I think it's time we have a very serious discussion about something.

I would like to preface this by saying this thread is NOT meant to generate any sort of aggression or hostility. This is intended to help deal with the discrimination against people who subscribe to particular ideologies or philosophies. I am of course referring to LaVeyan Satanism.

I am a Satanist. My primary reason for starting this thread, is to clear up many of the misconceptions about Satanism, put an end the hate-speech and griefing of '/warp church' with the '/spawnmob' command (it's happened more than once, now), and hopefully answer any of your potential questions about Satanism.

I'm sure it will come as a surprise to most of you that Satanism is not about witchcraft, worshiping Satan, demons, or summoning evil spirits. The vast majority (90+%) of people who practice satanism do NOT worship Satan. In fact, they don't believe that 'Satan' exists. All of that is a myth perpetuated by Hollywood and various religious factions around the world. The only "evil" part of Satanism, is the fact that the word "satan" is part of the word.

There is a big difference between Satanism and Luciferianism. Luciferianism is the belief in, and worship of Lucifer as a guardian prince, and liberator. Meanwhile, Satanism is not a religion. It is an ideology. A philosophical view of the real world, and the individual (the self). Satanism is basically Humanism (the outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters).

To prove my point, below are listed the "11 Rules of Earth", found in the Satanic Bible, by Anton LaVey. Read them, and ask yourself how many you agree with.

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 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.

Now, I'm sure you have questions about some of these, because the language used isn't exactly peaceful sounding... #4 says "if a guest in your lair annoys you, treat them cruelly and without mercy". This means if someone is in your house without your consent, or will not leave when asked, then do what is necessary to remove them from the premises. #7 refers to 'magic'. Magic in Satanism isn't the kind of "magic" we know of today. It is a form of ritual practice and is meant as psychodramatic catharsis to focus one's emotional energy for a specific purpose... Basically, mental willpower. #11 ends with "if they do not stop, destroy them.". This basically means don't be walked on. If someone's bothering you, don't just sit there and take it. Help yourself by standing up for yourself.

The thing is, Satanism stands for some very very reasonable ideals. It promotes self-help, and independence. It also promotes education for education's sake, meaning reading other religious texts contradictory to your own, so you can have a deeper understanding of what other people believe. The number one Satanic Sin is "Stupidity" (bearing in mind, this does not mean ignorance. Ignorance you cant help, stupidity you can help). That said, i would encourage you to read Anton LaVey's book, The Satanic Bible, because it's highly educational. I believe that if more people took the time to understand what satanism actually is, more people would realize they themselves are already Satanists. In fact, I would go as far as to say it's entirely possible to be a Satanist Christian.

In terms of the symbolism used by myself and many other satanists, it's purely a matter of aesthetics. Everything from The The Leviathan Cross , to goat heads and pentagrams . It's all a matter of liking that particular aesthetic. It has very little significance within the world of Satanism.

I hope you learned something by reading this. If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask, and i will answer them promptly. Please end the hate-speech and griefing... I don't like getting people in trouble if i don't have to...

Thank you.