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Satanism is a term that may refer to a religious, semi-religious, and/or philosophical movement. The term is normally applied by non-Satanists to those individuals who worship the entity called "Satan," and advocate the triumph of evil forces over good in the universe; however, members of the Church of Satan, the most organized Satanic group, reject this common association, as they do not actually believe in a being called "Satan," and use his name only as a symbolic allusion to certain materialistic and individualistic values. Adherents of the various forms of Satanism recognize Satan as either an archetype, a pre-cosmic force, an actual living entity, and/or some aspect of human nature. Although named for Satan, a name associated with evil and temptation, Satanism is also the name given to certain spiritual paths which emphasize the Left-Hand Path, as opposed to the much more common Right-Hand Path. Adherents to the Left-Hand path (a.k.a. Left-Handers) believe in spiritual enrichment through their own work on themselves, and that ultimately they are answerable only to themselves, while Right-Handers believe in spiritual enrichment through the dissolution or submission of the self to (or into) something greater. LaVeyans do not in fact worship a deity called Satan, or necessarily any other deity, nor do they follow a principle of evil. This aspect of their beliefs is very commonly misunderstood due to the presence of theistic Satanists, who revere Satan as a literal being.

Instead of divine laws or naturistic principles (such as in Wicca), Satanism generally focuses upon material or physical advancement of the self with guidance from external higher beings or external principles, instead of submission to a deity or a set of moral codes. For this reason, many contemporary Satanists eschew traditional religious beliefs, attitudes and worship in favor of more egoistic, self-centering worldviews, natural law, survival of the fittest and practices such as materialism, individualism and magic. However, some Satanists do choose voluntary moral codes.

Although a faith in its own right, groups or individuals described in some sense or another as Satanic can largely (though very broadly) be described as belonging to one of two strains of thought: Philosophical Satanism or Religious Satanism.

History

The concept of Satan has evolved over the centuries, as has Satanism.

Originally in Judeo-Christian traditions, Satan was seen as a part of creation, embodying the principle that one could choose contrary to God's wishes, and thus empowering the potential for free will and defiance. (In this context an ancient Jewish commentary notes that only when the potential to contravene God's will arose, could creation become "very good" as opposed to merely "good".) Over the centuries this concept of Satan came to embody all that was evil and against God, a change attributable to two main influences:

  • The view that everything had its opposite, and that God, all-good, must have His opposing deity too (many preceding multiple deity religions also had their evil gods as well as good gods, Set of the Ancient Egyptians being one example). Although in Judeo-Christian traditions Satan is never credited as a deity: rather, a fallen angel. Therefore not taking on qualities as a deity.
  • The spreading of Christianity, followed by Islam, both religions which gained a wide number of adherents, placed a high premium on salvation and the afterlife, and within which Satan grew as an embodiment of all that was trying to undermine God in this theological world-view

As European society evolved from the reformation into the enlightenment onwards (17th and 18th centuries), people began to question the nature of evil, and Satan gradually evolved yet again in response to this, so Satanism came to signify a tradition which denied traditional religious paths in favor of a self-oriented path, rather than a path which favored evil.

In an older sense, Satanism also refers to unorthodox practices within Abrahamic religions deemed by an orthodoxy to be in opposition to the Abrahamic God. The earliest recorded instance of the word is in "A confutation of a booke (by Bp. Jewel) entitled An apologie of the Church of England", by Thomas Harding (1565): ll, ii, 42 b, "Meaning the time when Luther first bringed to Germanie the poisoned cuppe of his heresies, blasphemies, and Satanismes." As Martin Luther himself would have denied any link between his teachings and Satan, this use of the term Satanism was primarily pejorative. Many Satanists find such use of the term offensive.

