A Satanist is then one who believes
in Satan, just as a Christian believes in Jesus Christ, a Buddhist believes
in Buddha, and a Muslim believes in Mohammed. If the existence of Satan is
denied, then such a person is an atheist, not a Satanist. This "religious
approach" to Satanism made it natural, especially in its early years (1966-1975)
to explore the so-called Left-Hand Path from within the Judeo-Christian terminology
as a reversion of certain Christian ideals. Because the theistic religions
created their imagery of "Satan" as the ultimate evil, Satanists emphasized
such attributes as total independence, moral antinomianism, ceremonial artistry,
and intellectual development. The Setians regard this form of Satanism as
only a step along the way, a pedagogical means to free oneself from the entire
cage of Judeo-Christian reference-points in order to enter a much larger
universe of free thought and ideas. The goal is to develop a completely non-Christianized,
positive "high Satanism" that can stand by itself as a viable alternative
for anyone interested.
Until the 1980s, society at large had
few problems with the development of Satanism as exploration and innovation
were tolerated and encouraged in society. Generally, religion was seen as
something quaint and obsolete, and so even Satanism was not considered a
threat to anyone. Since then, however, a new wave of conservatism and intolerance
has set in. New religious groups have become the victims of hate-propaganda
and Satanism in particular have been accused of a variety of crimes: human
and animal sacrifice, cannibalism, kidnapping, sexual abuse, murder, etc.
[26]
Much energy has therefore been
diverted into answering accusations and defending one's right to pursue the
Satanic path for its own sake. Complicating the picture has been groups of
alienated youth and antisocial elements who have had the desire to offend
society through music or criminal activity. The Temple of Set rejects such
attempts to turn Satanism's image into nothing more than anti-Christian devil
worship and emphasizes that to become a Setian is not something for unstable,
immature, or otherwise emotionally or intellectually weak-minded people.
The priority task of the Temple is not to be a "savior of the masses," but
rather to encourage and help suitable individuals to grasp and attain their
own divinity, to make them "philosopher-kings" who are able to move beyond
the ordinary views of the world. The Temple therefore affirms the right to
determine on its own who are "worthy" of membership and who are not.
According to M. Aquino, Satanism is
based on two principles: (1) that the individual human being is a free agent
who stands apart from the non-conscious forces of nature; and (2) that this
fact is so frightening to most people that they either have "demonized" it
or suppressed its influence on themselves.
[27]
Consequently, a Satanist must not
only exercise and enjoy the first principle, but also deal with the fear
and hatred generated by those who do not comprehend its meaning. The true
Setian must be an adept in Black Magic
[28]
who desires to live, to experience
and to continue to be indefinitely. Secondly, the true Setian is the
one who believes that the psychic consciousness can evolve towards its own
divinity through deliberate exercise of intelligence and will. This is seen
as a process of becoming or coming into being as expounded
by Plato and explained by Nietzsche. Worship as conducted in the Temple of
Set is the affirmation of individualism. This is not to be taken as mere
indulgence in all the desires of body and ego (as often was done in the Church
of Satan). Individualism may be called a goal in itself, but it must also
be interpreted as a means to achieve a "higher self" as expounded by Aleister
Crowley in his earlier philosophy. This process is called Xeper (pr.
"Kheffer"; the Egyptian hieroglyphic term for "becoming") and signifies the
"Coming Into Being as an alert, oriented, and balanced Magician capable of
creating change in accord with Will."
[29]
In the philosophy of the Temple,
life is viewed as a process in which the psyche can become aware of itself
and then reach out towards the limitlessness of its conscious existence.
There are several methods to obtain the kind of self-awareness that characterizes
the higher self, and the Temple has no ultimate answer as to how a person
should develop one's higher self. The individual must choose the path for
him- or herself. The task of the Temple is simply to set up a conducive atmosphere
and a proper forum (so-called "Pylons") in which such goals can be pursued
and communicated. Based on experience, however, the Temple recommends three
methods as particularly useful: Socratic reductionism (the act of questioning
and testing beliefs to eliminate falsehood), the use of correct logic (an
eclectic and creative synthesis of ideas from various sources to understand
the relation between humans and the universe), and noetic intuition (the
direct knowledge of one's own deity and the use of Black Magic).
