One very well recognized feature of modern Satanism is infighting, especially between those like the LaVeyan Satanists who feel they have the one authentic form of Satanism, and those who feel that Satanism is something more than just that put forth by the Church of Satan (CoS). I’d like to address this topic and leave it open for debate.
LaVeyan Satanism is atheistic, and certainly the most well-known form of modern Satanism. While there were a few groups here and there before LaVey – such as the Lady of Endor Coven and Brotherhood of Saturn – LaVey and his CoS were really the spearhead of the lasting Satanic movement. This is all but undeniable, and all modern Satanism owes LaVey a great debt. But that that somehow make LaVeyan Satanism the start and end of Satanism? According to Peter Gilmore, one of the current main spokesman for the CoS, the answer is yes. Gilmore believes Satanism starts with atheism, and cast all other so called “Satanists” as “devil-worshippers” who are “on some level insane”. Ironically I see no difference between this and how Christians treat all “Satanists”, but that’s the CoS for you. This brings us to a problem – why should Satanism value one view simply because it is traditional? LaVey’s philosophy was very focused on individualism, rejection of authority, and so on. And in fact, academic studies classify many other groups as “Satanic”, including Luciferian and Setian groups. In order for LaVeyan Satanists to then claim they are the only authentic group requires to deny objective research into the topic in favor of one’s own religion’s view on the topic. It seems hard to argue that this is something LaVey would (at least originally) have approved of.
This also takes us into the question of whether the CoS was atheistic from the beginning at all. It of course seems that LaVey was mostly atheistic himself, but he was not the sole force behind the founding of the CoS. In fact he had been hosting “magical circles” in his home for other occultists long before, many of whom were esoterically inclined. Even the large split in the 70’s, leading to massive decline for the CoS and birth of groups like the Temple of Set (ToS), was due to LaVey’s increased focus on financial gain rather than esoteric studies. So when Gilmore says that Satanism begins and ends with atheism, he’s kind of ignoring the first decade or so of LaVey’s occult activities and associations.
Some great academic studies are coming out these days on modern Satanism, especially works such as “The Invention of Satanism” and “The Devil’s Party”, as well as slightly older texts like the fantastic “Lords of the Left Hand Path”. Works from individuals and groups that descend from Satanism are also more and more common thanks to the internet, giving a much wider picture of the path. For one thing, the divide between atheism and theism is something that obviously does not underly all Satanism, even when these groups are connected by otherwise similar ideology. Satanism is now seen more as a religious movement, along side yet separate from movements such as counter-culture, new ageism, and the numerous movements that came out of the 1960’s. Underlying these paths are a focus on the individual and individualism, non-union with the culture/universe/god, a positive attitude towards transgressive behavior, a dismissal of reactive behavior, doubt towards “authority”, dogma, things of that nature, and obviously things like self-identification, tracing a group’s decent from another Satanic group (like the ToS), an admiration of Satanic symbolism, so forth and so on.
So, groups or individual philosophies that basically rely on LaVey’s actions are part of the “Satanic movement” or “Satanism”. Terms such as Western Left Hand Path have been put forth to replace “Satanism” for convenience sake, but the two terms are identical from an external and objective standpoint. Of course, some groups may be more questionable than others based on the criteria for what is “Satanism”, such as those that rely on authority or dogma, who seek union with God or acceptance from culture, who feel negative about transgressive behavior, etc. Ironical, the modern CoS is one of the prime examples of this based on their insistence of being the “only valid Satanism”. Perhaps LaVeyan Satanism died with the selling of ranks in the 70s?
LaVeyan Satanism is atheistic, and certainly the most well-known form of modern Satanism. While there were a few groups here and there before LaVey – such as the Lady of Endor Coven and Brotherhood of Saturn – LaVey and his CoS were really the spearhead of the lasting Satanic movement. This is all but undeniable, and all modern Satanism owes LaVey a great debt. But that that somehow make LaVeyan Satanism the start and end of Satanism? According to Peter Gilmore, one of the current main spokesman for the CoS, the answer is yes. Gilmore believes Satanism starts with atheism, and cast all other so called “Satanists” as “devil-worshippers” who are “on some level insane”. Ironically I see no difference between this and how Christians treat all “Satanists”, but that’s the CoS for you. This brings us to a problem – why should Satanism value one view simply because it is traditional? LaVey’s philosophy was very focused on individualism, rejection of authority, and so on. And in fact, academic studies classify many other groups as “Satanic”, including Luciferian and Setian groups. In order for LaVeyan Satanists to then claim they are the only authentic group requires to deny objective research into the topic in favor of one’s own religion’s view on the topic. It seems hard to argue that this is something LaVey would (at least originally) have approved of.
This also takes us into the question of whether the CoS was atheistic from the beginning at all. It of course seems that LaVey was mostly atheistic himself, but he was not the sole force behind the founding of the CoS. In fact he had been hosting “magical circles” in his home for other occultists long before, many of whom were esoterically inclined. Even the large split in the 70’s, leading to massive decline for the CoS and birth of groups like the Temple of Set (ToS), was due to LaVey’s increased focus on financial gain rather than esoteric studies. So when Gilmore says that Satanism begins and ends with atheism, he’s kind of ignoring the first decade or so of LaVey’s occult activities and associations.
Some great academic studies are coming out these days on modern Satanism, especially works such as “The Invention of Satanism” and “The Devil’s Party”, as well as slightly older texts like the fantastic “Lords of the Left Hand Path”. Works from individuals and groups that descend from Satanism are also more and more common thanks to the internet, giving a much wider picture of the path. For one thing, the divide between atheism and theism is something that obviously does not underly all Satanism, even when these groups are connected by otherwise similar ideology. Satanism is now seen more as a religious movement, along side yet separate from movements such as counter-culture, new ageism, and the numerous movements that came out of the 1960’s. Underlying these paths are a focus on the individual and individualism, non-union with the culture/universe/god, a positive attitude towards transgressive behavior, a dismissal of reactive behavior, doubt towards “authority”, dogma, things of that nature, and obviously things like self-identification, tracing a group’s decent from another Satanic group (like the ToS), an admiration of Satanic symbolism, so forth and so on.
So, groups or individual philosophies that basically rely on LaVey’s actions are part of the “Satanic movement” or “Satanism”. Terms such as Western Left Hand Path have been put forth to replace “Satanism” for convenience sake, but the two terms are identical from an external and objective standpoint. Of course, some groups may be more questionable than others based on the criteria for what is “Satanism”, such as those that rely on authority or dogma, who seek union with God or acceptance from culture, who feel negative about transgressive behavior, etc. Ironical, the modern CoS is one of the prime examples of this based on their insistence of being the “only valid Satanism”. Perhaps LaVeyan Satanism died with the selling of ranks in the 70s?