Satanism

Introduction

Real Satanists are essentially consistent atheists. While most atheists ride the moral coattails of a Christian worldview and expect others to follow the objective moral values that they themselves deny exist, the Satanist simply ignores this "herd mentality" and makes his own rules. And why not? Paul himself said that if Christianity was not true then we might as well "do as we will," for tomorrow we die! (loose paraphrase of 1 Cor. 15:32).

I am a Christian because I follow the truth - not because I just happen to like it better than other religions. Christianity is a religion of truth that opens itself up to critical investigation by making objective truth claims. I am amazed, therefore, that so many Christians will latch on to any story they hear, no matter how fantastic, so long as it supports their world view. As believers we should not be afraid of the truth, even if it does not seem to help the cause. Therefore I will endeavor to present Satanism as Satanists define it. I have culled the more important websites and found the following information to be fairly uniform throughout.

This page is not intended to be a glorification of Satanism, but neither is it in line with the current popular notions that make Satanism out to be some world-wide conspiracy involving ritual abuse (see "SRA" below) or human sacrifice. Rather, this page is designed to give the reader a very basic introduction to real Satanism. By "real Satanism" I mean the doctrines of the official Church of Satan and its offspring - not a group of outcast teenagers torturing kittens for fun. LaVey himself would scoff at such idiocy. Real Satanists are often successful professionals, and many are relatively well-adjusted, intelligent people as a perusal of their writings will show.

The Church of Satan

The Church of Satan was established by Anton Szandor LaVey on April 30, 1966 (Walpurgisnacht, the night of April 30th—May 1st). LaVey shaved his head as part of a formalized founding ritual, and declared 1966 to be "Year One, Anno Satanas—the first year of the reign of Satan." Three years later LaVay wrote The Satanic Bible, which defined the philosophy of Satanism. This was later followed by The Satanic Rituals, The Satanic Witch (a handbook for female empowerment through manipulation of men), and The Devil's Notebook (an collection of LaVey's musings). Anton LaVey died on October 29th 1997. High Priestess Blanche Barton lost The Black House (LaVey's residence and site of the original COS) by its owners,who had it demolished in 2001. Peter Gilmore was instituted as High Priest in 2001. The COS headquarters then relocated to New York City. In 2002, Barton appointed Gilmore's wife Peggy Nadramia, as High Priestess.

The Temple of Set

This group was begun by ex-Church of Satan member Michael Aquino. When Anton LaVey determined that the status of Church of Satan members should reflect their standing in the world, additional means of advancement opened to the above-ground members. Upset, Aquino announced a break with the Church of Satan, accusing LaVey of selling degrees (levels within the COS). He then claimed to have been visited by Set, the actual Prince of Darkness. Aquino then wrote the Book of Coming Forth by Night. This supernatural revelation supposedly gave him the right to supercede the Church of Satan with the Temple of Set, which is now one of the two largest official satanic groups.

Set replaced Satan as the primary figure for Setians who see him as "the oldest known form of the Prince of Darkness, the archetype of isolate self-consciousness, is the Egyptian god Set, whose Priesthood can be traced to predynastic times." He is "a more complex, less stereotypical metaphysical image than that of the Judaeo/Christian Satan. Satan, the archetype of rebellion against cosmic order and stasis, may be the symbol for many people's initial commitment to initiation, but this symbol is too tied to conventional religions and their moral codes to be an effective representation of the richness, subtlety, and complexity of the Left-Hand Path." (Xeper.org)

According to their writings, the "Temple of Set seeks above all to honor and enshrine consciousness. We wish to apprehend what makes us each individually unique and use this gift to make ourselves stronger in all facets of our being. To do this we preserve and improve the tradition of spiritual distinction from the natural universe, which in the Judaeo/Christian West has been called Satanism, but which is more generally known as the Left-Hand Path. The Left-Hand Path is a process for creating an individual, powerful essence that exists above and beyond animal life. It is thus the true vehicle for personal immortality. It has certain components:

