LaVeyan Satanism

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LaVeyan Satanism is a philosophy and new religious movement founded in 1966 by Jewish American author and occultist Anton Szandor LaVey. The religion's teachings are codified in The Satanic Bible and overseen by the Church of Satan. Its core philosophy is based concepts of individualism, egoism, epicureanism, self-deification, and self-preservation,[1][2][3][4] and propagates a worldview of natural law, materialism, Lex Talionis, and mankind as animals in an amoral universe.[5][2][6][7] Adherents to the philosophy have described Satanism as a non-spiritual religion of the flesh, or "...the world's first carnal religion".[8]

The religion is atheistic, rejecting the existence of gods and other supernatural beings. Practitioners do not believe that the character of Satan literally exists and do not worship him. Instead, Satan is viewed as a positive archetype who represents pride, carnality, liberty, enlightenment, undefiled wisdom, and of a cosmos which Satanists perceive to be motivated by a "dark evolutionary force of entropy that permeates all of nature and provides the drive for survival and propagation inherent in all living things".[9][10] He also serves as a conceptual framework and an external metaphorical projection of [the Satanists] highest personal potential. Satan (Hebrew: שָּׂטָן satan, meaning "adversary") is seen as a symbol of defiance to the conservatism of mainstream philosophical and religious currents, mainly the Abrahamic religions, that see this character as their antithesis.[11]

Additionally, Satanism involves the practice of magic, which encompasses two distinct forms; greater and lesser magic. Greater magic is a form of ritual practice and is meant as a self-transformational psychodrama to focus one's emotional energy for a specific purpose. Lesser magic is based on the laws of attraction and consists of using one's natural abilities to manipulate others. LaVey wrote extensively on the subject of magic and ritual in his works The Satanic Rituals and The Satanic Witch.

Anton LaVey established LaVeyan Satanism in the U.S. state of California through the founding of his Church of Satan in 1966. The Church grew under LaVey's leadership, with regional groups, or grottos, being founded across the United States. A number of these ceded from the Church to form independent Satanic organizations during the early 1970s. In 1975, LaVey abolished the grotto system, after which point Satanism became a far less organized movement, although remained greatly influenced by LaVey's writings.

Definition

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"Never one for theory, LaVey created a belief system somewhere between religion, philosophy, psychology, and carnival (or circus), freely appropriating science, mythology, fringe beliefs, and play in a potent mix. The core goal was always indulgence and vital existence, based on the devices and desires of the self-made man."

Per Faxneld and Jesper Petersen.[12]

Scholars of religious studies have referred to LaVeyan Satanism as Modern Satanism,[13] and as Rational Satanism.[14] Scholars have characterized LaVeyan Satanism as a new religious movement.[15] A number of religious studies scholar have also described it as a form of "self-religion" or "self-spirituality",[16] with religious studies scholar Amina Olander Lap arguing that it should be seen as being both part of the "prosperity wing" of the self-spirituality New Age movement and a Human Potential Movement group.[17] The anthropologist Jean La Fontaine described it as having "both elitist and anarchist elements", also citing one occult bookshop owner who referred to the Church's approach as "anarchistic hedonism".[18] Prominent Church leader Blanche Barton described Satanism as "an alignment, a lifestyle".[19]

As a symbol of his Satanic church, LaVey adopted the upturned five-pointed pentagram.[20] This image had previously been used by the French occultist Eliphas Lévi, and had been adopted by his disciple, Stanislas de Guiata, who merged it with a goat's head in his 1897 book, Key of Black Magic.[20] LaVey learned of this symbol after it had been reproduced in Maurice Bessy's coffee table book, Pictorial History of Magic and the Supernatural.[20]