Satan within Judaism, Christianity and Islam

The concept of "Satan" originated with Judaism and was elucidated further by Christians and Muslims. This Judeo-Christian-Islamic view of Satan can be broken up as follows:

  • Jewish: Satan ‏(שטן)‏ in Hebrew, means "adversary" or "accuser", and is also the name used for the angel who tests believers. Satan is not considered an enemy of God, but a servant whose duties include testing the faith of humanity.
  • Islamic: The Arabic word for Satan, "al-Shaitaan" ‏(الشيطان)‏ means transgressor, or adversary, as in Judaism. It is a title which is generally attributed to a being called Iblis, who is a Jinn that disobeyed God and was condemned consequently by God to serve as a source of misguidance for mankind and the Jinn to test their faith in God. Iblis is said to be the proper name for the devil-like figure named in the Qur'an whereas there are many Shaitan.
  • Christian: In most branches of Christianity, Satan, originally Lucifer before he fell away from Grace, is a spiritual being or angel who was once in God's service. Satan is said to have fallen from God when he surrendered to his own vanity and refused to take his proper place in creation (In Christianity, the fallen "son of the dawn" of Isaiah 14:12 is identified with the "adversary" of the Book of Job.) It is said to be Satan who whispered to man that he could become as God, negating his creaturely position, which led to man's original sin and his being cast out of Eden. Satan is also referred to as the Devil from the Greek "diabolos" (Διαβολος), meaning "slanderer" or "one who accuses falsely" (derived from the verb "dia-ballô" (δια-βαλλω) which most literally means "to throw across" or "carry something over"). Reportedly, LaVey made the claim that the word "devil" was derived from the Sanskrit "devi", meaning goddess (though this is thought to be an incorrect etymology).

Types and approaches within Satanism

Philosophical Satanism

Largely considered to have been unofficially founded by Anton Szandor LaVey, with his creation of the Church of Satan (the first above-ground organization to use the term), Philosophical Satanism views one's self as the subjective centre of the universe, and the highest aspirations and virtues are those which seek the elevation and improvement of the individual Satanist over others. Philosophical Satanists generally do not recognize a theological deity or a metaphysical afterlife, though this is not to say that one must not.

To the Philosophical Satanist, a person is his own god. He disdains rationalist, secular humanistic beliefs, seeing them as abhoring the existence of the supernatural, only to thereby promote a sterile life grounded in the 'real world' alone and sees them as working towards the altruistic advancement of his fellow man while neglecting due attendance to one's own gratification and fulfillment. Obviously, philosophically Satanic thought has had a long history before LaVey's Church. Yet, such a history must be a genealogy, in Nietzsche's sense, which understands that the very words we use always are tainted by the sites of their emergence. We have already seen this to be the case in the example of the notion of Satan as the conceited, self-seeking black sheep, acting falsely of his true position, which inspired the title, and in spite of Judeo-Christian theology, which views Satan as evil because of these qualities. In this light, 'Satanism' is a contested sign, which resembles, in its own self-descriptions, the 'abject' in Kristeva's thought and 'freedom' in that of Schelling.

LaVeyan Satanism

Main article: LaVeyan Satanism

This type of Satanism is based on the philosophy of Anton LaVey as outlined in The Satanic Bible and other works. LaVey was the founder of the Church of Satan (c.a. 1966). LaVey was influenced by the writings of Aleister Crowley, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ayn Rand, Marquis De Sade, Wyndham Lewis, Charles Darwin, Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain and others. "Satan", in the view of LaVey, is seen as a positive influence, while the "divine" actions of the church are to be mocked, and the mundane is held in the highest disregard.

A LaVeyan Satanist views himself or herself as his or her own god; the LaVeyan Satanic rituals are quite similar to Crowley's magick, with an eye towards furthering the Satanist's ends. The LaVeyan Satanist maintains that those who find themselves naturally aligned with Satanism should not adhere to "herd mentality" and assume there is something ethically wrong with them, but should instead adopt an individualistic attitude, and consequently should strive constantly to stand head-and-shoulders above the so-called "Moral Majority", and not hesitate to exploit their "misguided and naive" altruism as necessary.

Religious Satanism

Main article: Religious Satanism

Religious Satanism is often similar in outlook and attitude to Philosophical Satanism, though it is generally a prerequisite that the Satanist accept a theological and metaphysical canon involving one or more God(s) who are either Satan in the strictest, Abrahamic sense, or specially created to identify with or represent the practitioner. A Satan represented in the latter group may be entirely of the practitioner's mind, or may be an adoption from another (usually pre-Christian) religion.

