Satanism
Satanism
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What is Satanism?
According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, there are approximately 34,000 Christian denominations/sects around the world, and about 1,200 in America alone. All with distinctive differences in dogma and doctrine. If that suggests that the bible (any version of it) is an objective source of truth, then I'm a monkey's uncle. Christianity is extremely subjective, but unfortunately for the imaginative heretics, their is a written tome whose words seldom change. Ergo Christians often resort to bastardizing their minds in order to cope this this dilema. They say things like fear doesn't mean fear, or that death doesn't mean death or that a list of ten demandments whose breach will resort in being stoned to death, often by ones family, is the seat of all human morality. Christians are reduced in such matters to being either "fundies", fools or hypocrites.

Satanism doesn't suffer from such an authoritarian problem, which is just fine, preferable really, since authoritarianism is worshiped by those that call themselves sheep, but typically not by Satanists.

Judeo-Christians, in every sensible use of the term, insist that there is a 'god' that actually exists and does things in our physical universe. However, only theistic Satanists make a similar claim and they're a small minority of all Satanists. Typically, Satanists understand that Satan does not exist. And we understand that there are no 'gods' either, or at least there is no evidence of such a thing, nor do we know that such a thing as an intelligent creator of universes is even possible.

Since Satanism is so open-ended, and "Satan" does not exist, then it's difficult to say what is *not* Satanism. (It's seldom refutable).

So, I'll give you *my* understanding of what constitutes Satanism, and with all due respect, I am not a LaVeyan Satanist.

What is Religion:
Religion is the strong belief in the "magical" (or supernatural) power or powers that control human destiny. And the practice of religion involves either attempting to live in harmony with this power or powers or to invoke agents to work in your behalf in order to change your destiny. The Tao would be a good example of a power people attempt to live in harmony with. Animistic religions offer other examples. Examples of elicited agents include the Virgin Mary, various saints, or gods like the Green Tara or White Tara, etc.

I would say that LaVeyan Satanism qualifies as a religion, because they presume to work magic in order to affect their destiny. Of course, they recognize that this magic is the placebo effect and/or auto-suggestion, but it's "magic" nonetheless. (They spell it "Magick" to make the distinction). In other words, if you and three other co-workers all tell your boss at different times that he looks ill/like hell and looks very tired, then it's very likely that by the day's end, he'll feel ill and tired. That's magic.

Unlike the LaVeyan Satanists, I don't care to practice magic, nor do I care to engage in ritual or ceremony. Ergo my Satanism is not a religion, but is of the philosophical bend only. That's neither good nor bad, it's simply my preference.