Post by stinky666 on Jul 28, 2004 16:01:18 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]This is for those who dont know what satanists are and what they do[/glow]
Satan and his various manifestations have been worshiped and revered for thousands of years. However, many people are confused over what makes one a Satanist. Some people think that anyone who believes in any religion other than their own is worshipping Satan, while others believe that any religion other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam is Satanism. Still others believe that such religions as Santeria, Wicca, New Age, Druidism, and other neopagan religions are Satanism. However, true Satanists are none of the above.
Contemporary Satanism began April 30, 1966 when Anton Szandor LaVey, a former carnival barker, founded the Church of Satan in San Francisco. LaVey wrote books titled The Satanic Bible, The Compleat Witch (later revised as The Satanic Witch), and The Satanic Rituals to explain his view of Satanism. According to LaVey, Satanists have an entirely different vision of Satan than Christians do: Satan does not live in or rule Hell; he does not have horns, cloven hooves, a tail, and a pitchfork; and he is not evil. Nor do Satanists worship him as a living deity; the Church of Satan explains that “Satan is used as a purely symbolic figure. . . . Satanists do not even believe in the existence of any Gods or Devils.” Instead, the church maintains that Satan is a force of energy, power, and sexuality, and a symbol of vitality, pleasure, and hedonism. Satanism is “essentially a religion of the self; it holds that the individual and his personal needs comes first,” LaVey asserts. In fact, the holiest day for a Satanist is his or her own birthday.
The core beliefs of Satanism are found in the Nine Satanic Statements, written by LaVey in The Satanic Bible. They are: 1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence! 2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams! 3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit! 4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates! 5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek! 6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires! 7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all! 8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification! 9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!
However, not all Satanists necessarily believe or follow all of these statements; since Satanism worships the self, it is a highly individualistic religion and the beliefs may vary widely from one Satanist to the next.
Satanism is recognized as a religion in the United States; the U.S. Army, for example, includes Satanism in its pamphlet, Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains. Although it is difficult to determine how many people are Satanists (the Church of Satan does not release membership information), the Army handbook estimated that there were between 10,000 and 20,000 Satanists in the United States when it was published in 1978.
Most Satanists are adults who are serious about their beliefs. But Satanism also attracts teenagers, who are frequently “dabblers”-that is, as an act of rebellion against their parents or society, they practice Satanism, usually for a short period of time. These teen Satanists’ numbers are almost impossible to count as they do not belong to any organized satanic church (most organized satanic churches-such as the Church of Satan- require that members be eighteen years old to join). These dabblers sometimes engage in criminal activity such as vandalism and grave desecration, trespassing, and consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs. Researchers who study teen Satanists contend that the thrill of law-breaking makes Satanism even more exciting to them.
Many people, especially conservative Christians, view Satanism and Satanists as far more threatening, however. Their concerns are based on Gothic Satanism, which first appeared during the Middle Ages. According to Church leaders of the time, Satanists were evil incarnate: They sold their souls to the devil, killed children in ritual ceremonies, changed shapes between animals and humans, flew on broomsticks, conducted Black Masses, and performed black magic to harm others. Some people believe that Satanists continue to practice many of these evil deeds, especially human sacrifice and ritual abuse.
The first modern accounts of satanic ritual abuse and satanic human sacrifice appeared during the late 1970s and continued into the early 1990s. Since then, the reports have tapered off. The first cases consisted of several women who came forward independently and reported that they had recovered long-repressed memories of their sexual abuse and torture as children by satanic groups, some of which included members of their families. These women were from different parts of the country, yet their stories of sexual abuse, ritual murder of babies, cannibalism, and blood drinking were very similar. Then children in day care centers across the country began telling comparable stories of how they were sexually abused, were witnesses to murders in hidden rooms, and were forced to eat feces and the flesh of victims.
In response to these claims, some therapists, law enforcement, and judicial officials theorized that an extremely organized secret network of Satanists was responsible for the violence. They estimated that Satanists were performing-and getting away with-as many as 50,000 ritual murders every year. Furthermore, they claimed, leaders of the conspiracy were noted members of the community-government and law enforcement officials, teachers, lawyers, and doctors. Because of their importance in the community, these leaders were able to keep their satanic activities secret.
