The truth about Satanism

[IndigoChild]

True Satanists revere life and do not sacrifice animals or children or engage in ritual abuse. They oppose all that Christianity has become, and yet some Satanists would make better Christians than the so-called Christian fundamentalists, because they despise hypocrisy.

Satan is not worshipped by most Satanists as an actual entity. Those who are theistic Satanists generally see Satan either as a rebel against a tyrranical and childish God (sort of a freedom fighter for our souls against an oppressive Jehovah) or as a symbol of authentic power (power over the self rather than over others) to be looked at as a role model. For believers in the Temple of Set, for example, Set (Set-hn, the origin of Satan) was just a simple farm boy when he was alive and worked to better himself until he became a God. The Setians therefore strive to become Gods, while LaVeyan Satanists believe humans are already Gods on Earth.

Luciferian Satanists come in several types... some believe in Lucifer, the Roman God of Enlightenment. Others belive that Lucifer is a freedom fighter for our souls against the tyrrany of God. Still other Luciferians believe that Lucifer never stopped being loyal to God, and simply volunteered to play the role of evil so that God could give humans a choice between good and evil, when evil did not truly exist until Lucifer - out of his utter love and devotion for God - volunteered to play that role when no others would.

Stereotypical Satanists are - more often than not - idiot kids trying to scare people. The stereotypical "satanic dabblers" are shunned by all true Satanists.

More info, all of it on LaVeyan Satanism:

The Nine Satanic Statements
from The Satanic Bible, ©1969
by Anton Szandor LaVey

1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!
2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!
5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!
6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!
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!
8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!

-

The Nine Satanic Sins (I believe most of these myself)

by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1987

1. Stupidity—The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.

2. Pretentiousness—Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.

3. Solipsism—Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point.

4. Self-deceit—It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!

5. Herd Conformity—That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many.

6. Lack of Perspective—Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist. You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.

7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies—Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.

8. Counterproductive Pride—That first word is important. Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.

9. Lack of Aesthetics—This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied.

-

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth
by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1967

1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.
3. When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there.
4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.
5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.
6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.
7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.
8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.
9. Do not harm little children.
10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.
11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him. (A bit excessive, in my opinion.)

-

http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/Youthletter.html
http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/Bunco.html
http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/MandatoryEducation.htm

Kat

 

[IndigoChild]

More, that didn't fit:

PENTAGONAL REVISIONISM:
A FIVE-POINT PROGRAM
by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1988

In recent years, we’ve wasted far too much time explaining that Satanism has nothing to do with kidnapping, drug abuse, child molestation, animal or child sacrifice, or any number of other acts that idiots, hysterics or opportunists would like to credit us with. Satanism is a life-loving, rational philosophy that millions of people adhere to. Now we’re ready for something that goes quite a few steps beyond just explaining our principles. Every revisionist movement needs a set of goals/guidelines that are clear, concrete, and that will effect significant changes.

The following Five-Point Program reflects attitudes which allow others to decide whether they wish to align themselves with Satanism or not. Each is necessary for Satanic change to take place. When asked what we’re “doing,” here’s the answer:

1. Stratification—The point on which all the others ultimately rest. There can be no more myth of “equality” for all—it only translates to “mediocrity” and supports the weak at the expense of the strong. Water must be allowed to seek its own level without interference from apologists for incompetence. No one should be protected from the effects of his own stupidity.

2. Strict taxation of all churches—If churches were taxed for all their income and property, they’d crumble overnight of their own obsolescence, and the National Debt would be wiped out as quickly. The productive, the creative, the resourceful should be subsidized. So long as the useless and incompetent are getting paid, they should be heavily taxed.

3. No tolerance for religious beliefs secularized and incorporated into law and order issues—to re-establish “Lex Talionis” would require a complete overturning of the present in-justice system based on Judeo-Christian ideals, where the victim/defender has been made the criminal. Amnesty should be considered for anyone in prison because of his alleged “influence” upon the actual perpetrator of the crime. Everyone is influenced in what he or she does. Scapegoating has become a way of life, a means of survival for the unfit. As an extension of the Judeo-Christian cop-out of blaming the Devil for everything, criminals can gain leniency, even praise, by placing the blame on a convenient villain. Following the Satanic creed of “Responsibility to the responsible,” in a Satanic society, everyone must experience the consequences of his own actions—for good or ill.

4. Development and production of artificial human companions—The forbidden industry. An economic “godsend” which will allow everyone “power” over someone else. Polite, sophisticated, technologically feasible slavery. And the most profitable industry since T.V. and the computer.

