Satanism - an atheistic religion of common sense

[Heretical Rants]

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.

Could you please define magic?

[Inevitable Droid]

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.

Could you please define magic?

In the context of Satanism, and the proposition referenced above, magic would be impact on the outer world via ritual.  Only some Satanists perform ritual at all, and, of those, only some imagine that their rituals impact the outer world.  Those in the last category speculate that quantum mechanics and its theories regarding consciousness as a factor in physical causality will someday explain the impact of ritual on the outer world.

[Davin]

In light of your post on Atheism's religion, Satanism...[...]

This is not a correct statement. It would be the equivalent of me saying that Theism's religion is the Cult of Cthulhu. The problem is that there is no specific religion for theism or atheism and it requires no religion at all to be either a theist or an atheist. Please stop trying to attach other things onto the terms atheism and atheist.

[Kylyssa]

I do quite enjoy reading your stuff, ID.

So which is more important in life.  Truth, Beauty, or Good?

In light of your post on Atheism's religion, Satanism...   What is the best order to live life by?

This is the reason that Satanism is a horrible name for a religion.  Even apparently intelligent people take it to mean that all atheists are Satan worshipers.

Buddhism is another religion without a God.  Does that mean all atheists are Buddhists, too?

[Kylyssa]

I refer you to this post which illustrates that the name Satanism makes otherwise intelligent seeming people believe that all atheists worship the Christian evil God, Satan.

Why work to reinforce bigotry against atheists?  What is good about that?

[AnimatedDirt]

I do quite enjoy reading your stuff, ID.

So which is more important in life.  Truth, Beauty, or Good?

In light of your post on Atheism's religion, Satanism...   What is the best order to live life by?

This is the reason that Satanism is a horrible name for a religion.  Even apparently intelligent people take it to mean that all atheists are Satan worshipers.

Buddhism is another religion without a God.  Does that mean all atheists are Buddhists, too?

Not even a part of the point.  I've read that thread and understand the reason(s) the proponents use "Satan".  I'm simply asking the question using the same "jargon" so it shouldn't be a point of contention to say "Satanists or ism".

Also please note that the question was specific to ID and specifically to his post, however anyone is encouraged to answer.  Sorry you took offense.

[AnimatedDirt]

In light of your post on Atheism's religion, Satanism...[...]

This is not a correct statement. It would be the equivalent of me saying that Theism's religion is the Cult of Cthulhu. The problem is that there is no specific religion for theism or atheism and it requires no religion at all to be either a theist or an atheist. Please stop trying to attach other things onto the terms atheism and atheist.

I think this has been made quite clear here, however ID is putting forth AN IDEA in which I'm relating to in other threads specifically to him and this IDEA.

[Kylyssa]

I do quite enjoy reading your stuff, ID.

So which is more important in life.  Truth, Beauty, or Good?

In light of your post on Atheism's religion, Satanism...   What is the best order to live life by?

This is the reason that Satanism is a horrible name for a religion.  Even apparently intelligent people take it to mean that all atheists are Satan worshipers.

Buddhism is another religion without a God.  Does that mean all atheists are Buddhists, too?

Not even a part of the point.  I've read that thread and understand the reason(s) the proponents use "Satan".  I'm simply asking the question using the same "jargon" so it shouldn't be a point of contention to say "Satanists or ism".

Also please note that the question was specific to ID and specifically to his post, however anyone is encouraged to answer.  Sorry you took offense.

So you didn't mean you think atheists are Satanists?  Satanism isn't "atheism's religion" it is a religion that has no God.  It isn't the same thing.

[dloubet]

I would certainly not call such a self-defeating title, loaded with superstitious baggage, "common sense". I think that's a major fail regarding the Common Sense category. Sure it's maybe fun and outrageous, but fun and outrageous are not necessarily congruent with common sense.

[Inevitable Droid]

I would certainly not call such a self-defeating title, loaded with superstitious baggage, "common sense". I think that's a major fail regarding the Common Sense category. Sure it's maybe fun and outrageous, but fun and outrageous are not necessarily congruent with common sense.

But neither are they necessarily incongruent.  If happiness is increased, and neither survival nor competitive advantage are threatened, then common sense is fulfilled.  Survival and competitive advantage are protected by merely declining to make public one's involvement.

The superstitious baggage is why the symbol works from a perspective of misanthropy.  The many, many goofballs out there who would genuinely be frightened by any mention of Satan represent, by their very fear, misanthropy's justification, and thus the symbol represents misanthropy's fullest expression.  And why are these goofballs frightened?  Because they lack common sense.  Disdain for that lack is at the very core of Satanism.

