Again, sorry if I seem ignorant.

I've been looking through the Satanic Bible, and have found little to explain this yet.

Thanks for the rude comments. I HAVE been reading it. I just want an answer.

Don't you think you're taking this a little far?

Thanks for the rude comments. I HAVE been reading it. I just want an answer.

Is Satan worshiped in LeVeyan Satanism?

You know, I think I understand this now. And yes, I was stupid I guess.

I'm guessing that most of you do not worship a god. I'm guessing, from what was said, that there is a mix of believers and non-believers (God-wise) here.

I honestly see humans as animals, who need to be themselves. I guess when I stop being stupid, I might very well have found a good path. Even so, I will keep researching.

Thanks everyone!

Hi Faite.

First of all expect to get as may versions of this as you get replies.

First a contradiction in terms:- I am 100% an Atheist but I worship Satan.

The reason:- To me Satan is like an avatar for my subconscious.

Consciously the Princes of Hell can be seen as symbolic, embodying attributes you should aspire to.

The subconscious aspect comes into play during ritual magic. By abdicating the power in the ritual to an imaginary third party, your subconscious mind is freed of all restraint and any latent psychic ability you might have, is given full vent.

In TSB LaVey described the ritual as an intellectual decompression chamber. You leave your mundane self outside and give full vent to your fantasies/emotions inside.

I like to think of it as also being psychological slight of hand. You remove the constraints your conscious mind puts on your abilities by using the avatar, Satan.

Hope that helps a bit.

Paul

..The Satanic Scriptures..Essential reading!

For whom? Sycophantic hierarchy worshiping CoS drones? I found it to be rather flat.

As stupid as this question appears, I'm truly very confused. Is Satan worshiped in LeVeyan Satanism? Or is he more of a symbolic figure? Is this forum focused more on Atheism? Or is it diverse, much like Judaism, where there are those who worship god, and those who do not?

Again, sorry if I seem ignorant. I've been looking through the Satanic Bible, and have found little to explain this yet.




-Faite

LaVeyan Satanism does not involve the literal worship of any being other than the self,[1] but rather uses "Satan" as a symbol of carnality and earthly values, of man's inherent nature,

Anton LaVey and the membership of the Church of Satan 1966-1975 believed in and worshipped Satan openly and unabashedly. That's what the Invocation to Satan in the Satanic Bible and the adult rite of Satanic Baptism in the Satanic Rituals were all about. Take a look at the 1968 documentary Satanis here, and read my The Church of Satan history here.

After 1975 [for reasons detailed & documented in COS], Anton and his subsequent followers proclaimed themselves to be atheists, just using "Satan" and "Satanism" as exciting symbols, since Atheism by itself is dull.

Back in the days of the original Church, one media interviewer asked me why he should join the Church of Satan instead of a Christian one. I said, "First, we're cheaper - $13 buys you a lifetime membership [as it still did in 1970]. Secondly our Friday night services are much more fun, sexier, and spookier." We didn't have to argue theology much beyond that most of the time.

Satan, Set, God, Consciousness, and Me are ALL physical real things. It's called the universe. There is not two of any one thing. Do you know anything about quantum mechanics? Let me answer that for you, NO!, you do not. E=MC2 Matter and energy are two different forms of the same thing. Why would you worship a being that needed anything from you? Sounds inferior! Set wants for nothing cause there is no thing Set is not. By the way, where in the universe is Hell?

"Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret." ;-)

Might want to take another look at the Dr. cause you ain't ever going to have anything but BS anger with that mind SET.

All one ought...is enjoy.

Modern/LaVeyan Satanists generally are atheists, meaning they do not believe in or worship any kind of god or deity.

The "void" of worship, however, is filled with a sort of selfishness and self-reverence that Satanists call "self-deification".

In short, Modern Satanists are a TYPE of atheist. They are not exclusively separate.

Odd that the Satanic Bible, published in 1969, makes it quite clear that Satan was not thought of as a literal entity, and instead offers some plainly non-theistic earthly philosophy that only though serious eisegesis or wishful thinking can be re-invented as theism.

I thought you took your one trick pony and left? You make a big dramatic emo post about how you are never coming back, yet here you still are repeating the same crap over and over that you have been repeating all along. Yes we get it, you have an ebook, and real Satanists worship the devil. Go away already.

The SB's "Hell, the Devil, and How to Sell Your Soul" essay speaks of Satan and his fellow Dæmons quite literally throughout its 8+ pages.

Then I returned since I was welcomed to do so, and because I rather enjoy the highly-intellectual and deeply-thoughtful discussions about Satanism-as-such that prevail here.

Oh what a load of crap. That essay quite clearly places Satan in context of religious mythology. It speaks of satan taking on the animal characteristics of past gods, and names them for the clear purpose of psychodrama. Unless you think Anton believed all of the infernal names represented actual gods?

Lies. You are here to push your religious agenda, and to air your 30 plus year old sour grapes. If this were not the case you wouldn't be harping on the exact same point/s (satanism=devil worship/read my ebook!) eternally. Some of us aren't so dull as you seem to think we are.

Think of it. On the surface there is hunger and fear. Men still exercise unjust laws. They fight, tear one another to pieces. A mere few feet beneath the waves their reign ceases, their evil drowns. Here on the ocean floor is the only independence. Here I am free! Imagine what would happen if they controlled machines such as this submarine boat. Far better that they think there's a monster and hunt me with harpoons.

I was specifically responding to "Faite's" original question here, not to you - though I suppose that when you have your head up your ass, four out of five of your senses aren't working.

Most are intellectually, ethically, and/or emotionally unprepared to handle it, and would just wind up doing damage to themselves or others accordingly.

or as a mere symbol for decorative enjoyment.

One of Anton LaVey's old interviews suggested that while he did not see Satan as a literal being, he once accepted Theistic Satanists into the CoS, saying it was important that a person developed a personally-relevant concept of Satan they could relate to. However, he followed that up by saying that "Satan demands study, not worship."

[Our first letter concerns a matter of extreme importance to our movement. Please read it carefully, then re-read it! - The High Priest]

Since I joined the Church of Satan two years ago, it has become evident to me that some of our members have a tendency simply to exchange godheads (Satan for God) while still holding fast to their previous, Christian methods of worship. I regard this practice as not only wasteful but potentially dangerous.

If this Satan/God question should ever become a purely semantic argument, our goal will dissolve, and the Church framework will decay and crumble as are the Christian foundations today.

I contend that Satan should be regarded as the human ego raised to infinite perfection. As Satanists we should consider Satan and his hierarchy as beings who in fact epitomize all the human emotions, both carnal and spiritual. They are, in other words, thoroughly aware of our human situation and therefore exhibit sympathy for various predicaments. Satan deserves scholarship, not worship.

The three-headed god of the Christians cannot display any human characteristics, since its station is impossible for any human to attain, no matter how angelic he happens to be in this life. Its followers cannot question, but like sheep are led to the slaughter. They must regard it as supreme in all matters. Faith and humility are favored rather than empiricism and pride.

No true Satanist can regard himself as "insignificant" or "meager". Those are Christian sentiments and have no place in a diabolical vocabulary. Neither self-deprecation nor self-abasement compliments the individual or Satan.

Satan cannot be misrepresented with a God-like image. If this situation occurs, he will be forced to take his place beside God and spend eternity enveloped in adulation. Satan will lose all relevance to the human equation - that precise question which distinguishes him from God in the first place. The truth is that we are the only dynamic intellects in this sadly-misled, guilt-ridden population. Satan is glorified within us and by our actions. To worship him would only handicap such magical abilities as we are capable of possessing.

Rege Satanas!