All's Quiet on the Western Front.

[lamplighter]

Seems Satanists are one of the least politicaly active groups around, why you hear about secularists and christians bickering all the time. But maybe fundie christians have more to fear from secularists and there evil logic. Though one would think the fundie christians would be more proactive in trying to prevent satanism from spreading. So do satanists keep there beliefs hidden sticking to a label of just atheist/theist or do you experience conflict on a regular basis?

 

[Ðanisty]

It really depends on a lot of things. I don't just tell everyone that I'm Luciferian. I want to get to know people first and I want to make sure I won't end up in a situation where it will have a negative impact on me (like at work). It also depends on what approach you take when you tell people. If you just tell them you're a Satanist (or Luciferian or Setian) and don't explain things, it's going to cause problems. You have to be tactful. As far as politics goes, I think most Satanists have similar political views as atheists (especially since most Satanists are atheists).

Trust me though, there are a lot of fundie Christians out there not only trying to eradicate Satanism, but everything they associate with Satanism including Wicca.

 

[IanAlmighty]

Satanists aren't secretive at all.
It seems few people really care about Satanists or Satanism- it's too easy to dismiss anything related to the dreadfull "S" word.[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]

 

[lamplighter]

Hey I understand about being tactful when it comes to telling whom about your belief. I for one have made the mistake of discussing my belief at work, and sufferd the consequences here in Mississippi. Though I understand many are atheist, I thought maybe satanists had more progress goals for there beliefs. Like in Kansas I heard of someone nearly getting arrested, because he was btrning the frey off some rope and some neighbor thought he was practicing a satanic ritual.

 

[IanAlmighty]

In Kansas, the cops would probably shoot you for wearing a pentagram.

 

[RevOxley_501]

Hey I understand about being tactful when it comes to telling whom about your belief. I for one have made the mistake of discussing my belief at work, and sufferd the consequences here in Mississippi. Though I understand many are atheist, I thought maybe satanists had more progress goals for there beliefs. Like in Kansas I heard of someone nearly getting arrested, because he was btrning the frey off some rope and some neighbor thought he was practicing a satanic ritual.

as far as that goes, i am a Christian living in the Bible belt---i get the dirtiest looks from Christians over the slightest differences in doctrine---and this is why i try not to be like that, i want to be able to befriend the satanist as i have many times, and anyone from any other religious background. I know what it's like to be hated over something as personal as religion, im not gonna add to the problem if i can help it

 

[Ðanisty]

Satanists aren't secretive at all.
It seems few people really care about Satanists or Satanism- it's too easy to dismiss anything related to the dreadfull "S" word.[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]

Don't confuse secrecy with discretion. If it is smart of a Satanist to be discrete than it wouldn't be very Satanic to announce a Satanic affiliation...self-preservation above all those things.

 

[lamplighter]

Exactly, it wouldn't be thought of as very smart to widely proclaim that your a satanist say in Oklahoma. Anyway even as an agnostic I'm greatly annoyed I have to hide my belief for self preservation more often than not, and couldn't imagine what it's like for a satanist. I certainly can't avoid confrontation with the religious right, but I try to inform as many open minded people as possible about secularism. I figure every christian that understands, is another step closer to true religious freedom.

 

[Dr. Nosophoros]

I would say that most "satanists" I have come across claim themselves to be ardent Libertarians, I wouldn't say it's a lack of being politically active but a lack of attention from the media/therefore lack of public awareness that "satanists" are politically active. Let's be honest, if a political party was denoted by media as the "satanic" party (even though it may make up a small percentage, as it does in society) would that not spell political suicide for the parties involved? Smear is easy, even easier when a word that already has a lot of baggage is applied (and if you think for a minute it wouldn't be used for political gain by others you are very naive) but that does not mean those that denote themselves so are not active in one group or another.

 

[Mike182]

if no one minds me chiming in here.... i suspect the political situation of Satanists as a group is rather like Pagans as a group. as a group of people we don't get involved, we have no group political goal to achieve so why would we as a group of people get involved?

