Prior to the open practice of Satanism, the Roman Catholic Church used Satanism as a label for individuals and groups who had opinions or ideologies that conflicted with those of the church. It was an attempt to delegitimize opponents and strengthen the Church's following. Although these accusations were initially harmless and limited to heretics, they became increasingly frequent and extreme. These wild accusations spread to widespread rumors of violent rituals allegedly performed by Satanists, which created widespread fear and panic. Ultimately, this would result in events such as the Salem witch trials where innocent people were put to death due to the false suspicion that individuals were practicing witchcraft and becoming possessed by the Devil. Paradoxically, while the church simply intended to bolster both its image and following with these accusations, the resulting widespread panic put Satanism on the map, and "several scholars identify fundamentalist Christianity as a major shaping and guiding influence." the beginning of the Satanist Movement (Underwager and Wakefield, 281). This sheds light on the true relationship between the contrasting belief systems of Christianity and Satanism. While the two disagree on even the most basic levels, their relationship is largely codependent. Christianity uses the fear surrounding Satanism and the