Depending on the Satanists in question, this God (or gods) may be any in a variety of deities, sometimes taken from ancient faiths; with common ones being Set of Egyptian theology, any number of ancient Mesopotamian Gods or Goddesses, sometimes Gods of Greek or Roman mythology (Mars, for instance). Others claim a largely original God, although it is usually said by those Satanists that their deity is in fact very old, perhaps from ancient pre-history and often being the first God worshipped by humans (though such claims are unverifiable at best).

Others worship a stricter interpretation of Satan: that of the fallen angel featured in the Christian Bible, though unlike many who see him as being evil as defined by the Christian Church, they instead believe him to be correct in his rebellion against God. All these faiths hold in common, however, with each other and with Philosophical Satanists, that man, and specifically the self are the highest priorities. This view is often supported by Satanists' view of the god, who is seen to encourage individuality and freedom of thought, and the quest to raise one's self up through means such as magick and similar to Nietzschean Will to Power. A common Satanic maxim to this effect is that, "Any worthwhile God would rather have a Partner-in-Power than a prostrate and grovelling slave."

One example of this would be the Abrahamic Satan, such as the Serpent in Genesis encouraging mankind to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, saying "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.", with the clear implication, coinciding with the beliefs of all Satanists, that mankind should know what is better for itself than any God which would forbid knowledge and self-government. Because of the common position that their faiths are in fact very old, or the oldest, Religious Satanists sometimes refer to themselves as "Traditional Satanists" and Philosophical Satanists as "Contemporary Satanists".

Setian Satanism

According to this sect, the Egyptian deity Set, is the real Dark Lord behind the name Satan. They have their own concept of the Black Flame.

This type of Satanism maintains that the Hebrews ran into an adversary in Egypt who was the Pharaoh of the Seti Dynasty, when Set was the principal pharaonic Deity. After the Pharaoh expelled the Hebrews from Egypt, the Hebrew Bible scribes wrote "Exodus", demonstrating the enormity of this event to the Hebrew people. However, there are apparently no Egyptian records to back up any of the Hebrew claims except a passing mention of the Pharaoh kicking many foreigners out at that time — not just Hebrews. Setian Satanists theorize that "Satan" is a wrong or slanderous label for a legitimate Egyptian God, the God Set.

The practices and theology of the Set sect are very oriented towards cultivating selfhood. They reject the dissolving of the individual into oneness with existence, and celebrate the separation of the individual self from the rest of the universe. Some followers believe in Set as a real theistic conscious being that appears in revelations and delivers messages, while others revere Set as a principle. How historically correct their picture of Set is might be considered debatable.

Satanic cults

Main article: Satanic ritual abuse

The existence of large networks of organized Satanists involved in illegal activities, murder, and child abuse is occasionally claimed. Those claims have not been substantiated, and it has been labeled by many Satanists as an example of a moral panic. Such practices are generally thought to be covered-up by the government.

Diabolatry

The term "Devil worship" has a wide variety of associated meanings, but in its most objective sense, it simply refers to a religious belief in and worship of a Devil or devils. Devil worship can also be referred to as Diabolatry (from the Greek "diabolos" - devil - and "latreia" - worship), or as theistic Satanism. It is a controversial term, since it has been used by LaVeyan Satanists as a term for those criminals who commit crimes citing Satan or Satanism as part of their justification.

Despite some Satanists' attempts to distinguish these terms, there is widespread assumption that Devil worshippers, Satanists, and criminals conducting abhorrent acts under the name of either of these terms, are the same. The reasons such a belief is so widely held include:

