Name: Satanic Bible
Rating: 3.666666666666667 (9 reviews)
ISBN: 9780685418949

Anton Szandor La Vey

Satanic Bible

Anton La Vey

Called "The Black Pope" by many of his followers, Anton La Vey began the road to High Priesthood of the Church of Satan when he was only 16 years old and an organ player in a carnival: "On Saturday night I would see men lusting after halfnaked girls dancing at the carnival, and on Sunday morning when I was playing the organ for tent-show evangelists at the other end of the carnival lot, I would see these same men sitting in the pews with their wives and children, asking God to forgive them and purge them of carnal desires. And the next Saturday night they'd be back at The carnival or some other place of indulgence. "I knew then that the Christian Church thrives on hypocrisy, and that man's carnal nature will out!" From that time early in his life his path was clear. Finally, on the last night of April, 1966—Walpurgisnacht, the most important festival of the believers in witchcraft—LaVey shaved his head in the tradition of Ancient executioners and announced the formation of The Church Of Satan. He had seen the need for a church that would recapture man's body and his carnal desires as objects of celebration. "Since worship of fleshly things produces pleasure," he said, "there would then be a temple of glorious indulgence . . ."

Colton Ray

I read this just because. While it's a lot more lively and better-written than the Bible, I can't bring myself to agree with everything he says. It's kind of a more selfish and bombastic version of Wicca, which basically says, "Do you what you want, as long as it harms none," and sees the god and goddess as metaphors. Satanism basically says, "Do what you want, good or bad, just be prepared for the consequences." It doesn't really advocate for empathizing with others or meeting people halfway, and as such, is just as non-nuanced as Christianity. Most of it, like Wicca, is just for show and ceremony, but I just can't bring myself to chant and worship a metaphor, whether that metaphor be nature (Wicca) or myself (Satanism). It's pointless, really. 

The first half of the book is basically Lavey's worldview, and he really chews the scenery. The second half then devolves into spells and incantations and a whole bunch of other fake woo. It's just kind of stupid. Magic is not real, and thinking really hard about something and calling it spellcasting will not produce a physical change in any real sense. Lavey does bring up a few good points about embracing our humanity as opposed to being ashamed of it as Christianity teaches, which is the main gist of the movement, but his message is so mired in goofy, emo-teenager imagery and angst that's not worth slogging through.

Satanic Bible

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