God Bless America: Strange and Unusual Religious Beliefs and Practices in the United States by Stollznow Karen

Author:Stollznow, Karen [Stollznow, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pitchstone Publishing
Published: 2013-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Sympathy for the Devil

Satanism

“Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.”

—Paradise Lost

At a dinner party, my friend Louise asked the table, “If you had to join a religion, which one would you choose?” Before anyone else could answer, Matthew yelled out “Satanism!” “But you’d have to kill a baby as part of their initiation!” Louise said in shock, as everyone laughed. “No, really!” she said seriously.

We Are Many

There are many different versions of Satan. Depending on your beliefs, he’s an angel, a god, a serpent, or a man who walks among us. To many people, he’s an adversary, and a fallen angel who was booted out of heaven. So why would anyone worship Satan? Well, he’s suave and sophisticated and, as the Rolling Stones say, he’s “a man of wealth and taste.” He’s charismatic and powerful, like the Satan of Milton’s Paradise Lost. He also personifies pleasure and temptation. Satan is a sex symbol who is often represented as dark, brooding, mysterious, and muscular, even if he is red and engulfed in flames. Satan offers immediate gratification, while Christians must wait for theirs in the next life, but who wants to float on a cloud and play the harp all day long?

Yet in other portrayals, Satan is depicted as a hideous monster with horns, claws, fangs, or hooves. Sometimes he simply wears really unfashionable red pajamas and has a pointy tail. Satan is the CEO of hell, which is a fiery pit where damned souls suffer torment and terrifying punishment. This Satan stands for all that is evil, and you’re on the losing guy’s team. The devil is deceptive and cunning, so even if you sell your soul to him he can’t be trusted. If his promises weren’t worthless, fleeting fame and fortune here on Earth are not worth burning in hell for all eternity.

Does anyone really worship Satan anyway? Historically, there are many urban legends of devil-worshipping societies, but there is no proof of their existence. Satan has always been a contrived enemy in times of ignorance and fear, and He is the original scapegoat for disaster, disease, and death. During the tragic witch hunts and trials, numerous individuals were condemned as witches, tortured to secure false confessions, and burned at the stake or hanged. Today, similar crimes continue in Africa, where a belief in the supernatural is still rampant. Fortunately, in most contemporary Western societies, Satan is rarely considered real, but is instead a metaphor for wickedness in the world.

LaVeyan Satanism

Until recently, being a Satanist was mostly an accusation, rather than a reality. That is, until the flamboyant Anton Szandor LaVey saw this as a niche market and turned Satanism into an actual movement. On April 30, also known as Walpurgis Night, the other Halloween, in the Annos Satanas 1966, LaVey shaved his head and founded the Church of Satan. This was the first legally recognized satanic organization, and “Doctor” LaVey was dubbed its “High Priest” and the “Black Pope.” He held seminars and rituals

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