The Unholy 9

Below is my assessment and response to The Nine Satanic Statements by Anton Szandor LaVey (originally found in The Satanic Bible, © 1969)

Know this much in advance ... I have addressed each claim on a case by case basis, and the responses here are only the initial and immediate responses as they came to mind. I'm sure better arguments can be had, by people more knowledgeable than myself. However you aren't reading their blog right now....

The statements addressed are those of declaration, about the stances of Satan. They are not, and do no claim to be neutral. In fact, in addition to stating what they are for, they include what they are in opposition to. Consequently, I felt they could not be approached with any lesser bias in my scrutiny and in contrasting them to my own views.

As I read them for analysis and critique, there are a few things I kept in mind as the arguments presented to me for doing so were twofold as follows below.

A) That in doing so I would find that satanism is not really so different from Christianity.

B) That many people have remarked that Satanists are more Christ like than many of the Christians they have met. (This much I cannot argue since we haven't met the same people.)

If these were the merits for my motive in reading, it seemed logical then that these too should be the merits by which I contrasted them and so I have.With these merits the outset, it seems to me that both arguments being contrasts to Christianity can really only validate the MO of Satan/Satanism, as an intentional counterfeit of Christianity, purposefully meant to deceive and distract those who might seek that which Satanism seeks to imitate.

After all if the sole measure of quality for any counterfeit is in its closeness of appearance to that which it is not at all, Satanism is a poor counterfeit for anyone with moderate amount of scrutiny.

It is important to note too that the practices of Satanism are by design meant only to address and appeal to the issues and logic of this world. This much is stated within them. As such, it avoids the necessary  difficulties inherent to Christianity, of somehow reconciling a life in this finite fallen reality with the standards set forth by an infinite and perfect God.

Satanism seeks pragmatic self interest which stands in direct contrast to the command of God to consider self least.

Basically, Satanism will logically make a certain sense in this world at the surface, but only at the surface and only with this world in mind, will it make sense at all.

That said here we go...

1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!

Christianity endorses both. 

Indulgence in the grace and blessings of God with thanks to Him as well. However indulgence is certainly not to be confused with overindulgence or gluttony (which is unhealthy even if considered only in a worldly sense). Any indulgence in God's goodness is to be exercised with a certain level of healthy restraint and within the context of right motivation and thus right action rather than mere indulgence for one's own gratification. It most certainly cannot be enjoyed at the expense of others, as enjoying a feast while the starving watch. 

Whatever grace God has afforded us should also overflow to the benefit of those in proximity. It is a gift not meant to be gorged upon in self indulgence but shared with others as well.

Abstinence too falls within those same constraints and limits. It is not so much or simply the void of some desired object or activity as generally applied and absolute as represented here.

So, both indulgence and abstinence are to  the glory of God rather than self. Knowing that we are not given what we may request or desire, but those things we could not know to request and yet require.

2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!

Existence in this world is not at all vital to those who know their citizenship to be in that of the next.
 

If there is no next life, then there is no Satan and every other notion that Satanism lays claim to representing is thus invalid since it is founded in lies. However since the very term Satanism in fact does, to suggest the notion of Satan is then to acknowledge the source of his origin and Creator, God. 

In so doing then, these "pipe dreams", as they are called, are not dreams at all. To then say "pipe dreams" as a slander to the Christian faith is simply the means of providing distracting terminology in lieu of the reality of  the issue, which is the authority that Satan has made very clear as standing against. 

3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!

There is not undefiled wisdom outside of God. Believing otherwise might be also be called self deceit as well then and God too can be shown to be against hypocritical self deceit. 

4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!

The fundamental appeal of Satanism, as evidenced in the garden of Eden, has never changed. It is the appeal to pride and the promise of power through the misrepresentation of truth.

The notion that we may discern of our own accord and on an eternal level, those who may "deserve" kindness, is a transparent, direct appeal to both pride and power once more. It stands in direct contrast to the teaching and example of Christ.

As for Love wasted on ingrates... Love is never wasted regardless of gratitude, it takes no account of gratitude. The very suggestion that it could be wasted in its giving, points to the origin of the motive as self serving. The use of the term love then is a very incorrect application of it. Deception once more.

This is (again) an appeal to pride and power. By corrupting the definition of love as that which should be given selectively, what might otherwise be seen as an act of love is turned into the counterfeit and exact opposite of it. 

The appearance of love is the weapon wielded for persuading and move others in the direction we would choose to have them go in. Even with the best of intentions, it is thereby given for the purpose of serving our ego and our needs. 

This is not love, at least not any love beyond the love of self.

5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!

There is almost nothing that needs to be pointed out here for anyone that knows Christ's teachings even at a very surface level. So nothing it what I will point out.

6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!

Responsible to whom? Accountable to whom?

God too sets forth standards for accountability on the part of man, however He also bestows blessings on the believers and non believers alike. 

Responsibility for our own actions in this world however is, again, different from getting our just desserts accordingly in the next. Our actions however "good" we may deem them,  could never merit salvation. Faith alone affords us the opportunity to be recipients of the unmerited grace required in the forgiveness of offenses to God. 

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As a side note.... Let me say here, that I find it interesting that so much of what Satanism claims to stand for so far has been presented as not solely capable of standing on its own merit as any good teaching or argument should, since it is accompanied by that which it is contrast to, or that which it opposes.

Shadows are the absence of light. They cannot exist on their own, and require light if they are to exist at all.

This is need to contrast is counter to the acts and teachings of Christ as I understand them. They are not concerned to point out what it is they are not, only that which they are. They stand in their own merit, period, without qualification or justification outside of their authorship and origin. This again underscores my belief of Satanism's standings as being invalid.

Only love can serve as both it's own motive and reward. 

Any acts motivated otherwise are done so with ulterior motive.

Presented with a perceived and misrepresented opposing claim or practice of the Christian faith, the very claims in their context as such, really serves to undermine their authority by exposing their motive.

7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all!

By which standards are we judging "better" and "worse" here is unclear. How are we to define those terms? It seems to be a standard undefinable in light of the former statements about vengeance to offest personal offenses endured and the distribution of help only to those "worthy/ deserving" of it in our estimation.

Also, Satan in this claim of man as mere animal, thus denies the Creator, God, once more, by disregarding man's point of origin, the charge given to man, as decreed by God and being created in God's image set apart from all others.

So I while I would not disagree with the notion that man has become the most vicious animal of all, in light of what we have done to each other, and in how we handle the charge to care for the planet, man does have a greater responsibility as ordained at the start, and thus cannot be regarded as simply another animal.

So too in the telling of the story of involving the flooding of the earth, I think we can find mutual agreement with God about the fallen state of humanity and his discontent with it.

8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!

Allow me to restate with emphasis: ALL of the so called sins... ALL OF THEM. Every single one. Murder, Adultery, Theft, Bearing false witness, on and on. ALL of them...

Any brief delve into psychology would reveal that indulgence without restraint in any of these gratifications is unhealthy, self-destructive and destructive to others.

Any life lived solely for its own sake especially with this purpose becomes void of any greater purpose or meaning, and is an exercise of futility.

9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!

The destruction of the church and of man by his separation from God, has always been Satan's recourse against God. So  "friend" is hardly the case. 

Saying this is intentional deception and tantamount to saying that it is our enemy that enables us to have an army. It is simply untrue, in fact it is our enemy that forces us to have an army by engaging us in battle.

That's it, I'm done.
Comment as you will.