I'm not a Satanist, but a close friend of mine is. We were talking about religion today and he gave me a copy of LaVey's Satanic Bible. I've been thumbing through it and found some of the core messages rather interesting. Below will be The Eleven Satanic Rules of The Earth and The Nine Satanic Sins copied from The Church of Satan's official website.
The Eleven Satanic Rules of The Earth:
1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.
3. When in another’s lair, show them respect or else do not go there.
4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat them cruelly and without mercy.
5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.
6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and they cry out to be relieved.
7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.
8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.
9. Do not harm little children.
10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.
11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them.
The Nine Satanic Sins:
1. Stupidity: "It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid."
2. Pretentiousness: "Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not."
3. Solipsism: "Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point."
4. Self-deceit: "We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!"
5. Herd Conformity: "It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many."
6. Lack of Perspective: "You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world."
7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies: "Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society."
8. Counterproductive Pride: "Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it."
9. Lack of Aesthetics: "Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied."
I will take this time to draw the distinction between a LaVeyan Satanist and a Devil Worshipper. Effectively, a LaVeyan Satanist is one who follows the teachings of Anton LaVey as a religion or philosophy. A Devil Worshipper usually believes in the Christian Devil and chooses to worship that entity, commonly giving a bad name to Satanists along the way.
Again, I am not a Satanist, I personally find it to not mesh very well with my own philosophies. That being said, this may be a nice chance to discuss how the stereotypes around the group are BS. But, having observed the forums a bit, I imagine it's going to devolve into a heated argument.
In any case, I thought I might as well put some information out there for the people who may find it interesting.
Originally posted by MarshallPrice"Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked" This is "Satanic"?
I'm not a Satanist, but a close friend of mine is. We were talking about religion today and he gave me a copy of LaVey's Satanic Bible. I've been thumbing through it and found some of the core messages rather interesting. Below will be The Eleven Satanic Rules of The Earth and The Nine Satanic Sins copied from The Church of Satan's official website.
...[text shortened]... ought I might as well put some information out there for the people who may find it interesting.
I assume you mean that on the web as well
Originally posted by karoly aczelAccording to The Satanic Bible, these are the rules you must live by and sins you must avoid in order to be a LaVeyan Satanist. There are other branches and denominations of Atheistic Satanism, but this was arguably the first one, as it was formed in 1966. It uses Satan as a symbol of rebellion and individualism as opposed to strict worship of the Christian Devil.
"Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked" This is "Satanic"?
I assume you mean that on the web as well
To answer your question, not exclusively, but it is an aspect of the Satanic philosophy.
"Satan" is supposedly a supernatural being who is featured in the mythology underpinning the Abrahamic religions. I don't see any supernatural element in the ideas, rules and principles laid out in the OP. What does "Satan", and claims about supernatural phenomena more generally, have to do with anything here?
Originally posted by FMFThis is a spirituality forum, Satanism is a recognized religion with numerous different denominations and branches. If I can't bring up Atheistic Satanism in this context, I'll bring up Theistic Satanism. Point is, I could go much deeper into other things, the OP was meant to be an interesting foundation for a conversation on the concept and role of "Satan" both inside and outside the Abrahamic religions.
"Satan" is supposedly a supernatural being who is featured in the mythology underpinning the Abrahamic religions. I don't see any supernatural element in the ideas, rules and principles laid out in the OP. What does "Satan", and claims about supernatural phenomena more generally, have to do with anything here?
Originally posted by MarshallPriceWhat does your OP have to do with "Satan"?
This is a spirituality forum, Satanism is a recognized religion with numerous different denominations and branches. If I can't bring up Atheistic Satanism in this context, I'll bring up Theistic Satanism. Point is, I could go much deeper into other things, the OP was meant to be an interesting foundation for a conversation on the concept and role of "Satan" both inside and outside the Abrahamic religions.
Originally posted by MarshallPrice"Satan" outside the Abrahamic religions? What are you on about? "Satan" is one of the characters from the folklore used by the Abrahamic religions. In what sense do you suggest "Satan" can be said to exist "outside" that mythology?
...the concept and role of "Satan" both inside and outside the Abrahamic religions.
Originally posted by FMFSatan is a character in a book. But Satan is, to some people, something totally different. Since I made this thread about Satanism, I'll use Theistic Satanism as an example. The interpretations of Satan in various branches range from a literal personified being that doesn't even most of the time resemble the Christian Devil to an abstract force in the universe.
"Satan" outside the Abrahamic religions? What are you on about? "Satan" is one of the characters from the folklore used by the Abrahamic religions. In what sense do you suggest "Satan" can be said to exist "outside" that mythology?
Saying that the idea of Satan doesn't exist outside of that mythology is like saying monotheism is only found in that mythology. Yes, the idea of a literal Satan as described in The Bible doesn't exist outside The Bible, but Satan is a lot of things to a lot of people. Whether that be a symbol, an idea, a force of nature, or a concrete entity is completely up to the person in question.
I don't believe in Satanism in any form, it's just not for me. That being said, I think it's a topic that should be brought up for the purpose of education. If you don't think a thread on religion belongs in the spirituality forum, then I don't know what to tell you.
Originally posted by FMFDo you really not know what Satanism is? Or do you just think it's a cult of killers, rapists, and other assorted scum? Satan, in the context of LaVeyan Satanism, is a symbol of rebellion and individualism. If you'd been paying attention, you would know that I brought this to the spirituality forum to start a discussion and break stereotypes about Satanists. If you don't like it, you don't have to be in the thread.
What does your OP have to do with "Satan"?