Satanism

History

Suspicions of Satanic activity date back to the first century C.E., when the Roman authorities accused early Christians of kidnapping and sacrificing children to the devil. Since then, a number of disparate groups, including Jews, Reformationera Protestants, Gypsies, decadent poets, Native Americans, physicists, Freemasons, Wiccans, homeopaths, Scientologists, and rock musicians have similarly been accused. Most of these accusations are attributable to ethnocentric or myopic Christian hegemony that views non-Christian groups or activities as serving Satan.

Origins

While some contend that Satanism began in 14thcentury France with Templar Knights, and others point to 18th-century Britain's “Hellfire Club,” most scholars cite Scot occultist Aleister Crowley (1878–1947) as the first Satanist. Crowley set the stage for Satanism with the founding of Crowleyanity and publication of The Book of the Law in 1904. While Crowleyanity was pantheistic, prescribing worship of numerous gods and preternatural beings (including Satan), it was Crowley's dictum, “Do What Thou Wilt Shall be the Whole of the Law,” that foreshadowed Satanism's development in late 1960s America.

The Church of Satan (CoS), the foremost Satanic group, was founded by occultist and former criminology student, Anton Szandor LaVey (1930–1997) in San Francisco on Walpurgisnacht (a Wiccan sabbath), April 30, 1966 (Wolfe, 1974). Declaring it I Anno Satanas (Satanic era, year one), LaVey outlined a philosophy more relativistic and pragmatic (perhaps Machiavellian) than metaphysical. This is seen in several of LaVey's (1967, p. 1) Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth (most notably, I. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked; II. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure [Page 875]they want to hear them; III. When in another's lair, show him[/her] respect or else do not go there; VIII. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself. And, XI. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him[/her] to stop. If [s/]he does not stop, destroy him[/her].).

Satanism is more about personal gratification and self-actualization than the worship of incarnate or spiritual “evil.” This point is illustrated by Diane Taub and Lawrence Nelson in their use of the term “atheistic Satanist” (1993, p. 526) to describe the majority of Satanists who view “Satan” simply as a symbol or externalization of human qualities. The sardonic and satirical critique of human folly that constitutes Satanism's core is evidenced in several of LaVey's (1969, p. 25) Nine Satanic Statements (I. Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence! II. Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe dreams! III. Satan represents undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit! IV. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates! VI. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible, instead of concern for psychic vampires! And, VIII. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!).

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