Satanism: Why's it got such a bad rap?

Tornado_Creator · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:42 pm Post subject:

You had a bad experience there T. Superstar, not all Satanists are like that.

Although I'm not actively a part of the CoS, I used to be quite an active Satanist. About a third to a half of them are atheists, which shocked me, because I thought it was basically atheism with a shared philosophy but it's not, and many of them actually believe in God, demons and magic which personally I find insulting to the intelligence of the atheistic satanists however as a philosophy, I can't find much wrong with it.

The reason for paying the $200 is simple and understandable. It's security. Many people would claim to be satanists just so they can join the church, find out who else is a satanist, and cause shit for them as it gets a lot of bad rep.

Honestly, I still follow many of the ideals of Satanism. I don't tolerate people being rude to me in my own home, I respect people in their home, I avoid stupidity, pretentiousness and self-deceit as traits in both myself and those I associate with. I try to keep perspective and challenge popular decision. I question authority and avoid being too prideful.

All in all, if someone says they're a satanist I feel no lack of respect for them and I feel I would likely have many opinions in common. If someone asked me if I was a satanist, I'm unsure how I would answer. I would however ask them if they believed in God, if they said no, I would probably feel quite comfortable around them.

As for the name, satanist is hebrew for "coping with adversaries" it's why Satan is called Satan, it means "Adversary". The term satanist actually pre-dates Christianity, not sure if it pre-dates Judaism though.

One of the major faults you did make T. Superstar is telling a satanist that they broke any satanic rules. That basically told them that you didn't get it. Satanism is very much opposed to religious dogma. The rules are guidelines, nothing more. You take what you can from them. If you wish you build on them and live your life based of a set of rules that you personally arrived at based on your own ideals and personal values. It's the most important teaching of satanism and the one most people don't understand. I suppose, considering this rule, I am more a satanist than most people who call themselves satanists, as I've done exactly what was intended. I've taken what I like and decided to build my life with my own values, while incorporating some of the ideas of LaVey.

If anyone else has any questions on satanism I would be happy to answer them if people want to PM me, however I was only an active satanist for about a year and a half.
_________________

Totalitarian Superstar · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject:

3kixintehead · Intern Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 62 Local time: 3:57 AM

Tornado_Creator · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:54 pm Post subject:

Remember that the Satanic Statements and Satanic Rules as well as many other parts of Satanism are meant to be read with a slight mocking feel and an air of irony. The fact that they are pretending to be rules in the irony, the wording is exceptionally overzealous to make that point more apparent. Again it's a matter of, "Have you really got it". Remember in Satanism you should learn something, and get some value from what it has to teach, but nothing should be set in stone and nothing is to be taken so seriously.

The first rule.
"When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him".
This should be taken as meaning.
"When in public be considerate of other people, do not be patient or polite with people who are not considerate of you".

The second rule.
"If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy".
This should be taken as meaning.
"Do not tolerate people being disrespectful to you in your own home"

Also remember the above rule comes directly after.
"When in another’s lair, show them respect or else do not go there".
Which honestly, change the word lair to home and it's perfect.

And finally.
"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".
This can be interpreted as meaning many things depending on your beliefs. I took it to mean.
"If you succeed in casting magic, don't claim it's not real a few days later... but remember the 'if' at the beginning".
Or alternatively.
"If you're going to prayer to an invisible sky daddy, don't mock other people for praying to a different invisible sky daddy".
Either one works.

Remember if you're taking it seriously and literally, you're missing the point.
_________________

Tornado_Creator · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:58 pm Post subject:

Totalitarian Superstar · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject:

Tornado_Creator · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 8:32 am Post subject:

Humanism is something completely different and something I know too little about to be able to give myself that label.

One thing that has occurred to me, and perhaps I'm doing this based only out of admiration for Anton LaVey. But he always stated religion should never be taken seriously and you should just take what little bits of value you can from it and leave the rest. I wonder if all the hocus-pocus crap was put there as nothing more than a joke, a way of making his point clearer that he thinks religions are taken too far.
_________________

Raskolnikov

Totalitarian Superstar · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 1:46 pm Post subject:

I have said multiple times I like the ideals of Satanism. If anything, I've clarified that my enemy is the Church of Satan which wronged me.
_________________

Oradan · Visitor Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 23 Local time: 3:57 AM

I think by name, Satanism is just stroking the Christian's big egos. It's a "See there are people praying to the devil just like god said." Wether or not they actually are preying to the lord of knowledge.
_________________
"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."
Stephen Roberts

Tornado_Creator · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:37 pm Post subject:

It's not Satanisms fault that Christianity named their devil Satan. Satanism has been practised for a long time, longer than Christianity even, it just wasn't put into an organised form until Anton LaVey did so recently.
_________________

Raskolnikov · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:46 pm Post subject:

Tornado_Creator · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject:

I don't have any proof at the present moment, but give me some time and I'll look up a few things for you. I was shown the evidence for this a while ago and it's common knowledge amongst the Satanist community...

All I know is the word Satanist comes from the Hebrew language, and it's actually entirely coincidental that it was also the word used to describe Satan. LaVey simply made the connection apparent when he formed Satanism into as a cohesive entity.

If I remember rightly it was in Greece about 500BC there was a famous philosopher who suggested Satanist ideals and hedonism as being the way life was intended to be. Stating "If God made us, he put our wants and pleasures in place. So if we want food we have food, if we want sex we have sex. God would want what we want, as he put our wants there. Thus if I want it, God wants it. My will is Gods will."

As I said, it wasn't collectively known as Satanism until Anton LaVey's influence, however it was called that in some cases even before Christianity and I will endeavour to find proof of this for you as well as any other names the practice went under.
_________________

Totalitarian Superstar · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:52 am Post subject:

	AtheistForums.com Forum Index -> Philosophy & Rhetoric General Discussion	All times are GMT - 5 Hours Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3 Next
Page 2 of 3