5. The opportunity for anyone to live within a total environment of his or her choice, with mandatory adherence to the aesthetic and behavioral standards of same—Privately owned, operated and controlled environments as an alternative to homogenized and polyglot ones. The freedom to insularize oneself within a social milieu of personal well-being. An opportunity to feel, see, and hear that which is most aesthetically pleasing, without interference from those who would pollute or detract from that option.

This is the encapsulated version of the current thrust of Satanic advocacy. So when someone asks you, “Well, what do Satanists do?”, you will be qualified to tell him.

-

Kat

 

[IndigoChild]

Bump.

Kat

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Very inlightnening.
Every since I started to investigat Satanism, I have learned to not make any judgement on anything, no matter how many people agree.

 

[KirbyFan101]

Modern Satanism's problems all started through LaVey's naming on the religion.

Of course, this was, in fact, intentional.

 

[IndigoChild]

Very inlightnening.
Every since I started to investigat Satanism, I have learned to not make any judgement on anything, no matter how many people agree.

That was the VERY important lesson I learned from researching it as well.

Kat

 

[Ulver]

to everyone... Satanism is a varied subject. One can't make a general statement about it, positive or negative, because one satanism isn't the same as another. Just as one type of christianity isn't the same as another. I've talked with and read interviews from individuals who have different concepts of what satanism is and how they practice it in their lives. Not all Satanists are devil worshipping baby killers and not all of them are the type LeVay discusses.

np: Prong- Snap your fingers, Snap your Neck

 

[Splintered]

Good to see someone finally go out and say how most satanism isn't what everyone believes it is. Those stupid kids with their "satanic" shirts are typically just rebelling against their christian parents, and tick me off.

 

[Aqualung]

wow, very informative. I had a lot of those misconceptions in my head, too. Good to have those cleared up. Not that I'll convert now , but it does help me to look at them in a better light. And Splintered makes a good point. All that satanic stuff I see probably isn't real satanism, but just rebellion. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[michel]

wow, very informative. I had a lot of those misconceptions in my head, too. Good to have those cleared up. Not that I'll convert now , but it does help me to look at them in a better light. And Splintered makes a good point. All that satanic stuff I see probably isn't real satanism, but just rebellion. Thanks for pointing that out.

Ditto IndigoChild - thank you for the education.

 

[IndigoChild]

Y'all are welcome.

Kat

 

[Mujahid Mohammed]

True Satanists revere life and do not sacrifice animals or children or engage in ritual abuse. They oppose all that Christianity has become, and yet some Satanists would make better Christians than the so-called Christian fundamentalists, because they despise hypocrisy.

Satan is not worshipped by most Satanists as an actual entity. Those who are theistic Satanists generally see Satan either as a rebel against a tyrranical and childish God (sort of a freedom fighter for our souls against an oppressive Jehovah) or as a symbol of authentic power (power over the self rather than over others) to be looked at as a role model. For believers in the Temple of Set, for example, Set (Set-hn, the origin of Satan) was just a simple farm boy when he was alive and worked to better himself until he became a God. The Setians therefore strive to become Gods, while LaVeyan Satanists believe humans are already Gods on Earth.

Luciferian Satanists come in several types... some believe in Lucifer, the Roman God of Enlightenment. Others belive that Lucifer is a freedom fighter for our souls against the tyrrany of God. Still other Luciferians believe that Lucifer never stopped being loyal to God, and simply volunteered to play the role of evil so that God could give humans a choice between good and evil, when evil did not truly exist until Lucifer - out of his utter love and devotion for God - volunteered to play that role when no others would.

Stereotypical Satanists are - more often than not - idiot kids trying to scare people. The stereotypical "satanic dabblers" are shunned by all true Satanists.

More info, all of it on LaVeyan Satanism:

The Nine Satanic Statements
from The Satanic Bible, ©1969
by Anton Szandor LaVey

1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!
2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!
5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!
6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!
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!
8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!

-

The Nine Satanic Sins (I believe most of these myself)

by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1987

1. Stupidity—The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.

2. Pretentiousness—Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.

3. Solipsism—Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point.

4. Self-deceit—It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!

5. Herd Conformity—That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many.

6. Lack of Perspective—Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist. You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.

7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies—Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.

8. Counterproductive Pride—That first word is important. Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.

9. Lack of Aesthetics—This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied.

-

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth
by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1967

1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.
3. When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there.
4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.
5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.
6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.
7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.
8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.
9. Do not harm little children.
10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.
11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him. (A bit excessive, in my opinion.)

-

http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/Youthletter.html
http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/Bunco.html
http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/MandatoryEducation.htm

Kat

Is it not true that there are some circles outside of the church of satan who do these other types of ritualistic abuse those who ascribe to the teachings of Alister Crowley, and others

 

[IndigoChild]

Is it not true that there are some circles outside of the church of satan who do these other types of ritualistic abuse those who ascribe to the teachings of Alister Crowley, and others

Well for one thing, LaVey's teachings are just condensed and modified teachings of Crowley. Secondly, I doubt Crowley ever condoned ritual sacrifice. And third, yeah. You get nuts in every religion.