[30]
The Temple of Set is led by the Council
of Nine, which determines long-term policies and goals, and appoints both
the High Priest of Set and the Executive Director. There are six degrees
(I* - VI*) of initiation for members (Setian I*, Adepts II*, Priests III*,
Magisters IV*, Magi V*, Ipsissimi VI*) along with various Orders, each supervised
by a IV*+ initiate as the Grand Master.
[31]
An Order is a group of members
who emphasize special interests of a historic, philosophical, geographic
or psychological kind within the total belief system of the Temple, and may
be formalized by special introductory and ritual procedures. The Grand Master
exercises complete authority over the specific Order, and the Master is only
subject to review by the High Priest of Set. An initiate may belong to one
Order only. The Temple have about one dozen Orders which include the Order
of the Trapezoid,
[32]
the Order of the Scarab, the Order
of the Vampyre, the Order of Shuti, and the Order of Leviathan.
[33]
Active work in the Orders are usually
performed by II* and IV* initiates. The V* initiates are the adepts who have
mastered the art of Black Magic, and it marks the top rank normally maintained
by Temple members. Priests are responsible for the integrity of the Temple
as a whole and have the authority to evaluate initiates' competence and to
expel individuals when necessary.
Individuals admitted to the Temple are
given a personal copy of the
Crystal Tablet of Set
, which contain material on Black Magic,
the philosophy of magic, a list of activities and goals for novices, inter-member
communication, information about the Temple's various orders, a list of all
current Temple officials, a reading list,
[34]
and a variety of literature written
by Michael Aquino.
[35]
The novice has two years to qualify
as an adept. The evaluation is based on personal recognition by an
already adept person, who assesses the person's psychological and spiritual
maturity and capability to use magic in order to obtain desired goals. If
the evaluation is negative, the person's affiliation is cancelled. Persons
who are approved are given a red medallion and is now free to affiliate with
an Order of the Temple and to pursue specialized studies according to personal
choice. One can also seek initiation into higher degrees. This depends on
personal growth and the recognition of such growth from other members. The
Temple has a computer database and a bulletin-board system ("Glinda"), which
serves as a repository for an electronic library of documents. Some of these
have been downloaded and archived on various Internet and FTN sites along
with other material about the Temple of Set.
[36]
Persons who wish to join the Temple
of Set, can do so either by being sponsored by someone already a member of
the Temple, in which case membership approval is automatic, or, one can apply
to the Executive Director, stating one's personal background and reason for
seeking entrance to the Temple. If the statement does not reveal any criminal
or unethical intent, the person is admitted and requested to pay the admission
fee (about US$ 60 with an annual renewal fee for all initiates of US$ 50).
Members must be over 18 years of age. There is no program for children as
it is the Temple's view that youthful years should be a time of exclusively
rational training and education, giving them a sound basis for choosing
whatever philosophy or faith they want.
It harbors a subgroup,
the Order of the Trapezoid, which is dedicated to Nazi occultism. Aquino
is known to have participated in black magical rituals at Wewelsburg Castle,
set up as a place of occult working for the SS by Heinrich Himmler. Aquino
counts Nazi occultism as one of his chief interests, and the heraldry and
symbolism of the SS is one of his favorite topics of discussion. These facts
would seem to indicate, at least on the face of them, that Aquino is sympathetic
to Nazism.
[41]
Maroney complains that Aquino refuses to answer questions about his Nazi
relations. He does not want to deal with matters on the ethical quality of
Nazism or even the reality of the Holocaust. In Aquino's written statements
to initiates into the Order of the Trapezoid, he speaks positively about the
dynamism and life-worship which was endorsed by Nazi Germany "to a world-shaking
degree of success." The only problem with Nazism seems to be that the Third
Reich's dynamism got out of hand. Instead of creating a "truly evolutionary
synthesis of the most sublime concepts of Hegel and Nietzsche," dynamism
and life-worship became perverted into a hatred of other groups and nations
and led to irrational destructive foreign invasions.
