The Temple of S A T A N

[MuscledHorse]

10 hours ago, ErosWired said:

Only from a perspective that places the value of the individual above the value of the society, or of the species. An eye for an eye eventually leaves everyone blind. A man learns he cannot always do whatever he wants when he is a child of three. To try to do so at all times inevitably brings conflict with others whose equal right to do what they want at all times is incompatible, and the only solution is homicide or warfare. Your fate is determined by a million factors every minute, most of which you are unaware. And one does not believe in science; one may place his trust in the scientific method, but science, by its very nature, can never offer up an absolute truth - it must always allow for the possibility that new data will disprove the prevailing theory. There are those points of human experience, however, that demand the certainty of concrete truth, and for those places beyond the reach of science we apply the antithesis of science: Faith.

There is, after all, a reason why Laveyan-style s a t a n i s m never became a major world religion - It isn’t practical.

You really read more on the subject as that is a majorly superficial reading of the tenants of Sat-ansim. Yes, it does place the person ahead of the group think and hold them responsible for their actions rather than unseen Gods and Demons. So there is no "it was god's will" or "the devil made me do it" stuff.   If you research into the activities of groups like the Church of Sat-an and the Sat-anic Temple you will find that they do engage in many community support projects.

Yes, it does call for you to treat other AS the treat you (rather than the Christian "as you would want them to treat you."}. But, as LeVey notes in the Satanic Bible. Doing otherwise is akin to a dog getting kicked and rolling over so it can be kicked again.  You are not out looking for a fight but you are not going to be trampled over, either. 

Yes, it embraces and celebrates our carnal Lustful Nature that Christianity suppresses and emasculates through fear and shame and guilt. BUT at no point does it give you leave to indulge in every whim like an Id driven child out of Willy Wonka. That personal responsibility part requires that you treat your body like the temple that it is (Christianity has a similar tenant, though its most ardent followers here in the Bible Belt trash their bodies more than any other region of the USA population (see CDC per capita stats on incidence of obesity, diabetes, stroke, CV disease, opioid overdose death rate, meth lab "busts", etc.). The Church of Sat-an clearly states they do NOT condone recreational drug use harmful to the body. So that nixes the party high of heroin, T and other addictive, destructive substances, as well as things like cigarettes. Like the Epicurians of old, who are falsely portrayed by Christianity as ID driven  hedonists in pursuit of pleasure (that will never amount to anything because only Jesus can fill that void, so Xian thought controllers claim), Sat-anism actually takes their path. one of moderation between two extremes. Live, Enjoy, Indulge. But, do it Responsibly, in moderation. This means, just as with the Epicurians, you may enjoy a good buzz from alcohol, but at no point  are you going to get staggering drunk, as this trades the pleasure of the buzz for the pain of a hangover and, repeated over time, leads to damage to the body-temple, such as its liver.  

and lastly, at no point does it claim to be an absolute Truth or the only truth. In fact, the religion avoids such claims at every turn. Intellectuals are usually  well read enough to be familiar with Socrates' "Allegory of the Cave" from "Plato's Republic", in which Socrates demonstrates that the concrete manifestation of any idea is ALWAYS going to be incomplete and limiting to the idea. And religion is no different. There are many great Truths found in the teachings of Jesus. Paul's essay on Love in 1 Corinthians 13 has yet to be surpassed by anyone in any language, BUT the dogmatic social control (do what we tell you without question for it is god's will) mechanism that the religion was turned into the moment it became part of the power structure. This is why Marx called religion the opiate of the people. He wasn't anti-spiritual, he saw it for the human power wielding machine it had become.

(for the record, this sex beast has degrees in the Humanities and medicine.)

[ErosWired]

I also have two humanities degrees, and you are quite right that one fully immersed in the philosophies of LeVeyan sa tan ism realizes that it does advocate a middle-path style of living. It is unfortunate that many do not strive to understand it beyond its surface tenets, just as it’s unfortunate that so many ersatz “Christians” espouse the eye-for-an-eye doctrine, failing to realize that it runs counter to the message of the New Testament.

