I'm posting this here because I know I'll get good answers from the people who frequent this area.
What is Satanism all about, actually? In preperation for my yearly "Halloween isn't evil!" battle with my Christian friends, I'd kind of like to know what Satanism really means. My understanding of it comes from my boyfriend, a big philosophy fan, who read some of Anton Levay's Satanic Bible. He said that Levay was trying to be a badass (or "wanker", if you prefer) and was putting forth a life philiosophy that basically said "I'm gonna do what I wanna do and...too bad if you don't like it!". Levay appropriated the pentagram, an ancient symbol with no previous negative meaning, to represent his new "religion", thereby ruining the symbol much in the same way the Nazis ruined the sawastika, which was an old Buddhist symbol.
But how did Satanism evolve into actual devil worship? Or was there another form of Satanism that existed before Levay?
Full Version: What IS Satanism?
Unexplained Mysteries Discussion Forums > Unexplained Mysteries > Ghosts, Hauntings & The Paranormal
Satanism is a religion in which the individual is raised to personal godhood, free from enslavement to any other god or gods. This is a question not only of power, but also of ethics, morality, and psychological maturity. It is a pathway to metaphysical growth, but many mistake it as an excuse for egoistic irresponsibility. Those who make this mistake are usually the so-called "Satanists" who run around, professing their uncompromising hatred for Christians and Christianity, seemingly without any rational or logical basis of thought.
Long ago, when religion had its grip the tightest its been , people wanted another religion without as many rules (catholicism were said to have rules so strict that you could only have sex, something like 3 times a year). They went to the pagan religion. the early newcomers to this religion especially liked the god of wine and beer, which happened to be a half man half goat.
Fearing total loss of controll the catholic church needed to do something , so they made the 'devil' , and they portrayed him as a half man half goat , and added a pitchfork.
Knowing that...there is no devil
people labeled as 'satanists' are labeled by close minded strongly religious people
true there are the few stupid ppl who really do believe in the devil and worship it, but in actuality they are putting themselves in the same position as those they would like to 'annoy' (for lack of a better word) by worshipping something , and having faith in it.the few other ppl who choose no religion, and know that they are in controll of their own lives are often accused of being satinists.
i happen to be one of those ppl, i have studied many religions , and found them all to be quite similar, the one thing they have in common (most anyway) is that there is a deity that you have to worship and praise....this is what i disagree with. through all of my studies on the subject i have come to the conclusion that there are no beings greater than myself (or anyone else for that matter).
Anyway.. that being my belief has gotten me accused of being a satanist.
Its all about your perception, what you see is what you want it to be untill you decide to take a closer look and see it for what it really is. that is, if youre ready for it.
Fearing total loss of controll the catholic church needed to do something , so they made the 'devil' , and they portrayed him as a half man half goat , and added a pitchfork.
Knowing that...there is no devil
people labeled as 'satanists' are labeled by close minded strongly religious people
true there are the few stupid ppl who really do believe in the devil and worship it, but in actuality they are putting themselves in the same position as those they would like to 'annoy' (for lack of a better word) by worshipping something , and having faith in it.the few other ppl who choose no religion, and know that they are in controll of their own lives are often accused of being satinists.
i happen to be one of those ppl, i have studied many religions , and found them all to be quite similar, the one thing they have in common (most anyway) is that there is a deity that you have to worship and praise....this is what i disagree with. through all of my studies on the subject i have come to the conclusion that there are no beings greater than myself (or anyone else for that matter).
Anyway.. that being my belief has gotten me accused of being a satanist.
Its all about your perception, what you see is what you want it to be untill you decide to take a closer look and see it for what it really is. that is, if youre ready for it.
Hi Vera 
In my very, very brief experience, Satanism was all about certain people having huge ego trips and messing with things that should be left well enough alone. I was lucky - I woke up to the fact that I could have been involved in some very unpleasant things.
In my very, very brief experience, Satanism was all about certain people having huge ego trips and messing with things that should be left well enough alone. I was lucky - I woke up to the fact that I could have been involved in some very unpleasant things.
A well respected online friend attempted to explain his (old) beliefs on a forum I sometimes frequent, I hope he doesn't mind me showing you what he posted, it might help you understand..
