Originally posted by StakeTeriyake
I personally despise hypocrites, and many of the Judeo-Christian religions are crawling with them (Though I'm not saying that those religions are hypocritical, only certain members of them), so I like the Church of Satan's stand on that point.

One thing you have to remember about a hypocrite is that the christian religions only allow you to pay your taxes, pay a tenth or more of your income to the church, get married have kids, be honest and fair in all your dealings, and no hanky panky on the side gay strait or otherwise, work all your life and die. Hardly anyone can walk that strait a line. A lot of people try it and I think some of them are miserable wretchs, like me I used to be afraid to laugh at a dirty joke. Well by golly if somethings funny now I am going to laugh. I love to go to church on sunday morning and participate in the music but some of the stiff neckedness could be taken out of it.

I suppose the true hypocrite is the one who is pretending to be something he's not. Like the pastor who is only out to drive a different cadillac every day of the week. He wants to turn you upside down and shake you until all your money falls out. Hold on yall this is plum embarrasing lets pass that plate around one more time, yall can do better than that.

[edit on 30-11-2004 by TgSoe]

Originally posted by sweatmonicaIdo

The thing is, how come they are so against Christianity? Why not all religions in general? CoS seems to direct everything against Christianity.

LaVey borrowed some terminology from the British occult scholar Aleister Crowley, in describing various philosophical outlooks as "Left Hand Path" and "Right Hand Path."

According to Crowley, "Right Hand Path" refers to a spiritual view of life, while "Left Hand Path" is materialistic, regardless of what religion one belongs to, if any. Therefore, according to Crowley, even most Christians follow the "Left Hand Path" because they are materialistically minded, and would rather earn a profit than follow the Right Hand Path taught by Jesus and the other Sages.

I'm not sure if LaVey misunderstood Crowley, or if he just chose to define the terms, but according to LaVey, Satanism is Left Hand Path because it openly embraces materialism. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. are all "Right Hand Path" according to him.

LaVey was more critical of Christianity than the other Right Hand Paths because he believed that the religion had become hypocritical. This is sort of similar to what Emerson once wrote: "Every Stoic was a Stoic; but in Christendom, where is the Christian?"

From my personal experience, I can relate to what LaVey was saying, at least to some extent, i.e., that many Christians act in such a manner that is diametrically opposed to what Christ taught. For example, consider the recent US presidential elections, where hordes of evangelical Christians supported George W. Bush without a second thought, even though his policies of pre-emptive war under false pretenses, unrestrained capitalism, profit making through exploitation of the environment, and other policies favoring the wealthy are anathema to true Christianity. Although LaVey disagrees with the spiritual point of view held by Buddhists and Hindus, they do not display that type of hypocrisy to LaVey because they attempt to live out their beliefs, and therefore he reserves the bulk of his criticism to Christianity.

Crowley, on the other hand, considered almost all Christians to be practically Satanists. He called Christianity the "Black Lodge" and called Christians "Black Brothers", meaning that Crowley believed they lived to spread materialism, which, ironically, is also what LaVey attempted.

Well I'm well into th Satanic Bible now and have found where Lavey says that the Satanist can't levitate a coffee cup without a wire being attached. He says it would take way to much energy to do that without a wire, his time would be better spent elsewhere. And don't try to roll a pencil off the table using your mental powers. That wouldn't be a good idea. Atleast he was a logical thinker.

He also said that, " if you are a lewd mouth toothless loafer don't expect to land a lucious young stripper for a mate using any type of magick rituals, that would contrary to the laws of nature." I'll buy that, makes sence to me.

Apparently there are limits to magick, so why Satanism? Is it for the philosophy of it, the freedom of sexuality? Does it make you smarter? Or is it simply an organisation standing up for the rights of people who think a little different than mainstream folk who are content never to leave the herd and venture out into the world?

I didn't really read the whole thread, but I am a (pretty much) traditional Satanist, and my believes are similar to that of JoyofSatan and a bit of LaVayean thrown in it...

I believe Satan is not the Devil, he's just a very strong entity...

Hope I aint being too deep for a first post but…

Some bloke says he has a gripe against Christians and invents a religion called "Church of Satan" and get hundreds (poss thousands) of follows and then claims that they are

“not considered a secret society; rather, it is a congregation of atheists and agnostics who believe that Christians are hypocrites, and invented an anti-Christian religion in order to protest”

Yeah like everyone who joined is someone of great intelligence just trying to prove a point. Come on… get real, as soon as you call something the “Church of Satan” you are advertising to every evil, wicked, twisted weirdo out there. OK the normal Christian Church has it problems, but the teachings of Jesus are sound, and if followed correctly by everyone, can make the world a better place to live. From what we know of Satan he is nothing but a liar and a greedy manipulating maggot that was cast from heaven.

