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Religions profiles
History/Founder/important persons/saints:The
father of the modern Satanic movement is undoubtedly Anton Szandor
Lavey, who founded the Church of Satan (hereafter referred to as the
COS) in San Francisco in 1966. Other important people include Michael
Aquino, who founded the Temple of Set (TOS) in 1975 as an alternative
to the COS, and there is a popular offshoot which prefers the teachings
of Aleister Crowley over those of LaVey, known as the FCOS, or First
Church of Satan.
Numerous
other organizations exist, most founded in similar ideaology to one
of the major groups.
Current
leader/governing body: The COS is organized into local congregations known
as 'grottoes,' each headed by a priest. The TOS consists of individual
orders, further divided into "Pylons," and the head of the
organization, or Grand Master, is elected by a council.
Most smaller Satanic groups operate as covens similar to Wiccan group
organization, or use "grades," initiatory levels bestowed
by group leaders according to a member's percieved spiritual growth
and/or ability. Theistic groups operate much like other churches, with
worship, prayer, and study groups rather than organized hierarchies.
Number
of Adherents: Unknown. Many practitioners are secretive about their beliefs due to
social pressures and misconceptions.
Clergy:
Both the COS and the TOS ordain Clergy, known as priests or "High
priests." Other groups may have similar practrices; most initiatory
structures are drawn from or inspired by the practices of quasi-Masonic
groups such as the OTO.
Requirements
to join: The only usual requirement is the desire to be a member;
initiations are required in some groups.
Church/temple: Temples are usually used irregularly or for special events, rituals,
etc. Weekly gatherings for worship are uncommon.
Scripture: The only commonly available Satanic scriptures available are Anton
Lavey's works, the most well known of which is the "Satanic Bible."
Others rely on their own interpretation of historical scriptures or
create their own.
Required
observances, dietary restrictions: None.
Non-theistic Satanists generally practice hedonism or indulgence as
a matter of faith.
Code
of Conduct: Satanists
of the COS follow the Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth:
- 1
Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
- 2
Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure that they
want to hear them.
- 3
When in another's lair, show him respect or else do not go there.
- 4
If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him 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 person and he cries out to be relieved.
- 7
Acknowledge the power of magic if you have used 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.
- 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 attacked or for your food.
- 11
When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers
you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.
Basic
teachings and Beliefs of Satanism:
While
many Satanists argue the actual physical existence of Satan, the Satanic
view of Satan/Lucifer/Set is a somewhat Gnostic one, seeing the divinity
as a liberator of mankind, a principal of individuality, or as the principal
of change. Satanism of the sort where believers consciously worship
Satan as an evil entity or an enemy of the Christian God appears to
be confined to rumor, disturbed teenagers, and bad Heavy metal music.
True to some accusations, Satanists do tend to embrace a philosophy
of 'relative morality,' which generally culminates in a rejection of
'antiquated' sexual mores, "embracing man's carnal nature,"
as LaVey phrases it.
The
beliefs of the Church of Satan
can be summed up by their Nine Satanic Statements:
- Satan
represents indulgence, instead of abstinence!
-
Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
- Satan
represents undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
-
Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love
wasted on ingrates!
- Satan
represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek!
- Satan
represents responsibility to the responsible, instead of concern for
psychic vampires!
- 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!
-
Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical,
mental, or emotional gratification.
-
Satan is the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it
in business all these years!
Satan
and Satanism
There are
several types of Satanic belief systems. The most common is Philosophical
Satanism, wherein Satan is not believed to actually exist,
but is seen as a sort of mascot for personal liberty. Most modern Satanic
groups, especially the COS, fall into this category. (It should be noted
that some prefer to place this and similar groups under the label of
"religious" Satanism due to their ritual practices) Satan
is not viewed as a living entity, but as an ideal. Much of the thought
behind this particular belief system is in opposition to Judeo-Christian
ideals that are seen as weak or ineffectual. In philosophical Satanism,
the emphasis is on individuation, personal growth and human potential.
There are no pacts, sacrifices, or criminal behaviors accepted or encouraged,
altohugh some do intentionally cultivate a 'spooky' or intimidating
image. This type of belief is likely to be embraced by people who feel
powerless in their every day lives, but this is not neccessarily true
of the majority. In Satanic ritual magick, Satan embodies the principal
of Set- the destruction of the ego neccessary for spiritual rebirth.
Traditional,
or religious Satanism, is less common. Religious Satanism does involve
a belief in Satan as a deity, although not neccessarily an evil or oppositional
one. In fact, the majority view Satan as a Promethian or Gnostic deity-
a liberator, or one who encourages mankind to rebel against its state
of imprisonment. In many of these traditions, the Biblical Yahweh is
seen as an evil tyrant, an oppressive and cruel deity- which correlates
with similar Gnostic beliefs. Many more traditions do not specifically
acknowledge the Judeo-Christian pantheon, but venerate the Egyptian
Set. Religious Satanists are no more or less moral or likely to commit
crimes than other religious groups, and religious Satanists do not make
sacrifices or practice "black magic."
A much
smaller percentage of the "Satanic" population are what is
most often referred to as 'Dabbling.' Satanic dabblers are usually among
the disaffected members of the population (prisonars, troubled teens,
etc.), people who feel extremely powerless or have a need or desire
to control or outrage others. They often commit minor crimes and very
rarely larger ones. They may attempt to perform spells or curses against
others, or even attempt what they view as 'traditional' Satanic activities-
sacrifices, pacts, etc. Most have no group affiliations, or even contact
with other believers; their beliefs/practices usually gleaned from books
or even rumours. Dabblers are often obvious by their appearance and
generally do not 'blend in' with society at large. This is usually not
an issue of genuine Satanism, but a symptom of antisocial tendencies,
even a cry for help.
Holidays
and observances: In COS tradition, the Satanist's birthday is an importnat holiday.
More traditional, magickally oriented Satanists may celebrate the Solar
feast days.
Symbols
of satanism: The most common symbols include an inverted Pentagram, with or without
a stylized Goat's head, symbolizing the purported Templar divinity Baphomet.
An ankh, or anasata cross, is also common in some traditions. The specific
emblem of the Church of Satan is commonly known as the Sigil of Baphomet,
drawn from ritual magick traditions. (The presence of this symbol is
not neccessarily an indicator of Satanic belief or practice.) Other,
lesser used symbols are Ram's heads, the ouroboros, or symbols of ritual
magick, and the alchemical sigil of sulfur.
The inverted Christian cross is not a symbol of Satanic religion and
is not used, except by shock rockers and dabblers.
     
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Myths
and misconceptions:
Myths, fears, and outright
paranoias abound in regards to Satanism. A form of hysteria known most
commonly as "Satanic panic" blossomed in the eighties with
allegations of a sweeping, organized, and pervasive Satanic cult responsible
for everything from the disappearance of children to the popularity
of soy foods.* After several sweeping arrests of supposedly Satanic
child care workers accused of sexually abusing children en masse, reports
of adult victims 'recovering' memories, the panic eventually trailed
off. In depth studies on 'recovered' memories discovered that they were
largely a result of dubious therapeutic techniques, and an official
FBI report on Satanic Ritual abuse concluded that not only did the widespread
Satanic conspiracy not exist, but that religious abuse of children was
most likely to be committed by Christians. Of course, the occasional
report of the mentally deranged committing murder in the name of Satan
do still occasionally make the news, but these are largely eclipsed
by reports of abuse and murder committed by members of more mainstream
religions.
*I kid
not...one of the signs of the impending emergence of the antichrist
listed in the book The Hidden dangers of the Rainbow is the popularity
of soy as a substitute for meat.
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