What You Should Know About Satanism

Satan. The Christian Bible describes him as the devil, the serpent, the tempter. He exists only as the antithesis to God and all that is righteous and holy, his sole purpose is to lead people away from the truth and into a sinful, dark life. Satan is all at once an active opponent, "your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" 1 Peter 5:8 and a silent force, filling the minds and hearts of those who stray from the righteous path "whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8. There are many passages in the bible describing Satan, but they all agree- the devil is evil.

So, if you ask your grandparents, the local pastor, or almost anyone living in the Bible Belt, they will most likely tell you that Satanists are evil people seeking to tear good-hearted Christians away from their holy lives. When the term Satanists comes to mind, the thought that springs up might be of goth-looking folks performing devilish rituals, sacrificing animals and listening to death metal music. Unfortunately that is a stereotype that is just not founded on reality.

Satan to us is a symbol of pride, liberty and individualism, and it serves as an external metaphorical projection of our highest personal potential. - The Church of Satan

Satanism was first established in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey from his home in San Francisco. LaVey had been a circus performer for many years before settling in San Francisco and devoting himself to the study of magic and the occult. In 1969 he released The Satanic Bible, followed by The Satanic Witch in 1971, and Satanic Rituals in 1972. Despite how those titles may sound, they aren't how-to guides for black magic or devil worship. Rather, they lay the framework for a religion that is based on worship of one's self, with rituals thrown in for a bit of added drama. From Time Magazine:

The members invest themselves with some of the most flamboyant trappings of occultism, but magic for them is mostly psychodrama —or plain old carnival hokum. They invoke Satan not as a supernatural being, but as a symbol of man’s self-gratifying ego, which is what they really worship. They look down on those who actually believe in the supernatural, evil or otherwise.

The biggest take-away from what Satanism really is, is that Satanists do not worship Satan. They don't even believe he exists. Satan is used more as a symbol of Satanists' place outside of the boundaries of traditional religion, their rebellion against rigidity, and their distaste for the supernatural. In fact, Satanists largely believe that religion can and should be separated from supernatural beliefs, as a religion should provide the framework for how to live a moral life with community and culture divorced from traditional superstitions. Their faith is in the tangible world, a materialistic view rooted in science and critical thinking. According to the Satanic Temple:

To embrace the name Satan is to embrace rational inquiry removed from supernaturalism and archaic tradition-based superstitions. The Satanist should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things. Our beliefs must be malleable to the best current scientific understandings of the material world — never the reverse.

Read more at Disinfo.com

I love Satan. At least he puts it out there and doesn't demand that you worship him.

Cool guy, all around. Fun as hell to go to parties with too...

a reply to: DisinfoCom
I can't wait to see how fast this thread goes downhill. Satanism is honestly a decent philosophy, though it is easily followed without even reading the Satanic Bible and I wouldn't be surprised if it were practiced commonly unknowingly. I should probably just stop with that and leave before it's too late.

a reply to: DisinfoCom

Yep, I'm going to get my thoughts in before this post blows up. First of all, the bible itself is based on paganism. Going forward, Satan was described as the light-bringer and giver of knowledge (knowledge is power). I see nothing wrong that. It is, I suppose a belief of the Christians that God wanted us all to just be content not knowing and having no freewill. That's not human nature and since God made us in his image, Satan was in the plan the whole time...sins, knowledge, light and all.

a reply to: jazzy4
Satan isn't so kindly represented (to my knowledge) in the bible as you say. He is represented as that in the Satanic Bible however. Your post puzzles me in that I am uncertain if it is Christian because you say that Satan was a part of the plan (so do you believe in the Christians god's plan?), but regardless good comment. It isn't bashing Satanism so for that alone deserves a star.

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein
I love Satan. At least he puts it out there and doesn't demand that you worship him.

Cool guy, all around. Fun as hell to go to parties with too...

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’

Satan is indeed the new-age good guy who gave us knowledge, Jesus is the new-age bad guy whose followers started Christianity and ruined the planet. We can see this philosophy all around us in every facet of western life as well as Christianity also not being tolerated in the Middle East.

The Biblical account of the "end times" predicted that this philosophy and mindset would dominate the world.

Join the "enlightened" and Hail Satan and Hate Jesus, it's the cool hip thing to do.

a reply to: Sublimecraft
Generally liking your posts did you not read the OP? It says that Satan isn't worshiped or believed in by practicing Satanists.

a reply to: DisinfoCom

Well that is different view of Satanism, religion had done a big number on Satan since it was used as a the scapegoat in Christianity.

But like any other movement, will stay in my comfort zone when it comes to spiritualism as I don't support any organized religion, cult or established believes.

Interesting read.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

I don't see much dislike for Jesus though. Everyone still considers him to be a good guy. It's just some of his misguided followers that piss people off.

a reply to: DisinfoCom

One thing is for sure, why did Christianity have to link Satan with a goat, I love goat meat, that is just wrong.

a reply to: DisinfoCom
Your OP only details one sect of Satanism. There are many. Such as these folks...

