LaVeyan satanists ARE EVIL!

Alright so the name of this religion just kinda gets under my skin. Long Story Short, I got into a huge argument with someone about it and now I feel kinda bad for not denying my own ignorance. So while I don't believe in this religion I might as well research it and share it here on ATS.

So what is LeVeyan Satanism?

Founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey, its teachings are based on individualism, self-control, and a "eye for an eye" morality. LaVeyan Satanism does not involve the literal worship of any being other than the self, but actually uses "Satan" as a symbol of carnality and earthly values, of man's inherent nature, and of a cosmos which Satanists perceive to be permeated and motivated by a force that has been given many names by man over the course of time.

Founding

On Walpurgisnacht of 1966, Anton LaVey began the Church of Satan. Beforehand, he had given lectures from his home, the infamous Black House, charging two dollars for admittance. He formed a "Magic Circle" with his closest associates, with ceremonial magic. It was suggested to LaVey that he had enough material to start an organized religion.

Beliefs

In his most important essay, "Satanism: The Feared Religion", the Church of Satan's current leader Peter H. Gilmore states:

Satanists do not believe in the supernatural, in neither God nor the Devil. To the Satanist, he is his own God. Satan is a symbol of Man living as his prideful, carnal nature dictates. The reality behind Satan is simply the dark evolutionary force of entropy that permeates all of nature and provides the drive for survival and propagation inherent in all living things. Satan is not a conscious entity to be worshipped, rather a reservoir of power inside each human to be tapped at will. Thus any concept of sacrifice is rejected as a Christian aberration—in Satanism there’s no deity to which one can sacrifice.

Source

en.wikipedia.org...

Personal Thoughts After Research

Quite honestly I much prefer a very similar philosophy called Objectivism. But anyways, I thought I would share. I made the mistake of judging someone before I even knew what they were talking about.

My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute. — Ayn Rand, Appendix to Atlas Shrugged

(Sorry for posting this in the wrong forum if I did. I've been doing that a lot lately.)

I'm sure some are evil, just as some christians are evil, the same goes for all other religions or beliefs.

reply to post by drew1749


They can belive/Worship what they want, seems like they certainly havent do any harm to anyone yet, Unlike some of the many other religions i could mention.....

reply to post by TedHodgson


I didn't say they couldn't believe what they want.

Well when I was arguing with my friend about it I was saying stuff like that. But I was being stupid...it happens sometimes.

Sammy Davis Jr was a member, as was Jane Mansfield.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/240446cdcf51.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by drew1749


Taken from a satanist (not Laveyan even though I agree with many of their ideas), that is roughly a way to call a Western version of a Taoist, I can tell you that satanism is not as "Evil" as its father institution, the Roman Catholic Church. While there were "satanic" empire of the past who authored massive crimes against humanity, none of these was so successful in its planetary reign of terror and death than the Church was (especially if we include the British and American empires into it). But what we call "satanism" is thousands of years older, as a spirituality, science and philosophy than Christianity.

"Satan" comes from the Hebrew "Shatan", which means nothing else that an "opposing force", may it be political, military, spiritual or whatever else. By religious and cultural twisting through History, it became amalgamated with Lucifer, Baphomet, and that infamous pagan goat-headed figure (originally named "Pan" in ancient Greece, who was a musician, proto-terrorist and mostly a good guy!).

The idea of the force of enthropy driving creation (evolution) in nature is correct, since the forces of excess, born from their restriction, create new forms of life. Or in other words, EXTREMES ARE NECESSARY TO CREATE BALANCE. Without darkness, there is no light; without destruction, no creation, and vice versa. All things in nature live accordingly to this beautiful balance, symbiosis, which cannot be obtained without day and night, Moon and Sun, hot and cold, and Earth and Skies.

What is deeply wrong in our Western mentality is this habit to see light as "good" and darkness as "evil". Hence the insane explosions of murderous hatred that we can witness there and there (like serial/mass killings, racial tensions, etc), who are born be born from a repudiation of conflict and violence in the ordinary world. Same goes for deviant sexual crimes, originating from a repression of more normal sexual behaviors. Why else do you think there are so many paedophiles in the Church?

The Universe is relativistic, so is all natural life that thrives within it, as everything grows from a collaboration of interacting bodies into systems. Objectivism is another illusion created by romantic-era positivists, who had a lot to do with Christianity and/or platonicism. It is essentially an idealistic paradigm which negates the observation of the facts of nature upon themselves by imposing an abstract intellectual order on phenomenons, thus negating alternative perspectives and complete understanding of processes and dynamics.

I recommend you to study Epicurian philosophy, especially from Lucretia, all up to Nietzsche. Very enlightening, in dark, down-to-earth ways!

