Satanism is a perverted ideology that makes violence
and savagery a ritual in its creed. Satanists, who describe themselves
as such, make deeds of inhumanity and brutality into acts of worship.
When the word Satanism is mentioned most people think merely of its
widespread psychological influence on young people, and regard it
as a kind of insignificant mystical movement. Also, due to the influence
of the media, they may think of Satanists as performing strange rituals,
much unlike what ordinary and well-balanced people would otherwise
do. It is true that Satanists are part of a culture of violence and
perform strange and horrible rites, yet, what most people fail to
see is that Satanism is a materialist and atheist ideology that supports
violence and which dates back to the 1800s. Furthermore, the ideology
has a large number of followers throughout the world.
The fundamental principle of Satanism is that it rejects all religious
values, takes the Devil as its deity, and claims that hell is a kind
of salvation. According to the belief of Satanism, people have no
responsibilities, apart from that of following their own desires.
If his desires lead a person to anger, hatred, revenge, deceit, theft,
the harming others or even murder, then that is acceptable.
One of the most common ways Satanists use to describe themselves,
in their books, magazines and publications, as well as their websites,
is to regard man as a "kind of developed animal," and to
maintain that "only the fittest can survive." This is the
most important piece of evidence to corroborate that Darwinism lies
at the very root of the Satanists' beliefs. In fact, many Satanists
do not hesitate to admit the fact. In A Description of Satanism, a
Satanist writer describes the ideology in these terms:
First of all, Humans
are social animals... all people and animals share a common source
in mere biology. Satanism is the belief that Humans are nothing more
than higher animals-we have no special place in creation other than
being lucky to have evolved and survived 1
It is clear from the preceding that Satanism regards
Darwin's theory, that human beings evolved from animals, as the source
of its own ideological "awareness." The introduction to
an interview with Anton LaVey, the founder of Satanism, carried in
the music journal MF Magazine, describes the relationship between
Satanism and Darwinism:
In the late 1960s, Anton LaVey
brought forth an easily understandable doctrine of social Darwinism,
and strong positive thinking (magic) to the growing mass of individuals
sick of both hippieism and the stagnant morals of Christianity.2
The
way Satanism shares so many parallels with Social Darwinism, which regards
Western society as superior to others, has led to cooperation between
it and a number of other racist and chauvinistic movements, especially
fascism. One can find many individuals who believed in Satanism among
the ranks of Hitler's National Socialists and Mussolini's Blackshirts.
Anton LaVey makes this reference to that collaboration:
It's an unholy alliance.
Many different types of such people have made contact with us in the
past. The anti-Christian strength of National Socialist Germany is
part of the appeal to Satanists-the drama, the lighting, the choreography
with which they moved millions of people.3
Darwinism is the primary ground shared between these
tendencies and Satanism. Social Darwinism, which lies at the heart
of all these deviant ideologies, is defended by Satanists as follows:
The principle of the survival
of the strong is advocated on all levels of society, from allowing
an individual to stand or fall, to even letting those nations that
cannot handle themselves take the consequences of this inability
There would be a concomitant reduction in the world's population as
the weak are allowed to experience the consequences of social Darwinism.
Thus has nature always acted to cleanse and strengthen her children
We embrace reality and do not try to transform it into some utopia
that is contrary to the very fabric of existence.4
Another
expression of the Satanists' attachment to Social Darwinism is their
fierce support for the theory of eugenics, itself the product of fascism.
The theory of eugenics maintained that the sick and the crippled ought
to be eliminated from society, and the number of healthy individuals
increased through breeding. The theory was most prominently implemented
in Nazi Germany. According to the theory of eugenics, in the same way
that healthy animal stock is bred by mating healthy species, by this
way a race of humans also be improved. Those elements obstructing such
improvement (the sick, crippled, mentally handicapped etc.) need to
be eradicated. When this line of thinking was adopted in Nazi Germany,
tens of thousands of people with genetic and mental diseases were slaughtered
ruthlessly.
Satanism is also in favor of the same terrible mercilessness. Their
own publications reveal their view on eugenics:
Satanists also seek to enhance
the laws of nature by concentrating on fostering the practice of eugenics
It is the practice of encouraging people of talent and ability to
reproduce, to enrich the gene pool from which our species can grow.
This was commonly practiced throughout the world Until the genetic
code is cracked and we can choose the character of our offspring at
will, Satanists seek to mate the best with the best.5
We
need to bear in mind the Satanists' own views when considering the threat
posed by it. When Satanists are asked how many of them there are, they
claim to have large numbers of followers, because there are many people
who actually live by the tenets of Satanism without being aware of the
fact. In a way, that is actually the case. Many people, consciously
or unconsciously, share the views of the Satanists. That is because,
refusing to listen to the voice of one's conscience, or to live by proper
morality, therefore following one's own desires, is the same as obeying
the commands of the Devil. When one considers all the destruction caused
by Satanists up to the present day, it is quite clear in what a terrible
state a society consisting of such people is going to end up to be.
The claim that man is a species of animal, on which Satanism is founded,
is utter nonsense. Mankind did not come into being as the result of
blind chance. The Creator of mankind, and of the order and splendor
of the entire universe, is the infinitely powerful, superior and All-Wise
God, Who has no weaknesses of any kind. He created man with the ability
to think and reason, to distinguish between right and wrong, and also
with a responsibility towards our Creator. Just as each individual's
ego directs him towards evil, so his conscience protects him from
it, and commands him to turn away from it. It is man's duty to listen
to the voice of his conscience, not of his ego and adopt the kind
of morality that is pleasing to God. That morality will not only allow
the individual concerned, and the society in which he lives, to enjoy
a peaceful and secure existence, but will also, by the will of God,
lead to the sublimest reward in the hereafter.
One important fact that must not be lost sight of is that the life
Satan offers, which he dresses up to appear so very attractive, is
mere deception. Satan may make all kinds of promises about the possibilities
of the life of this world, and may try to turn people away form the
true path, yet, it must not be forgotten that the road he beckons
man to follow will only lead to ultimate destruction for those who
take it. That is because Satan and his followers have already been
defeated. As God explains in a verse:
What they call on is
an arrogant Satan whom God has cursed. He said, "I will take a certain
fixed proportion of Your servants. I will lead them astray and fill them
with false hopes. I will command them and they will cut off cattle's ears.
I will command them and they will change God's creation." Anyone
who takes the Satan as his protector in place of God has clearly lost
everything. (Surat an-Nisa', 117-119)
1 Vexen Crabtree, "A
Description of Satanism," http://simon.crabtree.com/satanism/modern.html
2 "The Doctor Is In," Shane & Amy Bugbee, http:www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/MFInterview.html
3 Vexen Crabtree," A Description of Satanism," http://simon.crabtree.com/satanism/modern.html
4 Magister Peter Gilmore, "Satanism the Feared Religion,"
http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/Feared.html
5 Magister Peter Gilmore, "Satanism the Feared Religion,"
http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/Feared.html