Satanists and Pagans on an individual level however are often actively involved with politics, we have our opinions and we vote and we go to rallies and demonstrations and we campaign for the issues we really care about just like everyone else.

i just don't want anyone to walk away from this thread reading "satanists aren't politically involved" and assume that individual satanists don't care about politics

 

[morning-star]

Seems Satanists are one of the least politicaly active groups around, why you hear about secularists and christians bickering all the time. But maybe fundie christians have more to fear from secularists and there evil logic. Though one would think the fundie christians would be more proactive in trying to prevent satanism from spreading. So do satanists keep there beliefs hidden sticking to a label of just atheist/theist or do you experience conflict on a regular basis?

It depends really down to the individual to be politically involved or not. you not going to hear of Satanist ‘bickering’ with some other faith trying to put there influence in politics simply because there are not as many Satanists as there are Christians etc.

As for hiding being a Satanist; isn’t one of the major Satanism things to be proud of who you are and to speak your mind freely?

Personally I am careful as to who I tell that I am a luciferian, I know from experience if your going to tell some one be prepared to explain what you believe in full or you may immanently get associated with ‘devil worship’ and evil sacrifices etc.

 

[Lux ex Tenebris]

By most reasonable observations, our "Christian" head of state has proven himself quite adept at making a mess. I wonder, why do you think an openly Satanic politician would be worse? Is it perhaps because political expediency and self-interest would not be comfortably couched in an air of noxious self-righteousness nor pushed further afield by the complete abdication of personal responsibility implied by a "divine mandate?" Maybe your blinkered perception is popular because most would like to believe their actions "good" in the face of all evidence to the contrary. By all means, continue to spread the "good word" of Christian government, because we all know statehouses are not already full to bursting with virulent lies.

 

[Lux ex Tenebris]

By the way, I am more than willing to debate this issue in the proper forum, and should the mods feel the need to move anything I have written above to a more debate oriented room, there will certainly be no complaints from me. Occasionally, I find some statements too ludicrous to ignore.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I remember reading of a Satanist politician in Minnesota who plans on running for governor, who is running under the "Vampyrs, Witches, and Pagans" group.
I can't find his homepage, but here is the wiki article about him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathon_Sharkey

 

[Lux ex Tenebris]

I remember reading of a Satanist politician in Minnesota who plans on running for governor, who is running under the "Vampyrs, Witches, and Pagans" group.
I can't find his homepage, but here is the wiki article about him.

Ah, "The Impaler?" For me, that guy falls into the "people I could never take seriously" category.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Ah, "The Impaler?" For me, that guy falls into the "people I could never take seriously" category.

From what I found, he really did run. Allthough I agree he seems rather odd, to the point I couldn't take him seriously once I dug up information on him.
Is thier anyone from Minnesota that can verify that he did infact run for Governor? Myself, I cannot recall if he really ran for a position in Indiana or not.

 

[lamplighter]

Certainly it would be political suicide to anounce that you were a Satanist, but just as athiests were (and still are to a degree) but being an athiest is alot more acceptable now. But all the Satanists I've personaly known have done very little to curb public opinion. Why I think I've done more to inform the public it's not a bunch of people carving symbols into pets and killing virgins in the name of Satan. Though granted the general public is dumb so one could easily loose hope.

 

[Darkness]

Personally I am careful as to who I tell that I am a luciferian, I know from experience if your going to tell some one be prepared to explain what you believe in full or you may immanently get associated with ‘devil worship’ and evil sacrifices etc.

It is sad, that people automatically jump to conclusions and sterotype people with uncommon religious beliefs. If people would stop and listen, the world would be a tad better place.

 

[MisterBible]

I have never come across any satanists myself, though I do have a few friends who have studied it out of pure interest. lot of the tenants sounds reasonable. I particularly like Satanic statement number 7

[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all![/FONT]

I've often said. "The most horrible machination of the human mind is it's ability to justify anything." I think that hovers around the same Idea.

 

[Ðanisty]

I've often said. "The most horrible machination of the human mind is it's ability to justify anything." I think that hovers around the same Idea.

*nod* It's a very similar concept. I think you'll find that Satanists see it as a blessing and a curse, so to speak. Welcome to the forum, by the way.