 I do not judge any person for his choice of belief; only for the actions of his heart toward his fellows. It is by men’s deeds that we know them.

I really do have to remark, though, on the irony of people who rant about how foolish it is to believe in a mythical sky-god based on a book of fairy tales when that same person espouses a creed named for the mythical antagonist in the same book of fairy tales. In either case, what we’re really talking about is how contemporary humans choose to behave toward one another in a frightening world where we are not always in control… and where more often than not, we have no choice but to depend on each other.

Edited February 18, 2019 by ErosWired

[MuscledHorse]

21 hours ago, ErosWired said:

I also have two humanities degrees, and you are quite right that one fully immersed in the philosophies of LeVeyan sa tan ism realizes that it does advocate a middle-path style of living. It is unfortunate that many do not strive to understand it beyond its surface tenets, just as it’s unfortunate that so many ersatz “Christians” espouse the eye-for-an-eye doctrine, failing to realize that it runs counter to the message of the New Testament.

 I do not judge any person for his choice of belief; only for the actions of his heart toward his fellows. It is by men’s deeds that we know them.

I really do have to remark, though, on the irony of people who rant about how foolish it is to believe in a mythical sky-god based on a book of fairy tales when that same person espouses a creed named for the mythical antagonist in the same book of fairy tales. In either case, what we’re really talking about is how contemporary humans choose to behave toward one another in a frightening world where we are not always in control… and where more often than not, we have no choice but to depend on each other.

That was the biggest thing I found fascinating about Sat anism when I started researching it. One would expect from the Xian claims there would be a lot fo animal sacrifice and blood drinking. But none was to be found; Sat anism seems to walk the space somewhere between agnostic and atheist. I'm convinced LeVey chose it less for any oppositional fairy tale beliefs and more for a) the shock value to 1960's mainly protestant white middle class society and b) the symbolism of Sat-an as a kind of Judaic Prometheus bringing the knowledge of the Gods, or in this case, God, to humans, via act of eating a forbidden fruit.  

There are some great, equally valid life lessons in the teachings of Jesus. The problem arises out of the fact the institutionalized religion that has grown up around it has been for social control of a lot of willing sheep to create and us versus them mentality on the level of Orwell's 5 minute hate in "1984" that has virtually nothing to do with the teachings of its founder.

[ErosWired]

18 minutes ago, MuscledHorse said:

The problem arises out of the fact the institutionalized religion that has grown up around it has been for social control of a lot of willing sheep to create and us versus them mentality on the level of Orwell's 5 minute hate in "1984" that has virtually nothing to do with the teachings of its founder.

Indeed, and for many years now I have taken a very dim view of institutionalized religion. Its control structures are blatant, unapologetic and even secularly partisan in ways that directly contadict whichever theology has been co-opted. I am a Christian, but my conversations with God and Christ are our own - I am beholden to no church. I have never found one worthy of the name.

[drscorpio]

Moderator’s Note: I fixed the title of the thread. I don’t have the patience to fix every instance of the name. Besides, rawTOP clearly wants things to work this way. 

[Guest FinalDL2021]

On ‎2‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 7:44 PM, Pozlover1 said:

Sarah exists, and controls all the money andgovernments of this world. It is perfectly logical to work for her in exchange for certain benefits and comfort.

That said, it is also perfectly logical to trust Jesus and accept the gift of Salvation by allowing Him into your heart. He liked to hang around prostitutes, not religious people. He never said anything about homosexuality, healed a Centurion’s lover, and will be calling His people up to meet him in the sky very soon. 

Agreed, the rapture, or who decides to take the mark on their hand or forehead in the form of currency, as it says in the book of Revelation, is the deception of the Antichrist / Sarah Palin. I see being here, and bareback homosexual sex, as sowing some wiled oats before the end times, for which I believe we are living in.