  • Some Satanists do, in fact, worship the Abrahamic devil; when some such individuals commit violent crimes, their religious beliefs are brought to the forefront of the story due to their normally taboo nature.
  • Some criminals who commit horrible or abhorrent crimes, claim to do so in the name of "Satan," or as part of "Satanic rituals" which require such actions. Such claims may come from criminals who truly consider themselves Satanists of some kind, or from criminals who are "dabbling" in what they wrongly believe to be "mainstream" Satanism, or from criminals who are (legitimately or otherwise) claiming mental disabilities to avoid prosecution.
  • Many devout religious groups, particularly fundamentalist Christian groups, classify any non-Abrahimic religious worship as "Satanic." In this view, there are only two beings powerful enough to warrant worship: God and the former angel Lucifer. Any worship of beings that are not God is, by default, worshipping Satan. In the most extreme cases, such groups will classify belief systems as "Satanic" that otherwise have no connection to Satanism, including nearly all pagan beliefs, Wicca, other Abrahimic religions, eastern religions, and even non-religious groups such as the Freemasons.
  • For people who are not Satanists (in any sense), the attempt by Satanic groups to define Satanism and Devil Worship as completely separate concepts is often interpreted as "splitting hairs," or worse, intentional deception.

Part of the reason why many Satanists disfavor the term "Devil worshipper" is because of the LaVeyan teaching that worshipping a deity is a sign of intellectual weakness. It is also commonly claimed that anyone who worships the Devil is necessarily constrained by Christian theology and dogma, whereas Satanism is "freed" from such. In fact, most forms of contemporary Devil worship tend to divorce themselves from strict Christian theology in any event. The Joy of Satan is a good example of Devil worshippers who identify their idea of Satan with Sumerian mythology rather than the Bible, and the Church of Azazel practices a polytheistic form of Devil worship that combines elements of Deism and the African-based Diaspora religions (e.g., Vodou, Santeria, Umbanda) and emphasizes the importance of philosophy and intellectualism to its adherents.

On his website ("Your Friendly Neighborhood Devil Worshipper"), Geifodd ap Pwyll, a self-described Diabolator (Devil worshipper), defines Devil worship as "the expression of ardent love, devotion, and reverence toward a cultural scapegoat figure, and the reclamation of said figure as a slandered divinity." There is nothing in this definition which necessitates either criminal activity or a strict adherence to Christian theology. Diabolators can be monotheist, duotheist, polytheist, or even pantheist. There are various different ideas of just who and what Satan is among Devil worshippers as well.

For example, the Order of the Morning Star actually promotes the worship of Satan as he is depicted in the Bible. The OMS believes the true nature of the Christian God, Jehovah, is apparent in the Bible as a tyrant God, yet Satan is about enlightenment and knowledge. The OMS does not shy away from calling him the "Devil" since he in fact would be a devil and adversary to all that fundamental Christianity stands for.

References:

Other organizations, groups, etc.

The Worldwide Church of Satanic Liberation

Founded by Paul Douglas Valentine (b. 1/8/1956) on January 8, 1986, the WCSL has been one of the most talked about and criticized organizations to ever use Satanism in its masthead. An unabashed “cult of personality”, members are quick to point out that the WCSL is nevertheless a legitimate occult think tank open to any tradition, though they state emphatically that the line is drawn where any type of exploitation of animals or children is concerned. Valentine admits the original aim of the WCSL was to be a conduit of rebuttal by those occultists being targeted during the “Satanic child abuse” hysteria of the 80s, but soon became a vehicle for his own ego gratification. “I quickly realized I was being used by the Church of Satan and Anton LaVey, so I put all my energy in taking the WCSL further than the CoS ever got. I succeeded, LaVey died shortly after putting a “death curse“ on me, and my life continues to be wonderful.” Unlike many Satanists, Valentine believes in a real demonic world and constructs his magickal workings accordingly. In 1997 he closed the WCSL to any new memberships and turned it over to his daughter Caroline (a.k.a. Bridgid, a.k.a. Amanda). Now, nine years later, a global interest in Valentine and his organization have resulted in a new membership drive, and a continued desire to be the only viable alternative to the Church of Satan.

Ophite

In the Ophite sect of early Christianity, the Serpent was praised as the giver of knowledge. Sometimes Satan was also referred to as Lucifer or "the light-bringer", but others see this as incorrect because they believe that Satan and Lucifer are two separate entites. Some Gnostics claimed that the being declared God by Christians and Jews was, in fact, a lesser being known as the Demiurge, whose name is derived from the creator figure in Plato's Timaeus; very few Gnostic sects identified this figure with Satan; others (such as the Valentinians) saw Satan as a subsequent creation of the Demiurge.

