Can you worship the devil

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But you might be surprised to learn that many satanists are a lot more interested in community activism and individual freedoms than heavy metal or performing bizarre rites. Never had I heard someone talk about being non-religious like that before and I began to think deeply. Essentially what they said was that in all of the places where there are people who are non-religious currently, prior generations believed deeply in religion. Therefore, that past belief has allowed future generations to be blessed and come to a point where they feel they no longer need religion as everything is already provided for them.

She discussed what religion does for the people of Uganda and why people pray, such as for the basic necessities of life and happiness.

My naivety in such a simple discussion had opened up the possibility to gain this clearer view of what it means to be a Ugandan. Learning and gaining insight into the world outside of the US is one of my motivations for traveling. The Church of Satan keeps all membership information private, but based upon my own interactions off and online, I have observed similar demographics to atheism in general.

The majority of Satanists appear to be men between the ages of 20 to 45, although I have personally met many Satanic women above this age range. How does being a Satanist affect your day-to-day life? Do you use the Satanic Rules for guidance, for instance? Are there any ceremonies or rituals? As a Satanist, one could say that Satanism permeates all aspects of daily life, but for me this as natural as breathing, and is largely an unconscious process and a result of following my instincts and passions.

Satanic rituals are not a requirement of Satanism and should be used as an optional cathartic tool for those that gain psychological benefit from structured ceremonies of the kind found in our texts. Through the designs, clothing and merchandise that I create for ASPculture. There is no requirement to celebrate any holidays, but as someone who embraces science, nature, and pre-Christian pan-European traditions, I tend to indulge in and observe the vernal equinox, Ostara, Walpurgisnacht, the founding of the Church of Satan, summer solstice, autumnal equinox, Halloween, and Yuletide, winter solstice, Saturnalia and New Year's Eve.

The Satanic Rules seem pretty reasonable. It doesn't seem to allow much room for negotiation. What's the philosophy behind that? Obviously if somebody approaches you in the street in a non-threatening manner, and continues to bother you after you ask them to stop, physically destroying them would be an irrational, unwarranted, and illegal response.

However, it is important to note that as strict advocates of law and order, we demand that each Satanist operate within the legal parameters of their country of residence with regards to all actions. As Satanists are free to align with any branch of politics, or remain apolitical if they wish, there are likely some anarchist and libertarian members of the Church of Satan.

Anarcho-capitalism and libertarianism in general appear more conducive to Satanic ideals. For the early Christians the devil was a very real problem. Not only had eastern religion and philosophy made familiar the opposition of the good and evil principles; the Church was constantly confronted with the problem of backsliding, more often than not involved in the performance of civic duties. Further, the Christians were the more harsh in their condemnation because they themselves in their attitude to the world of spirits were not far removed from the pagans, even though they worshipped other gods.

Lowe Thompson. London: Kegan Paul and Co. Reprints and Permissions. Medieval Devil Worship.