Question about Satanists?

Question

Okay I don't want any religious rants, I will report you for ranting and telling me your religious beliefs. I am simply not interested in any of that.

My question...

If Satanists claim that they don't believe in "god" nor the "devil", Then why do they call themselves satanists? And why do they say they work directly with satan?

I really am curious in the subject matter, and anyone who thinks they have an answer I'm willing to listen to.

Answer 1

They use Satan as a symbol for their philosphy. They also do it to mock the religious. I mean let's face it, if you want to piss off Christians that is about the easiest way that you could find.

FYI: There are a few theistic Satanists that do literally believe in Satan. They are rather rare, but you need to specify what type you are talking about. The ones that are really atheists are followers of Anton LeVay.

Answer 2

I'm assuming you mean LaVeyian Satanists, because there are Theistic Satanists who actually do worship a being they call Satan.

LaVeyian Satanists call themselves that because Satan means "adversary" and Satanists see themselves as just that...adversaries to conventional mainstream notions of oppressing your carnal urges, following some thousands-year-old dogma, and most of all they see themselves as adversaries to the whole "herd" mentality. And when they say they work with Satan, they don't mean an actual entity...they see Satan as an archetype, along with all other deities.

Answer 3

LaVeyian Satanists, who do not believe in God or Satan call themselves "Satanist" because "Satan" means "Opposer" or "Adversary" in Hebrew. They oppose Christianity vehemently, and that's why they chose the name.
Also. Report-happy people like you make Y!A virtually insufferable. This place would be great without you trolls reporting 'rants.' A rant can answer a question, and you're abusing the system by reporting something that isn't in violation of Y!A. I hope you'll get your come-uppance.

Answer 4

"Satanists" aren't necessarily atheists. I think the so-called "Church of Satan" is atheist, basically just a cult of materialism of which "Satan" is the symbol. But there are also worshipers of Satan as a pagan deity, and there are a few Satanists in the Christian sense - worshipers of the powers of evil as personified in Christian mythology. It's true that the latter kind implicitly affirms Christianity by blaspheming it - that's the main argument against it.

Answer 5

LaVeyan satanists view satan as symbolic. They believe that there no higher authority than themselves, and therefore don't claim to be working directly with satan other than in a purely symbolic sense. They are shaping themselves around the *idea* of satan.

Now, there are satanists who actually do believe in satan as a real deity ... pretty fascinating stuff actually.

Answer 6

There are several types of satanists.

The LeVayan satanists do not believe in god or satan. They call themselves satanists as an satire against religion.

The demonic satan worshippers do believe in the same satan that christians believe, and worship that being.

Answer 7

There are Theistic Satanists and Non-theistic Satanists. Non-theistic Satanists call themselves such because they hold morals and beliefes that oppose those of Jesus. Basically organized atheists who disagree with everything Christ had to preach.

There are theistic Satanists who DO in fact worship Satan- However they are few and far between.

Answer 8

If you are grouping anyone who doesn't believe in the Christian God into the category of "Satanist" then you are making a mistake. True "Satanist's" are exactly that...worshipers of Satan. As such they do believe in Satan. A belief in Satan automatically infers a belief in God.

Answer 9

Satanism is a blanket term. Some actualy do revere the fictional satan. Others are simply called that.

http://www.churchofsatan.com/home.html

This site has all you want to know, if you don't want to see christian intolerance.

Answer 10

We all work with Satan.



In ancient Jewish tradition Satan is simply an angel doing the work that God assigned to Satan to do.

The word Satan means challenger. With the idea of Satan challenging us, or tempting if you will. This description sees Satan as the angel who is the embodiment of man's challenges. This idea of Satan works closely with God as an integral part of Gods plan for us. His job is to make choosing good over evil enough of a challenge so that it becomes clear to us that there can be only one meaningful or logical choice.

Contrast this to Christianity, which sees Satan as God's opponent. In Jewish thought, the idea that there exists anything capable of setting itself up as God's opponent would be considered polytheistic or setting up the devil to be an equally powerful polarity to god or a demigod.

Oddly, proof for The Christian satan/devil mythology is supposedly found in the ancient Jewish texts that were borrowed to create the bible. One can’t help but wonder how Christians came up with such a fantastically different interpretation of Gods assistant Satan in their theology.

Other hints about Satan’s role in human relations can be seen if you look at the name Lucifer. It’s meaning in the original tongue translates as Light bearer or light bringer. Essentially the bringer of enlightenment. The temptations of the Satan idea bring all of us eventually into Gods light. Hardly the Evil entity of Christian mythology.

Love and blessings
don