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To: alt.satanism,alt.magick.tyagi,talk.religion.misc,alt.christnet
From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nocTifer)
Subject: FALSE Real Satanism (was Re: Satanism Defined)
Date: 28 Mar 1997 12:03:21 -0800

49970328 AA1  Hail Satan! (posted and cc'd to KDelf via email)


Melissa Rhiannon Brookstone:
>> Why do so many people feel a need to go around defining other peoples' 
>> religions? This has always puzzled me. The inaccuracies and pure 
>> propaganda involved are astounding most of the time when it happens. 

there are a variety of motives.  one of the biggest has to do with
'making someone else wrong so we can feel right'.  it is a type of
parasitism.  another has to do with condemnatory tactics designed
to exteriorize a personal Shadow onto others and deal with it in
the world beyond the psyche.  this is how Christian Satanism has
developed.


Kerry Delf :
>...the person who wrote the article fully acknowledged that she(?) 
>didn't know that much about Satanism, and wasn't a Satanist herself, 
>and welcomed any corrections and comments people might have.

when it comes to taboo subjects or obscurities, there is sometimes
value in grappling with them oneself with gloves, attempting to
'get a handle on them' without being directly involved.  this seems
to be the forte of scholastics and what the dobedobedos would call
'armchair experts'.  when balanced by direct experience it can lend
some objectivity and thus can be helpful reflection.  it can also
become overly abstracted and stray far afield.


>My only big objection was to the fact that she's bought into the idea that
>there is such a thing as "Real Satanism(tm)" and that anyone who isn't a
>purist LaVeyan isn't a Real Satanist(tm)....

I've been seeing this fundamentalism in religions since I've studied them.
it appears there are some common maturation cycles in religious 
conversion which might include initial rejection of the religion; more
often the wholesale purchase with a rudimentary understanding, seizing 
on the externals and promoting them to competitors as 'The One True Way'; 
this can develop into an acclimation to a set of religious subsets (such
as 'the Religions of the Book' and forebearance of the 'deluded' or 
'herd'); eventually it may ripen into an ecumenical acceptance of
variety, whether or not the individual ever recognizes that alternatives
are of equal value to other, differently-prepared people.

in this way we can tell when a religious movement is in its adolescence,
or when we have come across a social strata which is undergoing this
type of maturation phase.  a number of religious forums are testing-
grounds for the proselytizing of the newly converted and Singular of
mind.  alt.satanism is host to a number of newly-converted Satanists,
and this shows us that it is a living and growing social movement.

LaVey's doctrines are in printed form.  this is important to the Western
religious who usually seize on books for their inspiration and truths.
that they are purvasive and he is so well-known naturally predisposes
him to become the object of ossification and obsession among the newly
converted Satanists, especially given that membership in CoSatanism is
fairly easy to achieve ($100 and answer some questions via mail).

'Real Satanism' (so called) should really be admired as a type of
'Satanic Orthodoxy', a standard of instructed doctrines which are of
comparable value to the conventional Buddhist, Christian and other
instructed religious forms.  it is no surprise that there will be
advocates that these constitute the One True Satanism, since in some
measure this is how they are promoted by their zealous prophets.  

there will of course be competing 'Real Satanism's, and within 
the Satanic culture (with its presumed focus on individualism and ego)
this is to be encouraged.  those who don't encourage diversity and
a radical decentralization of power and authority as regards Satanism
should be held suspect and relegated to the status of the 'immature' 
or 'deceptive'.  I tend to think LaVey himself qualifies for the 
latter (being shrewdly deceptive in attempting to capitalize on the
gullibility of the herd).


>CoSatanists really push that idea, bullshit though it may be, and if
>they're the only ones she's been talking to, well... :)

not ALL CoSatanists push the Real Satanism ploy, though many do.  it
is a tool of propaganda and in some cases an expression of deep
indoctrination into the LaVeyan current.  it says more about the
person who spouts it than it does about the organization which
promotes it, since organizations by their nature are self-propagative
and oppressive of individual sovereignty.

to the extent that CoSatanism allows for creativity and divergence
from its orthodoxy (not in expression but in allowing continued 
*membership* despite advocation of alternatives or opposition to 
the Official), this demonstrates its health (as with all Thelemic
bodies).  

intensity of doctrinal promotion only tells us of the vitality of 
the current.  how far members are allowed to VEER from this doctrine 
or promote their own exceptions will show us its SATANIC value. ;>

given this, individual who gets the impression of some 'Real Satanism'
is to be excused as either not BEING a Satanist (often the case) or
as being fairly immature in their religious life, having to set into
contrast the competing and viable alternatives to the ideas and
practices which they are assimilating.

blessed beast!

tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com
nocTifer 
-- 
see http://www.hollyfeld.org/~tyagi/nagasiva.html  and  call: 408/2-666-SLUG!!!
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