The prefixes such as "LaVeyan" were never used by Anton LaVey or by the Church of Satan, nor does the term appear in any of its literature.[21] Critics and scholars have attributed a number of qualifiers to LaVey's Satanism, including atheistic,[22] modern, [23] rational[24] and orthodox.[25][26] The church has stated its contention that they are the first formally organized religion to adopt the term "Satanism" and asserts that Satanism and the "worship of Satan" are not congruent.[27] The term "Theistic Satanism" has been described as "oxymoronic" by the church and its High Priest.[28] The Church of Satan rejects the legitimacy of any other organizations who claim to be Satanists, dubbing them reverse-Christians, pseudo-Satanists or Devil worshipers.[29][30] Today, the Church of Satan promotes itself as the only authentic representation of Satanism, and it routinely publishes materials underscoring this contention.[31][32]

History

Origins: 1966–72

Anton LaVey, the "founder of modern Satanism"[33]

Although there were forms of religious Satanism that predated the creation of LaVeyan Satanism – namely those propounded by Stanisław Przybyszewski and Ben Kadosh – these had no unbroken lineage of succession to LaVey's form.[34] LaVey founded the Church of Satan on Walpurgisnacht 1966,[35] when it emerged from the cultic milieu of California.[36] It was the first organized church in modern times to be devoted to the figure of Satan,[37] and according to Faxneld and Petersen, the Church represented "the first public, highly visible, and long-lasting organisation which propounded a coherent satanic discourse".[15] The Church experienced its "golden age" from 1966 to 1972, when it had a strong media presence.[36]

Shortly after establishing the Church, LaVey began performing weekly Satanic rituals with followers at his house in San Francisco, which was known as "the Black House".[38] In February 1967 he held a much publicized Satanic wedding, which was followed by the Satanic baptism of his daughter Zeena in May, and then a Satanic funeral in December.[39] Through these and other activities, he soon attracted international media attention, being dubbed "the Black Pope".[39] He also attracted a number of celebrities to join his Church, most notably Sammy Davis Junior and Jayne Mansfield.[40] LaVey also established branches of the Church, known as grottos, in various parts of the United States; these included the Babylon Grotto in Detroit, the Stygian Grotto in Dayton, and the Lilith Grotto in New York.[41]

As a result of the success of the film Rosemary's Baby and the concomitant growth of interest in Satanism, an editor at Avon Books, Peter Mayer, approached LaVey and commissioned him to write a book, which became The Satanic Bible.[42] While part of the text was LaVey's original writing, other sections of the book consisted of direct quotations from Arthur Desmond's right-wing tract Might is Right and the occultist Aleister Crowley's version of John Dee's Enochian Keys.[43] There is evidence that he was inspired by the writings of the Jewish-American philosopher Ayn Rand; accusations that he plagiarized her work in The Satanic Bible have been disproved, however.[44] The book served to present LaVey's ideas to a far wider audience than they had previously had.[40]

Later development: 1972–present

LaVey ceased conducting group rituals and workshops in his home in 1972.[17] In 1973, church leaders in Michigan, Ohio, and Florida split to form their own Church of Satanic Brotherhood, however this disbanded in 1974 when one of its founders publicly converted to Christianity.[45] Subsequently, members of the Church of Satan based in Kentucky and Indiana left to found the Ordo Templi Satanis.[45] In 1975, LaVey disbanded all grottos, or local units of the Church, leaving the organisation as a membership-based group that existed largely on paper.[46] According to Lap, from this point on the Satanic religion became a "splintered and disorganized movement".[17]

Between the abolition of the grotto system in 1975 and the establishment of the internet in the mid-1990s, The Satanic Bible remained the primary means of propagating Satanism.[47] During this period, a decentralized, anarchistic movement of Satanists developed that was shaped by many of the central themes that had pervaded LaVey's thought and which was expressed in The Satanic Bible.[48] Lewis argued that in this community, The Satanic Bible served as a "quasi-scripture" because these independent Satanists were able to adopt certain ideas from the book while merging them with ideas and practices drawn from elsewhere.[48]