Far from self-defeating, the symbol of Satan is self-liberating.  It represents stepping out from the goofball majority and leaving it behind forever, mentally and emotionally.  It says, "What you fear, I do not.  What you run from, I wrap myself in.  If you fear this, then you would fear me, if only you knew.  I am what you fear.  I do not fear what I am."

Incidentally, there are Satanists who have designed their lives such that they won't lose any competitive advantage by making their involvement public.  These people are openly Satanic.  They have made the symbol an ultimate repudiation of all the goofball majority stands for.  "I am what you fear.  I do not fear you.  Know that what you fear stands fearless before you, and be doubly afraid."

If we are engaged in a culture war, then some of us have to attack.  We can't always merely be defending, for that is the path to defeat.  The open Satanist represents an attack.  Without saying a word or lifting a finger, without breaking any laws, without in any way being boorish or obnoxious and certainly without endangering anyone, the open Satanist attacks.  And the great irony is, the attack only works because the goofball majority are such, well, goofballs.  They themselves pull the trigger on the gun.  Their fear pulls the trigger.

From this you may see one reason why Satanists are unfailingly courteous.  Beyond their perception of courtesy as aesthetically pleasing and pridefully dignified, they also recognize it as strategically sound in the culture war.  "What?  You are offended by me?  Yet I stand here quietly, minding my own business, and in all my interactions I have behaved as a gentleman.  For the stranger carrying packages I opened the door, and held it open with a smile so he could pass through it gracefully.  Yet I offend you.  How curious."

[Davin]

In light of your post on Atheism's religion, Satanism...[...]

This is not a correct statement. It would be the equivalent of me saying that Theism's religion is the Cult of Cthulhu. The problem is that there is no specific religion for theism or atheism and it requires no religion at all to be either a theist or an atheist. Please stop trying to attach other things onto the terms atheism and atheist.

I think this has been made quite clear here, however ID is putting forth AN IDEA in which I'm relating to in other threads specifically to him and this IDEA.

I am perfectly fine with that, just don't misrepresent any of the ideas.

[Inevitable Droid]

Especialy relevant to this message board, I think, is an attitude often professed by Satanists, and identified by them as, I-Theism.  The I-Theist enthrones self as personal deity in three specific ways: (1) self as Creator; (2) self as Savior; (3) self as Holy Spirit.

The Self as Creator concept resonates with the existence precedes essence concept of the philosopher Sartres.  I can make myself into what I choose to make myself - within the bounds of common sense.  My ability to make myself has limits, obviously - it isn't absolute.  I can't make myself into Spider-Man.  But there are a great many things I could make myself into.

The Self as Savior concept resonates with what we've been discussing on my 12 Steps thread.  The Satanist knows that in the end, it is my own wisdom, my own valor, and my own perseverance that must bring about salvation in my life here on Earth.  There is a corrollary, of course - Self as Demon.  It is my own cowardice, my own folly, and my own lack of follow-through that will bring about damnation in my life here on Earth.  Savior and Demon are often at war with one another, but both are me, and only me.

The Self as Holy Spirit concept expresses itself three ways: (1) it is I who decide my own epistemology; (2) it is I who decide my own aesthetic; and (3) it is I who decide my own system of ethics, be it moral or practical, and that decision too is my own.  Having decided my own epistemology, I decide what is true.  Having decided my own aesthetic, I decide what is beautiful.  Having decided my own system of ethics, I decide what is good and what is evil, from either a moral or a practical perspective, whichever I decide upon.

The terminology may be unappealing to some atheists, but certainly the underlying message is one that most (perhaps all) atheists embrace.

[Heretical Rants]

The terminology may be unappealing to some atheists, but certainly the underlying message is one that most (perhaps all) atheists embrace.

...except for the socialist ones, and some of the buddhist ones, and some of those other ones, too.

[Whitney]

I just really don't like the terminology....I also don't think ethics are self determined; they have to be contemplated within the context of a social group as to do otherwise defeats the purpose of morals...to allow us to get along with each other

[Inevitable Droid]

The terminology may be unappealing to some atheists, but certainly the underlying message is one that most (perhaps all) atheists embrace.

...except for the socialist ones, and some of the buddhist ones, and some of those other ones, too.

Why would socialism or Buddhism conflict with making oneself, saving oneself, or inspiring oneself, as described in my prior post?

Socialism, as I understand it, is a political ideology centered on the class struggle, the rights of workers to the fruits of their labors, and economic equality.  It doesn't seem to have any bearing on one's relationship to oneself.  Satanists can embrace socialism.
 
Buddhism, as I understand it, is a methodology for achieving inner peace by quieting thought, quieting emotion, and quieting appetite.  This methodology can be viewed as self-making, self-saving, and self-inspring.  Satanists can embrace Buddhism.