Personally, I don't actually believe in organised religions (as far as I can see...), but from what I know, I must question the idea that any organization that is affiliated with Satan, either openly or secretly, would not be the real problem. I thought that Satan worked indirectly: as near as I can tell, if a secret organization is trying to control the world, they would be under the influence that they are doing the right thing, as they have been fooled into accepting the wrong ideas and accepting them as somehow moral; as such, the real danger to those who are religiously active would be from within, and the weapons used would be coruption and ignorance.
Feel free to tear this idea apart, as I aren't an expert in this field, but please actively consider what I am saying here.

Interestingly Satanism doesn't actually believe in Satan. The people who call themselves Satanists do so because they were called such by Christians. They are actually Secular Humanists who commonly believe in the use of magik.

What comparitive religions scholars now regard as Satanism was popularized by the writings and speeches of Anton LeVey and his philosophies. One of the most controversy causing being that each of the Christian seven deadly sins is actually a good thing.

The religion was started as a backlash against Christianity and Paganism more than anything else and they have really failed to attract a large following.

Blessed Be
~Astral

I know God. I have seen evil. The mouths of them that are not, destroy the will of man as the image of God. If you are a god you are not. When you act as a god you deny God. The fallen have infected the earth and this notion that man is of himself. No one but God gave forth fruit as knowledge and no one lives who knows the fruit of man. Your flesh will fall to the dust of God and his will. Your will is unseen but, by God. How you come from the dust is by the will of God. Christ is your example. Destruction is not of God and the Angels who fell are of this earth. Who do you think is destroying this earth and calling it a New Order? Time is up. Make your choice, you have no choice. Ancient orders are the work of angels that have rebelled. They have taken God and his creation as a magician does with an atom. It has always been in the sleave of what is. Do not be fooled by foolish acts. Fear not, go with God. There is a Devil, but he is just a measure of your will. Do not accuse yourself by his example.

You are correct,
the devil worshipers bible is like a wiken bible-very earthy. Most people have never seen it and only take what they hear on the "godbox"-tv- as what it is. Go read it and see for yourself.

I had had a discussion about the Satanic Bible with an extreme Catholic. At first, I would ask him questions like "how do you feel about..." or "how would you react if...", without ever saying my questions were from the Satanic Bible; he agreed with most of it.

At least, until I told him what source I was quoting from...

Then, naturally, I told him that the people who do follow that Bible do believe in God, and yes, they are allowed to ask forgiveness, if they wish, upon their death bed, knowing God must save them.

Want to know what he told me?

"I don't believe in Satan. To do so would give him more power." Which was at odds with me... how can you have God and Heaven without the Devil or Hell? Especially being Catholic?

It was just interesting, that Satanists do fundamentally good things, and enjoy life to its fullest (unlike the TV and movie portrails), while acknowledging in God, all the while Catholics are automatically condemned to Hell, cannot enjoy life without going to Hell, and cannot except that there is a Satan...

Those wacky Catholics.

Satinism = fetishistic attachment to smooth black polyester bedding.

I had wanted to say something like that, but didn't want to be accused of a one liner!

Originally posted by The Astral City
Interestingly Satanism doesn't actually believe in Satan. The people who call themselves Satanists do so because they were called such by Christians. They are actually Secular Humanists who commonly believe in the use of magik.

Thank you... saves me from saying it! (note my title)

What comparitive religions scholars now regard as Satanism was popularized by the writings and speeches of Anton LeVey and his philosophies. One of the most controversy causing being that each of the Christian seven deadly sins is actually a good thing.

The religion was started as a backlash against Christianity and Paganism more than anything else and they have really failed to attract a large following.

Blessed Be
~Astral

Exactly. Anton LaVey basically used the term 'Satanist' to let the outsiders know that this was a church with basis against christianity. What LaVey got his beginnings from was seeing men out on a saturday night drinking excessivly, being adulterers, and basically doing every sin they could, then seeing the same men with their families the next day in church having all their sins forgiven. He was tired of watching the hypocrosy, week after week, year after year. He knew how he should be living his life, and formed the Satanic Church on these fundamentals of anti-hypocracy.

We Humanists live life by many laws. I personally don't go with every law set forth by the Satanic Church, but I do adhere to a couple laws...

The 11 Satanic Rules of the Earth (asterix by the ones I follow strongly... how many do you follow just by human nature?)

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 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 and he cries out to be relieved.
*7 Acknowledge the power of magick if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magick after having called upon it with success, you will lose all that 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.

These are LaVeyism rules. Quite honorable, if you ask me.
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Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
Satinism = fetishistic attachment to smooth black polyester bedding.

LMAO!
I prefer silk... doesn't melt
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Palm Beach (Florida) Post, March 31, 1990

... Satanism? Exorcism? Was O'Connor seriously suggesting that demons were loose in the land?

... the cardinal did say ... that demonic possession is "very rare," and that exorcisms are not conducted unless psychological or medical possibilities are first ruled out ... Still, the fact that they are performed at all seems remarkable in an age when literal belief of demons is widely viewed my Roman Catholic theologians as a naive medieval holdover.

... The official baptism ritual, which included an ancient exorcism formula ("Accursed devil, come forward and acknowledge your comdemnation..."), today concentrates on asking God to fullfill the child with his grace rather than expelling the power of darkness.

...Rome still holds fast to belief in Satan: In a 1986 sermon, Pope John Paul II insisted upon the reality of a personal devil and recognized the possibility of demonic possession. The secret draft for a forthcoming Catechism for the Universal Church... continues the traditional teachings about Satan and fallen angels.

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The churches, as far as I have observed, use Satan (the Devil, Lucifer, Mephistopholes, whatever) as a fer tactic, much as a parent uses Santa Clause to keep kids obedient. They give Satan a body, and wings, and horns, and foul smells, and fire, and cloven hoofs, whatnot. They say you will burn for eternity in a lake of fire (I suspect this was taken from a sacraficial practice of throwing people into volcanoes, but it's just a guess...). The same churches also use 'Satan' as the embodiment of evil, or the ideal of evil. In this case, Satan is admittedly not a real entity. Seems like they are more confused than anything... or creating confusion, therof... and saying not to question it, just have faith. Gotta love it!

Originally posted by soothsayer


"I don't believe in Satan. To do so would give him more power." Which was at odds with me... how can you have God and Heaven without the Devil or Hell? Especially being Catholic?

So, God cannot exist without the Devil and vice versa. They are like the yin and yang of the universe...interesting...

It's like riding a Harley. Unless you ride, there is no explaination possible, if you do, there is non needed. The Devil put the piston pin 2 degrees off dead center. Thats what gave it that real thumper feel that people love and that is why they needed a tool box. Fun to ride as long as you could ride the junk. Then came the EVO and now the REVO. Japenese and German design. Nothing like American Iron, cause we do not produce iron here no mo. We just assemble our myths.