Aquino's evasion of the issue
is by Maroney connected with the fact that Aquino is a military intelligence
officer by profession who knows how to handle covert actions. The fact that
he does not answer the question in itself indicates that the issue is a real
one and that he is actually involved. Furthermore, a positive attitude towards
nazism is hinted to in his remarks on certain books in the ToS reading list.
In reference to Mein Kampf by Hitler, Aquino recommends the reader
to "look for the discussions concerning the selection of leaders, control
of the masses, and the justification for human social organization. You may
be surprised at what you find."
[42]
About the book, Hitler's
Secret Conversations 1941-1944 by H. R. Trevor-Roper (ed.), Aquino concludes
that this is "an impressive look into the mind of an individual whom the
postwar world has been conditioned to dismiss as a crude, criminal, and unintrospective
thug." He also gives credit to books that extol the history of the European
race "which would have done credit to Hitler and Rosenberg." When reviewing
the books in the reading list related to "Fascism, Totalitarianism, and Magic,"
Maroney finds that a majority of the books are pro-nazi in content and that
Aquino obviously thinks highly of Hitler and Rosenberg, that he presents
little criticism of Nazi ideology, and he unambiguously endorses the study
and practice of Nazi occultism.
A representatives of ToS, Ammond
Shadowcraft, responded to these charges by refering to the fact that the
ToS cannot be fascist nor racist because many of the Temple leaders are of
minority descent (black, Jewish, Hispanic, etc.). He does not deal with the
accusations as such except to refer to M. Aquino's doctoral degree in political
science, which is taken as a reassurance that the reading list gives "a complete
view of this very emotional subject."
[43]
The discussion continued
on various Internet newsgroups and to many occultists and neo-pagans the
ToS seemed to a group of neo-fascist and/or Nazi sympathizers.
A more substantial rebuttal was
a given by a member of ToS (no author listed) who summed up the discussion
and gave specific answers to the more important accusations.
[44]
The author begins by a disclaimer
as s/he reminds the reader that the ToS as an organization has no opinion
or point of view of its own concerning fascism because this is outside the
Temple's realm of concern. Any opinion, including that of the author, is
a personal one.
The basic question to be answered
is, "Is the ToS a fascist organization headed by a Nazi sympathizer?" On
the basis of dictionary definitions of Nazism and fascism, the author states
an emphatic No! for the following reasons: (1) Aquino disagrees with Nazi
ideology of the totalitarian principle of government. As evidence, it is
pointed to the organization of the Temple which conforms to standard democratic
principles. (2) Aquino disagrees with the Nazi ideology of the state control
of all industry. The evidence is found in the Temple's ideal of Black Magicians
who should be able to successfully make their own way in a capitalist society.
(3) Aquino disagrees with Nazi ideology of the predominance of gorups assumed
to be racially superior. The evidence is that people of various races are
treated according to the individual capabilities, not according to race.
(4) Aquino disagrees with Nazi ideology of the supremacy of the Leader (
Führer). According to Setian philosophy, the only entity to be worshiped
is one's own higher Self, not any other's self.
The thrust of the argument against
fascism is that the ToS as an organization and Aquino as its leader discard
the basic fundamentals of Nazi social and political ideals. There is, however,
a genuine interest in Nazism in the ToS, and particularly among the Trapezoid
Order, but this interest concerns itself only with two issues: the philosophy
of Nazi occultism and how the Nazis obtained so much power so rapidly. It
is this limited interest, which is the reason why the reading list includes
several pro-Nazi works, not as a means to pursue their political ideals,
but to get a clearer grasp of their occult ideas and practices.
[45]
Third Reich occultism is
rooted in the philosophy of German Romanticism, which advocated individualism,
dynamism, and the worship of life in all its diversity. The Nazi development
is seen as an aberration and deviation from these original ideals in which
political goals and social ideals got out of hand in the irrational attempt
to conquer and dominate other nations and peoples. The positive aspect of
Nazism, that which enabled it to gain power so quickly, was at the same time
responsible for its demise and recourse to the use of war as the irrational
means to conquer its opponents and enemies.