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Originally posted by Alpha
Omega – It rather sounds to me that by your generalization of what Satanism is very closely resembles Pagan believes, in birth, death, and rebirth. I have never understood what Satanism is about and must admit to believing that it was based off a complete opposite of Christianity. Thank you for enlightening us. Understanding the true beliefs of other without misrepresentation is wonderful.
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The similarities between Satanism (in regard to the kind I've been discussing) and Paganism are many - primarily because they come from the same roots. There are - in my mind - two kinds of "Satanism": the inverse-Christian kind which is nothing more than an idle tantrum against the Christian religion, and the pagan-rooted kind which has built and reinterpreted grains of wisdom that our pagan ancestors possessed on the way the world and cosmos work (in terms of "forces").
Alot of "goody-goody" pagan types nowadays (I usually refer to them as the "fluffy bunny" variety) will protest at any link with Satanism at all, simply because they don't want their squeaky-clean images 'tarnished'. Satanism is "evil" they say - while, with greatest irony, using the same Church-originated slander against Satanism that they themselves, as pagans, are also subject to. This exposes them as nothing more than hypocrites.
The kind of Satanism that is rooted in paganism was, of course, not always called Satanism. In the particular tradition that I took to, it is generally held that the name "Satan" did not come into use until around the 10th Century - before that, the archetype was known as "Sapanur". But the tradition was essentially a pagan one - hence why the root ideologies are very similar. However, while many modern pagans still embrace their deities as literal, sentient beings, modern Satanists do not. It is true that this has not always been the case - in earlier centuries, the gods and goddesses of the tradition were no doubt perceived as real entities. But this is, after all, the 21st Century - and Satanism now perceives these "deities" as only personifications - or archetypes - that represent certain forces of nature. Satanists hold that man fashioned gods in his own image - not the other way around.
As for the Satanism vs Christianity situation - it is not incorrect to assume Satanists (read: genuine Satanists) are opposed to Christianity - but the grounds are not theological ones. Since Satanists do not believe in "God" or the alleged divinity of Jesus Christ, they see little need to run around slandering them if they are not perceived to even exist (save in the minds & psyches of their believers). There is certainly no belief in the whole "Armageddon" thing - the AntiChrist, the end of the world, and the final war between "heaven" and "hell", because these are Christian beliefs - not Satanic beliefs.
Satanism stands in contrast to Christianity because it opposes that religion in it's motives and ideals. Historically, Christianity has proven static and inflexible (only in recent times have some sectors of the religion "gone with the times"). Christianity encourages faith over reason. It promotes self-sacrifice over self-interest. All these things are anathema to Satanists, who champion the Self and the betterment of such, who champion reason and logic over blind faith and acceptance, who want progress over stasis. These are the grounds upon which Satanism and Christianity are opposed to each other - not because of some mythical "war" between "God" and "the Devil".
It should be noted, however, that it's not just Christianity that is perceived to have these flaws. Satanism is certainly opposed to any dogma or creed that inhibits the will and self-interest of it's followers - whether by "holy laws", concepts of so-called "sin", or any other 'divinely'-inspired grounds.
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Do you have any websites that you’d recommend that are of sound repute? I’d love to learn more, I feel so silly for believing “what I’ve heard” all this time.
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Unfortunately, I don't know of any to recommend offhand. I keep away from most so-called "Satanist" sites on the Internet nowadays because they are full of pretentious horseshit - either of the "blaspheme God" variety or the "kiss LaVey's ass" sort. Both kinds make me nauseous. I know there used to be a few good sites some years ago, but most of them were pulled offline. This is mainly because the senior proponents of my particular tradition of Satanism are wary of public exposure - primarily because making something "free for all" tends to wind up with a host of copycats who 'water it down' and corrupt it (and then claim it's their own). You only need to look at some of the neo-breeds of "pagans" out there to see what kinds of sad shams have evolved from the "mass popularity" of some alternative paths and the "I wanna be trendy" types who f**** them up because they're too lazy to really study them properly. They wanna take shortcuts, so they "cut and paste" their chosen path to suit their needs and it no longer resembles that which it originally was.
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I personally would not call any kind of Paganism “Dark Arts”, there’s nothing dark about it. As for those who would believe that a Pagan worships Satan (as in the Christian devil), these are people who are uneducated about what Paganism is.
