On the surface, this may not seem like a very Satanic principle. As a matter of fact, it may seem like a principle that belongs on the other side, so to speak, given how self-centric Satanism is. On the contrary, this is one of the core principles of the way I practice Satanism. To object to something is to challenge the status quo, and that in and of itself is to rebel. To rebel is Satanic.

To me, I have an obligation as a Satanist to object, and not just because it’s a rebellion. I have an obligation to hold my leaders accountable when they make decisions that harm me and others. I have an obligation to hold society itself accountable for harmful behaviors and attitudes it encourages. Even non-Satanists have such an obligation, though many of them don’t like being told that. Mainstream culture, at least in the US, often has the attitude that, “If it doesn’t affect me, it’s not my problem.” This attitude is harmful in and of itself. It encourages complicity and subservience. The real danger in this attitude is embodied by Martin Niemöller’s poem:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemöller

Obviously, this quote is speaking of the Holocaust. Niemöller himself supported the Nazis, until he realized they were “coming” for everybody, including himself, not just the groups he didn’t like.

Ultimately, this principle ties in with my Satanic Principle Number Two: “You are responsible for your own choices.” Are you responsible for the choices of people who hurt others? No, but you are absolutely responsible for calling it out when it happens. Otherwise, there’s nothing stopping them from hurting you, too.