LaVey died in 1997, with leadership of his Church being turned over to his personal assistant, Blanche Barton.[49] That year, the Church established an official website.[50] Subsequently, Peter H. Gilmore was appointed the Church's High Priest.[49] After LaVey's death, conflict over the nature of Satanism intensified within the Satanic community.[51] The Church of Satan became increasingly doctrinally-rigid and focused on maintaining the purity of LaVeyan Satanism.[37] The Church's increased emphasis on their role as the bearer of his legacy was partly a response to the growth in non-LaVeyan Satanists.[37] Some Church members – including Gilmore[50] – claimed that only they were the "real" Satanists and that those belonging to different Satanic traditions were "pseudo" Satanists.[37] After examining many of these claims on the Church's website, Lewis concluded that it was "obsessed with shoring up its own legitimacy by attacking the heretics, especially those who criticize LaVey".[45] Meanwhile, the Church experienced an exodus of its membership in the 2000s, with many of these individuals establishing new groups online.[51] Although the Church's public face had performed little ceremonial activity since the early 1970s, in June 2006 they held a Satanic 'High Mass' in Los Angeles to mark the Church's fortieth birthday.[52]

Belief

The sociologist of religion James R. Lewis described LaVeyan Satanism as "a blend of Epicureanism and Ayn Rand's philosophy, flavored with a pinch of ritual magic."[47]

On their website, the Church of Satan urge anyone seeking to learn about LaVeyan Satanism to read The Satanic Bible, stating that doing so is "tantamount to understanding at least the basics of Satanism".[53] The book has been in print since 1969 and has been translated into various languages.[54] Lewis argued that although LaVeyan Satanists do not treat The Satanic Bible as a sacred text in the way many other religious groups treat their holy texts, it nevertheless is "treated as an authoritative document which effectively functions as scripture within the Satanic community".[47] Petersen noted that it is "in many ways the central text of the Satanic milieu",[55] with Lap similarly testifying to its dominant position within the wider Satanic movement.[54] In particular, Lewis highlighted that many Satanists – both members of the Church of Satan and other groups – quote from it either to legitimize their own position or to de-legitimize the positions of others in a debate.[56] LaVey's writings have been described as "cornerstones" within the Church and its teachings,[57] although these are supplemented with the writings of its later High Priest, Gilmore.[57]

Atheism and Satan

LaVey was an atheist, rejecting the existence of all gods.[58] Accordingly, LaVey and his Church do not espouse a belief in Satan as an entity who literally exists,[59] and LaVey did not encourage the worship of Satan as a deity.[60] LaVey sought to cement his belief system within the secularist world-view that derived from natural science, thus providing him with an atheistic basis with which to criticize Christianity and supernaturalist beliefs.[48] He believed that his religion was legitimate because it was rational, contrasting it with what he saw as the supernaturalist irrationality of traditional religions.[48]

Instead, the image of Satan is embraced because of its association with social non-conformity and rebellion against the dominant system.[61] LaVey stated that "the reason it's called Satanism is because it's fun, it's accurate and it's productive".[59] However, both LaVey's writings and the publications of the Church continue to refer to Satan as if he were a real being, in doing so seeing to reinforce the Satanist's self-interest.[62] LaVey stated that one advantage of using the term "Satanist" was that it shocked people into thinking.[63]

Levi's image of Baphomet has been adopted by LaVeyan Satanists

LaVey's Satanism represents a rejection of Christianity which denies its basic principles and theology.[18] It views Christianity – alongside other major religions, and philosophies such as humanism and liberal democracy – as a largely negative force on humanity; LaVeyan Satanists perceive Christianity as a lie which promotes idealism, self-denigration, herd behavior, and irrationality.[5] LaVeyans view their religion as a force for redressing this balance by encouraging materialism, egoism, stratification, carnality, atheism, and social Darwinism.[5] LaVey's Satanism was particularly critical of what it understands as Christianity's denial of humanity's animal nature, and it instead calls for the celebration of, and indulgence in, these desires.[18] In doing so, it places an emphasis on the carnal rather than the spiritual.[64]

Satan is said to also serve as a conceptual framework and an external metaphorical projection of [the Satanists] highest personal potential. Satan (Hebrew: שָּׂטָן satan, meaning "adversary") is seen as a symbol of defiance to the conservatism of mainstream philosophical and religious currents, mainly the Abrahamic religions, that see this character as their antithesis.[11]

