My Musical Sunday School Sessions - "Know Thy Enemy (What´s The Satanic Bible Really About)"
Last time we spoke about sin, now the ancient text often links sin to Satan, so having a look at his book might be the next logical step.
As you know Dear Reader I don´t Judge.
I just share the facts and my views, hence please do not be offended by the title. I fully respect that for some he is no fiend, that he is not your enemy, that some even might call him a friend.
We all can use some evil friends I guess, and personally, I don´t see the Devil as my enemy.... and there might have been times I thought he was my friend.
A close friend I would not call him because I am very picky when it comes to friends.
In my humble opinion, we are born with a lie called free will. Which allows us to befriend whoever we need on this long hard road towards the grave.
On that journey, I want to get to know it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And as we have been talking about many strange ancient gnostic texts that often call him Satan, the seductor.
I wondered what his book would tell us.
Hence for those who want to stay away from his clutches and not hear his word. We will see each other again soon, but maybe thy too should know thy enemy.
His Satanic Majestic Request
Unlike many of the texts I review for these sessions, this one is not ancient. It´s actually very recent. This surprises me, because one would expect that this book would have been written much earlier if he wanted to compete with the lights.
The Satanic Bible was written by Anton LaVey, an American author, musician, and occultist (who would have guessed).
The same LaVey founded the Church of Satan in 1966, and as a rightful Satanist, he made himself serve as its High Priest. but Lucifer does not mean life....it does mean light just FYI, and therefore even a Satanic High Priest has an exploration date which came in 1997. Where one would expect 1999 because of the you know what.
The Satanic Bible, published in 1969, is really called a Bible and that is why I did want to dive into it and see, so you donñt have to.
The "Bad" Book
The book is not what you might expect, and it´s not even coming close to the bible when it comes to pages.
This book has 272 pages, Twelve Chapters, and like the Bible it consists of multiple books:
The Book of Satan
The Book of Lucifer
The Book of Belial
The Book of Leviathan
I will go through those four books in a bit, but before you do maybe I should give you a bit of understanding of what this religion is based on.
The Pillars Of Satan´s Bible
Yes, I will go as far as to call it a religion and not a philosophy although I think those words are interchangeable depending on what you believe.
The core pillars of The Satanic Bible are individualism, self-interest, and rational self-interest. Some key principles outlined in the book include:
LaVeyan Satanism views Satan as a symbol of defiance, individualism, and carnal pleasure, rather than a literal deity.
Satan represents the embodiment of human nature and desires all humans carry inside them and if you have read my last posts, try to overcome to come closer to divinity.
How wonderful that a book from 50 years ago still aligns with text written 1800 years ago such as The Gospel of Mary.
Carnal Pleasure & Self-Indulgence
The Satanic Bible advocates for the pursuit of personal gratification and fulfillment without guilt or shame. It encourages individuals to embrace their desires and pursue their own happiness.
Something I am still exploring, I learned from the beyond that we should treasure carnal pleasure as it only exists in this realm. When we move on, when we let go of our mortal coil, we leave behind pain, but also pleasure.
And as pain is unavoidable for those who are made to live with a body, they should also reap the pleasure.
The Book of Not So Evil
One of the Nine Satanic Statements says; "Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence" and "Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek."
Now, many of us grew up with the idea that Satan is evil, pure hardcore bad to the bone Evil.
He might be, but the Satanic Bible is not. Just have a look at one of the Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth: These guiding principles of his so-called Evilness include principles such as "Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked" and "Do not harm little children."
In essence, the satanic Bible's core point of view relates to both self-interest and rational self-interest. It´s all about involving & prioritizing one's own needs and desires. If the core would be self-interest there would be no need to consider anyone else but oneself.
This is where I start wondering, God in all his wisdom sent plagues and drowned the world in a flood. I would expect Satan to be just as a hardliner, fully inconsiderate towards those who do not follow his word.
Instead, this Bible adds a concept called; rational self-interest. A more thoughtful and strategic approach to decision-making. Now this just feels too human, for me.
Why would a deity like the Devil consider the broader consequences and implications of one's actions?
Because the Satanic principle of pragmatism encourages individuals to act in ways that serve their long-term interests while minimizing harm to themselves and others.
To me, that feels too much as if the author wanted to be against the establishment but still be acceptable to many.
It seems that LaVeyan had the human need to be liked, and I wonder if Satan feels the same.
Satanism = Social Darwinism
Satanisme as per LaVeyan embraces the principles of Social Darwinism. It´s truly focused on the survival of the fittest and the pursuit of personal excellence.
It rejects the notions of equality because humans are not equal and eventually only the strong survive. But this focus also discards egalitarianism, the concept of social equality. Social Equality prioritizes the idea that all humans are equal in fundamental worth or moral status.
It suggests a fair Animal Farm in which all humans are equal but no humans are more equal than others.
And even though my inner communist, really appreciates that philosophy I have given up on humans to be able to achieve a world in which we care more for each other than for ourselves.