Occasionally, child molesters, serial killers, and other criminals claim to be Satanists, asserting that “the Devil made me do it” or that they killed for the glory of Satan. Some infamous killers who claim to be Sa- tanists include Charles Manson, “Son of Sam” serial killer David Berkowitz, and “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez. Ramirez carved a pentagram- a star with five points that is a symbol of Satanism-into his left hand and left court one day shouting “Hail Satan!”
Satanists claim, however, that Gothic Satanism is a myth that was spread by church officials in the Middle Ages to frighten and persecute personal enemies and anyone who was different. Modern Satanists assert, in fact, that their religion expressly forbids human or animal sacrifice. According to LaVey, “Satanism respects and exalts life. Children and animals are the purest expressions of that life force, and as such are held sacred and precious.” Therefore, he adds, it would be very unsatanic to sacrifice or abuse either children or animals.
Many law enforcement officials have carefully investigated claims of satanic abuse and ritual murder and have not found any evidence that these crimes-as described by the survivors-have been committed. Kenneth V. Lanning, a supervisory special agent with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, Virginia, studied reports of satanic ritual abuse and ritual murder and concluded in a 1992 report that it is extremely unlikely that the claims of ritual abuse and murder are true: “If and when members of a destructive cult commit murders, they are bound to make mistakes, leave evidence, and eventually make admissions in order to brag about their crimes or reduce their legal liability.” He adds that law enforcement officials searched for evidence for eight years and found “little or no evidence” to support claims of satanic ritual abuse and ritual murder. He adds:
Until hard evidence is obtained and corroborated, the public should not be frightened into believing that babies are being bred and eaten, that 50,000 missing children are being murdered in human sacrifices, or that satanists are taking over America’s day care centers or institutions.
Satanism is a frightening religion to many people, and sometimes out of their fear come bizarre claims and allegations. At Issue: Satanism examines some of these claims and provides a broad perspective of what Satanism is and the controversies surrounding its beliefs and practices.
Satan and his various manifestations have been worshiped and revered for thousands of years. However, many people are confused over what makes one a Satanist. Some people think that anyone who believes in any religion other than their own is worshipping Satan, while others believe that any religion other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam is Satanism. Still others believe that such religions as Santeria, Wicca, New Age, Druidism, and other neopagan religions are Satanism. However, true Satanists are none of the above.
Contemporary Satanism began April 30, 1966 when Anton Szandor LaVey, a former carnival barker, founded the Church of Satan in San Francisco. LaVey wrote books titled The Satanic Bible, The Compleat Witch (later revised as The Satanic Witch), and The Satanic Rituals to explain his view of Satanism. According to LaVey, Satanists have an entirely different vision of Satan than Christians do: Satan does not live in or rule Hell; he does not have horns, cloven hooves, a tail, and a pitchfork; and he is not evil. Nor do Satanists worship him as a living deity; the Church of Satan explains that “Satan is used as a purely symbolic figure. . . . Satanists do not even believe in the existence of any Gods or Devils.” Instead, the church maintains that Satan is a force of energy, power, and sexuality, and a symbol of vitality, pleasure, and hedonism. Satanism is “essentially a religion of the self; it holds that the individual and his personal needs comes first,” LaVey asserts. In fact, the holiest day for a Satanist is his or her own birthday.
The core beliefs of Satanism are found in the Nine Satanic Statements, written by LaVey in The Satanic Bible. They are: 1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence! 2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams! 3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit! 4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates! 5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek! 6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires! 7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all! 8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification! 9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!
However, not all Satanists necessarily believe or follow all of these statements; since Satanism worships the self, it is a highly individualistic religion and the beliefs may vary widely from one Satanist to the next.
Satanism is recognized as a religion in the United States; the U.S. Army, for example, includes Satanism in its pamphlet, Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains. Although it is difficult to determine how many people are Satanists (the Church of Satan does not release membership information), the Army handbook estimated that there were between 10,000 and 20,000 Satanists in the United States when it was published in 1978.
