Satanism in Today’s Society

In 1966, a man named Anton LaVey took up the ideal of being the sighted man that not only sees but also paints with the colors that a colorblind man could never understand. That is to say he literally used his own insight and systematic understanding of religions as a whole to bring forth his philosophy, his religion, to society.

LaVey knew that some individuals were not content with labeling everything and even less so with being labeled. The internal call to explore the world that they live in, to live with a passion and to not be pigeonholed by man’s religious attempts to remove physical nature, could not be ignored without detrimental psychological effects.

His new religion gave positive recognition to those that have suffered persecution for going against Christian morals and beliefs. Scientists, surgeons, alternative thinkers and enjoyers of consensual sex now had a religion that appreciated each man and woman that was ridiculed by Christianity. Satanism was born.

Satanism is not in any way Devil-worshipping. In fact, the word Satan was chosen for many reasons, but none was for the approval of the worst acts that man could commit to another. Satanism is the acknowledgment of man’s best and worst, and that there is no supreme God that rules you. However, the word does stand for the snubbing of Judaism and their perceived right morals.

As an agent for the Church of Satan, controversial Jack Malebranche- writer, artist and proprietor of www.sataniclust.com – has fielded many questions on Satanism. His magnetic personality and artistic vision is far from what many expect from a Satanist.

Upon the Church of Satan receiving my outlined request for an interview to discuss Satanism in today’s society, Jack Malebranche graciously accepted.

The Church of Satan is the first church of Satanism operating according to the principals originally set forth by LaVey. Yet, if one searches for Satanism online the results are widely ill defined. Many of the results are so opposite of each other that a ‘newbie’ or an information seeker would be confused as to the religion of Satanism. There is of course a correlation between misinformation and discrimination. Hatred and fear towards the Church of Satan in the early years was fueled partly by moral bias, misinformation and voluntary ignorance on the part of mainstream Christianity. Throughout the last decades, has the Church of Satan experienced any declines in the ‘Devil Worshipers. Attack!’ type of discrimination by Christian organizations or clergy with both a. the higher availability of Church of Satan information and reading materials and b. the Church of Satan presently having members in society at all levels and in all social groups?

A great deal of confusing and incorrect information can be found on the Internet concerning almost any topic. The Internet’s greatest benefit and its greatest drawback is its accessibility; virtually anyone at any level of understanding or misunderstanding can establish a web presence with relative ease. There are no gatekeepers and there is no assurance of the quality or validity of what is presented. The Church of Satan is an organization that has been active, primarily offline, for 40 years. While there may seem to be many other groups that appear in the guise of Satanism, few, if any, really amount to much in terms of substance. Often, these groups are little more than a website or message board-sometimes devoted to little more than deriding the Church of Satan, which is quite telling. The Church of Satan remains the only such organization I know of that is filled with vibrant individuals interacting in a productive way.

With regards to the typical Christian hysteria about devil-worship, it is important to remember that Satanism takes up the cause of those rational and innovative individuals accused of heresy throughout the ages. Fear-mongering about devil-worshipers and witches and heretics has always been an integral part of the Christian mentality. Fathers of established modern science like Galileo and Copernicus were declared heretics in their day. Christian leaders, as a group, despise virtually anything that challenges their delusional orthodoxy, and use demonization of those questioners and dissenters to maintain a culture of fear that keeps their followers in line. This is why Anton LaVey wrote that, “Satan is the best friend the church ever had.” Those who challenge the party line are condemned as devils and deceivers, and this condemnation is the tool that church leaders use to recruit, convert and mobilize followers who want to maintain their ‘good guy’ status. Understanding the relationship between the devout and their devils is fundamental to understanding Satanism, so we take all of this in stride. It is cyclical; in the 1980s, there was a ‘Satanic Panic’ that was fanned by the media, but the hysterical claims of the religionists were widely discredited, so these days that sort of thing has little impact. It is plausible and likely that there will be resurgence of similar nonsense in the future-perhaps once church leaders have gotten all of the mileage they can out of hot-button fund-raising issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. We will endure and eventually triumph over that storm as we did the last.

If every cloud has a silver lining, what would be the silver lining of the present day Satanist groups that are not aligned with the Church of Satan?

While these pseudo-satanic groups are a minor nuisance, they do draw away those who absolutely do not belong in the Church of Satan. They are like cleaner fish, picking parasites out of the gills of our great black shark.