Kat

 

[Mujahid Mohammed]

Well for one thing, LaVey's teachings are just condensed and modified teachings of Crowley. Secondly, I doubt Crowley ever condoned ritual sacrifice. And third, yeah. You get nuts in every religion.

Kat

This is what I mean it is known to Historians of the man that he used to do some very what is the polically correct word I am searching for bad types of rituals. there is a documentary called the Most Wickest Man - Master of Darkness. These guys love Crowley and tell you all things about him from documented evidence. Check it out. And it is as I was saying Crowley claimes to be a worshipper of Satan so is he not a devil worship and is it safe to say that he is what he professes to be. Because it is to my understanding that not all quote un quote devil worshipers or satanists follow in Lavey's teachers. I don't know let me know what you think also does Lavey ever claim to be the messenger of the devil. I do not know so I am asking you because you know more than I do on this paricular side of religious philosophy.

 

[IndigoChild]

LaVeyan satanists view Satan as a symbol for the natural, they are not theistic Satanists. Theistic Satanic groups include The Temple of Set, Luciferians, and other assorted theistic groups. But the Setians (Temple of Set) and Luciferians believe in Satan as a good guy. Setians believe Set (the original Satan, being as Satan got his name from the Hebrew Set-hn because Set's worship was popular in Egypt when the hebrews were slaves there)... sorry for rambling. Anyway, Setians believe in Set as a humble farm boy who, through knowledge and hard work, rose himself up to be a God and transcended human form.
Luciferians come in different kinds, but essentially either think of Lucifer as one of three things:

1. The Roman God of enlightenment.
2. An angel who volunteered to represent the side of evil out of his love for God because God needed evil to exist in order to give humans a choice between it and Him.
Or
3. A rebel angel against a tyrannical, dictatorial God.

Terms to Google: Temple of Set, Luciferian, Lucifer in Roman mythology, Church of Satan.

Kat

 

[Mujahid Mohammed]

LaVeyan satanists view Satan as a symbol for the natural, they are not theistic Satanists. Theistic Satanic groups include The Temple of Set, Luciferians, and other assorted theistic groups. But the Setians (Temple of Set) and Luciferians believe in Satan as a good guy. Setians believe Set (the original Satan, being as Satan got his name from the Hebrew Set-hn because Set's worship was popular in Egypt when the hebrews were slaves there)... sorry for rambling. Anyway, Setians believe in Set as a humble farm boy who, through knowledge and hard work, rose himself up to be a God and transcended human form.
Luciferians come in different kinds, but essentially either think of Lucifer as one of three things:

1. The Roman God of enlightenment.
2. An angel who volunteered to represent the side of evil out of his love for God because God needed evil to exist in order to give humans a choice between it and Him.
Or
3. A rebel angel against a tyrannical, dictatorial God.

Terms to Google: Temple of Set, Luciferian, Lucifer in Roman mythology, Church of Satan.

Kat

Can certain and do certain circles of Satanists worship the devil as a figure head you know asking him to give them strength and wisdom and forgive me of my ignorance.

 

[IndigoChild]

Can certain and do certain circles of Satanists worship the devil as a figure head you know asking him to give them strength and wisdom and forgive me of my ignorance.

I really don't know. Probably.

Kat

 

[Bennettresearch]

Hi Indigo,

What? Is this the reformation of the Satanic Church? LaVey only pretended to sacrifice, the actual shedding of blood never happened. Likewise with Crowley. But as far as this doctrine you have posted, why call it Satanism, and why the need for some kind of new religion? It seems to me that the Pagans and the Wicca have already broken this ground. Sure I am a Chrisitian, but that doesn't mean that I don't understand alternative religions or why they would want to rebel against Christianity. It is only because of a dogmatic church that Christianity gained all of its flaws.

Kind of intersting but to me this is all far fetched. i don't think that Satanism has much to offer.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Hehee, a great deal of us Pagans do not think of ourselves as an alternative religion or that we're following our path to rebel against Christianity. (For example, many of the branches of our traditions were in existence before there would have been anything to 'rebel' against. ) Some of us Pagans incorporate Christianity into our own religious practices, too. For example, for me, Jesus is one of the many gods of compassion I honor.

I guess I'm a little biased, though. I feel that if a religion calls to someone, it must have something to offer to that person.

Mujahid, there are offshoots of Stanism that do worship Satan as a figure-head. I do not know enough about the religion to try to explain this, but I'm sure there's people here that are familiar with it enough to help you.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Oh, no...
Make that Satanism, not Stanism.