Human behavior, in essence, is based on survivalism. Looking back on history that has always been, looking at humans that will always be, humans are programmed as such. Only in times of abundance does mankind allow room for the less fortunate to grow, in times of crisis, there is just too much survival instinct in too many.
Modern social movements, including feminism, civil rights, and international human rights will go in the bin first when the poo hits the propellers.
It´s human instinct to default in favor of meritocracy and individual achievements when times get hard, just like Satanism defines.
There Is No God
I saved the best for last because the Satanic Bible works with rituals, symbolism, and practices designed for personal transformation and self-empowerment.
The Satanic Bible Believes in magic, but it does not mention worshipping any deity.
LaVeyan Satanism is atheistic it rejects supernatural entities or divine forces. It encourages humans to think for themselves and be critical, skeptical, and rational.
The Satanic Bible by LaVeyan Satanism is distinct from theistic Satanism, which involves the worship of Satan as a literal deity.
LaVeyan Satanic Bible is a philosophical and ideological movement centered around the principles of:
- Individualism
- Rationality
- Self-Preservation
- Indulgence, Not Abstinence
- Rituals and Symbolism
- Natural Law
- Social Darwinism
Bikini Bottom Line
The Bible by LaVeyan uses Satan as a figure of opposition or rebellion against established religious and moral norms.
The Bible and its beliefs are relatively new and have no ties with the belief in a dark deity. Although the book does not, I listened to LaVeyan´s music, and from what I hear, he does call upon the power of Dark Deities.
They can be considered an early form of a counterculture.
The biggest surprise was that there is no reference or link to the war between good and evil we know from other Christian scriptures.
I am still a bit curious about the four books, the Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth, & the Nine Satanic Statements all described in the Satanic Bible by LaVeyan.
But that Dear Reader I will keep for another darkish session soon to hit your screens.
Previous Sunday School Sessions
My Musical Sunday School Sessions - 𝕭𝖊𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝕴 𝕿𝖔𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖑
My Musical Sunday School Sessions - 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐎𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲?
My Musical Sunday School Sessions - The Secret Book of John (The Apostle) Part 2 (The Apple)
My Musical Sunday School Sessions - Funny Looking Angels
My Musical Sunday School Sessions - Thomas Told US Not To Look But To See
My Musical Sunday School Sessions - Hail Mary The Harlot
My Musical Sunday School Sessions - "Let´sTalk About Sin Baby"
Soundtrack Of The Book of Revelations
My Book of Revelations Soundtrack - Part 1 - The Ladies of Revelation
My Book of Revelations Soundtrack - Part 2 - The Biblical Bad Guys
My Book of Revelations Soundtrack - Part 3 - The Bad Guy That Goes By Many Names
Thank goodness you made it till the end Pees, Love and I am out of here!
[Source Pic](All by MyI & AI)
Disclaimer One: The texts I use for these sessions are real, although like many scholars my ignorance and arrogance might cause me to misinterpret things, or explain things from my limited perspective. I therefore appreciate all critical feedback.
Disclaimer Two: I think everyone has a right to believe, and a right to disagree. I try to take a light philosophical approach and add some humor. If you're offended please check yourself, because being offended by something written by a simpleton as WhyWhy is a signal that you might have bigger issues.
Hey, @whywhy, I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I enjoyed this deep dive into The Satanic Bible. Who would have thought that Satan was into self-indulgence and rational self-interests, not me, especially seeing the things I hear people say about him since I was a child.
But seriously, it was interesting to see how LaVeyan Satanism viewed Satan as a symbol of defiance, individualism, and carnal pleasure. It's a far cry from the traditional image of the devil we've all grown up with. I was intrigued by the idea of Satan representing human nature and desires, and how that aligned with ancient texts.
The emphasis on personal gratification and fulfillment without guilt or shame is something that I can relate to. I think we could all use a little more of that in our lives. And the fact that The Satanic Bible encourages us to embrace our desires and pursue our own happiness is a powerful message.
I liked how the Satanic Rules of the Earth and the Nine Satanic Statements balanced self-interest with a more thoughtful and strategic approach to decision-making. I can't help but wonder, though, if Satan himself would really be that concerned with minimizing harm to others. It seems like a very human trait, don't you think?
All in all, I'm looking forward to learning more about The Satanic Bible and its four books.
You are spot on, it´s the same question I asked in the post. I think that the labeling here as in calling it the Satanic Bible is indeed unrelated to the image Satan has among us humans.
God in all his wisdom has destroyed many lives and I would expect Satan to be the same, human lives would not matter, so harm to those lives matter even less.
Therefore I came to the point of view that what was written in this Satanic Bible is an opposing view to many popular and religious beliefs that were made to keep people pressed, ashamed, and with no self-love. Which makes it a very interesting read, but way too human if I would look at it through Gods or Satans eyes.
Thank you @qurator and @ewkaw for the support on these lovely reads I really appreciate it!
Such a great publication. Really we're living in a mysterious world where people's minds have been aligned to trust and also believe in Satan a doomed creature. Well, it's a free world although no human is free or could be exculpated from the judgement of God.
However, we have try all that we could in other to enter into God's kingdom where good Life is enjoyed to its fullest.