Many have suggested that the Church of Satan philosophy is not a religion, despite the acknowledgment of such by the government. It is certainly expected by former followers of complex theologies that all religion is to be complex, and at times to be studied earnestly before the moment of full understanding can be reached. Is the simplicity of pure Satanism unfairly biased against because of the expectation that religion is to be complex and laboring? Is overcoming this internal bias a popular self-made problem for beginning Church of Satan enthusiasts? To novices, is keeping within the understanding of ‘Satanist wisdom’ always easier than keeping within the ‘wisdom’ of other popular religions?

For true Satanists, there really is no internal bias. Satanists are concerned with living life and enjoying the things that make life worth living for them, and have no need for all of the bells and whistles and pointless esoterica offered by most religions. Satanism is straightforward; it was designed to avoid the countless interpretations and intentionally muddled ‘mystery’ of other religions. The Satanists who really profit from Satanism take it as it was codified by Anton LaVey, and run with it. The real exploration that Satanism offers is an exploration of the self. When a Satanist comes across The Satanic Bible, it often instantly resonates with the individual as truth easily observable in the world around him. The challenge comes in looking at one’s own life through this lens and applying Satanism to achieve what one truly desires.

Being the founder of the original Satanist church, LaVey had a clear diagram in his mind of Satanism and its deep waters. It is the seventh of the nine Satanic sins, Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies, that I am thinking of as I wonder, “Did LaVey understand or predict all the ways that his philosophy of Satanism would be badly mimicked, twisted and transformed into totally different animals decades later?”

Many of these mutations and ‘re-interpretations’ occurred during Anton LaVey’s lifetime, so I’m certain he was aware of them, but he remained consistent in his vision. The Church of Satan carries on that consistent vision today.

Does the various forms of Satanism that claim a complex theology, worshiping a friendly figure or an evil adversary ever interest members from the Church of Satan for either personal curiosity or damage control efforts?

When you start talking about ‘worshiping’ anything, you’ve strayed to the opposite end of the spectrum from Satanism. It’s not Satanism, it’s simply another form of slave-minded theism in a rebellious guise. The thing that sets Satanism apart from other religions is the elevation of the self above all imagined external gods. Worshiping is fundamentally ‘serving’ and that’s just not what Satanism is about. Does that interest any real Satanists? Only in the way any theistic religion interests a Satanist-from an anthropological perspective.

Out of the overflow of mainstream religion are a significant number of people that adapts to the swelling tolerant Wiccan religion. A few individuals may choose to move on to a new road of self-discovery, Satanism. Considering that many Satanists consider Wiccans to be as harmful as Christians in social development, what advice should a wandering Wiccan keep in mind?

The best advice I could give to such a person is to read The Satanic Bible and Anton LaVey’s other works critically and really determine if that worldview truly fits his or her own. It simply will, or it won’t. There are no compromises.

A major consideration in original Satanism is the simplicity of which it is profitably applied to all situations in life. In a sense, it is the ultimate self-help and self-protection guide to living as an individual. If an oppressed individual seeks help to change their circumstances for the better, and finds Satanism, it is very possible that person can change things for the better. With all the genius and stupidity man is capable of, are there many that turn their back on Satan and convert to their former religion after the rough spot is over and the good life begins?

It is certainly possible that a non-Satanist could apply a Satanic understanding of the world to achieve personal success. Often, non-Satanists hold a Satanic worldview and don’t even know it; they pay lip-service to whatever religion they grew up with, but behave in a way that is consistent with a Satanic perspective.

It has been said that the natural disaster in the United States, hurricane Katrina, is a punishment from God. Others claim it is a sign the end of the world is coming. Yet, amidst the natural destruction, there is rape, murders and thievery being committed by and on those that are practicing or non-practicing Christians. During this terrible time, there are victims that have sought comfort from God and Jesus, along with other Gods, Goddess’, Saints and other holy ideals. How have Satanists in the area responded to the brief so-called Hell on Earth where the order of man-made laws was a mirage?

I’ve been waiting to say this somewhere, so I’ll say it here:

Why would anyone in their right mind thank God after hurricane Katrina? This is utterly delusional masochism at its most pathetic. According to Christians, the mighty Jehovah is responsible for all things and is interested in all people, so it follows that he would be responsible for the hurricane and cognizant of the devastating effects it would have on people’s lives. So, after God serves up a triple-decker excrement sandwich to his oh-so-faithful followers-they thank him for it? I find that utterly perverse. It must take some impressive psychological gymnastics to thank an entity that apparently drowned your family members, destroyed everything you owned and put you in the poor house.