Early Gnostic

Some early Gnostic sects, such as the Borborites and the followers of Carpocrates, were accused of horrific acts, including the eating (in imitation of the sacrament) of semen, menses and aborted fetuses. These acts were committed with the apparent justification of libertinism; given that the material universe was not God's creation, it could be put to any use with no moral consequences. Accounts of these barbaric acts are not held to be at all credible, as the accusations were rhetorical attacks against these groups by such heresiological writers as Irenaeus.

Valentinian

However, Gnostic sects were commonly more liberal in nature than emergent orthodox groups; for example, in viewing sexual congress as a good, even a potentially spiritual act, and in allowing woman priests and bishops to administer sacraments. There is evidence that Valentinians performed a religious ceremony known as the Bridal Chamber, in which the physical union of a man and woman was viewed as an earthly reenactment of God's completeness; the Gnostic conception of the divine was as an androgyne, as opposed to the orthodox identification of him as male. Such criticisms as Irenaeus' may be the deliberate exaggeration of these misdeeds (from the point of view of orthodoxy).

Order of Nine Angles

The Order of Nine Angles (ONA) has labeled itself Traditional Satanist and considers Satanism to be an individual quest that goes far beyond the gratification of the pleasure-principle and involves arduous achievement in a Nietzschean sense, with the aim of cosmic wisdom and the promulgation of a new level of consciousness. Their conception of Satanism is practical, with an emphasis on individual growth into realms of darkness and danger through risky acts of prowess. In addition, the ONA seek to change, and disrupt, society itself. They espouse human sacrifice, which they see as the culling of "Opfers," victims who are chosen via tests that determine the usefulness/uselessness of the social/cosmic beneficence of their essential character. The use of the term "traditional" by these Satanists (ONA) is viewed by some as improper because the ONA refuses to provide any evidence of an old tradition, countering that it is the duty of each initiate to work things out for themselves. In addition, it is felt that "Traditional Satanism" as a label applies better, or at least equally well, to parts of the gnostic movement and its modern remnants.

Order of Mars

In early 2004, John L. Westbrook, a former Oklahoma politician told a Penthouse reporter that he had formed an "occult fraternity, to finish the work that the Temple of Set has previously botched." He then displayed a platinum medallion, which he had commissioned, that resembled a Mars planetary sigil. He has christened this neo-Satanic fraternity The Order of Mars. He said membership in his "fraternity" is restricted to those whom he knows personally and that his group does not solicit memberships. He also stated that this "Order" is named in honor of the Roman god Mars, whom he claims is closely aligned with Egyptian god Set.

Luciferan and Promethean

Main article: Luciferianism

A completely new movement, active in several European cities, specifically in the Netherlands, is an offshoot of the GMA (Grotto Magistratis in Amsterdam) in Amsterdam, calling itself "Luciferans" or "Prometheans". These can be largely classified as philosophical satanists who have adopted transhuman or extropian notion of a technological singularity. Luciferans allege a singularity will take place before 2040 and will be symbolic for the final death of the monotheistic god. Some Luciferans claim the first artificial intelligence will be, in fact, Lucifer. These Luciferans tend to not believe in the supernatural but do believe in the creative use of memetics.

First Church of Satan

The First Church of Satan (FCoS) was created by Rev.John Allee who claims to be an early member of the Church of Satan. FCoS is unique in two ways: 1) it is open to a wide variety of Satanists including LaVeyan Satanists, theistic/traditional Satanists, and dark pagans; and 2) it is far more nonhierarchical than other Satanic organizations. There are several noticeable differences in the organization of the First Church of Satan (FCoS) compared to the Church of Satan (CoS). Chief amongst them is the lack of any sort of hierarchy and individuality: the FCoS believes that individuality must be encouraged, and that attempts to bury it beneath titles is a terrible thing. For this reason, there is essentially no hierarchy within the FCoS, though there are titles ("High Priest/ess" for the Allees, "Priest" for others). John Allee, now the High Priest at The First Church of Satan, was the first to coin the phrase, "Free Thought Satanism" and felt a Satanic organization should promote personal godhood while maintaining an attitude of sovereignty for all. He argued that "elitism" should be determined by nature, outside the framework of a political or religious institution.