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I would disagree with you on both counts there. Genuine paganism embraces both "light" and "dark" aspects of nature, for both are necessary to maintain a universal balance. You cannot have one without the other. Unfortunately, the "goody goody" pagan wannabes shun the "dark" aspects because - in their deluded, pre-programmed minds - "dark" is equated with "evil". This is, of course, horseshit - "dark" has no morality (how can it?). As mentioned in one of my previous posts - the polarities interact with each other to form a cohesive whole. It's just like the psyche of a human being - everyone has their "dark side", and it comes out under certain conditions. You cannot ignore it and wish it didn't exist. You cannot suppress it. You can certainly try - but it will only result in neuroses. If a human being denies any part of it's natural self for too long, it will become unstable. This is why I detest the "fluffy bunny" pagans - they preach about how one should be "whole" with nature and in tune with it's forces - yet with the same breath they denounce the 'dark' forces that contribute to that "whole" and the polarity that resides within the core of their very beings.
As for pagan worship of "Satan" - well, it is actually true, depending on how you look at it. "Satan" is merely a name, but it's functions have been represented by myriad pagan deities from the Old World. In Satan, there are shades of Cernunnos, Bacchus, Pan, Pwcca, Setekh, Loki, whoever. "Satan" is a fusion of all of these and more - so, by proxy, pagans DO acknowledge "Satan" in this sense - they just don't acknowledge it by that name due to the prominent Christianized connotations of such. Whether it's called the Horned God or Satan, it's still an element of the same forces.
I personally don't ascribe to any of his beliefs, so I can't really help you any more than that.
quote:
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Originally posted by Alpha
Omega – It rather sounds to me that by your generalization of what Satanism is very closely resembles Pagan believes, in birth, death, and rebirth. I have never understood what Satanism is about and must admit to believing that it was based off a complete opposite of Christianity. Thank you for enlightening us. Understanding the true beliefs of other without misrepresentation is wonderful.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The similarities between Satanism (in regard to the kind I've been discussing) and Paganism are many - primarily because they come from the same roots. There are - in my mind - two kinds of "Satanism": the inverse-Christian kind which is nothing more than an idle tantrum against the Christian religion, and the pagan-rooted kind which has built and reinterpreted grains of wisdom that our pagan ancestors possessed on the way the world and cosmos work (in terms of "forces").
Alot of "goody-goody" pagan types nowadays (I usually refer to them as the "fluffy bunny" variety) will protest at any link with Satanism at all, simply because they don't want their squeaky-clean images 'tarnished'. Satanism is "evil" they say - while, with greatest irony, using the same Church-originated slander against Satanism that they themselves, as pagans, are also subject to. This exposes them as nothing more than hypocrites.
The kind of Satanism that is rooted in paganism was, of course, not always called Satanism. In the particular tradition that I took to, it is generally held that the name "Satan" did not come into use until around the 10th Century - before that, the archetype was known as "Sapanur". But the tradition was essentially a pagan one - hence why the root ideologies are very similar. However, while many modern pagans still embrace their deities as literal, sentient beings, modern Satanists do not. It is true that this has not always been the case - in earlier centuries, the gods and goddesses of the tradition were no doubt perceived as real entities. But this is, after all, the 21st Century - and Satanism now perceives these "deities" as only personifications - or archetypes - that represent certain forces of nature. Satanists hold that man fashioned gods in his own image - not the other way around.
As for the Satanism vs Christianity situation - it is not incorrect to assume Satanists (read: genuine Satanists) are opposed to Christianity - but the grounds are not theological ones. Since Satanists do not believe in "God" or the alleged divinity of Jesus Christ, they see little need to run around slandering them if they are not perceived to even exist (save in the minds & psyches of their believers). There is certainly no belief in the whole "Armageddon" thing - the AntiChrist, the end of the world, and the final war between "heaven" and "hell", because these are Christian beliefs - not Satanic beliefs.
Satanism stands in contrast to Christianity because it opposes that religion in it's motives and ideals. Historically, Christianity has proven static and inflexible (only in recent times have some sectors of the religion "gone with the times"). Christianity encourages faith over reason. It promotes self-sacrifice over self-interest. All these things are anathema to Satanists, who champion the Self and the betterment of such, who champion reason and logic over blind faith and acceptance, who want progress over stasis. These are the grounds upon which Satanism and Christianity are opposed to each other - not because of some mythical "war" between "God" and "the Devil".