Hmmm… Jesus or Satan? I think I will stick with Jesus

It saddens me to think of people giving themselves to this religion under the pretence of trying to prove some clever point to Christians.

undercoverchef,

As a Christian I agree with what your saying, however, as someone who studies EVERYTHING I CAN, I have picked up and read The Satanic Bible, and while I don't think much of it, LaVey does make it fairly plain his true beliefs. I'm under the impression that people who JOIN the CoS, know the real philosophy behind and believe they are superior to others while not really believing in/worshipping Satan. Admittedly wannabe Satanists pick that book up, thinking it's SO AWESOME, but when the actually study it and study LaVey, the usually get turned off, or just tell people they're Satanist for shock value.

[edit on 1/10/2005 by cotwom]

Well, since the devil or satan or whatever you want to call it is actually a teaching of the christian church than it stands to reason that a devil worshipper is nothing more than a christian in rebellion.

The devil is a part of the christian teachings so if your going to follow that path, you are a christian. Not a very good one but a christian none the less.

Love and light to each of you,

Wupy

Originally posted by mrwupy
Well, since the devil or satan or whatever you want to call it is actually a teaching of the christian church than it stands to reason that a devil worshipper is nothing more than a christian in rebellion.

The devil is a part of the christian teachings so if your going to follow that path, you are a christian. Not a very good one but a christian none the less.

Well, if you look at it that way (and I believe that you're right), Satanists are really practicing a form of 2nd class Christianity. The Bible which they get their Satan from specifically tells that he is totally inferior to God and can never win. So in reality, a real Satanist would find himself in a Catch 22. His object of worship will never be able to deliver over his adversary.

I think that what specifically attracts people to Satanism is that it is a very selfish religion, and it therefore panders to the ego of the individual. It's all about looking after yourself first and others second. Unfortunately, there are too many people in this world who feel that they are more important than everyone else and this is why they are attracted to it.

I always though that Satanists followed a way of life rather than a particular being, whether it be man, fallen angel, satan, or who ever.

And the term Satanists was used by Christians as a name for those who followed that way of life and it kinda stuck and became their label so to speak.

Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.

Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

Do not harm little children. and...

When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.



Oh yes I'm sure if Satan had a church himself this rules would be followed to a tee. What's the point of members belonging to a chruch with rules that do not make sense dealing with the nature of the creation.

I think that man, left to himself, is by default a "satanist." That's just putting a label on human nature, and making a religion out of it, glorifying that nature, in my opinion.

It seems that the CofS isn't really a religion, not in the same way you would class Christianity.

It doesn't seem to conclude Satan is a person, an individual deity as such. Each Satanist is there own "God" and to be so should follow the rules of living a Satanists life.

They do not claim anything that will not necessarily be questioned outside their faith, ie there are no miracles, no acts of "God" type scenarios, although I admit that these may be in their "Bible" and not on the site, so please correct me if I am wrong.

In example a Christian may be asked to prove that God created the universe and the Earth, to which other than faith, or a book of faith cannot be done.

I have perused the sins etc from the CofS site, and when I say perused I mean skimmed through, and too be honest there doesn't seem to be much in what mainstream people would class as Satanism, the stereo typical devil worshipper drinking blood from a skull, whilst slitting the throat of a virgin and all that.

Many heavy metal bands have the Baphomet goats head as a logo or on a album.

Originally posted by drunk
Many heavy metal bands have the Baphomet goats head as a logo or on a album.

Baphomet

ba=soul

the city of lost souls.

[edit on 12-1-2005 by Justanotherperson]

Originally posted by IhaveNoClue
Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.

Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

Do not harm little children. and...

When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.



Oh yes I'm sure if Satan had a church himself this rules would be followed to a tee. What's the point of members belonging to a chruch with rules that do not make sense dealing with the nature of the creation.

The thing with Satan is he is the great deceiver... He is hardly going to say...

Thou shalt kill babies on Sunday

Thou shalt sacrifice virgins in my honour

Come on think about it... the whole point of crazy sects like this is to lure people in under the pretence of actually being a rather nice organization. Only after time do they show there true colours. And before anyone says…

"Oh but Magus Anton Szandor LaVey clearly says that he does not worship the devil or harm anyone etc…"

Er... yeah ok... I want to make a point against the Israeli occupation of Palestine so I start a group called the Nazis??? Hmmm I don’t think so. Anyone with half the intelligence this bloke is supposed to have would not chose the word Satan to make a point to Christians. He could have called his little group anything he wanted but he chose a word that would deeply offend Christians and prevent most of them from ever reading the "clever" points he is trying to make.

It is not very clever to ask someone to stick there fingers in there ears before you try and make a point. Most of the people who read/follow this will have had a major gripe against Christians in the first place.

And as for the comment that Satanists are just “bad Christians” or “Rebelious Christians” The whole point of Satanists is that they REJECT Christ and his teachings!

Christians try to live there life according to Jesus teachings, Hence the term Chist-ians.

Let’s not forget that Hitler had Jewish blood. You don’t call a Nazi a rebellious Jew. That would have to be the most offensive thing you could say to our Jewish brothers and sisters.

Just my belief

Hope I haven’t offended anyone