Why do Satanists say they are athiests???

Question

That has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard! Even if you don't believe in a god, what's with all the spook show stuff? Why not just drop it so people will take you seriously? A TRUE athiest rejects all mysticism. It seems to me you just call yourselves Satanists to try to scare people. (BTW, I'm an athiest)

Triforce, you didn't answer the question (again). And you defended Wicca in my last question, so I don't think you've completely divorced yourself from mythology and superstiton.

I'll say who's right or wrong. And it isn't just Christians, every religion thinks every other religion is wrong. Almost all of them believe in a hell of some kind and a devil of some kind too. I took comparative religion in college.

Moraies, this isn't an NG, there aren't "Trolls" (except the ones under my bed). And yes, some Satanists DO say they are athiests.

J P if you believe in any kind of "magic" you are superstitious no matter how you try to sugarcoat it to make it more palatable to yourself. Don't like it? Tough!

Fpr you folks that don't believe me, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! There are Satanists that call themselves athiests! I'm not the one that's confused! LOL!

Answer 1

Satanists would tell you it's the "worship of the self". Most people who identify themselves as Satanists are the "LaVeyian" variety. Anton LaVey was a liar, fraud, bankrupt wife beating pimp. BTW, one idiot actually had the nerve to say "Everyone beat their wife in the fifties" when informed of this(even though he beat Diane from the 60's into the 80's). And no, not everyone did, and it was still wrong.

This shows that rather than standing on their own two feet, Satanists slavishly make excuses for their cult figure, not unlike they way Scientologists do for L. Ron Hubbard, or Moonies for Rev. Moon.

LaVey was approached by Avon books to wrote a book on witchcraft to cash in on the occult craze of the 1960's. He cobbled together "The Satanic Bible" from a forgotten right-wing political tract (Where of the material from the Book of Satan comes from), Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", and the superstitous occult material of John Dee (Enochian "Magic").

LaVey never really seemed to know what Satanism was himself. Some of his writings seemed atheistic, at other times he called Satan "the dark side of nature" and often refers to Satan as a personification. Even COS defector Aquino admits LaVey was never clear if Satan was real or not, sometimes calling him, "the man downstairs".

Eventually, people who tried the Satanic Bible realized the spells didn't work, and so began the whole "Well, it's really a philosophy" excuse. In the 1980's, when LaVey was living in poverty he then claimed he was shunning consumer materialism ( a complete role reversal from "Indulgence instead of abstinence!") ala Pee Wee Herman's "I meant to do that!" But the Satanic Bible gives details for 3 spells, for revenge, sex, and getting Satan's compassion (!) It is quite specific about timing of rituals, instruments to be used, clothing, etc. It seems from this, LaVey was implying results could be achieved through magic. There is a chapter in the Satanic Bible called "On The Choice of Human Sacrifice" which Satanists claim means a victim is to be killed by a curse, not by actually murdering them. But therein lies a problem for the Satanists who don't believe in magic, because then how can they kill their victims with a curse?

LaVey claimed that nuts were given "the bum's rush" when trying to join the Church of Satan, but clearly nut was in the eye of the beholder. LaVey has admited to holding a "cannibal feast" of a human leg in at least 3 books. The Satanic Bible & Satanic Rituals certainly describe many things most normal people would consider pychotic such as Nude girl is used as an altar (Satanic Bible, Satanic Rituals)A human skull is used in Die Elektrischen Vorspiele ritual (Satanic Rituals, p. 109)Human leg bone or arm bone is used in Homage to Tchort ritual (p.137)
Woman dressed as nun urinates before group into a bedpan in the Black Mass ritual (p.43) Urine is then sprinkled like holy water (p.44)Man climbs into coffin with nude woman (or nude man if he is gay) in Le Epais ritual (p.59).