Sinagogue of Satan

The Sinagogue of Satan is an organization of "Occult Satanism" an all one religion founded by Reverend Michael S. Margolin on January 29, 1999, a religion based on the Ancient and Accepted Rite of Free Masonry's definition of Satanism as described in Albert Pike's work Morals and Dogma. This religion is not based on those of the popular Satanists of our day, nor Hollywood and Christian propaganda, except for Aleister Crowley. The religion contains no dogma in or of itself, and encourages its followers to believe in whatever they like, as long as they do not attempt to push such beliefs on others. The aim of this religion is the ultimate destruction of religions through the advancement of individual freedom and social responsibility. The Sinagogue of Satan does not promote self-indulgence (in contrast to LaVeyan Satanism), but rather self-expression balanced with social responsibility.

The Order of The Black Venus

The Order of The Black Venus was founded on the 30th of April 2001, in Estonia, in Tallinn to represent all views on satanism that do not promote violence or cruelty against people and animals. The members of OBV follow the 11 rules of satanism by A.S. LaVey.

Satanic philosophy

LaVey's "9 Satanic Statements", a philosophical outline to defining Satanism in The Satanic Bible, were as follows:

  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.

Matching these, LaVey also identified 9 Satanic sins, namely:

Stupidity, pretentiousness (putting on airs), solipsism, self-deceit, herd conformity, lack of perspective, forgetfulness of past orthodoxies (i.e. accepting something as new and different which is merely a repackaging of the old or the discredited), counterproductive pride (i.e. pride of a type which undermines one's own goals), and lack of aesthetics.

Note: solipsism can also refer to an epistemological idea attributed to Descartes, suggesting that one person is the only one to actually experience existence and that all others are merely figments of the imagination of this individual.

He further outlined 11 Satanic rules, which while not exactly a moral code, provide Satanists with general guidelines for living:

  1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
  2. Do not tell your 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 which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.
  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 lose all you have obtained.
  8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.
  9. Do not harm little children.
  10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are 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.

It is interesting to note that some of these rules appear opposite to traits commonly perceived as "Satanic." Specifically, proselytism (in this case, actively turning others to the worship of Satan) is strongly discouraged, and the prohibition of harm against children and animals contradicts reputed Satanic fondness for sacrifice (see Satanic Ritual Abuse), both of which are often erroneously associated with Satanists.

Criticisms of Satanism

Much criticism arises from the major religions, although most has come from Christianity. There has been both constructive debate and open hostility, with the latter sometimes stemming from the Christian countercult movement in books by Lauren Stratford, Mike Warnke, and Bob Larson.

  • The claim is sometimes made that Satanism is purely reactionary as a religion and philosophy, and as such can only be defined by its opposition to what is perceived as the hypocritical, stupid, tired, weak, and boring failings of mainstream philosophies and religions. It also draws its whole understanding of the meaning and nature of Satan or Satanic worship from the literature which it intends to oppose. Rev. D.R. Deinsen notes that Satanist writers of the internet sound like "enraged, frustrated teenagers who need a target to pin their angst on and need one now." .
  • Many Satanists identify with Satan as a rebellious force. However, it is claimed that such identification relies on the acceptance of a supreme being, authority, or creator to rebel against. It is claimed that if one has accepted the presence of such a being, that only falsehood on the part of the will can lead to rebellion against it.
  • Christian theologians argue that it is impossible for a human being to indulge completely in Satanic evil, for they believe that all human evil is a corrupted attempt to do something good (eg. to further the gratification or security of one's ownself, even if this is at the expense of others). Even a hedonist attempts to seek that recognised as good, if only for himself. These theologians claim that only pain, confusion, isolation and disappointment can result when such attempts are not in accord with the laws of God (i.e. vices or sins).
  • Satanism is "philosophy light" and "rhetoric heavy." Anton LaVey’s greatest skill is said to have been that of a rhetorician. Satanism, so it is argued, proves to be an intellectually shallow glamourisation of human divinity.
  • The argument that "people need people". Some claim that Satanists misunderstand independence and that while individually, independence may make you stronger, it is impossible to be independently a god. They claim that declaring oneself a god, while beneficial for self-esteem, can lead to a denial of the reality.
    • An alternate form of the criticism points out that while Satanism usually presents itself as a necessary cure for a passive herd mentality promoted by mainstream religions, its emphasis on the merits of independence and individualism can itself lead to abuse of a different kind - and, according to some critics, it usually does. Due to its own individualistic nature, Satanism tends to be deficient in the social feedback and regulation that traditional religions often employ to correct their own excesses.

