Many Satanic groups try to emulate organized religion and this is something that I have railed against for years! It is not necessarily their fault since most Satanists come from Christian backgrounds. As modern Satanism matures, this may change.
Many Satanic groups try to emulate organized religion and this is something that I have railed against for years! It is not necessarily their fault since most Satanists come from Christian backgrounds. As modern Satanism matures, this may change.
The "adversarial aspect" of Satanism came as a result of religious dualism, the belief that the universe is divided by two mutually exclusive forces (good and evil) opposed to one another.
While, this idea can demonstrate the beautiful tension between polarities and is a part of many major religions, it can also be dangerous. This idea can be used to affect the brain. It may cause the psyche to also fragment and divide, convincing the believer that the enemies of their god must be evil and therefore, destroyed! This is the cause of suicide bombings in the Middle East. The next time a religious fanatic runs towards you with TNT strapped to his body and a detonator device in his hand, screaming "Allah be praised!" you will now understand how he could be led to believe this is the right thing to do. These people believe they are doing their god's work and are martyrs. They do not see that the act is evil in everyone else's view.
The belief in an absolute model of good and an absolute model of evil is an absolute lie and exceedingly dangerous because the truth is not all black and white. It is the role of the Satanist to utilize this idea and break down the barriers that Fundamentalists try to build. When the Satanist plays the role of devil's advocate, we restore balance to the equation. We give voice to the opposing point of view - this decreases the ability of dictators and religious extremists to define what "evil" is for us. Consider the implications of this. Satanism may very well be the most important movement of the twenty-first century!
Christians will try to deny the importance of Satanism by saying "this is an organized religion that would be nonexistent if it was not
for the holy bible." Further, many tell tall tales of cults and devil worshipers. Christians seem to forget that historically this was done to the Jews. In fact, early Christians were accused of worshipping dark and evil forces by the Romans, who then fed them to the lions!
Our founder, John Allee, often explains his religious roots this way;
One of the oldest religions in the world has been falsely accused of devil worship. The Yezidis are thought to go back as far as 2,000 B.C.
(four thousand years ago) Let us compare the basic tenets of the Yezidis with my beliefs:
a.) The peacock was considered a symbol of the sun because he spreads his feathers out into a halo of rays, and a symbol of the devil because of his pride. The Yezidis call him TaŽusi-Melek (black peacock) or Shaitan (Arabic for Satan). The Yezidis envision TaŽusi-Melek as a fire with two dualistic elementary abilities; fire as light, but also fire to burn. [Allee: Is the Devil behind all the evil in the world? Yes, and all the good as well.]
b.) Yezidis believe good and the evil are one and the same Person. [Allee: Islamic fundamentalists and Christians define themselves as
monotheists, but practice dualism; they imagine a devil opposed to the creator, but creation cannot be divided against itself. If the devil physically exists, then God exists. If God created Satan, then God is Satan. You cannot create something unless it is a manifestation of your own will.]
c.) Yezidis contend a human being itself a mixture of two powers: good and evil. [Allee: The gods of different cultures are similar because they share our human qualities and are projections of our own divinity. It was as if you were standing in a darkened room with a bright halo emanating from behind your head - you point to the shadow cast in front of you and exclaim, "I see Saint Peter... or Satan!"]
d.) Every Yezidi has a part of TaŽusi-Melek in himself. [Allee: We have a concept of divinity also; many Satanists do not envision an
abyss which separates the creator from the created. God is not only in my life, God is my life. Simply put, God IS... period! Every Man and Woman is a star - a breathing, physical manifestation of that which is divine. The same value you attribute to Christ, the Satanist attributes to all mankind. Ergo, Man is God. Hail Thyself!]
Regarding the comment, "Satanism is an organized religion that would be non existent if it was not for the holy bible";
The first Gutenberg bible was printed in 1456 A.D. I believe - that's less than 550 years ago. I think it's fair to say my core beliefs - Satanism's roots - can be seen as going back roughly 4,000 years, long before the birth of Christianity. Satan was seen in the fertile crescent and in the Judaic and Egyptian religions long before the advent of Christianity.
John D. Allee, FCoS Founder
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