The Satanic Panic

[Rafterman]

Some of you may recall that I posted a thread a month or so back about how some of the last people jailed during the "satanic panic" of the 80s and early 90s have finally been released from jail. Here's the thread in case you missed it:

http://www.unexplain...c

I came across a new podcast recently and the current episode delves further into the "satanic panic" and provide a good bit of context to what was happening. Give it a listen if you're interested. Some of our younger members may not even be aware that this happened, but as someone who lived through it, I can attest that it was very real and very prevalent. And it wasn't only a US phenomenon.

Many rational and intelligent people believed that Satan was not only real, but that he and his minions were coming to get your children through rock music, movies, television, games like Dungeons & Dragons, and even toys like the Smurfs and He-Man.

To me, the really sad thing is that we still see some of this nonsense today. And while the idea that Satan is behind it may not be as common today, he has been replaced by things like the "gay agenda". Just look at some of the nonsense that's being written about the movie Frozen and its hidden message that will turn our children into gays and lesbians. I'm not going to link to any of them because I really don't want to drive clicks to the morons writing this crap, but you can find it easily enough if you're interested.

Enjoy the podcast.

http://www.thethinki...t/satanic-panic

In the 70s, 80s and early 90s, a phenomenon known today as The Satanic Panic swept the United States, as the evangelical Christian community charged that a vast underground network of Satanists were controlling large parts of society. Believers were warned about products subsidized by Satan, including over-the-counter items like detergent and toothpaste, and there was a huge focus on toys, games and cartoons infected with demons. In this show, we talk about the Satanic Panic of the past, and we look at modern-day charges of Satanic media, products and influences in our culture. GERALDO TELEVISION SPECIAL:TURMOIL IN THE TOYBOX:TURMOIL CLIPS (EDITED): http://io9.com/seven...toys-1456419789 PODCAST on "The Church of Satan" http://www.blogtalkr...church-of-satan - See more at: http://www.thethinki...h.OaIKlTr0.dpuf

Edited March 14, 2014 by Rafterman

[Indiogene]

The "religious right" wanted to politically influence our culture by implementing a panic of "Satanism" in pop culture. They try to stir up the pot by scaring people over issues like abortion, divorce and Gay rights, which didn't inflame the public as much. But when they go off on "rock music has Satanic messages influence our teens", you have very scared parents. The religious right's other hysterias in the late 70s and 80s involved child abduction and sexual abuse, teenage drinking and smoking, and when disco peaked in the 70s and also rap first came out in the early 80s, they decried it was "jungle music/immoral noise/gay-themed". <___< Ultraconservatism at the time didn't focus on fiscal issues or the economy, they were reactionary about social change and threatened by cultural "immorality".

Edited March 14, 2014 by Mike D boy

[Dark_Grey]

Only God can speak for God. Humph.

[ambelamba]

Yeah...I remember. Since Protestant Churches in Korea are offshoots of American fundies, Satanic Panic did exist in Korea, too.

And being a good Christian, I bought that crap too. And I feel really resentful. Think about all the Satanic orgies I missed.

[Purplos]

I remember in high school (late 80s) there was a kid in a higher grade who set fire to a dog. (Amazingly I hear he turned out to be an OK adult with no serial killer traits at all.) We were all called in for some huge assembly about the danger of cults. No one actually mentioned Satan, but they paraded all the expected stuff past us: upside down pentagrams, heavy metal music etc.

My friends and I responded by instantly creating a fake cult and hanging up photo-copied signs for it around the school and sneaking onto school grounds at night to set up circles of benches and leave chicken carcasses around and stuff.

It was more than just fundamental Christians involved in this satanic panic stuff, though I suspect the teachers at my school saw it as kids trying to be edgy rather than actual influence by a devil.

[dr no]

It was frightening that people in authority accepted the scaremongering without evidence.I recently read a book called "In Pursuit of Satan:Police and the Occult",it details many of the blatant lies and distortions spread by Christians,some of whom worked as police officers.

[JGirl]

satanic panic sounds like a new band name

yes i remember when this was all going down and i rolled my eyes then as i roll them now at the thought of it. such nonsense.

[FLOMBIE]

Is this like the agenda Vigilante Citizen and co. are pushing?