The Satanic Bible often uses the terms "God" and "Satan" interchangeably,[65] except when referring to the concepts of these as viewed by other religions. LaVey also occasionally uses the term "God" to refer to other religions' views of God, and "Satan" or synonyms to refer to the idea of god as interpreted by LaVeyan Satanism, as when he writes, "When all religious faith in lies has waned, it is because man has become closer to himself and farther from 'God'; closer to the 'Devil.'"[66] Throughout The Satanic Bible, the LaVeyan Satanist's view of god is described as the Satanist's true "self"—a projection of his or her own personality—not an external deity.[67] Satan is used as a representation of personal liberty and individualism.[68] Satan is also used as a metaphor for the ideas connected with the early Christian view of Satan or the serpent: wise, defiant, questioning, and free-thinking.[69] LaVey discusses this extensively in The Book of Lucifer, explaining that the gods worshipped by other religions are also projections of man's true self. He argues that man's unwillingness to accept his own ego has caused him to externalize these gods so as to avoid the feeling of narcissism that would accompany self-worship.[70]

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"If man insists on externalizing his true self in the form of "God," then why fear his true self, in fearing "God,"—why praise his true self in praising "God,"—why remain externalized from "God" in order to engage in ritual and religious ceremony in his name?
Man needs ritual and dogma, but no law states that an externalized god is necessary in order to engage in ritual and ceremony performed in a god's name! Could it be that when he closes the gap between himself and his "God" he sees the demon of pride creeping forth—that very embodiment of Lucifer appearing in his midst?"

— Anton LaVey, The Satanic Bible, pp. 44–45[62]

Human nature and society

In LaVey's view, the human being is explicitly viewed as an animal,[71] who thus has no purpose other than survival of the fittest, and who therefore exists in an amoral context.[48] He believed that in adopting a philosophical belief in its own superiority above that of the other animals, humankind has become "the most vicious animal of all".[72] For LaVey, non-human animals and children represent an ideal, "the purest form of carnal existence", because they have not been indoctrinated with Christian or other religious concepts of guilt and shame.[73] LaVey did not believe in any afterlife.[74]

LaVey believed that the ideal Satanist should be individualistic and non-conformist, rejecting what he called the "colorless existence" that mainstream society sought to impose on those living within it.[75] He praised the human ego for encouraging an individual's pride, self-respect, and self-realization and accordingly believed in satisfying the ego's desires.[76] He expressed the view that self-indulgence was a desirable trait.[74] He argued that hate and aggression were not wrong or undesirable emotions but that they were necessary and advantageous for survival.[72] Similarly, LaVey criticized the negative attitude to sexuality present in many religions, instead supporting any sexual acts that take place between consenting adults.[77] His Church welcomed homosexual members from its earliest years,[78] and he also endorsed celibacy for those who were asexual.[78] He sought to discourage negative feelings of guilt arising from sexual acts such as masturbation and fetishes,[79] and believed that rejecting these sexual inhibitions and guilt would result in a happier and healthier society.[80] Discussing women, LaVey argued that they should use sex as a tool to manipulate men, in order to advance their own personal power.[81] Conversely, non-consensual sexual relations, such as rape and paedophilia, were denounced by LaVey and his Church.[74]

The concept of "human nature" is prevalent throughout The Satanic Bible. The Satanic Bible challenges both the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule, advocating instead a tooth-for-tooth philosophy and identifies humans as instinctually predatory, and "lust and carnal desire" are singled out as part of humans' intrinsic nature. LaVey describes Satanism as "a religion based on the universal traits of man,"[82] and humans are described throughout as inherently carnal and animalistic. Each of the seven deadly sins is described as part of human's natural instinct, and are thus advocated.[83] Social Darwinism is particularly noticeable in The Book of Satan, where LaVey uses portions of Redbeard's Might Is Right, though it also appears throughout in references to man's inherent strength and instinct for self-preservation.[48][84] LaVeyan Satanism has been described as "institutionalism of Machiavellian self-interest" because of many of these themes.[85]

