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{{wiktionarypar|satanism}}{{Satanism}}
'''Satanism''' is a word which has been used over the years to describe a number of different belief systems in a number of contexts. People claiming to be Satanists—or outsiders claiming to describe Satanism—ascribe a wide variety of beliefs to this movement. These range from the literal worship of a malevolent spiritual being (]); to a kind of subversive ritual performance stressing the mockery of Christian symbols (most notably the ]); to the claimed rediscovery of an ancient but misunderstood religion (e.g. ], which conflates Satan with the Egytian god ]); to the exaltation of hedonistic recreation, and the celebration of selfishness and pleasure.


Perhaps the most prominent spokesman for Satanism in recent years has been ], who founded the ] in 1966. LaVey wrote ''The ]'' (1969) and other works which remain highly influential (though controversial) among avowed Satanists. LaVey rejects the Black Mass, cruelty to animals, or a literal belief in (or worship of) Satan. Instead he supports a view of human beings as animals and rejects many social structures that inhibit our instincts.
This is sin. I f all who follow this say a prayer to Jesus and you will be saved from this. Do it now before its too late. ] 00:11, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Equally celebrated within Satanic circles (though not technically a Satanist) would be ]ian ], who referred to himself as "The Great Beast 666." Crowley's maxim, "''Do as thou wilt'' shall be the whole of the law!" captures a common Satanic attitude, which the myth of Satan's rebellion is thought to exemplify.

Much "Satanic" lore does not originate from actual Satanists, but from Christians. Best-known would be the ] ] and ] surrounding ] and ]. A more recent example is the so-called ] scare of the 1980's— beginning with the memoir ]--which depicts Satanism as a vast conspiracy of elites with a predilection for child-molesting and human sacrifice. This genre regularly describes Satan as actually appearing in person in order to receive worship.

Another prominent source of "Satanic" imagery is ] or ], which has given Satanism the ]. A few rock stars such as ] (alternative rock, industrial artist) appear to actually be ''bona fide'' Satanists; many others merely adopt a Satanic persona for the sake of romanticism.

], ], or ] are advanced by some as examples of ]. While some high-profile cases of murder or serial murder have been found to have Satanic themes (e.g. the ]), these appear to be primarily the work of disturbed individuals, or of several acting together, rather than of organized religious groups.

Claims of Satanic child-molesting or murder rings have proven to be unsubstantiated; while hundreds of people were convicted for ] in the 1980s, most were later freed when it was realized the testimony against them was fabricated.

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== See also ==

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Revision as of 00:12, 6 January 2007

LaVeyan Satanism
High Priest
High Priestess
Organizations
Influential figures
Literature
Other media
Satanic holidays
Ideas and concepts
Related topics

Satanism is a word which has been used over the years to describe a number of different belief systems in a number of contexts. People claiming to be Satanists—or outsiders claiming to describe Satanism—ascribe a wide variety of beliefs to this movement. These range from the literal worship of a malevolent spiritual being (Theistic Satanism); to a kind of subversive ritual performance stressing the mockery of Christian symbols (most notably the Black Mass); to the claimed rediscovery of an ancient but misunderstood religion (e.g. Setianism, which conflates Satan with the Egytian god Set); to the exaltation of hedonistic recreation, and the celebration of selfishness and pleasure.

Perhaps the most prominent spokesman for Satanism in recent years has been Anton Szandor LaVey, who founded the Church of Satan in 1966. LaVey wrote The Satanic Bible (1969) and other works which remain highly influential (though controversial) among avowed Satanists. LaVey rejects the Black Mass, cruelty to animals, or a literal belief in (or worship of) Satan. Instead he supports a view of human beings as animals and rejects many social structures that inhibit our instincts.

Equally celebrated within Satanic circles (though not technically a Satanist) would be ritual magician Aleister Crowley, who referred to himself as "The Great Beast 666." Crowley's maxim, "Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law!" captures a common Satanic attitude, which the myth of Satan's rebellion is thought to exemplify.

Much "Satanic" lore does not originate from actual Satanists, but from Christians. Best-known would be the medieval folklore and theology surrounding demons and witches. A more recent example is the so-called Satanic ritual abuse scare of the 1980's— beginning with the memoir Michelle Remembers--which depicts Satanism as a vast conspiracy of elites with a predilection for child-molesting and human sacrifice. This genre regularly describes Satan as actually appearing in person in order to receive worship.

Another prominent source of "Satanic" imagery is black metal or heavy metal music, which has given Satanism the "Hail Satan!" hand-sign. A few rock stars such as Marilyn Manson (alternative rock, industrial artist) appear to actually be bona fide Satanists; many others merely adopt a Satanic persona for the sake of romanticism.

Vandalism, cruelty to animals, or grave desecration are advanced by some as examples of Satanic crimes. While some high-profile cases of murder or serial murder have been found to have Satanic themes (e.g. the Manson Family), these appear to be primarily the work of disturbed individuals, or of several acting together, rather than of organized religious groups.

Claims of Satanic child-molesting or murder rings have proven to be unsubstantiated; while hundreds of people were convicted for satanic ritual abuse in the 1980s, most were later freed when it was realized the testimony against them was fabricated.

Links

External links

See also

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