  • Antinomianism: Initiation begins with denial and rejection of the herd-mentality.
  • Individuality: No one can do the work of self-change for you. The intensity and pace of your own initiation will be up to you, not the Temple of Set. Nor can the Temple dictate your personal goals. You yourself must do so, again with wisdom rather than emotion or impulse.
  • Control: The Initiate must have a strong sense of personal discipline before embarking on any adventure. The ability to recognize, start, and complete great quests distinguishes the Initiate from the "occultnik" who seeks to parody greatness by mindlessly muttering a few incoherent "spells".
  • Black Magic: focuses on self-determined goals. Its formula is "my will be done", as opposed to the White Magic of the Right-Hand Path, whose formula is "thy will be done." Since magic enables you to influence or change events in ways not understood nor anticipated by society, you must first develop a sound and sophisticated appreciation for the ethics governing your own motives, decisions, and actions before you put it to use. Merely using magic for impulsive, trivial, or egoistic desires is not Setian. Black Magic is the means by which Initiates of the Left-Hand Path experience being gods, rather than praying to imaginary images of gods.

Qualities necessary to become a Setian include:

  • A realization that the world isn't fair or loving.
  • A sense of wonder at one's own being.
  • A willingness to learn, to go to school.
  • A desire to make yourself into something better.
  • Intellectual ability as well as access to the best scholarly data you are capable of handling.
  • Magical ability.
  • A sense of humor.
  • An ability to privately acknowledge your fears, prejudices, and problems, as well as to forgive your honest mistakes.
  • A willingness to share with others what you have found, in the right place and time - and to be silent when it is not the right place and time.

Satanisms Teachings

United Satanic Covenire founder Ryan S writes, "There is no one set of beliefs that comprise Satanism. Because there is no set of doctrines or scriptures agreed upon by a majority of Satanists, practitioners must define their beliefs for themselves. However a few generalizations can be made: the average Satanist disagrees with much of Christianity, believes in no absolute moral code, and places emphasis on the individual and personal rights. . . . one can say with some certainty that all Satanisms and Satanists have diabolical or satanic dispositions in that they are 'like Satan.' They possess the virtues of antinomianism, self-reliance, rebellion and adversarialism." While it may be true that there is no formal set of doctrines over which all Satanists agree (and in this they are no different than any other religion!), the following lists are from LaVey's writings and can be found in some form on almost any Satanism web site.

Nine Satanic Statements

I - Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence!
II - Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
III - Satan represents undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
IV - Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates!
V - Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek!
VI - Satan represents responsibility to the responsible, instead of concern for psychic vampires!
VII - Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those who walk on all-fours, who, because of his "divine spiritual and intellectual development," has become the most vicious animal of all!
VIII - Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
IX - Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years!

Nine Satanic Sins

1) Stupidity -- The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful."
2) Pretentiousness -- Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn't applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic.
3) Solipsism -- Projecting your reactions, responses, and sensibilities onto someone else who is probably far less attuned than you are.
4) Self-Deceit -- It's in the Nine Satanic Statement but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin.
5) Herd Conformity -- 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.
6) Lack of Perspective --You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence.
7) Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies -- Be aware that this one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something as "new" and "different", when in reality it's something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package.
8) Counterproductive Pride -- The first word is important. The rule of Satanism is if it works for you, great.
9) Lack of Aesthetics -- This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. It is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated.

Eleven Rules of the Earth

1. Do not give opinion or advice unless you are asked.
2. Do not tell you'r 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 wich does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be releved.
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 loose all you obtained.
8. Do not complain about anything to wich you need not subject youreself.
9. Do not harm little children.
10. Do not kill non-human animals unless 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.

Pentagonal Revisionism

When asked what Satanists are seeking to accomplish, here is their answer according to Ex-COS High Priestess, Blanche Barton:

1) Stratification -- no more myth of "equality" for all - it only translates to "mediocrity" and supports the weak at the expense to the strong. No one should be protected from the effects of his own stupidity.
2) Strict taxation of all churches -- 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. 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 --Polite, sophisticated, technologically feasible slavery.
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 the same without interference from those who would pollute or detract from that option.

What About Satan-Worship?

Just as most Buddhists do not worship Buddha, most Satanists do not worship Satan, in fact most do not believe in his existence at all. Rather, "satan" is the embodiement of their philosophy.