There are different sects of Satanism.
Joy of Satan Ministries is Spiritual Satanism.
Satanism is not a "Christian invention."
Satanism predates Christianity and all other religions.
Satanism is not about spooks, goblins, vampires, Halloween monsters or other related entities.
Satanism is not about "evil."
Satanism is not a "reaction to Christianity."
Satanism is not about death.
True Satanism is about elevating and empowering humanity, which was our True Creator (Satan's) intention.
We know Satan/Lucifer as a real being.
We know Satan to be the True Father and Creator God of humanity.

Joy Of Satan

a reply to: Tiamat384

I think the church of Satan's big mistake was choosing the name of Satan to represent their non-worship ideology.
They should have called themselves the church of non-worship and left it at that.
What we get now is hate by association, literally.

a reply to: Klassified
Yes there are many, but the ones people think of when they hear "Satanism" are the cult ones that do sacrifices, which do not represent the religion. Westboro Baptist Church is an example for something officially Christian, but would anyone say that they represent Christianity? Probably not.

a reply to: Jonjonj
Do you know why it was called such? I'm curious, if not I'll tell you.

a reply to: Tiamat384

I mean to say that he convinced Eve to eat from the forbidden tree of knowledge and then there are these versus about him being of the light:

Isaiah 14:12-15 - How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Read More...)

Revelation 12:7-9 - And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (Read More...)

Isaiah 14:12 - How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

2 Corinthians 11:14 - And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

And a bunch more here

I'm an agnostic but it says that God created man in his likeness which means that even God would have eaten from the tree of knowledge because he is just like us. But no I do not believe in God's Christian plan nor the bible as a whole.

a reply to: jazzy4
You didn't answer my question so I'll explain with a quote by Anton Szandor Lavey (founder of the Satanic Church):
“We don't worship Satan, we worship ourselves using the metaphorical representation of the qualities of Satan. Satan is the name used by Judeo-Christians for that force of individuality and pride within us. But the force itself has been called by many names.We embrace Christian myths of Satan and Lucifer, along with Satanic renderings in Greek, Roman, Islamic, Sumerian, Syrian, Phrygian, Egyptian, Chinese or Hindu mythologies, to name but a few. We are not limited to one deity, but encompass all the expressions of the accuser or the one who advocates free thought and rational alternatives by whatever name he is called in a particular time and land. It so happens that we are living in a culture that is predominantly Judeo-Christian, so we emphasize Satan. If we were living in Roman times, the central figure, perhaps the title of our religion, would be different. But the name would be expressing and communicating the same thing. It's all context.”

I am not exactly agnostic, atheistic or theistic. It's hard to explain. My goddess is a concept embodied by an actual person (or will be).

I think there is something far greater than my own Ego and when I allow my small self to touch it, I am filled with a sense of peace, unconditional love, and the knowing that I belong to something far greater than Ego.

I Know that it is real - and I'm not speaking of a religious stance or "belief," but a spiritual experience-based reality. I have felt how everything is connected, how we really are paradoxically one and individual at the same time, how there is a Source beyond this material world that is all-embracing and all-loving.

I think NOT being connected to that (and having the free will to decide that for ourselves means we may not ever go there) is the cause of fear, war, hate, jealousy, the hoarding of wealth, the denial of the equality and rights of perceived "others" and the worst horrors humanity has ever brought forth on this world.

We do that (create horrors) because we do not know what we do - we are ignorant of our own connectedness, and the actual reality that whatever I do to someone else, I've done to myself and those I love.

It is, unfortunately, not something that can be explained. It must be experienced. I don't claim "specialness" or "special knowledge" only that when I am able to get outside my ego and FEEL this, I am nothing, and everything, I am a paradox and I am no more or less than anyone else. I have zero desire to push this onto anyone else, and I don't know how to tell someone else how to access this feeling/experience.

I don't know how this fits with Satanism, but it would seem to be very different?

In any case, peace to you.

- AB

a reply to: Jonjonj
You're right. It is hate by association, but only the ignorant hate by association.

originally posted by: Tiamat384
a reply to: Klassified
Yes there are many, but the ones people think of when they hear "Satanism" are the cult ones that do sacrifices, which do not represent the religion. Westboro Baptist Church is an example for something officially Christian, but would anyone say that they represent Christianity? Probably not.

Understood. I felt it worth noting that no one group(sect) owns Satan(ism). Just as no one sect owns Christ(ianity).

originally posted by: Tiamat384
a reply to: Sublimecraft
Generally liking your posts did you not read the OP? It says that Satan isn't worshiped or believed in by practicing Satanists.

Of course I read the OP, I was not responding to the OP but the first poster after the OP. I am aware that Satanists adhere to a philosophy of tolerance and (most) do not venerate the biblical individual per se'

But some (not necessarily "satanists") do indeed invoke the individual know as Satan.

In any event, irrespective of whether Satan, the biblical individual, is venerated or not by Satanists or others, I have studied exorcisms for many years and the fact remains that the biblical individual known as Satan is predominant surrounding this phenomena and is as real to the Priests exorcising and individuals suffering from possessions as the air we breathe.