Non-Satanic Sects

There are many groups which are commonly misconceived as Satanic. There are two common definitions of a Satanic religion:

  • Any religion that consciously recognizes and worships "Satan," usually referring either to a "dark" deity (similar to the Christian Satan, though usually lacking the evil or unnaturalness associated with it) or a conceptual Satan, often referring to a so-called "true" nature of Mankind.
  • Some religions that do not follow the Christian religion or recognize Jesus as explained in the Christian creeds.

The second definition is most commonly used by fundamentalist Christians, and is the source of much disagreement about whether a religion should be considered Satanic or not. The most common targets of these claims are Neo-Pagan religions, such as Wicca and Ásatrú.

Occasionally, some Christian denominations or even Judaism and Islam are referred to as Satanic, based on interpretations of the second definition. Among these Christian groups are usually the less traditional ones, such as the Mormons and other smaller sects. Also, it is not unheard of for Catholics to refer to Protestants as Satanic, and vice versa, though this is more uncommon. In the 1950s, Mormons commonly referred to the Roman Catholic Church as the "Church of the Devil" because of its elaborate ceremony.

Another movement which is wrongly associated with Satan is heavy rock and metal music. Although there are some music groups that intentionally use Satanic imagery for one reason or another (for example the Gorillaz whose bassist Murdoc is a Satanist, or Iron Maiden who popularized the imagery with their album "Number of the Beast") the vast majority of metal/rock bands have no connection to any sort of Satanic philosophy.

The Process Church is an example of a group that has been labelled Satanic but rejected that label. The Process Church worshipped Satan, but they believed that he had repented of his misdeeds and had become reconciled to God and to his brother Jesus Christ. Their concept of Satan-worship is so different from that of other Satanists that the label does not apply to them.

Another group is the Kurdish religion Yazidi. They worship the angel Melek Taus, sometimes also called the "peacock angel". Christians and Muslim identify this angel with Satan; the Yazidis themselves are very unclear about his status, sometimes identifying him with the Christian/Muslim Satan, othertimes denying that he has anything to do with their Satan, but commonly naming him as the very first being created by god.

Bibliography

  • George B. Palermo, Michele C. Del Re: 'Satanism: Psychiatric and Legal Views' (American Series in Behavioral Science and Law) . Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd (November 1999)
  • George B. Palermo, Michele C. Del Re, 'Satanism: Psychiatric and Legal Views (American Series in Behavioral Science and Law)' Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd (November 1999).
  • Bill Ellis, Raising the Devil: Satanism, New Religions and the Media (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2000).
  • Mike Hertenstein and Jon Trott, Selling Satan: The Evangelical Media and the Mike Warnke Scandal(Chicago: Cornerstone, 1993).
  • Gareth J. Medway, The Lure of the Sinister: The Unnatural History of Satanism (New York and London: New York University Press, 2001).
  • James T. Richardson, Joel Best and David G. Bromley, The Satanism Scare (New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1991).
  • Michael W. Ford, Luciferian Witchcraft (Lulu Press: March 31, 2005), Liber HVHI - Magick of the Adversary DCLXVI Edition (Lulu Press: June 6th, 2006).
  • Edward O'Toole, Sophia Bestiae (Aestheteka Press: June 6th, 2006).
  • Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
  • Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Rituals
  • Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Witch
  • Anton Szandor LaVey, The Compleat Witch
  • Anton Szandor LaVey, The Devil’s Notebook
  • Anton Szandor LaVey, Satan Speaks
  • Blanche Barton, The Secret Life of a Satanist
  • Blanche Barton, The Church of Satan

See also

External links

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