LaVey's philosophy was Social Darwinian in basis,[86] having been influenced by the writings of Herbert Spencer, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Ayn Rand.[73] LaVey stated that his Satanism was "just Ayn Rand's philosophy with ceremony and ritual added".[87] LaVey supported eugenics and expected it to become a necessity in future.[73] The anthropologist Jean La Fontaine highlighted an article that appeared in The Black Flame, in which one writer described "a true Satanic society" as one in which the population consists of "free-spirited, well-armed, fully-conscious, self-disciplined individuals, who will neither need nor tolerate any external entity 'protecting' them or telling them what they can and cannot do."[60] This rebellious approach conflicts with LaVey's firm beliefs in observing the rule of law.[60]

Magic

LaVey espoused the view that there was an objective reality to magic, and that it relied upon natural forces that were yet to be discovered by science.[48] He believed that the successful use of magic involved the magician manipulating these natural forces using the force of their own willpower.[48] LaVey defined magic as "the change in situations or events in accordance with one's will, which would, using normally accepted methods, be unchangeable."[88]

He sub-divided magic into both greater and lesser magic; the latter is focused on manipulations while the former consists of rituals and ceremonies.[89] LaVey also wrote of "the balance factor", insisting that any magical aims should be realistic.[90]

Basic Tenets

The Nine Satanic Statements

File:SatanicCross.png
The alchemical symbol for sulfur (also known as brimstone) as it appears in The Satanic Bible above the Nine Satanic Statements. Among LaVeyan Satanists the symbol is referred to by different names, including the "Brimstone Sigil" or the "Satanic Cross". The structure is made up of two other symbols. The symbol consists of a double rung cross(‡), and the bottom consisting of the symbol of infinity(∞).
  1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence.
  2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams.
  3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit.
  4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates.
  5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.
  6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires.
  7. Satan represents man as just another animal (sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all fours), who, because of his "divine spiritual and intellectual development", has become the most vicious animal of all.
  8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification.
  9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years.[39]

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth

  1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
  2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.
  3. When in another's lair, show them respect or else do not go there.
  4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat them cruelly and without mercy.
  5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.
  6. Do not take that which does not belong to you, unless it is a burden to the other person and they cry out to be relieved.
  7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.
  8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.
  9. Do not harm little children.
  10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.
  11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them.[91][92]

The Nine Satanic Sins

  1. Stupidity
  2. Pretentiousness
  3. Solipsism
  4. Self-deceit
  5. Herd Conformity
  6. Lack of Perspective
  7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies
  8. Counterproductive Pride
  9. Lack of Aesthetics[93]

Blessed / Cursed

In the closing of the The Book of Satan in The Satanic Bible, LaVey compiled a list of characteristics he endorsed versus those he condemned, adapted from the list found in Might is Right.[94]

  • Blessed are the strong for they shall possess the earth
  • Cursed are the weak for they shall inherit the yoke
  • Blessed are the powerful for they shall be reverenced among men
  • Cursed are the feeble for they shall be blotted out
  • Blessed are the bold for they shall be masters of the world
  • Cursed are the righteously humble for they shall be trodden under cloven hoofs
  • Blessed are the victorious for victory is the basis for right
  • Cursed are the vanquished for they shall be vessels forever
  • Blessed are the iron-handed, the unfit shall flee before them
  • Cursed are the poor in spirit for they shall be spat upon
  • Blessed are the death defiant, their days shall be long in the land
  • Cursed are the gazers toward a richer life beyond the grave, for they shall perish amidst plenty
  • Blessed are the destroyers of false hope for they are the true messiahs
  • Cursed are the God-adorers for they shall be shorn sheep
  • Blessed are the valiant for they shall obtain great treasure
  • Cursed are the believers of good and evil for they are frightened by shadows
  • Blessed are those that believe in what is best for them, for never shall their minds be terrorized
  • Cursed are the “lambs of God” for they shall be bled whiter than snow
  • Blessed is the man who has a sprinkling of enemies for they shall make him a hero
  • Cursed is he who doeth good unto others who sneer upon him in return, for he shall be despised
  • Blessed are the mighty-minded for they shall ride the whirlwinds
  • Cursed are they who teach lies for truth and truth for lies, for they are abominations
  • Thrice cursed are the weak whose insecurity makes them vile, for they shall serve and suffer
  • The angel of self-deceit and camped in the souls of the “righteous”
  • The eternal flame of power through joy dwelleth within the flesh of the Satanist