Poverty, destruction, anarchy, disease…thank God!

Regarding the breakdown of laws and the every-man-for-himself anarchy of post-Katrina New Orleans, I can only say that most Satanists, including myself, nodded in acknowledgment of events perfectly consistent with a Satanic understanding of human nature. Don’t expect a Satanist to act surprised or appalled when man’s Satanic nature becomes readily apparent.We’re Satanists because we recognize the potential for this behavior in all men. It is the law of the jungle, and man is just another animal in that jungle.

The idea of suffering one’s consequences is common thinking throughout the world. Is there stages or an age of accountability in Satanism for the social world, or is this wholly covered by the country’s law? If applicable, does the age of accountability come in full force with any notable marks, age or activity?

The freedom to make adult decisions about one’s own life is precious to Satanists, and while personal development and maturity vary from individual to individual, the most practical gauge to-date of maturity is age. Adults need to be held wholly responsible for their own actions, and there needs to be an indication of when that responsibility begins. The laws of most countries handle that tidily. A profound coming-of-age ritual is something lacking in present-day society, though one could say that high school graduation is the nearest equivalent. Unlike most religions, most Satanic parents seem to prefer their children to choose their own paths, so a Satanic ritual may not be applicable in many cases. There is no formalized Satanic coming of age ritual that is widely practiced.

In the debate on abortion, where does the Church of Satan stand, and why? If there is no comment from the Church of Satan expressing its stance, could you please tell me what the general views from the Satanist community is?

Satanism is a religion based on self-interest. In that scenario, whatever the individual Satanist determines is in her own interest is acceptable. The Church of Satan is neither pro nor anti-abortion.

The Church of Satan promises to keep member information private. Is there any plausible ways the church could be forced by the government to release member identities? Is the amount of Christianity in federal politics considered to be a possible threat to the Church of Satan and its members, much like the United States investigative officials during the Cold War was to alleged Communists?

The Church of Satan is subject to the same laws as any other church, and could be required by a court to divulge sensitive information. The Church of Satan would only release membership information if required by law to do so. While Christian perversion of this great experiment in secular government concerns Satanists, as it should any American, I personally do not foresee an McCarthy-esque witch-hunts in the immediate future. Political Christians currently have other fish to fry.

To what degree is Satanists concerned with moderate environment protection ethics?

I think all Satanists would be wise to be concerned about any potential deterioration of their quality of life, but the means by which we address these concerns vary widely.

Obviously, you would feel that the Church of Satan and its members are the dominators in the survival of the fittest game. Are there any Satanist groups or websites not affiliated directly with you, that is worth mentioning as well?

Any other groups can and should speak for (and advertise for) themselves. That’s part of that whole ‘survival of the fittest’ game.

If a non-Satanic parent, one that is not close minded of course, is concerned that a teen or preteen is focused on a destructive form of Satanism, what is the best way to handle the situation?

While I am not a parent nor a counselor, I would suggest that the parent objectively research any seemingly destructive pursuit his or her child is involved in, and determine what it is about this pursuit that appeals to the child. It is only after you understand someone’s motivations that you can effectively influence them. That said, it should be noted that Satanism is not destructive, it puts emphasis on being productive and doing that within the context of social reality. It is only perceived as destructive by those who fear having their precious illusions shattered. These ‘destructive’ pursuits you alluded to above are not recognizable as Satanism to any Satanist, they are simply sloppy reactions to Christianity, that seem nevertheless to mimic that religion’s most destructive qualities. Let us not forget that violence, torture and even human sacrifice (in the form of executions and burnings) were integral parts of the Christian institution for centuries.

Every person cannot properly understand Satanism, and it isn’t meant to be. However, it is undoubtedly a religion that is here to stay. The church is continually receiving new lifetime membership requests, and one can only guess to the number of distinguished persons secretly following the path of Satanism.

In depth information on Satanism can be found online at the Church of Satan, www.churchofsatan.com. You can visit Jack Malebranche’s online sites at www.sataniclust.com and at http://www.myspace.com/malebranche.

Baphomet image, used with permission, is copyrighted by the Church of Satan.