What is Satanism?

Howard Anton Levey (a.k.a Anton Szandor LaVey) founded the Church of Satan in 1966 to cash in on the occult craze of the 1960's. LaVey's philosophy is one of hedonism and "free love" (hardly news for the 60's), and featured rituals with his nude wife and bare breasted female followers, which shows why males would want to join...even at the cost of $20 per meeting back then. LaVey didn't live up to his claims nor did he follow his own creed. Even though Satanism eschews charity of any kind, LaVey and his family lived on welfare and handouts during the late 70s-80s. Even though LaVey claimed Satanic magic could give "mastery of the earth", he still died bankrupt in a house he didn't own. LaVey lied about his accomplishments in life (i.e., an oboist for an orchestra, lion tamer, criminologist, etc.)and was in fact, just a high school dropout. While LaVey claimed he tried to "keep the nuts out" and disavowed criminal activity within his Satanic church, he admitted in several writings of engaging in a "cannibal feast" and forced females followers into prostitution...beating them when they did not bring back enough money. In the 1980s his common law wife Diane left him and sued, claiming LaVey beat her all during their relationship, which is confirmed by LaVey's children. LaVey claimed Satanists did not believe in harming children but according to his daughter Zeena, he was the passive witness to the molestation of his grandson Stanton, by a Church of Satan member. LaVey would reverse himself on many issues over the years. At first, the church of Satan welcomed gays and lesbians, but when LaVey saw the only people he could attract were mostly Neo-Nazis, his later writings gave hints of racism and of being anti-gay. After his death, the truth about him came out, but people still plunk down $7.95 for his "Satanic Bible", which is mostly plagiarized from other sources (Atlas Shrugged, Might Is Right, and the writings of Aleister Crowley) .

Of course most Satanists would tell you it's the "worship of the self". Most people who identify themselves as Satanists are the "LaVeyian" variety. Anton LaVey was a liar, fraud, bankrupt wife beating pimp. BTW, one idiot actually had the nerve to say "Everyone beat their wife in the fifties" when informed of this(even though he beat Diane from the 60's into the 80's). And no, not everyone did, and it was still wrong. This shows that rather than standing on their own two feet, Satanists slavishly make excuses for their cult figure, not unlike they way Scientologists do fo L. Ron Hubbard.

LaVey was apraoched by Avon books to wrote a book on witchcraft to cash in on the occult craze of the 1960's. He cobbled together "The Satanic Bible" from a forgotten right-wing political tract (Where of the material from the Book of Satan comes from), Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, and the superstitous occult material of John Dee.

LaVey never really seemed to know what Satanism was himself. Some of his writings seemed atheistic, at other times he called Satan "the dark side of nature" and often refers to Satan as a personification. One thing is for certian, the Satanic Bible gives specific instructions on timing, tools to be used, specific rituals for sex spells, revenge spells, etc (The Book of Belial)., and it seemed he expected results.

Eventually, people realized the spells didn't work, and so began the whole "Well, it's really a philosophy" excuse. In the 1980's, when LaVey was living in poverty he then claimed he was shunning consumer materialism ( a complete role reversal from "Indulgence instead of abstinence!") ala Pee Wee Herman's "I meant to do that!"

LaVey claimed that nuts were given "the bum's rush" when trying to join the Church of Satan, but clearly nut was in the eye of the beholder. LaVey has admited to holding a "Cannibal feast" of a human leg in at least 3 books. The Satanic Bible &Satanic Rituals certainly describe many things most normal people would consider pychotic such as Nude girl is used as an altar (Satanic Bible, Satanic Rituals)A human skull is used in Die Elektrischen Vorspiele ritual (Satanic Rituals, p. 109)Human leg bone or arm bone is used in Homage to Tchort ritual (p.137)
Woman dressed as nun urinates before group into a bedpan in the Black Mass ritual (p.43) Urine is then sprinkled like holy water (p.44)Man climbs into coffin with nude woman (or nude man if he is gay) in Le Epais ritual (p.59).

As a "philosophy", Satanism could be boiled down to hedonism, which was hardly a new idea in the 1960's. Oddly enough, most Satanists don't fit the bill as swingers. Some seem to lead fairly uneventful lives. Here's an example:

"I've been forced to give up coffee - the acid was responsible for a minor ulcer and I can no longer take any chances with my health. This was my solitary vice - now it is gone. I do not drink, do not smoke, do not use recreational drugs and have nothing remotely resembling a sex life!"
--"Lord" Egan of "The First Church of Satan"

Wow! What a swinger! So then the picture begins to develop that Satanism is not so much a philosophy of life as it is a fantasy; a means to escape a life not worth living.

To anyone intersested in becoming a Satanist, my advice is to rethink the whole thing and try reading something more worth while and life affirming, like C.S. Lewis.

yeah, it's a religion.

yes dummie, you worship satan and do anything you can to go against god!!!!!!!!! which sounds as silly as christianity if u think about it.

If you mean "are there people who call themselves satanists", the answer is yes.
If you mean "is satan real", the answer is no.

I'm an Atheist, but I have to say, I do have respect for their beliefs.

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.

You can read more about it here. http://altreligion.about.com/od/satanism/Satanism.htm

most christians will tell you it is

but it's really just standing up for your rights, respecting yourself and believing in what can be known vs what is possibly believed

it's going with what is, vs what is told to believe and be loyal to

it's about using common sense and what you have, vs "gifts" you must ask for

it's about believing in the power of Dark or natural state vs light and what happens when it burns out, overcome by darkness again

it's about perception and awakening, about using tact and about using your knowledge wisely among the ignorant who chose bliss over reality

In nut shell Satanist believe Satan got a bad wrap for disagreeing with God and was unjustly punished. That angels weren't given the right to free will they seized it and revolted. They believe God is the one who is not being honest. Question if what Satan did was so wrong then why did so many angels follow Satan? I'm Wiccan and not a Satanist but I believe I have this pretty close to correct.

Satanism is just not doing God's will. There are only two sides, either you are with God or Satan.

satanism is the abscence of God.