Rites and practices

Magic and ritual

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Main article: Greater and lesser magic

LaVey emphasized that in his tradition, Satanic rites came in two forms, neither of which were acts of worship; in his terminology, "rituals" were intended to bring about change, whereas "ceremonies" celebrated a particular occasion.[95] These rituals were often considered to be magical acts,[96] with LaVey's Satanism encouraging the practice of magic to aid one's selfish ends.[97] Much of LaVeyan ritual is designed for an individual to carry out alone; this is because concentration is seen as key to performing magical acts.[98] In The Satanic Bible, LaVey described three types of ritual in his religion: sex rituals designed to attract the desired romantic or sexual partner, compassionate rituals with the intent of helping people (including oneself), and destructive magic which seeks to do harm to others.[96] In designing these rituals, LaVey drew upon a variety of older sources, with scholar of Satanism Per Faxneld noting that LaVey "assembled rituals from a hodgepodge of historical sources, literary as well as esoteric".[99]

LaVey described a number of rituals in his book, The Satanic Rituals; these are "dramatic performances" with specific instructions surrounding the clothing to be worn, the music to be used, and the actions to be taken.[60] This attention to detail in the design of the rituals was intentional, with their pageantry and theatricality intending to engage the participants' senses and aesthetic senses at various levels and enhancing the participants' willpower for magical ends.[100] LaVey prescribed that male participants should wear black robes, while older women should wear black, and other women should dress attractively in order to stimulate sexual feelings among many of the men.[96] All participants are instructed to wear amulets of either the upturned pentagram or the image of Baphomet.[96]

According to LaVey's instructions, on the altar is to be placed an image of Baphomet. This should be accompanied by various candles, all but one of which are to be black. The lone exception is to be a white candle, used in destructive magic, which is kept to the right of the altar.[96] Also to be included are a bell which is rung nine times at the start and end of the ceremony, a chalice made of anything but gold, and which contains an alcoholic drink symbolizing the "Elixir of Life", a sword that represents aggression, a model phallus used as an aspergillum, a gong, and parchment on which requests to Satan are to be written before being burned.[96] Although alcohol was consumed in the Church's rites, drunkenness was frowned upon and the taking of illicit drugs was forbidden.[101]

LaVeyan rituals sometimes include anti-Christian blasphemies, which are intended to have a liberating effect on the participants.[96] In some of the rituals, a naked woman serves as the altar; in these cases it is made explicit that the woman's body itself becomes the altar, rather than have her simply lying on an existing altar.[60] There is no place for sexual orgies in LaVeyan ritual.[60] Neither animal nor human sacrifice takes place.[60] Children are banned from attending these rituals, with the only exception being the Satanic Baptism, which is specifically designed to involve infants.[60]

LaVey also developed his own Black Mass, which was designed as a form of deconditioning to free the participant from any inhibitions that they developed living in Christian society.[102] He noted that in composing the Black Mass rite, he had drawn upon the work of Charles Baudelaire and Joris-Karl Huysmans.[103] LaVey openly toyed with the use of literature and popular culture in other rituals and ceremonies, thus appealing to artifice, pageantry, and showmanship.[104] For instance, he published an outline of a ritual which he termed the "Call to Cthulhu" which drew upon the stories of the alien god Cthulhu authored by American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. In this rite, set to take place at night in a secluded location near to a turbulent body of water, a celebrant takes on the role of Cthulhu and appears before the assembled Satanists, signing a pact between them in the language of Lovecraft's fictional "Old Ones".[105]

Holidays

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Main article: Satanic holidays