Most Satanists are adults who are serious about their beliefs. But Satanism also attracts teenagers, who are frequently “dabblers”-that is, as an act of rebellion against their parents or society, they practice Satanism, usually for a short period of time. These teen Satanists’ numbers are almost impossible to count as they do not belong to any organized satanic church (most organized satanic churches-such as the Church of Satan- require that members be eighteen years old to join). These dabblers sometimes engage in criminal activity such as vandalism and grave desecration, trespassing, and consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs. Researchers who study teen Satanists contend that the thrill of law-breaking makes Satanism even more exciting to them.
Many people, especially conservative Christians, view Satanism and Satanists as far more threatening, however. Their concerns are based on Gothic Satanism, which first appeared during the Middle Ages. According to Church leaders of the time, Satanists were evil incarnate: They sold their souls to the devil, killed children in ritual ceremonies, changed shapes between animals and humans, flew on broomsticks, conducted Black Masses, and performed black magic to harm others. Some people believe that Satanists continue to practice many of these evil deeds, especially human sacrifice and ritual abuse.
The first modern accounts of satanic ritual abuse and satanic human sacrifice appeared during the late 1970s and continued into the early 1990s. Since then, the reports have tapered off. The first cases consisted of several women who came forward independently and reported that they had recovered long-repressed memories of their sexual abuse and torture as children by satanic groups, some of which included members of their families. These women were from different parts of the country, yet their stories of sexual abuse, ritual murder of babies, cannibalism, and blood drinking were very similar. Then children in day care centers across the country began telling comparable stories of how they were sexually abused, were witnesses to murders in hidden rooms, and were forced to eat feces and the flesh of victims.
In response to these claims, some therapists, law enforcement, and judicial officials theorized that an extremely organized secret network of Satanists was responsible for the violence. They estimated that Satanists were performing-and getting away with-as many as 50,000 ritual murders every year. Furthermore, they claimed, leaders of the conspiracy were noted members of the community-government and law enforcement officials, teachers, lawyers, and doctors. Because of their importance in the community, these leaders were able to keep their satanic activities secret.
Occasionally, child molesters, serial killers, and other criminals claim to be Satanists, asserting that “the Devil made me do it” or that they killed for the glory of Satan. Some infamous killers who claim to be Sa- tanists include Charles Manson, “Son of Sam” serial killer David Berkowitz, and “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez. Ramirez carved a pentagram- a star with five points that is a symbol of Satanism-into his left hand and left court one day shouting “Hail Satan!”
Satanists claim, however, that Gothic Satanism is a myth that was spread by church officials in the Middle Ages to frighten and persecute personal enemies and anyone who was different. Modern Satanists assert, in fact, that their religion expressly forbids human or animal sacrifice. According to LaVey, “Satanism respects and exalts life. Children and animals are the purest expressions of that life force, and as such are held sacred and precious.” Therefore, he adds, it would be very unsatanic to sacrifice or abuse either children or animals.
Many law enforcement officials have carefully investigated claims of satanic abuse and ritual murder and have not found any evidence that these crimes-as described by the survivors-have been committed. Kenneth V. Lanning, a supervisory special agent with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, Virginia, studied reports of satanic ritual abuse and ritual murder and concluded in a 1992 report that it is extremely unlikely that the claims of ritual abuse and murder are true: “If and when members of a destructive cult commit murders, they are bound to make mistakes, leave evidence, and eventually make admissions in order to brag about their crimes or reduce their legal liability.” He adds that law enforcement officials searched for evidence for eight years and found “little or no evidence” to support claims of satanic ritual abuse and ritual murder. He adds:
Until hard evidence is obtained and corroborated, the public should not be frightened into believing that babies are being bred and eaten, that 50,000 missing children are being murdered in human sacrifices, or that satanists are taking over America’s day care centers or institutions.
Satanism is a frightening religion to many people, and sometimes out of their fear come bizarre claims and allegations. At Issue: Satanism examines some of these claims and provides a broad perspective of what Satanism is and the controversies surrounding its beliefs and practices.
