PossesedSmurf
2007-07-20, 01:41
"What is Satanism?"
Satanism is a very illusive subject. There are many different branches, groups, and views shared by Satanists, and although I cannot speak for others, I'm more than willing to speak for myself. All Satanists do not believe in the Christian God, or any Omni-potent, intangible deity. Many people will first ask "Where do we come from?" "Where did all of this start?", my answer is usually 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. Many people ask us what we believe when we die, this, as well is open to debate, and 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.
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. Ignorance—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.
Basically, a Satanist is someone who lives for themselves, those they love, and their family. They often give, show affect, and try hard to benefit themselves and those people. Their family, more than anything deserves the most respect. In most modern societies the parents provide, and take care of their children from birth until at least the age of 16. One is seen as a child until they have reached physical and mental maturity as well as obtained the ability to take care of ones self, their problems, and any issues that may occur on their own. Parents, guardians, or anyone who makes a child or teenagers life livable, those who provide shelter, food, and allow one to maintain their life deserves the utmost highest level of respect despite any personal differences that may occur.
We believe children are our future, and I can proudly say I would give my life to that save a child. They are the definition of potential and any good parent would let this potential flourish. Many years ago it was said that Satanists were killing anabaptized babies; this of course was a lie. We hold no grudge. This was a story made up during a time in the 1800’s when churches saw that many mothers were not getting their children baptized, a decline from their previous numbers, which were close to 100%, which was due to freedom of religion which allowed people to choose. The church was not amused. Many Satanists and people will refer to ‘The Church’ as a whole. Catholic churches were not individual and all had similar practices, maintaining standard. Similarly animals are not slaughtered, nor sacrificed for any reason. Like many other belief systems, it is said that animals can be killed, provided they are used, and are not hunted for game or other forms of entertainment.
Modern Satanists do not believe in the devil, or anything of the like. Many will tell you they themselves are their God. I’ve always agreed with this. I am a person that can only believe in himself, doubting the existence and actual level of impact and outer influence other people have. Many will tell you that ones self is what dictates the direction of their life, how people around them act and feel, and how he himself does. This does not place many Satanists above other people, but rather places all the blame on their actions and lives on themselves, rejecting the idea that it can be someone else’s fault. This places a lot of pressure on the first cardinal sin, ignorance.
Many things are covered under the first sin, the strongest though, I believe is rejecting knowledge. Many people ignore blatant facts and otherwise important things presented to them. The flame is blue it must not be too hot to touch. I am an advocate of making your own mistakes, touching the oven even though you know you were told it’s hot. Many of these mistakes should be done while you’re young, while you’re body heals quickly, your mind learns fast, and you have little inhibitions. This of course only goes as far as the ‘fool me twice rule’, where after touching the aforementioned oven one should start to look for the on light before touching another burner.
Anton Szander Lavey, as quoted above is the writer of the Satanic Bible. This is by no means a be-all end all way of belief, and often the ignorant, contradictory Satanists follow this book like Christians follow the bible making them no more than sheep. The Satanic Bible is rejected by many Satanists, for very valid reasons, such as the one stated above. The reason LaVey has earned his place and respect in the Satanic community is simple, and deserving; he started the First Satanic Church. Which was not the first, but was the first to be public. Previously every Satanic church found the need to be disestablished, non-official and simply ran out of a basement. In today’s world there are many, hundreds in the United Sates and there is now little need to hide.
Satanism is a very illusive subject. There are many different branches, groups, and views shared by Satanists, and although I cannot speak for others, I'm more than willing to speak for myself. All Satanists do not believe in the Christian God, or any Omni-potent, intangible deity. Many people will first ask "Where do we come from?" "Where did all of this start?", my answer is usually 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. Many people ask us what we believe when we die, this, as well is open to debate, and 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.
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. Ignorance—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.
Basically, a Satanist is someone who lives for themselves, those they love, and their family. They often give, show affect, and try hard to benefit themselves and those people. Their family, more than anything deserves the most respect. In most modern societies the parents provide, and take care of their children from birth until at least the age of 16. One is seen as a child until they have reached physical and mental maturity as well as obtained the ability to take care of ones self, their problems, and any issues that may occur on their own. Parents, guardians, or anyone who makes a child or teenagers life livable, those who provide shelter, food, and allow one to maintain their life deserves the utmost highest level of respect despite any personal differences that may occur.
We believe children are our future, and I can proudly say I would give my life to that save a child. They are the definition of potential and any good parent would let this potential flourish. Many years ago it was said that Satanists were killing anabaptized babies; this of course was a lie. We hold no grudge. This was a story made up during a time in the 1800’s when churches saw that many mothers were not getting their children baptized, a decline from their previous numbers, which were close to 100%, which was due to freedom of religion which allowed people to choose. The church was not amused. Many Satanists and people will refer to ‘The Church’ as a whole. Catholic churches were not individual and all had similar practices, maintaining standard. Similarly animals are not slaughtered, nor sacrificed for any reason. Like many other belief systems, it is said that animals can be killed, provided they are used, and are not hunted for game or other forms of entertainment.
Modern Satanists do not believe in the devil, or anything of the like. Many will tell you they themselves are their God. I’ve always agreed with this. I am a person that can only believe in himself, doubting the existence and actual level of impact and outer influence other people have. Many will tell you that ones self is what dictates the direction of their life, how people around them act and feel, and how he himself does. This does not place many Satanists above other people, but rather places all the blame on their actions and lives on themselves, rejecting the idea that it can be someone else’s fault. This places a lot of pressure on the first cardinal sin, ignorance.
Many things are covered under the first sin, the strongest though, I believe is rejecting knowledge. Many people ignore blatant facts and otherwise important things presented to them. The flame is blue it must not be too hot to touch. I am an advocate of making your own mistakes, touching the oven even though you know you were told it’s hot. Many of these mistakes should be done while you’re young, while you’re body heals quickly, your mind learns fast, and you have little inhibitions. This of course only goes as far as the ‘fool me twice rule’, where after touching the aforementioned oven one should start to look for the on light before touching another burner.
Anton Szander Lavey, as quoted above is the writer of the Satanic Bible. This is by no means a be-all end all way of belief, and often the ignorant, contradictory Satanists follow this book like Christians follow the bible making them no more than sheep. The Satanic Bible is rejected by many Satanists, for very valid reasons, such as the one stated above. The reason LaVey has earned his place and respect in the Satanic community is simple, and deserving; he started the First Satanic Church. Which was not the first, but was the first to be public. Previously every Satanic church found the need to be disestablished, non-official and simply ran out of a basement. In today’s world there are many, hundreds in the United Sates and there is now little need to hide.