LaVey and the Church of Satan deemed an individual's birthday to be the most important festival of the year.[106] Also important is Walpurgisnacht (April 30), a night associated with witches in European tradition which was also the date on which LaVey founded his Church.[107] A third annual festival is Halloween, which also has associations with witches and dark entities.[49]

Demographics

La Fontaine thought it likely that the easy availability of LaVey's writings would have encouraged the creation of various Satanic groups that were independent of the Church of Satan itself.[101] In The Black Flame, a number of groups affiliated with the Church have been mentioned, most of which are based in the United States and Canada although two groups were cited as having existed in New Zealand.[101] In his 2001 examination of Satanists, the sociologist James R. Lewis noted that, to his surprise, his findings "consistently pointed to the centrality of LaVey's influence on modern Satanism".[108] "Reflecting the dominant influence of Anton LaVey's thought", Lewis noted that the majority of those whom he examined were atheists or agnostics, with 60% of respondents viewing Satanism as a symbol rather than a real entity.[109] 20% of his respondents described The Satanic Bible as the most important factor that attracted them to Satanism.[110] Elsewhere, Lewis noted that few Satanists who weren't members of the Church of Satan would regard themselves as "orthodox LaVeyans".[47]

Examining the number of LaVeyan Satanists in Britain, in 1995 the religious studies scholar Graham Harvey noted that the Church of Satan had no organized presence in the country.[59] He noted that LaVey's writings were widely accessible in British bookshops,[59] and La Fontaine suggested that there may have been individual Church members within the country.[101]