Is the
Order of the Trapezoid
(O.Tr.) oriented towards promoting fascist ideology and ideals? Clearly not,
says the author, as the rules of the Order makes quite clear:
The O.Tr. is an Order
of knighthood characterized by strict personal honor and faithfulness to
the quest for the Grail. The Order is a knighthood in that its members are
pledged to the traditional chivalric virtues as appropriate to each situation
encountered. By honor is meant a sense of justice, ethics, and responsibility
prior to personal comfort, convenience, or advantage. This honor is known
by one's faithfulness to the Quest of the Grail, which is the self, soul,
or psyche made perfect through conscious refinement and exercise of the Will.
Attainment of the Grail results in transformation of the individual into
a state of dynamic existence energized by the psyche, not by the physical
body derived from the objective universe. Hence the O.Tr. is the gate to
psycho-centric immortality beyond physical death.
[46]
Such ideals are not conducive to the setting up of Nazi structures or promoting
fascist ideas. The Order promotes the growth of the individual self-awareness
that includes the application of ethical norms when exercising one's Will
to power.
[47]
The author therefore concludes
that there is nothing in the Temple of Set that can be taken as representative
of Nazi ideology or fascist policies. All there is to it, is that Setians
should be aware of and understand the philosophy and practice of Black Magic
and occult rituals during the Third Reich as a late development from German
Romanticism and as a source of inspiration for their own personal development.
It might very well be the case that this is all there is to it, but then
one is faced with an entirely different problem. The ToS (and to a certain
extent also CoS) emphasis on the development of the individual's self-awareness
and its uninhibited philosophy of individualism make its adherents insensitive
and even indifferent to the social and political implications of their philosophical
ideals. Satanism has developed within a social vacuum where only the private
and individual concerns have been dealt with. The laws of society are adhered
to, not because there is any meaning to social and political life as such
, but because of convenience. The whole point in most Satanists' minds, are
the rebellion against traditional religions, ideologies and morality. As
stated in the New Zealand Satanist journal, The Watcher,
Satan and the Watchers
are thus symbols of rebellion against tyrannical god and moral concepts,
which stifle human ascent. We take our stand on the side of rebellion leading
to liberation from slave religions, moralities and ideologies, the chief
one being in the West at this time Judaeo-Christianity, with Marxism and
the Puritan money ethic (ideological liberalism) being excrescences of this
heritage.
[48]
It is very easy to criticize Satanism for their lack of ethical norms, but
the problem with such criticism is that it merely proves the point which
Satanists want to make: that traditional morality is a remnant of the Judeo-Christian
tradition that needs to be done away with. Ethics and morality is simply
not a concern for Satanists of any "denomination," and so to charge Satanists
for their lack of moral standing is at best a waste of time.
A more fundamental and constructive
approach to come to terms with Satanists on their own home field, is to focus
on the issue which is at the heart of their own thinking, namely, anthropology,
and in particular the social aspects of their anthropology. If there
is any "danger" in Satanism, it is in their view of human beings and especially
in the social and political consequences of their anthropological views.
Both CoS and ToS represent extreme forms of individualism in which the social
and political reality of life is obscured by the desire to develop the individual's
minds strictly within its own personal context. With regard to the CoS, the
"danger" becomes acute due to this group's embrace of social-Darwinist ideals
in which they envision a society that has rejected the principle of equality
among persons, discarded all social security systems, and envisages the introduction
of an elite police force to secure a strict enforcement of the Lex Talionis
. But the CoS and ToS do not differ in any fundamental way on this issue.