As a "philosophy", Satanism could be boiled down to hedonism, which was hardly a new idea in the 1960's. Oddly enough, most Satanists don't fit the bill as swingers. Some seem to lead fairly uneventful lives. Here's an example:

"I've been forced to give up coffee - the acid was responsible for a minor ulcer and I can no longer take any chances with my health. This was my solitary vice - now it is gone. I do not drink, do not smoke, do not use recreational drugs and have nothing remotely resembling a sex life!"
--"Lord" Egan of "The First Church of Satan"

Wow! What a swinger! So then the picture begins to develop that Satanism is not so much a philosophy of life as it is a fantasy; a means to escape a life not worth living.

To anyone seeking spiritual answers, you might try the non-fiction writings of C.S. Lewis instead.

Answer 2

There are two types of Satanists. LeVeyan Satanists and Traditional or Spiritual Satanists . The LeVayians don't really believe in the Devil as an actually deity, but instead as a metaphor of the human vices, they are Athesists. While the Traditional or Spiritual Satanists do believe in and worship Satan.

Answer 3

Hmmm...ok...my 2 cents...

Satanist don't believe in God, therefore they may call themselves atheists. But as you stated, if they believe in Satan, then they are not true atheists.

Why do satanist do all that ritualistic stuff? Why do anyone do that ritualistic stuff ? To affirm their spiritual belief in the physical sense with rituals - "Look ma, I'm a satanist and this is what satanists are suppose to do". Why is is spooky? Because they watched too many Roman Polanski and Hammer films...LOL.

On atheists - I don't believe there are any true atheists. I believe we are more than just animals. Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrong....but as Ben Franklin said "We will all find out soon enough..."

Avatar Jim

Answer 4

Satanists who also claim to be atheists obviously have not thought through the religious implications of such am absurd contradiction of terms.

A satanist can be a god hater, and probably is, but he or she can't - at the same time - disbelieve in god. One cancels the other out doesnt it?

I think a satanist who says he's also an atheist is simply trying to take his hate for god to such an extreme that he wants to eliminate even the presummed existence of god from the face of the earth. I dont have a problem with that.

Answer 5

Members of the Church of Satan are atheists- they only call themselves Satanists for the symbolism and because they want to upset Christians who they consider (almost ) all hypocrites. (based mostly on the Founder Le Vey's childhood experiences)
The Church of Satan is a philosophical organisation dedicated to power in THIS world and the rejection of the next. This is why they love decadence and pleasure.
There have been splits over this Atheism and that is why other groups of Theistic Satanism formed (Such as the Temple of Set)

Answer 6

Some Satanists, like the Church of Satan (and I sat through this whole documentary on the History Channel, so you best believe me! I suffered and nearly died for this answer! The Satanists were so lame and stupid on the show!) say that they use the term "Satan" as "adversary". Basically, it's Satanism for the shock value. But they believe that there is no God or Satan in any spiritual sense and there will be no afterlife and...I'm not sure why they wouldn't be atheist. Atheism is at least more honorable than hitching your wagon to the "Satan" post.

It's just splitting hairs, really. They don't believe Satan exists...but they named their religion after it? Wha?

Answer 7

They should not call themselves atheists. They are just confused as Satan the great liar. Like father like son. No different. They are trying to deceive many who are not like us who know their true colour. Come to think of it, this is a better atheists. If all turns out to be true there is a God, then the atheists cannot argue with God why they go where Satan goes. Otherwise, they would claim why God never appears to them in person. What an effrontery?

Answer 8

LaVeyan satanism treasts Satan as a representation of self-gratification, rather than as an actual being. Thus there are, strictly speaking, no gods.

Atheism is defined as the belief there is no god, not the lack of any spirituality.

Therefore they can call themselves both.

Answer 9

Unlike others on here, I cannot speak for all Christians, Jews and so called atheists. Most of any of the above do not even know the basic tenets of what they profess to believe or not.

How about the dyslexic atheist? Sold his soul to Santa.

Answer 10

That's the first time I've heard of that. Judging by this question and the previous one I answered, are you just making these questions up?