Reply #31: Satranism without christians?

[undergroundpanther]

I doubt it.
Just like Fundamentalist Christianity can't exist without a Satan to have something for jesus to save us from.
Alot of LaVeyans(not all) are basically fundamentalists for the dark side,hedonists and bullies who like to don devil masks and puff themselves up playing bad ass.They are elitist, into might makes right,Neitzche,Ayn Rand.(read the 5 satanic points).The Satanic bible by Lavey is a collection of reworded and ripped off material from Ragnar redbeard,Crowley Neitzche,Ayn Rand ect.)

The devils for Satanists are in the shapes of human empathy,caring for others,sharing and tenderness,self denial for something other than self, and the biggie is vunerability and losing control. It's all about maintaining an image.

In my experince Satanists are a terribly insecure bunch, bitterly fighting amongs each other ,trying to look wealthyier than they are to impress or act more "cultured" than they are,whilst carping and calling each other shit disturbers,and being abusive verbally to one another,especially the "outsiders looking in".

I myself got sick of the mind games satanists play for power and prestige and group admiration.It went againstt my heretic self.I was disgusted at the limits and shackles people put on each other in the name of "freedom from shackles" in the church Hierarchy and titles games involved in Satanism ..Laveyan Satanism is slanted right politically even though they deny it.Their favorite phlosophers are right leaning,The First sentance in the Satanic Bible after the intro is is Death to the Weakling/ wealth to the strong..
Satanists have a hard time with concepts of strength/weakness.
They can't define either word really yet they puff up and humiliate each other with these emotionally laden terms.Psychological abuse is rampant among Satanists because they are all about power and might makes right.

My own politics was subtly shifted to the right,after a time of involvement with the church I was not too aware of it until I looked at some changes I had made and I didn't like it,So I reverted back to my progressive self..Sick group mileus of any sort not just Satanic ones,can do this kind of mind warping to anyone involved in one..And you need not be"weak" to be influenced by it.

In thier Cloven hoof magazine in the mid 90's they interveiewed the likes of World Church of the Creator and other right exteremists as if they were legitamate organizations.Racists right wing groups would seek out Satanists on alt.Satanism for thier own ranks. There was a rivalry and later a fallout over this right leaning political stance in the Church with Tani A lady of questionable origins and credentials with some serious psychological issues who claimed membership in the JDL,who yammers about her devil incarnate the Klippoths.She is obsessed with them. She was a magestra was working with a small group of Satanists called "Satanic reds" a commie outfit with an eastern flavor ,and the same rigid control issues that later broke off of the Church of Satan(or was expelled).

I myself got out of Satanism because I got tired of the petty control freaks,manipulating assholes and suck-ups and the endless ya ya and verbal abusiveness rampant in the church.I wasen't into that kind of scene and sometimes you really don't know the scene until you get into it sometimes and see for yourself.I was pissed off so I gave 'em shit online for about a year and wrote a website critial of Satanism called The Bifid Barb.

Not many people really discussed deeper mysterious things in Laveyan groups because there was alot of posing,hedonism and social climbing /backstabbing games and theatrical orderly rituals. They dare not look insane rambling on about visions or spirits. I know for a fact No animals are sacrificed in Laveyan Satanism,and to Laveyans the Devil is an icon,not really a real being.Ritual is used as psychodrama and self amusement/emotional release. It is a way to manipulate the will of others.More like an S/m scene with psychodramatic overtones in a magical-like context.It ain't spiuritual.

However Egan's group, First Church of Satan is a little more spiritual and magickal than LaVey's group.His outfit was made as a disgusted frustrated answer to the Laveyans athiestic anti spirituality and control games. But Egan has serious psychologial issues himself and he has some skeletons in his own closet,and his church is a money maker for him..And Egan adopted the hierarchy he said he dispised,and from outward appearances has adopted a few of Lavey's faults.

Satan to me is like a shattered shadow he is a one trick pony.He is a limited thing.Just like Jesus is.When that fundamentalist symbiotic thing of good/evil is seen as your entire belief framework it gets old.

Yes it is good to face how ugly a person can become when infatuated with the illusion of control and power.I think it can be healthy to the human psyche for some people to openly and floridly explore the dark side of themselves..but be aware in the dynamics in any "church" there are mindgames and control issues that have nothing to do with understanding the satan.jesus mythos.Some issues in any organized church may have nothing to do with your own foray into the depths of darkness either,and in fact might be unhealthy for you.
IMHO if you wish to explore Satanism do it as an independant practitioner,or with a few trusted freinds.Groups of chronies can get sick in the head when power is their goal..look at the bush white house if you need an example.

The Gnostic understandings of the Christian/Evil phenomena go much deeper than what Satanism or your standard Christian church ever could offer.If you are looking to understand the darker side of life read the Gnostic texts,Nag Hammadi,The Jesus mysteries,Or Elaine Pagels.

Spirituality has many facets to see and they are varied as people are.Christianity and Satanism are a symbiotic thing.For Christianities' restraint there is Satanic excesses,eventually if you are exploring these things because you are striving for spiritual wholeness and to truly see beyond the trappings of culture ,you will move past both extremes into your own ethical/spiritual balance and understanding and you won't need a savior or a boogeyman anymore.The great mysterious will become clearer when it no longer requires masks,dancingf around emotional baggage, and limited cultural frameworks to be able to relate to you .
Happy spiritual spelunking,

Underground Panther in the Sky