I think that it is possible to say that what the CoS states explicitly as
their social and political ideals, are actually the implicit consequences
of the Setian philosophy as it might be applied on the social arena. In so
far as Satanism can be called a "human potential movement," it is indeed necessary
to clarify what kind of anthropology that allows one to set up such ethical
standards that can be expressed in terms of the "do what thou wilst" principle,
and the social and political
implications of such a philosophy. If this is not done, then the movement's
adherents might soon find themselves in exactly the same position as the
Nazi sympathizers, i.e., the irrationalism of the dynamic and life-affirming
movement will ultimately take over and create a situation in which political
and social goals will be determined and pursued without regard for their
consequences for other people(s). It is not possible to work out a philosophy,
a religion or a system of any kind, without clarifying one's anthropology
and doing it apart from the social and political context in which the person
envisages one's ideals to be actualized. To assume that this is possible,
and to isolate oneself as a person – often literally by disguising one's
identity to others as it is done in the rituals of their Temples and Churches
– is the gravest mistake and self-deception by Satanists of any kind.
So what kind of anthropology
do we find among adherents of the Satanist persuasion? In order to answer
this question, one has to distinguish clearly between the views of CoS and
ToS respectively. As for the CoS, one can find their views very clearly represented
in the above-mentioned journal, The Watcher.
[49]
In an article in Issue
# 2 (April-June 1990 CE) called "Satanism and Morality", the main view is
that the human being should be considered an animal. To be an animal means
that the purpose of life is to follow one's instinct in order to satisfy
one's desires. This view conforms to the 8th Satanic Statement of LaVey:
"Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical,
mental, or emotional gratification." However, the gratification of primary
drives and stimulus motives does not mean giving up self-control and will.
There is at least one way in which the human being differs from the
animal, and that is that a human being has the capability of exercising
self-control and will. But the Satanist's point is that this capability should
be exercised to support one's "animalhood" by seeking the best possible way
of attaining physical, mental, and emotional gratification. This means that
a human being need to consider the available means of obtaining gratification
and to choose the way according to the rules of "Satanic morality" which
can be summarized in three words: pride, wisdom and individuality. Pride
means not conforming to the ideals of the masses, but to one's own desires
for gratification; wisdom means to be able to control one's destiny
through knowledge and power; individuality means the strength of the
body, mind and will which allows one to stand above common people and their
herd mentality. Consequently, to be a human being, means to exercise one's
capabilities to the utmost for the sake of satisfaction of bodily, mental
and emotional desires. The person who actualizes this ideal has reached "the
highest embodiment of life."
From the ToS perspective,
the human being is not understood as essentially different, but there is
nevertheless a significant shift in emphasis. Whereas the CoS puts the main
emphasis on carnal aspect (the mental and emotional aspects are clearly
subordinated to the primary drives of the body), the ToS puts its main emphasis
on the mental aspect in which the "highest" is understood as obtaining
the correct knowledge which enables one to take control of one's life
and destiny. The difference between the CoS and ToS anthropology thus follows
a very old line of conflict within anthropology itself, namely, the conflict
between body and mind. Are humans best perceived in terms of the body or
in terms of the mind? The CoS and ToS adherents come down on different sides
when answering this question.
The practical results of their
answers, however, make little difference because the answer is kept strictly
within the individual's personal horizon of meaning. Satisfaction and gratification
is exclusively for the sake of the individual, and the social and political
implications are only given attention in so far as they support the individual's
interests. And even more, it is not just any individual that is the
object of concern here, but the strongest among all human beings.
The Satanists' anthropology is of an extremely hierarchical nature. Humans
are divided into categories according to their physical, mental and emotional
strength. Those with superior
strength in these areas are more valueable than those with lesser strength,
and the ultimate ideal is to get rid of the lesser individuals as they disturb
the exercise of the will of stronger persons. It is in this sense that the
charge of fascism still makes sense. The link to fascism and to Nazi ideology
is found in their anthropology, which advocates the rights of the stronger
because they are the superior beings. The practical result of this anthropology
is identical with Nazi social and political ideologies, which sought to eradicate
peoples considered to be of lesser value (Jews, gypsies, blacks, homosexuals,
etc.). Satanists can only escape this conclusion by evading a closer examination
of their anthropology and disregarding the application of their ideals in
a social and political context. This is the main danger of Satanism today
– but that is also precisely the reason why a dialogue is needed with the
Satanists, at least with those of a more serious persuasion (not the "dabblers").
