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In Defense of Modern Satanism

This is an attempt to express the views that are held by those persons who stand in defense of modern Satanism. This article is not meant to do anything but educate for those inevitable people that may be uncomfortable with the subject for any number of reasons. I thank you for taking the time to read it and gain something for both sides of any debate about and in defense of modern Satanism as a belief system and also as areligion. In many ways, the main defense for the beliefs of modern Satanism is found in the comparable philosophies of Buddhism.

The Buddha, Siddhartha says, "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything simply on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."

Satanism is no longer a hook on which the unenlightened can hang their two thousand years of being a scapegoat, that legacy has inevitably left many Satanists on the defensive. Satanism comprises a number of related beliefs and social phenomena, sharing the features of symbolism, veneration or admiration of Satan, or perhaps it is better to explain that any identification with Satan is actually a modern cult of the self. No Satanist worships a being personafied in that which is Satan, any long term Satanist knows that they worship the self as a godhead, this being one of the main reasons it agrees religiously for more people than ever in these modern times.

Satan, also called Lucifer in many Christian religions, first appeared in the Hebrew Bible and was an Angel who challenged the religious faith of humans and the rule of Yahweh. In the Book of Job he is called Satan, meaning the accuser or the adversary and acted as the prosecutor in God's court. A character named Satan was described as the cosmic enemy of the Lord and temptor of Jesus within many of the Gospels of early ChristiansGenerally, those Satanists who believe in the Judeo-Christian concept of Satan are linked into the belief system of today's Judeo-Christian religion, as they believe in the same theology presented in the Hebrew bible.

In any statements for public consumption, there have expended too much time and energy in explaining what Satanism not, and this preponderance of the negative has created a void rather than a valid exegesis.Now once again being accused of sacrificing babies and indulging in illegal activities and sexual acts. People assume Satanists gain some advantage by so doing these vulgar attrocities, though noone has ever detailed how such acts could increase knowledge, and knowledge is what Satanists are seeking.

Traditional or Spiritual Satanists, also called Theistic Satanism or Luciferianism, is the oldest known form of Satanism. It has been around for Thousands of years and has even been traced back to the Roman times before the christian lord and savior Jesus Christ ever walked the Earth. The Traditional Satanists do actually claim the existence of a Satan or Lucifer as a Higher Power or a Guiding Force. The Traditional Satanists don't literally worship Satan or Lucifer as their God. Those misconceptions have been created by the church and other nae sayers who want their respective religions to flourish on the fear of society. The Traditional Satanist looks at Satan or Lucifer as a Father Figure and idolize him in that capacity. It is in my understanding that some Traditional Satanists have performed a Sacrificial Ritual, but it is not required in their beliefs. Some Traditional Satanists touch on Demonology and go a lot deeper into that aspect of the spiritual realms.

LaVeyan Satanists, LaVeyan Satanism is a label given to Satanists found mostly within but is not limited to the Church of Satan members. Anton Szandor LaVey founded the Church of Satan in October of 1966. A.S. LaVey was a very outgoing Satanist who helped propel Satanism and bring it into the publics eye. A.S. LaVey has 5 books written by him, and several others written about him since. The most popular of these 5 is The Satanic Bible. The contents of the book might not have originated on LaVeys desk, but he compiled the information in such a way as to literally spark a revolution in your mind. This book alone has brought A.S. LaVey and the Church of Satan millions of dollars as well as thousands of members. It is a good read and should be the platform for which to build your lifestyle, beliefs, and thoughts. A.S. LaVey is only a man, a philosopher, and the founder of the Church of Satan, but there are many out there who have chosen to Idolize LaVey himself. Hence the term LaVeyan Satanism is thus coined,

Rebel Satanists, Rebel Satanism is a form of Satanism where you find the most misfits and social outcasts. This is the form of Satanism that actually brings Satanists in general a bad name. They are the rebellious teenaged kids and the drug addicts who might not have ever even read The Satanic Bible and just use the evil image of Satanism as a release. I am not trying to imply that goths are social outcasts and degenerates in their rebellious ways, but this type of Rebel Satanism is such and commonly associated with Gothic Lifestyles. I have actually found some of the most thoughtful, kind, and intelligent people in the world are the freaks who wear spikes, black clothes and ragged hair. Being a Rebel Satanist is usually a phase and they move on to something else shortly after it gets old or they actually pick up a book or two with a cooler belief system.

Modern Satanists, are what the majority of Satanists are in this Century. There are several Orders, Temples, Guilds, Grottos, and Churches who have popped up since the Church of Satan began to change their ways and members broke off. The two biggest ones: The Temple of Set, and the First Church of Satan were both founded by previous members of the Church of Satan. Modern Satanism is very similar to LaVeyan Satanism only you wont see as many LaVeyan supporters. This does not mean LaVey is frowned upon, or walked on, but he is only one individual in the world, and we Modern Satanists tend to always want more.

This does not mean a Satanist is limited to one type or style, perhaps some Satanists may be a little bit of all of these definitions. These are to give you a general idea of the denominations. I will touch on each of them and give a general description to help the readers better understand each one. I will provide much more details and information on Modern Satanism simply because that is how I live my life and what I chose to consider myself.

