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The Invisible War: God verses Satan

Mindmaster

Mindmaster

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Do Christians still really think Satanists represent their enemy?

I was recently reading various social media sites and political feeds, and it seems that there are many Christians who know nothing about Satanism but rather accept their denominations view of the situation as the absolute truth. They conflate Satanists, Witch, Wiccan, Druid, and nearly anything else pagan to be the same thing, so that's sort of why I put this post here. I felt it was curious to combine these things into one thing, and I guess find it strange in that I have no enmity toward Christians. (Though, I have some resentment to it... being forced on me during my youth...)

How many of you really know what a Satanist is?
 
Animore

Animore

Active Member
Just glad someone got this out there. While I don't personally take part in the "worship of self" I'm glad someone is here to clarify to the relig-ulous.
 
Soundwave99

Soundwave99

Member
*Raises hand*

I've extensively studied Satanism and am aware of both the theistic and atheistic forms.

Atheistic Satanists are atheists who use Satan as a symbol. Many are LaVeyan Satanists who follow Anton LaVey's Satanic Bible and view Satan as a symbol for rebellion, questioning and hedonism.

Theistic Satanists believe Satan exists as a real being/force/entity in some form. There are several different organizations in Theistic Satanism, although many Theistic Satanists are not part of any organization and hold different views. The main organizations are the Church of Azazel, The First Church of Satan, The Ordo Flammeus Serpens and Joy of Satan ministries. The last of those (Joy of Satan) is a sketch Neo-Nazi cult that believes in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
 
Mindmaster

Mindmaster

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
syncretic said:
I think that worship of the self is asinine.
Click to expand...

I take that further, worship itself is asinine. I can't figure out a single activity that is more worthless for oneself to engage in.

@Soundwave99 As far as the hedonistic elements, they also extend into the intellectual realm as well. It's not merely about sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Though it may include all of those things. :D
 
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Kemosloby

Kemosloby

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Mindmaster said:
Do Christians still really think Satanists represent their enemy?

I was recently reading various social media sites and political feeds, and it seems that there are many Christians who know nothing about Satanism but rather accept their denominations view of the situation as the absolute truth. They conflate Satanists, Witch, Wiccan, Druid, and nearly anything else pagan to be the same thing, so that's sort of why I put this post here. I felt it was curious to combine these things into one thing, and I guess find it strange in that I have no enmity toward Christians. (Though, I have some resentment to it... being forced on me during my youth...)

How many of you really know what a Satanist is?
Click to expand...
Do Satanists really represent Satan? The bible says Satan and his followers disguise themselves as "Angels of Light". So anyone calling themselves Satanists would be immediately disqualified.
 
Mindmaster

Mindmaster

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Kemosloby said:
Do Satanists really represent Satan? The bible says Satan and his followers disguise themselves as "Angels of Light". So anyone calling themselves Satanists would be immediately disqualified.
Click to expand...

If you do not believe in the "invisible war" then you don't believe in good and evil dichotomy either. There are two ways of answering this question:

1) The ultimate conception of a Satanist is an atheist, complete denial of God. Actually, ANY gods... Satan included. Humans are then the "gods" by default, in essence. Satan is a symbol then of man's reign over the gods, the Satanist in this case assumes man creates the gods to suit his fancy.

2) Satan is either an "advanced soul" or a memetic archetype. In either case, Satan would exist but as a product of our conscious energy. The collective doesn't have a concept of Satan as being "an angel of light" but rather a red skinned devil with horns. So that's what this would look like, if it existed.

Personally, I'm not an atheist but I don't ascribe to a purely theistic belief pattern. (I require the experience of something to have any sort of conception of it.) Basically, whatever is there or not there I am cool with -- until then I have no opinion. :D Of course, Satan could also exist but God doesn't. Or, they both do, or Satan doesn't... How do you know anyway? Games... :D
 
Mindmaster

Mindmaster

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
1137 said:
I think "self worship" is a misunderstanding of the left hand path.
Click to expand...

I think he doesn't understand what the left-hand path means at all by that statement. Being a slave to one's own predilections is still being a slave to something. This is the solipsism (in this context, extreme egocentrism) that LaVey specifically cautioned against, as it leads to self-deceit and overestimating your own importance. If you really think you are a god then you're probably just nuts.
 
Kelly of the Phoenix

Kelly of the Phoenix

Well-Known Member
I'm fine with it. The nontheistic Satanists are a parody and I accept the use of parody to criticize religion, especially if it's rather high on its horse (but is more like Lord Farquad riding a horse, complete with fake legs to make himself look taller). The theistic Satanists ... I know a couple, though one sadly passed away, and he was one of the most compassionate people I've ever met.
 
SalixIncendium

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Mindmaster said:
Do Christians still really think Satanists represent their enemy?

I was recently reading various social media sites and political feeds, and it seems that there are many Christians who know nothing about Satanism but rather accept their denominations view of the situation as the absolute truth. They conflate Satanists, Witch, Wiccan, Druid, and nearly anything else pagan to be the same thing, so that's sort of why I put this post here. I felt it was curious to combine these things into one thing, and I guess find it strange in that I have no enmity toward Christians. (Though, I have some resentment to it... being forced on me during my youth...)

How many of you really know what a Satanist is?
Click to expand...

Just throwing this out there, but if one is going to give a path a name that already has a negative stigma, people are going to view it by that stigma unless educated otherwise. Given that Satan is the villain in the Bible, Christians not familiar with the path are going to view Satanists as villains.
 
D

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
1137 said:
I think "self worship" is a misunderstanding of the left hand path.
Click to expand...

Seems like a lot of 'misunderstandings', lol. I'm pretty sure it generally isn't. If it is, you might want to be telling 'satanists', that, not me

also ,'lhp', /I don't like that label, isn't the subject of this thread. ie 'satansim'.

your generalizing
 
D

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
Mindmaster said:
This is the solipsism (in this context, extreme egocentrism) that LaVey specifically cautioned against, as it leads to self-deceit and overestimating your own importance. If you really think you are a god then you're probably just nuts.
Click to expand...


You're getting your apples & oranges mixed up. Many Satanists take self worship literally, it's obvious. I'm just surprised that you actually are making this argument in some literal way.
Writings may not match how followers etc, actually practice, as well, this is basically expected, actually.
Youd find this in other groups, not just Satanism.

That's probably why , if you don't mean ''self worship'', then don't say it.
 
Onyx

Onyx

Active Member
Premium Member
syncretic said:
I think that worship of the self is asinine.
Click to expand...
If the pursuit of one's own higher potential is asinine, then guilty as charged. I'm actually perfectly okay with the term "self-worship" within the context of a self-directed and self-oriented religion where the responsibility rests on the individual. It doesn't imply omniscience or omnipresence or anything ridiculous like that.
 
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