Taking into consideration that Satanic organizations have existed for the
past 30 years, they need to be taken seriously also among those who belong
to the "Right Hand Path" in order to dispel misunderstandings and to obtain
a clearer understanding of their fundamental presuppositions and ideological
concerns. Unfounded attacks and misrepresentations based on a lack of knowledge
about Satanism hardly cause anything else than further radicalization and
self-isolation among Satanist adherents which in its turn give rise to an
increasing gap between the alienation between Satanic groups and the rest
of society.
Selected books on Satanism:
Aiken, Satanism: Sacrilege-silly
or Serious? USA: Amer Focus Pub Co, 1989.
Michael Aquino, The History
of the Church of Satan. (no publ. info.). [Available through the Temple
of Set.]
Geoffry Ashe, Do What You
Will. (no pub. info.). [History and philosophy of Satanic groups and
the "Hellfire Clubs".]
Blanche Barton, The Secret
Life of a Satanist. USA: Mondo Press, 1990. [Basic biography of Anton
LaVey, and a basic guide to Satanic philosophy.]
----------, The Church
of Satan. USA: Hell's Kitchen Prod, n.d. [Authorized by Church of Satan.]
Wade Baskin, Satanism:
A Guide to the Awesome Power of Satan. Citadel press, 1988.
Hakim Bey, TAZ (Temporary
Autnomous Zone. USA: Autonomedia, 1991. [The manifesto of an emerging
anarchic cyber-culture, and a manual for freedom in the coming dark age.]
Valentin Boss, Milton and
the Rise of Russian Satanism. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press, 1991.
Richard Cavendish, The
Black Arts. USA: Perigee Books, 1967. [Introduction to magic, demonology,
and classical views of Satanism.]
The Church of All Worlds,
Witchcraft, Satanism &
Occult Crime: Who's Who & What's What, A Reference Manual for the Professional
Investigator. USA: Phoenix Pub Co, 1994.
The Church of Satan, The
Black Flame. Journal of the Church of Satan.
The Committee for the Scientific
Examination of Religion, Satanism In America. (no pub. info.)
Flo Conway & Jim Siegelman,
Snapping; America's Epidemic
of Sudden Personality Change. (no pub. info.) [Information theory used
to study sudden personality change as it accurs in religious cults and the
"Born-Again" phenomenon.]
John W. Decamp, The Franklin
Cover-up: Child abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska. USA: A.W.T.
Inc., 1992.
Neil Forsyth, The Old Enemy
. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 1987. [History of Satan.]
Bruce Frederickson, How
to respond to Satanism. USA: Concordia Pub House, 1988.
Karl R.H. Frick, Satan
und die Satanisten: Ideengeschichtliche Untersuchungen zur Herkunft der Komplexen
Gestalt "Luzifer/Satan/Teufel", ihrer Weiblichen Entsprechungen und ihrer
Anhngerschaft. 3 vols. Graz, Austria: Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt,
1982-1988.
Jeff Godwin, Dancing with
Demons: The Music's Real Master. Chino, CA: Chick Publ, 1988.
Friedrich-Wilhelm Haack,
Anmerkungen zum Satanismus. München: Arbeitsgemeinschaft für
Religions- und Weltanschauungsfragen, 1991.
George Hay, ed., The Necronomicon
. (no publ., 1977). Also The Necronomicon [by "the Mad Arab"]. Avon
Books, 1978. [A popular fictional book of rituals.]
Robert D. Hicks, In Pursuit
of Satan. USA: Prometheus Books, n.d.
Jerry Johnston, Edge of
Evil: the Rise of Satanism in North America. USA: Word Books, 1989.
Larry Kahaner, Cults that
kill: Probing the Underworld of Occult Crime. New York: Warner Books,
1988.
Bob Larson, Satanism: the
Seduction of America's Youth. Nelson Thomas Inc, 1989.
Anton LaVey, The Satanic
Bible. USA: Avon Books 1969. [Presents the Satanic views and doctrines
of the Church of Satan.]