Probably the greatest question on Earth is the inescapable fact of death. Freed from the tenets of orthodoxy and its improbable placebos, we want to know what really happens when the mortal body ceases to function. We also wish to learn how to become more effective whilst on Earth, how to achieve in many ways. Myths and legends do not interest us. We are concerned with reality. We Want To Know. These four words summarise the Satanic quest.

The slogan Evil is Live spelt backwards was effective (though Devil on the same principle put us in the past tense Lived) but its shock value and therfore usefulness has long since receded. It is now counter-productive if being evil is regarded as a necessary qualification to be a follower of the Left Hand Path. So let us relegate that myth to the junk-heap along with the other nonsense about Satanism being an offshoot of Chrisitianity (even the Christians' Bible testifies against that).

Orthodoxy substitutes faith for knowledge. Noone can form an objective judgement without experience, but experience is forbidden to the followers of establishment religions. Belief is demanded. Centuries ago, this way may have been a useful contribution to the stabilization of society (though the excesses of the Inquisition and similar efforts in all European countries and their colonies gave rise to the same doubt about this method being justified).

However, in the present day, it is illogical to think that the stability of the nations and alliances would be affected by people's belief or lack of belief in any religious system. Freedom is today's demand, and freedom of thought is one of the essential liberties.

Satanism of today has also become a Religion, as well as a Life Style. It has many forms and many faces, yet they all deserve to be called Satanism. Most of the religions of the world have a couple different denominations within the same belief system, the same holds true in Satanism. To my knowledge in Modern America these are the most prominent official organizations for Modern Satanism most of which came out the post-cold war era, there are three major players of the Satanic Religion and the Satanic literature, ideologies, and real estate for business and temple.

The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey. On holynight Walpurgisnacht, April 30, 1966, Anton LaVey founded the "The Satanic Church" (which he would later rename Church of Satan). After his death in 1997 the Church of Satan was taken over by a new administration and its headquarters was moved to New York. LaVey's own daughter, the High Priestess Karla LaVey, felt this to be a disservice to her father's legacy. Ms. LaVey re-founded the Satanic Church and continues to run it out of San Francisco, California, much in the same way as her father had run the organization when he was alive.And since the Y2K...The First Satanic Church was re-founded on October 31, 1999 (and is a new organization ) by Karla LaVey to carry on the legacy of her father, Anton LaVey, author of The Satanic Bible.

The Temple of Set is an initiatory occult society claiming to be the world's leading left-hand path religious organization. It was established in 1975 by Michael A. Aquino and certain members of the priesthood of the Church of Satan, who left because of administrative and philosophical disagreements. This process is necessarily different and distinctive for each individual. Some people who are not members of the Temple of Set find spiritual inspiration in the Egyptian god Set, and may share some beliefs with the organization. The belief system in general is referred to as Setianism. Setianism, in theory, is similar to theistic Satanism. The principle adored deity of Setianism is the ancient Egyptian god Set, or Seth, the god of adversary. Set supposedly is the Dark Lord behind the Hebrew entity Satan. Set is worshipped by his followers through the ritual of the Black Flame.The philosophy of the Temple of Set may be summed up as enlightened individualism - enhancement and improvement of oneself by personal education, experiment, and initiation.

The Order of Nine Angles (ONA) is a purported secretive Satanist organization which has been mentioned in books detailing fascist Satanism. They were initially formed in the United Kingdom and rose to public note during the 1980s and 1990s. Presently, the ONA is organized around clandestine cells (which it calls traditional nexions)and around what it calls sinister tribes.

It is common to find a Modern Satanist who chooses not to be apart of ANY of the Orders or Organizations about and wants only individualism. Herd Mentality is something commonly found in the Christian or Catholic Church where you're made to feel as nothing without paying them your money or having someone else in your life. Satanism per se teaches Self-ism and Individuality. Some Satanists refuse to join in on anything and it makes them more comfortable being "solo."

Modern Satanism as a whole is noy Anti-Christianity. Satanism is Anti-Stupidity. (some Satanists may be anti-christian, but surely not all of them.) There are Anti-Religious people in every aspect and every walk of life. Satanism per se, does not speak of opposing Christianity and destroying everything they believe in. I have always tried to spread Religious Tolerance, and the rest of the Satanic Community, for the most part, feels the exact same way.

Also the Modern Satanist does not believe that some mysterious and awesome diety (whether or not he has horns or a tail) is going to hand us that knowledge in return for our allegiance (or that problematic entity the soul). Knowledge is achieved by learning, working, experimenting, experiencing, and thinking. That is why the orthodox religions arm up against us, because they are aware of the insecure foundations of their own dogma. It is our existence that threatens them. And yet it is our existence that they depend upon.

Faith is the true evil. Blind unquestioning faith in a religion or a cause has made men go to war, commit unspeakable acts of persecution and terrorisim against other human beings. The Satanist does not offer such allegiance. It is his principle to ask Why? One little word that could shatter empires. No wonder their is a world out there that is so afraid of us.As a Modern Satanist, You thank yourself for all the hard work and repetition of a task to perfect it, not some man made God. You are the one who soaked many a rag with your sweat and hard labor to become what you are. You need not thank any higher power for these skills. You would want to thank family, friends, and coworkers for their support, and comforting they have provided along the way.

In any event, I hope to have provided a wider point of view on Modern Satanism, as there is much maligned propoganda which does little for the Satanist or anyone trying to be informed about Modern Satanism other than spread more disinformation. And more religious bigotry.

 

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