References

  1. ↑ Faxneld & Petersen 2013, p. 92.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gallagher & Ashcraft 2006, p. 158.
  3. ↑ Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science, Lewis & Hammer 2010, p. 77.
  4. ↑ Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science, Lewis & Hammer 2010, p. 74.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Faxneld & Petersen 2013, p. 80.
  6. ↑ Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science, Lewis & Hammer 2010, p. 76-77.
  7. ↑ The Invention of Satanism, Dyrendal & Lewis 2016.
  8. ↑ Who's? Right: Mankind, Religions & The End Times & Warman-Stallings 2012, p. 35.
  9. ↑ Controversial New Religions, Lewis & Petersen 2014, p. 408.
  10. ↑ Religion and Reality: An Exploration of Contemporary Metaphysical Systems, Theologies, and Religious Pluralism & Darren Iammarino 2013, p. 191.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Faxneld & Petersen 2013, p. 79.
  13. ↑ Lap 2013, p. 83; Dyrendel 2013, p. 124.
  14. ↑ Petersen 2009, p. 224; Dyrendel 2013, p. 123.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Faxneld & Petersen 2013, p. 81.
  16. ↑ Harvey 1995, p. 290; Petersen 2009, pp. 224–225; Faxneld & Petersen 2013, p. 79.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lap 2013, p. 84.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 La Fontaine 1999, p. 96.
  19. ↑ La Fontaine 1999, p. 99.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Medway 2001, p. 26.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Dyrendal, Lewis & Petersen 2010, p. 180.
  23. ↑ Satanism Today Lewis, p. 50.
  24. ↑ Controversial New Religions Peterson, p. 416.
  25. ↑ Dyrendal, Lewis & Petersen 2010, p. 73.
  26. ↑ Faxneld Petersen, p. 114.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Wikinews:Satanism: An interview with Church of Satan High Priest Peter Gilmore
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Dyrendel 2013, p. 124.
  34. ↑ Faxneld 2013, p. 75.
  35. ↑ Lewis 2002, p. 5; Baddeley 2010, p. 71.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Petersen 2013, p. 136.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 Lewis 2002, p. 5.
  38. ↑ Baddeley 2010, pp. 66, 71.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 Baddeley 2010, p. 71.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Baddeley 2010, p. 72.
  41. ↑ Baddeley 2010, p. 74.
  42. ↑ Lewis 2002, p. 8; Baddeley 2010, p. 72.
  43. ↑ Lewis 2002, p. 8.
  44. ↑ Lewis 2002, p. 9.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 Lewis 2002, p. 7.
  46. ↑ Lewis 2002, p. 7; Lap 2013, p. 84.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 Lewis 2002, p. 2.
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 48.5 48.6 48.7 Lewis 2002, p. 4.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Lewis 2001b, p. 51.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Petersen 2013, p. 140.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Petersen 2013, p. 139.
  52. ↑ Petersen 2012, pp. 115–116.
  53. ↑ Lewis 2002, p. 12.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Lap 2013, p. 85.
  55. ↑ Petersen 2013, p. 232.
  56. ↑ Lewis 2002, pp. 2, 13.
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 Petersen 2012, p. 114.
  58. ↑ Lap 2013, p. 99.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 59.2 59.3 Harvey 1995, p. 290.
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 60.3 60.4 60.5 60.6 60.7 La Fontaine 1999, p. 97.
  61. ↑ Harvey 1995, p. 290; La Fontaine 1999, p. 97.
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 Harvey 1995, p. 291.
  63. ↑ Lewis 2001a, p. 17.
  64. ↑ Lewis 2001b, p. 50.
  65. ↑ Muzzatti 2005, p. 874.
  66. ↑ LaVey 2005, p. 45.
  67. ↑ Wright 1993, p. 143.
  68. ↑ Cavaglion & Sela-Shayovitz 2005, p. 255.
  69. ↑ Hughes 2011, p. 1.
  70. ↑ LaVey 2005, pp. 44–45.
  71. ↑ Lewis 2002, p. 4; Baddeley 2010, p. 74; Lap 2013, p. 94.
  72. ↑ 72.0 72.1 Lap 2013, p. 94.
  73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 73.2 Lap 2013, p. 95.
  74. ↑ 74.0 74.1 74.2 Maxwell-Stuart 2011, p. 198.
  75. ↑ Dyrendel 2013, p. 129.
  76. ↑ Lap 2013, p. 92.
  77. ↑ Lap 2013, p. 91; Faxneld & Petersen 2014, p. 168.
  78. ↑ 78.0 78.1 Faxneld & Petersen 2014, p. 168.
  79. ↑ Lap 2013, p. 91.
  80. ↑ Faxneld & Petersen 2014, p. 169.
  81. ↑ Faxneld & Petersen 2014, p. 170.
  82. ↑ LaVey 2005, p. 53.
  83. ↑ LaVey 2005, p. 46.
  84. ↑ LaVey 2005, p. 47.
  85. ↑ Taub & Nelson 1993, p. 528.
  86. ↑ La Fontaine 1999, p. 97; Lap 2013, p. 95.
  87. ↑ Lewis 2001a, p. 18; Lewis 2002, p. 9.
  88. ↑ Petersen 2012, p. 95; Lap 2013, p. 96.
  89. ↑ Petersen 2012, pp. 95–96; Lap 2013, p. 97.
  90. ↑ Lap 2013, p. 98.
  91. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  92. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  93. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  94. ↑ Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, Gallagher & Ashcraft 2006, p. 158.
  95. ↑ La Fontaine 1999, p. 98; Lap 2013, p. 97.
  96. ↑ 96.0 96.1 96.2 96.3 96.4 96.5 96.6 La Fontaine 1999, p. 98.
  97. ↑ Medway 2001, p. 21.
  98. ↑ La Fontaine 1999, pp. 98–99.
  99. ↑ Faxneld 2013, p. 88.
  100. ↑ La Fontaine 1999, pp. 97, 98.
  101. ↑ 101.0 101.1 101.2 101.3 La Fontaine 1999, p. 100.
  102. ↑ Petersen 2012, pp. 96–97; Faxneld 2013, p. 76; Lap 2013, p. 98.
  103. ↑ Faxneld 2013, p. 86.
  104. ↑ Petersen 2012, pp. 106–107.
  105. ↑ Petersen 2012, p. 106.
  106. ↑ Lewis 2001b, p. 50; Lap 2013, p. 99.
  107. ↑ Lewis 2001b, pp. 50–51.
  108. ↑ Lewis 2001a, p. 5.
  109. ↑ Lewis 2001a, p. 11.
  110. ↑ Lewis 2001a, p. 15.

Sources

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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