----------, The Compleat
Witch. USA: Lancer Books, 1971.
----------, The Satanic
Rituals. USA: Avon Books, 1972.
Kevin Logan, Satanism and
the Occult. England: Kingsway Pub, 1994.
Arthur Lyons, The Second
Coming. 1970. (A history of Satanism through the Middle Ages and the
modern era.)
----------, Satan Wants
You. Mysterious Press (Warner), 1988. [Overview of Satanism.)
Robert S. Mayer, Satan's
Children: Shocking True Accounts of Satanism, Abuse, and Multiple Personality
. USA: Avon Books, 1992.
Joyce Mercer, Behind the
Mask of Adolescent Satanism. USA: Fairview Press, 1991.
Jules Michelet, A.R. Allinson,
transl., Satanism and Witchcraft: The Classical Study of Medieval Superstition
. USA: Citadel Press, 1992.
Anthony Moriarty, The Psychology
of Adolescent Satanism: A Guide for Parents, Counselors, Clergy and Teachers
.USA: Praeger Pub, 1992.
Allen J. Ottens & Rick
A. Myer, Coping with Satanism. USA: Rosen Publ. Group, 1993.
John Parker, At the Heart
of Darkness: Witchcraft, Black Magic and Satanism Today. England: Sidgwick
& Jackson, 1993.
Bob Passantino, Satanism
. New Zealand: Harper & Collins, 1995.
Phil Phillips, Halloween
and Satanism. USA: Starburst Pub, 1987.
Lyle J. Rapacki, Satanism:
the Not so New Problem. USA: Crossroads Ministries, 1990.
James T. Richardson, Joel
Best, & David G. Gromley, eds., The Satanism Scare. New York:
A. de Gruiter, 1991.
Maximillian Rudwin, The
Devil in Legend and Literature. USA: Open Court Press, 1931. [On and
pertaining to Christian ideas about Satanism.]
Jeffrey Burton Russell,
The Prince of Darkness. USA: Cornell Univ. Press, 1988. [Scholarly work
on the history of Satan.]
David K. Sakheim & Susan
E. Devine, Out of Darkness: Exploring Satanism and Ritual Abuse. USA:
Lexington Books, 1992, reprint: Simon and Schuster, 1994.
William Argent, Battle
for the Mind. USA: Harper & Row, 1957.
Emil Schneweis, Angels
and Demons According to Lactantius. USA: Ams Press, 1944.
Jeffrey J. Setton, Satanism:
Is it real? USA: Servant Pubns, 1992.
Valerie Sinason, ed., Treating
Survivors of Satanist Abuse. London: Routledge, 1994.
Joachim Schmidt, Satanismus:
Mythos und Wirklichkeit. Marburg: Diagonal Verlag, 1992.
Hilton Sutton, Familiar
Spirits, Witchcraft and Satanism. USA: Harrison House Pub, 1989.
Jeffry S. Victor. Satanic
Panic: the Creation of a Contemporary Legend. USA: Open Court Press,
1992. [Response to the accusations about Satanic ritual abuse.]
The twisting of values can be seen again and again in the material available
on the Internet. e.g., in the so-called "
nine satanic statements
" which opens The Satanic Bible
[7]
written by Anton LaVey in 1969. A guilt-free self-indulgence
is promoted instead of controlled abstinence, vital existence instead of
spiritual dreams, vengeance instead of turning the other cheek, and kindness
should only be shown towards those who deserve it. Humans need to be seen
as "just another animal – sometimes better, more often worse than those that
walk on all-fours". That which Christianity calls "sins" are in Satanism
considered "blessings" because they lead to physical, mental, or emotional
gratification. The "sins"
of Satanism
are therefore of a different kind than in Christianity, and are listed as
stupidity, pretentiousness, solipsism, self-deceit, herd conformity, lack
of perspective, forgetfulness of past orthodoxies, counterproductive pride,
and lack of aesthetics.
[8]
The Temple of Set, named after the Egyptian
god of the night, Set,
Set was set up under the leadership of High Priest Michael Aquino.