It should be noted, however, that it's not just Christianity that is perceived to have these flaws. Satanism is certainly opposed to any dogma or creed that inhibits the will and self-interest of it's followers - whether by "holy laws", concepts of so-called "sin", or any other 'divinely'-inspired grounds.
quote:
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Do you have any websites that you’d recommend that are of sound repute? I’d love to learn more, I feel so silly for believing “what I’ve heard” all this time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, I don't know of any to recommend offhand. I keep away from most so-called "Satanist" sites on the Internet nowadays because they are full of pretentious horseshit - either of the "blaspheme God" variety or the "kiss LaVey's ass" sort. Both kinds make me nauseous. I know there used to be a few good sites some years ago, but most of them were pulled offline. This is mainly because the senior proponents of my particular tradition of Satanism are wary of public exposure - primarily because making something "free for all" tends to wind up with a host of copycats who 'water it down' and corrupt it (and then claim it's their own). You only need to look at some of the neo-breeds of "pagans" out there to see what kinds of sad shams have evolved from the "mass popularity" of some alternative paths and the "I wanna be trendy" types who f**** them up because they're too lazy to really study them properly. They wanna take shortcuts, so they "cut and paste" their chosen path to suit their needs and it no longer resembles that which it originally was.
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I personally would not call any kind of Paganism “Dark Arts”, there’s nothing dark about it. As for those who would believe that a Pagan worships Satan (as in the Christian devil), these are people who are uneducated about what Paganism is.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would disagree with you on both counts there. Genuine paganism embraces both "light" and "dark" aspects of nature, for both are necessary to maintain a universal balance. You cannot have one without the other. Unfortunately, the "goody goody" pagan wannabes shun the "dark" aspects because - in their deluded, pre-programmed minds - "dark" is equated with "evil". This is, of course, horseshit - "dark" has no morality (how can it?). As mentioned in one of my previous posts - the polarities interact with each other to form a cohesive whole. It's just like the psyche of a human being - everyone has their "dark side", and it comes out under certain conditions. You cannot ignore it and wish it didn't exist. You cannot suppress it. You can certainly try - but it will only result in neuroses. If a human being denies any part of it's natural self for too long, it will become unstable. This is why I detest the "fluffy bunny" pagans - they preach about how one should be "whole" with nature and in tune with it's forces - yet with the same breath they denounce the 'dark' forces that contribute to that "whole" and the polarity that resides within the core of their very beings.
As for pagan worship of "Satan" - well, it is actually true, depending on how you look at it. "Satan" is merely a name, but it's functions have been represented by myriad pagan deities from the Old World. In Satan, there are shades of Cernunnos, Bacchus, Pan, Pwcca, Setekh, Loki, whoever. "Satan" is a fusion of all of these and more - so, by proxy, pagans DO acknowledge "Satan" in this sense - they just don't acknowledge it by that name due to the prominent Christianized connotations of such. Whether it's called the Horned God or Satan, it's still an element of the same forces.
I personally don't ascribe to any of his beliefs, so I can't really help you any more than that.
*twiddles hair nervously*
I suppose you could say that I'm a 'Fluffy-Bunny' pagan...........I believe in a universal force of love and balance.
And having done the other stuff it's a much much nicer place to be.
Hammy x x x
I suppose you could say that I'm a 'Fluffy-Bunny' pagan...........I believe in a universal force of love and balance.
And having done the other stuff it's a much much nicer place to be.
Hammy x x x
in my opinion people who take Anton Levey satanism as serious need a reality check. example- in the satanic bible it says people should send no money to any religions. then in the back it says for a lifetime membership to the church of satan send $100.00. hypocrite i think so.
Yep same here, fluffly bunny wiccan me. Although it all boils down to how littrallyyou take and hold to the: an it harm none, do what ye will, part.
You get some people that will do what ever it takes to get something apart from if it really harms someone, and then you get the people that do not want to do any harm at all, to anything or anyone.
Personally I strive to be the second one, no harm what so ever to anything or one. As all it ends up doing is hurting people arouind you and there is no call for that.
Of course there is a darkness to the religion, it's all about opposites, female/male, light/dark. But the darkness is only how you percieve it.
You get some people that will do what ever it takes to get something apart from if it really harms someone, and then you get the people that do not want to do any harm at all, to anything or anyone.
Personally I strive to be the second one, no harm what so ever to anything or one. As all it ends up doing is hurting people arouind you and there is no call for that.
Of course there is a darkness to the religion, it's all about opposites, female/male, light/dark. But the darkness is only how you percieve it.
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