Originally posted by Yummy Freelunch
Sammy Davis Jr was a member, as was Jane Mansfield.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/240446cdcf51.jpg[/atsimg]

LaVey always had that sense of spectacle!

reply to post by drew1749


Thanks, that was a very objective and moderate report. I was not a Satanist per se, but studied their philosophy as well as was a student under LaVey's former High Priest. I was briefly acquainted with LaVey's daughter as well.

I have read off some of LaVey's writing straight out of his Satanic Bible to some staunch Christian friends of mine - without telling them the source - and they were very agreeable with the philosophy. They were until I told them where it came from.

As philosophies go it is very Individualist as you mentioned. For someone who likes the Satanic trappings it can be a lot of fun. I don't see much harm it it, no more than any organized religion. Only problem is that his Satanism tends to attract some who may be a bit off-kilter, not unlike ATS. But like ATS there are some very solid and down-to-earth intelligent types that tend to have a longer relationship with the philosophy than the aforementioned types.

The full-dress rituals can be a lot of fun. F&S for you.

I can't take these people seriously; it has a huckster-ish edge to me, like Scientology. Seems kind of plastic and fake, IMHO.

Originally posted by silent thunder
I can't take these people seriously; it has a huckster-ish edge to me, like Scientology. Seems kind of plastic and fake, IMHO.

That is partly the idea, a lot of trappings just to set the mood. If they wanted to appear "normal" there are better ways to go about it. Part of the idea is to be a bit outlandish. There is probably some "hucksterism" to any organized religion. The only real pretense on these guy's part is out in-front. In this case you get what you pay for.

Really though, someone that feels on the outside of the mainstream, a young person looking for his place in the cosmos can get a fairly good philosophical education starting here. LaVey's Satanism opens the door to someone to take an interest in OTO or A.A. which really demands someone hit the books. There are a lot worse religions to get involved in, some very popular and conservative ones if hucksterism is your concern.

reply to post by Echtelion


Wow, nice! Thanks for that well explained reply. Copied for future reference. It is posts such as yours that keeps me coming back to learn and become enlightened.

Thanks!

reply to post by drew1749


Back in 2002 I was a sophmore in High school and was into the "goth scene." The whole gang of goths at my school consisted of 2 of my friends and me haha. But anyways at one point we bought a copy of the Satanic Bible, by Anton LaVey and read the whole thing... Much of what you wrote about it was correct but one thing I remember pretty prominently was that instead of eye for an eye it was something like If you smite me on one cheek I'll smash you on the other. It was based on obtaining a revenge by doing something worse to the person who hurt you. Anyway, when I got to the rituals and # in the back of the book I gave the whole thing up as a piece of crap. I don't believe in those things.

reply to post by totalmetal


According to one of my sources,

Mr.LaVey edited that version to fit his own agenda. At least to a certain extent. I didn't do much research on that book but according to legend didn't someone sell their soul to the devil for the information inside that book? (The original) I don't remember the story...but yeah. It's interesting stuff...not the kinda thing I buy into though.

There is one major difference between LaVeyan Satanism and Rand's objectivism. In satanism, people act selfishly, even at the expense of others. In objectivism, you live for your self, but not at the expense of others as in satanism.

"I swear—by my life and my love of it—that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

-Ayn Rand

Of course, I'm no expert on Satanism, so feel free to correct me. But that is the way I have come to understand it.

reply to post by BobbinHood


I'm not a Satanist myself either. I personally like Objectivism a lot more than Satanism...mainly because Objectivism is optimistic, Satanism isn't. Also Satanism is a religion...Objectivism isn't.

I have a religion already...having two might be a bit much.

I live across the river from St.Louis.. where the Temple of Set is based. Aquino was with LaVey and was inthe TOS but left over "differences" and started the temple of Set.. much darker and more theistic. Not sideshowish like LaVey.. who actually was a Carnie at one point in his life. ToS is federally recognized, an established religion. Aquino was also in the military.. long story.

ANyhoo.. take a look at it. Google or whatever. Interesting stuff. Particularly interesting are the people involved in it.. and the military bveing okay with it and his involvement for something like 20 years.

Where are the moderators?

16 minutes of spambot rampage so far.

I've made many great LaVeyan Satanic friends on ATS, and they are good people.
Nothing in Satanism tells you that you must be selfish and hateful.
However, if you do end up hating somebody, then don't feel guilty.
Defending yourself when attacked is not evil.
Deflecting emotions with the psychodrama of a curse is not evil, but positively healthy.
Praying down the "vengeance of the Lord" is quite acceptable in mainstream religion.
LaVeyan Satanism is good, because helping others often selfishly allows us to prosper too.

Exactly how many LaVeyan Satanists have blown up themselves and civilians due to some religious interpretation?
Where in the world are they dropping bombs and oppressing people?
Exactly how are they evil when compared to other religions?