I don't know much about Satanism, but there appears to be two very different kinds of people calling themselves Satanists, one theistic and the other atheistic.
The former seem to actually believe in Satan as an actual supernatural god whom they worship.
The second seem to be secular humanists fighting the incursion of the church into secular government, meaning that they are also antitheists. They don't believe that Satan exists, and they have no interest in magic or spells or worship. They just use Satan to oppose the Christians when they can't get their invocations, school book fairs, after school Christian clubs, or public displays like creches off of public property or out of public schools. The next step is to petition to give Satanic invocation, put out material that any secular humanist would approve of into book fairs, start up after school meetings using the word
Satan, or get statues of Baphomet placed next to the crosses or whatever on publicly owned properties. This frequently causes the Christians to withdraw whatever it was that they were doing or promoting.
Here's a typical comment from such a group:
"It’s important that children be given an opportunity to realize that the evangelical materials now creeping into their schools are representative of but one religious opinion amongst many. While the
Good News Clubs focus on indoctrination, instilling them with a fear of Hell and God’s wrath,
After School Satan Clubs will focus on free inquiry and rationalism, the scientific basis for which we know what we know about the world around us. We prefer to give children an appreciation of the natural wonders surrounding them, not a fear of everlasting other-worldly horrors."
After School Satan – The Satanic Temple’s Extracurricular Program for Public Schools
Here's a statement that surprised me when I first saw it:
Seven Satanic Tenets:
- One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all creatures in accordance with reason.
- The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
- One's body is inviolable, subject to one's own will alone.
- The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo your own.
- Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.
- People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and resolve any harm that may have been caused.
- Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.
Those are words that I can find no fault with. They embody my values. There isn't a hint of religion or supernaturalism, and no mention of Satan except in the heading.
I hadn't heard the term
atheistic Satanism before today, but that would be a good name for this movement and its secular strategy.
But to answer your question, yes, the term is oxymoronic if taken at face value.