheduled to take place April 28-30, 2023, and is being touted by the Satanic Temple as the ‘largest satanic gathering in history.’ Also, pray for the salvation of all involved.”
TST claims it has a Boston-area membership of 2,449 people.
Meanwhile, the TST has asked all people attending SatanCon to wear masks and show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination even though the COVID-19 pandemic has been declared over.
“Attendees must wear an N-95, KN-95, or disposable surgical mask,” TST said on its website. “Gaiters, bandanas, and cloth masks will not be allowed.”
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