Alternatively titled “My experience in being publicly outed as a Satanist”
-by SNZ member Scott Phillips
It all started when I decided to run for local council in Whanganui.
Whanganui is a bit small with a population of around forty-seven thousand, and has some cliquey parts to it. I grew up here. I moved away at fifteen years old and ended up returning at forty-nine nearly two years before these events.
We (my wife and I) bought here to get away from the insanity that is Auckland traffic, business, and .. more. We plan to semi-retire here eventually, and our property here is a historical building that features a small number of guest rooms. I’ve also worked in transport and logistics in the past, so “backwards” ways of doing stuff annoys me. I felt I could contribute, I’m a business owner that gives me the time to also manage a council position, which is why I also decided I wanted to have a part in the council before retiring.
I put in my nomination for council and started working on advertising my campaign. A few days later the phone rang. I didn’t even get their name at first, but they explained they were a reporter and could I answer some questions.
“Sure, I’m up for anything,” I said.
The reporter began, from memory; “I went through the whole candidates list and googled everyone. You stood out. I found your Wedding Celebrant page (Married With Metal), and it was very interesting.” She then asked a group of questions regarding topics like the environment, and asking what I thought the issues were that Whanganui Council should be focusing on. Then she mentioned that my website describes me as a wedding celebrant specializing in Pagan and Satanic style weddings.
She asked; “Does that mean you are a Satanist?”
I responded without at first as I naturally would; “Yes, I am a Satanist.”
Then I remembered what the average person in Whanganui was likely to believe by that and added; “I am an Atheistic Satanist. I don’t believe in a (literal) God or a Devil. Satan is more a metaphor that shows my general dislike and distain for everything the Christian religion stands for. I have no Gods and no Masters, just me”
What followed was a one-hour long chat. At the end I asked her; “Please don’t put a giant headline that I am a Satanist. Yes, I am, but it isn’t my focus on way I am running for council. I think it’s something that people will find too hard to understand yet.”
She responded, “No worries, I understand.”
A few days go by, and I have heard nothing – but then the reporter calls to see if she can pop over to take my photo in front of the historic building I own. “I’m actually out of town driving a truck right now, but look the building up – it has a facebook page. There are photos of me out front.”
Sorted.
The next day the reporter called me back; “I found one with you and your wife out front, and I also like one from a wedding you have done.”
“All good,” I responded to her after a couple of quick phonecalls, “I checked with my wife, and she is fine with you using it. So are the wedding couple in the other photo.”
The next day (31st August 2022) an article is published on the Radio New Zealand website, headlining;
“Whanganui council candidate, satanist Scott Phillips, says don’t trash the underworld”
My wife calls me while I’m working, in a panic; “The first word is literally “Satanist” as well as the headline, and I’m in the photo next to you. This could ruin my business, too.”
I swore and pulled the truck over to find the reporters phone number and give her a grilling.
Then my wife calls back; “Actually, it’s a really good article, you came across well, just leave it.”
To give you a little more background; my wife is an Atheist, and just hates any talk about religion. And she isn’t a Satanist like me.
The article was printed in the local newspaper. In other publications the headline has read;
“Scott Phillips is a Satanist and running for council.”
Damn, it felt like a jarring headline. It was so jarring even the local print version changed to;
“Unorthodox Whanganui council candidate says don’t trash the underworld”
That publication deemed that “Satanist” was too scary headline for the old religious people of Whanganui to see in the headlines. If they read the article though it was still in there, further down though.
Now, I am no shrinking violet. I am not afraid of “bad publicity”, and I am who I am. I make no apologies for being me, or for my religious beliefs – but it was still … an interesting time. Some of my extended family are religious, but my close family don’t really talk about religion much. Anyway, now I am publicly “out and proud.” It is what it is, and my mindset was that I have to get on with my campaigning for council.
It became even more interesting. People online were very divided. Some read the article and thought I made sense. Others saw the headline and (literally) condemned me to Hell. That’s ok, I have thick skin and Hell doesn’t exist anyway.
Out on the campaign trail I had people tell me; “You’re not really a Satanist, your just an Atheist,” and “You’re just a self-confessed Satanist.”
“Umm, hello, everyone confesses their own religion. By the same logic, you’re a self-confessed Christian then!”
Now, none of this hurt me on a personal level, but I do believe it hurt my chances for election. I probably picked up 100 “edgy” votes and lost 1000 “normal” people.
The main thing that interested me was that no other candidate had their religious beliefs even brought up.
Ironically, I have been told the person that was elected Mayor (not my goal, I as running for a position in the council) is a creationist – and seriously believes the world is 6000 years old, that at that time God said; “let there be light.” He even takes his kids out of science class, so that they don’t hear the scientific “lies”.
Anyway, I didn’t get voted in, but I am still me. This winter I will still put on my Satanic New Zealand hoodie and wander around the town markets – just being me, giving no F_s.
Even 6 months afterward, one of the new tenants in our building said to my wife that she was telling some people in her tech class that she lived at “Braeburn.” They asked her; “Didn’t you know that some Satanists own that?”
My wife was not amused and said “No.”
I was amused and said, “only half of us are.”
Now when you google “Scott Phillips Whanganui” page one will tell you I’m the Satanist who ran for council.
I’m ok with that.
In three years’ time – I will run for council again. I won’t put “I am that Satanist” on my billboards; and that’s because it’s not why I’m running for council. Councilors don’t usually do that in New Zealand. It doesn’t represent the issues they are working with; at least to the degree that someone being an Atheist or Christian or Buddhist or Hindu or Muslim usually has little bearing on the issues they are running for either – Usually.
But if I am asked, the answer is still going to be my truth.
It’s just who I am.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Satanic New Zealand supports it’s members who publicly acknowledge their beliefs, and wants to acknowledge our “public champions”; however openness of this kind is not demanded or even encouraged by Satanism.
SNZ encourages Satanists in New Zealand and elsewhere to carefully consider the real risks and discrimination they will face, including physical, career-wise and in other ways – versus the benefits, rewards, or indeed the simple-seeming peace of mind that comes with being “a frank and open person” – alongside their individual self and situation.
