Satanism

Another information dump post, this time about Satanism.  EDUCATE YOURSELVES!!

Satanism is generally used as the overarching term for any ideology opposed to Western Christian religion and culture, judging it to be both corrupt and hypocritical.  Satan, also called “Set” is used as a figure to promote personal development and egoism and as a symbol of self-interest and individualism; this figure is not perceived as an evil of sinister figure but as an archetypal rebel.  Satanism primarily draws on the rebellious and offensive as opposed to actually worshiping the devil although some adherents do.

Satanism is most recognizable to the general public as the Church of Satan which was founded by Anton Szandor LaVey the self named “Black Pope” and author of the key texts of Satanism: The Satanic Bible (1969) and The Satanic Rituals (1972).  LaVey also formed a group called the Order of the Trapezoid, which would later become the governing body of the Church of Satan. LaVey remained the High Priest of the Church of Satan until his death in 1997 whereupon the position was passed on to Blanche Barton; she in turn ceded the position to long time members Peter H. Gilmore and Peggy Nadramia in 2001.  The Central Office of the Church of Satan was originally in San Francisco but has now moved to New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.  

The Church does not release membership information publically, so it is impossible to know how many members The Church has, however the High Priest has been quoted as saying membership is growing.  There are two types of members of The Church of Satan: Registered Members and Active Members.  A Registered Member is a passive participant in The Church.  They are simply people who have been inducted into the church and there are no requirements to achieve this level of membership.  An Active Member, on the other hand, must be involved with Church business and local members.  Active Membership is divided into five degrees.  Active Members enter at the First Degree after having applied and been approved.  This is the only degree to which one can apply, promotion is by invitation, and the requirements for the higher levels are kept secret.  Members of the Third through Fifth degrees constitute the Priesthood and may be addressed as “Reverend”, although “Magister/Magistra” or “Magus/Maga” are more common for the members of the Fourth and Fifth Degrees respectively.  Members of the Fifth Degree can also be referred to as “Doctor”.  Individuals seeking membership must seek of their own accord, The Church does not solicit membership, and be legally defined as adults; an exception can be made for children of members who demonstrate an understanding of Church practice and philosophy, but this is rare.  Some Active Members are authorized as Agents, who are qualified to represent the Church of Satan and explain their philosophy to the media and interested parties.  

The Church of Satan does not worship the Devil or any other supernatural entity.  High Priest Gilmore defines Satan: “Satan is a model or a mode of behavior.  Satan in Hebrew means ‘adversary’ or ‘opposer’; one who questions”.  The Church of Satan provides the Nine Satanic Statements, The Nine Satanic Sins, and the Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth.  The Nine Satanic Statements outline what Satan represents in the Church of Satan and are 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

The Nine Satanic sins are Stupidity, Pretentiousness, Solipsism, Self-Deceit, Herd Conformity, Lack of Perspective, Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies, Counterproductive Pride, and Lack of Aesthetics.  The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth are:

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 them respect or else do not go there
4. In a guest in your lair annoys you, treat them 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 they cry 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 loose 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 them to stop.  If they don’t stop, destroy them

The Church of Satan does adhere to these as guidelines on how to live, but they do not view Satanic sins, statements and rules as things that they must go out of their way to do.  Ideally, they are truisms and statements regarding how they actually live their lives.