Anton LaVey founder of the Church of Satan
First Church of Satan includes facts, discussion board, membership, and more
~Opinion Column~
Writen By dEd puppEt
~Research~
Also written by dEd puppEt
Q: What is Satanism?
A: At first glance this may look like a simple question to answer: "Go look it up in the dictionary." would seem to be straightforward enough. In fact, I'll do it for you:
Satanism, n. 1. the worship of Satan or the powers of evil. 2. a travesty of Christian rites in which Satan is worshiped. 3. Diabolical or satanic disposition, behavior, or action. Unfortunately it's not that easy. Throughout history, the label of "Satanism" has been applied variably by the opposing religious factions, by the practitioners themselves, by historical revisionists some time later, and by combinations of the above.
I will focus on active modern forms of self-proclaimed Satanism, and modern religious groups of undeniably dark character. It should be considered that since dark and/or forbidden gods exist in many cultures other than European-descended Christianity, forms of Satanism other than those familiar to English-speakers do exist and in some cases flourish, but can only be alluded to here. Unsurprisingly, there is no one set of beliefs that comprise modern Satanism. Because there is no set of doctrines or scriptures agreed, agreed upon by a majority of Satanists, would-be practitioners must define their beliefs for themselves, based upon a minimum of shared information. The issue is further confused by the fact that, historically, most records of real or imagined Satanism have been made by Satanists traditional enemies, Christians. However a few generalizations can be made: the average Satanist disagrees with much of Christianity, believes in no absolute moral code, and places emphasis on the individual and personal rights. If you think this sounds like Libertarianism, you're right; many Satanists consider themselves Libertarians or feel close to the party on social issues.
The one unifying theme among the Satanism’s is the last of the three dictionary definitions; one can say with some certainty that all Satanism’s and Satanists have diabolical or satanic dispositions in that they are "like Satan." They possess the virtues of antinomianism, self-reliance, rebellion and adversarialism. There are several divisions one could make as to the belief systems of various "Satanic" groups. This (arbitrary) division was included to point out various currents or influences in modern day Satanism rather than an attempt at categorization.
The Dabblers: adopt Satanic trappings for a brief period of time, usually for entertainment rather than serious purposes. Many modern youths fall into this category.
Churches of Satan: are patterned after the teachings of Anton LaVey. These groups believe in individualism, gratification of the ego, self-reliance and the ideal of the Nietzchean Superman. These groups use Magick as a tool for earthly power. They see Satan as the driving force behind achievement in mankind.
Gnostics: can be divided into two major categories 3a. Promethean Gnostics: Believe in a literal "Satan", but believe that the creator of the world (Jehovah) is the evil deity. Satan is seen as the "bringer of light"; a beneficent god. This is an old "heresy" seen in groups such as the Yezidis or the Ophites.
3b.
Dark Gnostics: Worship the dark force in nature. These groups follow the whims of a capricious god, which most westerners would see as being "evil." There are a few historical Christian heresies which would fall into this category. Kali worshipers could also be categorized here as a cross cultural example of a "Satanism."
Secondary Satanists: follow a faith outside the Christian mainstream. Most would not consider themselves as being "Satanic" and strictly speaking should not be defined as Satanists (as per se with some of the Gnostic groups), but the ignorant often categorize them as Satanists. Voodoo and Santeria could be grouped here, as could medieval witchcraft (if it actually existed). Certain forms of Tantric Buddhism could also be placed in this category.
Hellfire Clubs: Were a phenomenon of the 18th century, mentioned because of historical relevance to modern Satanism’s. The first of these was founded by the Duke of Wharton in the early 1700's. Most infamous was Sir Francis Dashwood's Medmenham club (Often incorrectly called the Hellfire Club). Dashwood was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin, who may have been a member of this group. Franklin's description of the Medmeham club's secret chambers is one of the few we have, so his membership seems likely. In any case, Dashwood and Franklin co-authored the "Franklin Prayer Book" (often called the Book of Common Prayer) which is commonly used in America. Another famous member of the Medmenham club was the Earl of Sandwich, inventor of (guess what) the Sandwich. Hellfire clubs were exclusive groups dedicated to much political intrigue, partying, and some occasional occult activities. Other similar groups included the Irish Brimstone Boys and Blue Blazers.
Romantic/Promethean Satanists Literary/historical "Satanists" -William Blake, Charles Baudelaire, Maupertin, Carducci, Lautremont and Gabriele D'Annunzio. Artists and romantics with "sympathy for the devil" have a long tradition; Satan being a great patron of the arts.
Left-Hand Path Pagans There are several European groups, most of them consisting of small "covens" of several people, that are or could be considered Satanists. Two of the larger of these groups are The Fraternity of Baelder and the Order of Nine Angles (ONA). These groups allegedly have longer traditions, and "more authentic" origins (whatever that might mean). ONA is especially fond of calling itself the "traditional Satanists." These groups tend to have more "extreme" views than the others mentioned, and have little, if any authoritarian structure.
Q: Are Satanists ritualistic baby murderers?
A: Some misleading reports exist about Satanists: they are organized into nationwide cults; they commit ritual murders on a grand scale; they raise their children with psychological disorders; they kidnap people for blood sacrifice; they organize day-care centers and abuse the children placed in their care. A whole class of books exists detailing the exploits of these Satanic groups. The problem with all these works is that they are fictional rather than truthful accounts. Much is claimed based on scanty evidence that would be better explained by another scenario. Claims of involvement with Satanism are made by patients under hypnosis (hypnotized subjects are notorious for their suggestibility and tendency to produce fictions). Other "former Satanists" distort the truth in search of attention and money.
These sensationalists never go to the police regarding the criminal activities they allegedly took part in, which calls the veracity of their claims and the sincerity of their remorse into question. Evidence does not exist to support what is said to occur. If the number of murders said to be committed by Satanists was accurate, some bodies should have been found by now. While means have been suggested by which bodies could be concealed, it stretches the imagination to believe that every body has been successfully hidden thus. Evidence in other areas is similarly lacking. Individuals investigating suspected Satanic crimes misinterpret what they find to fit their expectations. The Necronomicon, published by Avon Books, is used as an authoritative guide to Satanic practices.
Yet few Satanists take the book seriously in any way, and none follow it to the letter. This and other things lead some non-Satanists to see what simply is not there. It is interesting from a sociological point of view that many of the heinous crimes presently attributed to Satanists have, in the past, been applied to jews, midwives, lepers, protestants, moslems, and essentially anybody the Church or powers that be didn't like. This has been noted in a number of the books debunking the urban legends associated with Satanism. The observant reader may note that there have been a few crimes linked to Satanism. In all cases the criminal(s) worked alone with no connections to organized groups. Some cases have been publicized by the media as being related to Satanism when in fact they involve another religion, as in the Matamoros case, which involved some elements of Palo Mayombe (an African religion), and some rituals taken from popular motion pictures. The lesson to be learned is that although a book may appear in the "Non-fiction" section of a bookstore, that doesn't make it so.
There is a copy of an FBI report on "occult crime" archived at ftp.lysator.liu.se pub/religion/satanism/Crime/satanic_crime which shows what the FBI thinks of the claims of fundamentalists. There is also a good file on the subject at the same site pub/religion/satanism/General/general The most definitive book to date on the topic of rumors of Satanic cults involved in ritual murder/abuse is Satanic Panic; the Creation of a Contemporary Legend by Jeffrey S. Victor. Open Court Press, 1992
