Why label a personal philosophy "Satanism"? | Forum

Wolfie: 'One of the easiest ways to identify the marks was to ask them if Satanism was a religion. If they said yes, they were marks… So no, Tom, Satanism is not a religion. It's a modern Hermetic practice whose participants are engaged in the Great Work from a dark, Left Hand, carnal, atheistic, misanthropic perspective. The goal of the Great Work (for the Satanist) is a more pleasing psyche.'

Tom is correct: LaVey’s brand of Satanism is a religion, as per LaVey. The below is a quote from Anton LaVey. It comes from the larger article linked below.

https://www.churchofsatan.com/worlds-most-powerful-religion/

‘Satanism is the only religion which serves to encourage and enhance one’s individual preferences, so long as there is admission of those needs. Thus, one’s personal and indelible religion (the picture) is integrated into a perfect frame. It’s a celebration of individuality without hypocrisy, of solidarity without mindlessness, of objective subjectivity. There need be no deviation from these principles. They should summarily negate internecine strife and bickering. Any attempts at Satanic “reformation” should be seen for what they are: creating problems where none exist. There should be no place in any religion for reformers whose very religion is the fetish of reformation. There is even a place and title for compulsive dissidents, and if they can wear the mantle, they are welcome. They would delude themselves to be revolutionaries. In our camp, they are called “House Masochists.”’

I think it is intellectually dishonest and disingenuous to reconfigure or manipulate LaVey, for your own purposes, by flat out ignoring what LaVey has actually written.

Your claims are merely your interpretation, without speaking with LaVey himself or those who were a part of his circle of acquaintances, or without any supporting quotes or references at all.

If you want to get litigious about it...  LaVey also said anything one devotes attention to can be their religion. 

Satanism as a form, can never rise above #3 on the depth chart: 

a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.

For LaVey, I agree with the carnival assessment. Marks. You don't sell degrees unless you want to mock those buying them. In fact most of the firsthand blackhouse lore I have heard about LaVey revolves around his mocking contempt for sycophants. To see what he could get the little followers to do. Just like the pied piper.  

And he could sell it off as, "No, I wasn't making you all sing gibberish for my amusement, I was trying to get you to intellectually decompress for the ritual." 

The dude is my fucking hero (figure of speech) just for all the shit he pulled mocking his cult-of-personality followers. Lapping up the second half of the TSB like it's attainment madlibs for them. 

 I think the point is the "non-satanists" who swap out one bible for another and treat incantations of infernal names like the stations of the fucking cross. 

I doubt it was that sinister. It's more probable he simply needed money. In his letter to Aquino's friends who resigned from the CoS he wrote that the titles were a form of his friendly gratitude for all the sympathy and gifts Aquino gave him.

I look at it in this way. LaVey was a self-serving charismatic individual. He liked being in the center of attention and pursuing his interests. At the same time, he knew that people crave validation so he realized that stroking their egos was an opportunity for good business. Weeding out those more focused on the frame than the picture was more a byproduct of his selfish hedonism than the evil master plan.

One doesn't have to look too far. Let's take, for example, the Catholic Church. The priest from my local parish was a perfect example of the philosophy of selfish indulgence in action. All the money the "faithful" gave him to pray for their beloved dead ones, he spent on luxurious perfumes, international travels and alcohol because he was an alcoholic. But it wasn't cheap alcohol for the plebs. He used to buy the most expensive liquors he could find. All the time, he encouraged the naive to give him more money. When his machinations were revealed, he was moved to another parish to vampirise on another congregation.

Now, let's suppose for a moment you're a Catholic. The essence of the faith in God is absolute trust in his plans and total submission to his will. In other words, you believe he does what he wants to do and what he does is the best for you. How that belief goes with giving the priest money to pray for your dead family or friends? I mean... if God sends your loved ones to hell, he knows what he's doing and you should accept that, right? He's not mistaken in his judgement, right?

I'm half joking here but the marks and pawns are usually those who are totally absorbed in the exoteric forms, the theatrics. The same happened to Satanism. It was supposed to be the celebration of the individual liberation. The fools focused their minds on rituals, ceremonies, infernal names and mandates, degrees, grottos and temples. 

Yes I distinctly recall the rumors that were propagated regarding the Catholic church, as most I'm sure. Although in this respect it was in the context of pedophilia. It was an 'internal affairs' kind of thing similar to what Wolfie said about the carnies and the marks.

If a name became tarnished it would simply be relocated elsewhere, somewhat analogous to some twisted and bizarre witness protection program, although conversely.

RE : recognition of irony becoming increasingly rare. In that these supposed 'men of God' were nothing more than predators, wolves in sheeps' clothing, or, devils in disguise. Widespread corruption; the preferred line of work for child molesters with immunity.

When it comes to ceremony then it's just to maintain a community between Satanists which helps the individual to get most out of life.

God forbid!!!

Thank Heavens for that!!!

The most Satanic song ever!