[Rafterman]

The "religious right" wanted to politically influence our culture by implementing a panic of "Satanism" in pop culture. They try to stir up the pot by scaring people over issues like abortion, divorce and Gay rights, which didn't inflame the public as much. But when they go off on "rock music has Satanic messages influence our teens", you have very scared parents. The religious right's other hysterias in the late 70s and 80s involved child abduction and sexual abuse, teenage drinking and smoking, and when disco peaked in the 70s and also rap first came out in the early 80s, they decried it was "jungle music/immoral noise/gay-themed". <___< Ultraconservatism at the time didn't focus on fiscal issues or the economy, they were reactionary about social change and threatened by cultural "immorality".

I think you're falling into the trap that anything that smacks of religious extremism has to be the "religious right" - that's simply not the case. There is religious wackiness on both the left and the right. This stuff was being talked about in both white and black churches - the later surely not known for their conservative political views. The same goes for the efforts to stop gay marriage where, until just recently, the bluest of the blue states were voting it down thanks in large part to the efforts of the Christian left and predominantly black churches (why do you think Obama had to tread so lightly on this topic).

As for rock and roll, yes, you had the likes of Pat Robertson and other coming out against it, but lest we forget Tipper and Al Gore were huge in that movement as well.

[Rafterman]

It was frightening that people in authority accepted the scaremongering without evidence.I recently read a book called "In Pursuit of Satan:Police and the Occult",it details many of the blatant lies and distortions spread by Christians,some of whom worked as police officers.

if you read some of the stuff about the guy in Texas that was just released after 30+ years in prison, it's absolutely absurd that anyone believed this stuff.

And I'll proudly admit that when my pastor stood up one Sunday morning and said "I have it on good authority that some of our young men attended the Knights in Satan's Service concert last night" he was talking to me.

[spartan max2]

Wow..

You are right, being born in 94 i never had any clue this craze happened to that extreme. The most i ever experienced was people saying there are satanic subliminal messages in Disney movies lol

But dam

[notforgotten]

satanic panic sounds like a new band name

yes i remember when this was all going down and i rolled my eyes then as i roll them now at the thought of it. such nonsense.

I believe that the devil is real, but like JGirl, I believe this stuff most certainly seems like nonsense

[Grandpa Greenman]

I don't think Satanic Panic is anything new. I remember in the 60's the rants on the radio about the rock-in' roll and the path to Satan. Society just seems to flop back and forth between moral extremes. There is always somebody screaming about some boogieman out to get you. Seems like a herd mentality, IMO, one spooks and they all spook.

[quiXilver]

always a human doing the talking

unless you subscribe to the hindu persuasion and see the god in all

in that case....

namaste

[Rlyeh]

Many rational and intelligent people believed that Satan was not only real, but that he and his minions were coming to get your children through rock music, movies, television, games like Dungeons & Dragons, and even toys like the Smurfs and He-Man.

Completely rational.

[Mabon]

Rlyeh,

I think Rafterman is talking about people who otherwise wouldn't believe in anything paranormal or irrational being sucked into this. D and D was really suspect and even my own Mom asked me what was the big attraction about it so I let her look at the manuals and told her that it was based on folklore, mythology and rolled together to make a fantasy game. She couldn't see any problem with it but there were other parents who did and more.

The evangelist stirred the people up by making them afraid because of their beliefs and some even stated that you can't just believe in God and not Satan and be a "good" christian.

I have often wondered if the people who are so desperate to look for signs of the devil in everything are really trying to look for proof of God by doing this (excluding the obvious ones who are just using it to control a large segment of people because of their beliefs)? I feel that they think if they can prove that Satan is real it will by extension prove that God also exists. The whole thing is utterly sicking and such a power trip for people who long to be 'right' and 'right' with god.

I often wonder.... did people learn nothing from the witch trials?

Mabon.

[Rafterman]

I don't think Satanic Panic is anything new. I remember in the 60's the rants on the radio about the rock-in' roll and the path to Satan. Society just seems to flop back and forth between moral extremes. There is always somebody screaming about some boogieman out to get you. Seems like a herd mentality, IMO, one spooks and they all spook.

Very true, but it reached its crescendo in the late 80s/early 90s. The Geraldo and 20/20 episodes in my OP sum things up pretty well - Geraldo now says that the episode was one of the biggest blunders of his career.

[jugoso]

- Geraldo now says that the episode was one of the biggest blunders of his career.

Well that´s really saying something then, isn´t it!

[rodentraiser]

Satanic panic happened at the end of year 999 too. People believed the world would come to an end then, too.

The movie "Frozen". Is that the one where the three yuppies get stuck on a ski lift chair at night?