hey guys, im doing a research project in my religion studies class on satanism. Basically i have to do an oral presentation explaining the key characteristics of the religion and explain their belief in the creation of earth, life after death, and pain and suffering. ive been looking all over the internet but cant seem to find this information. would anyone be able to give some assistance?

From my understanding, Satanism doesn't really address those issues. Being a Satanist just means that you do whatever you want and get as much pleasure as possible, provided you respect the rights of others. It's more of a way of life than a religion with set principles on the reality of existence and nature. Hope that answers your question.

[This message has been edited by affliction17 (edited 02-25-2007).]

Satanists, in the Levay (sp) sense, as in members of the Church of Satan, are really just atheist hedonists.

They do what they want, preaching extreme individual freedom and pleasure seeking. They don't believe in a god or an afterlife, not even Satan who they "worship". The reason it is even called Satanism is because they choose to "worship" the fictional Satan character from the bible... because of the values he represents. (Rebellion against God, becoming your own god, etc.)

There's a lot of lame ass rituals involved... but the only members of the church of Satan who believe in any sort of metaphysical world are really just mislead angst teens who completely missed the point.

They don't worship Satan as a god, but in more of a metaphorical sense for what he stands for and his place in the bible.

+1 goes to kazz for an educated answer

Yeah, nice job Kazz.

Yeah, Satanism and the Black Mass and all that shit was just a way of rebelling against the Church.

Leftbehind@whytheysing.com

E-mail me or add me to msn, i'll tell you everything you need to know.

I am a Satanist, and have read up on it for the last 4 years, always learning as much as I can. I can point you in the direction of internet communities with Satanists, and just about all the information you'll need (complete with refrences) for your project. I'd be more than happy to help out anyone seeking real, unbiased information on the topic. Please come in with an open mind, and leave an educated man.

[This message has been edited by PossesedSmurf (edited 02-26-2007).]

quote:Originally posted by PossesedSmurf:

Leftbehind@whytheysing.com

E-mail me or add me to msn, i'll tell you everything you need to know.

I am a Satanist, and have read up on it for the last 4 years, always learning as much as I can. I can point you in the direction of internet communities with Satanists, and just about all the information you'll need (complete with refrences) for your project. I'd be more than happy to help out anyone seeking real, unbiased information on the topic. Please come in with an open mind, and leave an educated man.



OP, you can go ahead and email this guy... but my suggestion is that you don't go and join the Church of Satan. Going through the rituals and practices and such, always seemed to me like a waste of time and cry for attention. You can rebel against Christianity, outside of any such organization. I myself am an atheist, and I'm much more free and happy being an individual, than I ever would be getting together with a bunch of other people and walking through pointless rituals to celebrate my rebellion.

Look into it if you want... but unless you're a hardcore hedonist I think that becoming a Satanist would just be a waste of your time, and your credibility.

I can do much more damage to Christianity by telling somebody that I don't believe in God, and here's why... than a Satanist who is automatically going to be denied a ear in this world, because of the misconception that they worship "evil."

Your choice though.

cheers guys this info will help, dw im not intending on becoming a satanist, i just decided to do my project on a religion that not much is known about and clearly misunderstood. cheers

quote:Originally posted by Kazz:

OP, you can go ahead and email this guy... but my suggestion is that you don't go and join the Church of Satan. Going through the rituals and practices and such, always seemed to me like a waste of time and cry for attention. You can rebel against Christianity, outside of any such organization. I myself am an atheist, and I'm much more free and happy being an individual, than I ever would be getting together with a bunch of other people and walking through pointless rituals to celebrate my rebellion.

Look into it if you want... but unless you're a hardcore hedonist I think that becoming a Satanist would just be a waste of your time, and your credibility.

I can do much more damage to Christianity by telling somebody that I don't believe in God, and here's why... than a Satanist who is automatically going to be denied a ear in this world, because of the misconception that they worship "evil."

Your choice though.

That church is bullshit, the only reason i like it is because it got satanism out there, it made it mainstream, and it help dis spellmyths. That said, most Satanists woudln't pay the fee. There is no ritual, there's just a large fee to join a forum and get a book/card. Here is what i said to the OP, incase anyone needs information about it, or is just curiouse. The numbers are for the questions he's asked. I wont write out the questions because im sure you can figure it out.

quote:1)They believe there is no god. Why believe in something if there is no proof, right?

2)Life, the universe , and everything can be described as 42. It's random. Everything is evolution, and although we have no idea where the first particles of matter came from, and may never, we're not here to stress about it. We're very 'Live in the now, don't dwell on the past' people. Satanism is a very open ended religion, it's more of mentality, guideline, or teaching than it is a religion. It is non-theistic, and should be compared more with Buddhism than anything else.

3) This, as well is open to belief, provided it's not 'Heaven' Or 'hell'. If you ask many satanists what they believe, they will simply say 'Exactly the same as before we were born, void of anything, really, if you can imagine it'. One who thinks and wonders about death is weak, and unsatisfied with their life. A big theme is, that if you live life how you wish, to the fullest extent, if something does follow your death, it will reflect how you lived, hopefully-well.

4)Answered above.

5)

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!



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.



If you have any questions about the above, please just ask. Some are worded weird and I'd be more than happy to explain more indepth.

Basically, a Satanist is someone who lives for themselves and their family. They give, show love, and caring towards those who deserve it, and try hard to benefit themselves and those people. They do not believe in the devil, or anything of the like. We believe children are our future, and i can proudly say I would give my life for to that save a child. Animals are not slaughtered, or hunted for sport. They are living beings, and should be treated like humans (Treated how they deserve, but keep in mind, they're innocent and don't really know better). They can be killed for the gain of food, their fur, or their bones. We don't all listen to death metal, and we don't all dress in black. Most don't perform rituals, and we CERTAINLY don't believe in killing people [unless in self defense, or the defense of a loved one].

There /are/ rituals, which are not really performed. They are all at the end of the Satanic bible, which I will attach. Although, this book is also very old, and Satanist, like most people, collectively evolve with time. Now, and even back then, a lot of people would say that the best ritual is one that helps you get in touch with yourself, others, and makes you happy, calm, or in an otherwise collective state of mind. This means acting, and saying what you want, alone, or with other people. Satanists also believe that emotions and desires are nothing to be oppressed or denied, but embraced. If you are angry, than someone has done you, or someone you care about harm, and you should channel that anger to fix this problem. If you are sad, then don't deny the feeling, as letting out can help, or be used to fix your problem. Happiness should be shared with others, and the like with all other emotions.

I've been a Satanist for 3 years, and can probably answer any of your questions. One thing you have to remember though, is it's a very idealistic religion, and means something different to everyone. A lot of Satanist do not like Anton LaVey's teachings, but thank him for making people more aware, and helping dis spell myths.