This paper investigates the Church of Satan, its ideology, and its practices, and observes that the Church of Satan includes the same dynamics as can be observed in many other religions. In addition, the Church of Satan appears to deliberately mislead its members via conflicting policy statements and communication. The paper concludes that the Church of Satan is a personality cult that seems to have less interest in maintaining an ideology than in gaining members, and that the Church of Satan may be no more than the invention of a skilled con artist who saw an unused opportunity.