"My brand of Satanism is the ultimate conscious alternative to herd mentality and institutionalized thought. It is a studied and contrived set of principles and exercises designed to liberate individuals from a contagion of mindlessness that destroys innovation. I have termed my thought "Satanism" because it is most stimulating under that name. Self-discipline and motivation are effected more easily under stimulating conditions. Satanism means "the opposition" and epitomizes all symbols of nonconformity. Satanism calls forth the strong ability to turn a liability into an advantage, to turn alienation into exclusivity. In other words, the reason it's called Satanism is because it's fun, it's accurate, and it's productive" (Anton LaVey, introduction to The Devil's Notebook).

"Satanism is more accurately identified as a disposition than as a religion, as it is actively concerned with all the facets of human existence, not with only the so-called spiritual aspects. Yet those who proclaim it to be a danger to justice and cooperative order have missed the point entirely. Satanism advocates unrestricted freedom, but only to the extent that one's preferences do not impinge upon another's. It should also be noted that Satanism is a philosophy of the individual, not of the mass." (Michael A. Aquino, introduction to the first edition of the Satanic Bible).

"Satan is a symbol of the self, then, as it should be within the Satanist. But this symbolism is only part of the truth, because man's ability to think and act in disregard of the balancing factor of the Universe necessitates a source for that ability. It is the intelligence of what mankind has personified as the Prince of Darkness himself -- no symbol or allegory, but a sentient being." (Dr. Michael A. Aquino, "The Church of Satan", (note that Aquino hadn't contacted Set yet in the first quote, and was only delivering his opinion of Anton Lavey's idea of Satan.)

"Many who use the term "Satanist" to describe themselves follow a cogent philosophy of life modeled upon the mythical literary character known as Satan, honoring his qualities, his rebellion and applying his name to the natural forces which so many white light religions oppose." (RyanS -United Satanic Covenire).

Various Views of Satanists

There are several divisions one could make as to the belief systems of various "Satanic" groups.

  • Archetypical Satanists see Satan as an archetype of a higher ideal or order.
  • Symbolic Satanists often see Satan as purely a symbol of learning and knowledge, the catalyst symbol of questioning all causes and bringing forth knowledge.
  • Pantheistic Satanists tend to see Satan as the Universe in and of itself, who feel that the "All is One."
  • Literal Satanists believe in the metaphysical existence of a being that is called Satan.
  • Gnostic Satanists tend to view Satan as a literal hero. It is directly from Gnosticism where the God of this World is an evil ogre who causes suffering. Rebelling against him, though weaker, is an Angel or God whom wants to restore order to the World. This may either be Satan or Lucifer.
  • Evil Satanists worship Satan as pure evil, and want to become one with the pure evil. Typically, these Satanists will have altars with Hitler on them, attend Neo-Nazi meetings, and have "invocations to Hitler". They haven't really encroached the United States, (thankfully), but are prominent in Europe. Of their claim to fame, they like to burn FreeMason lodges, Jewish synagogues, and Christian Churches.

What About Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA )?

Virtually unheard of until the Church embraced pop psychology in the 1980's, SRA had its time in the sun for many conspiracy buffs and those who get their worldview from "Christian" novels and radical radio show hosts. According to Bob and Gretchen Passantino from the Christian Research Institute:

"There is still no substantial, compelling evidence that SRA stories and conspiracy theories are true. Alternate hypotheses more reasonably explain the social, professional, and personal dynamics reflected in this contemporary satanic panic. The tragedy of broken families, traumatized children, and emotionally incapacitated adults provoked by SRA charges is needless and destructive. Careful investigation of the stories, the alleged victims, and the proponents has given us every reason to reject the satanic conspiracy model in favor of an interpretation consistent with reason and truth." (The Hard Facts About Satanic Ritual Abuse in the Christian Research Journal, Winter 1992 :See the complete article HERE).

Now this is not to say that SRA cannot or has not happened somewhere at some time, only that the idea of a vast network of ritual abusers currently lacks compelling evidence and appears to be antithetical to what real Satanists actually believe.

Conclusion

The biggest threat from Satanism is not sex rituals, goat symbols, or black "magick." Rather it is the simple fact that if Christianity is not true then Satanism, real Satanism, is what would logically follow. The fact that it rarely does owes more to society's lingering awareness of God's natural law in their conscience than any philosophical scheme they claim to hold. That the natural law can be ignored does not negate its truth, however, and Satanists as well as secular humanists are under God's judgment for doing so. Rather than fear or shun Satanists, we Christians should love them the same way we were loved before we were rescued from our own darkness (Col. 1:13).