Good morning, friends and fans!
Normally I post about my fiction writing, but today it’s time for a change of pace! You might have noticed mentions in my newsletter about my non-fiction books and academic papers, and I’d like to tell you a bit more about one paper in particular paper: “Satanism: The Acid Test”. This provocatively titled paper, over 400 pages long, represents the culmination of nearly a year of research conducted online and through personal interaction, and also with the input of a number of individuals. I wrote it in 2013, and disseminated it the same year as an academic paper which addresses misconceptions about the occult. Why? Why, you may ask, would I write about so contentious and perhaps provocative a subject?
Why indeed.
I’ll tell you: because people deserve to know the truth, and because it’s really annoying when people misjudge and even persecute others based on not only their own ignorant assumptions – but also based on their tacit agreement with lies and deliberate fabrications spread by others! People deserve to form their own informed opinions based upon facts rather than superstition and spurious claims made by snake-oil salesmen. The choice is still up to them whether or not they are to accept the facts in place of the years of intensive and one-sided programming they have received.
Why would I share this? Well… because I was the chief researcher and writer for the group that sponsored this paper… and because someone sent me an email early this morning wanting to know the truth about Satanism – particularly in the light of what Christian evangelicals who have never spent even five minutes as actual Satanists – say it is. To find out for yourself, read on.
Do Satanists worship the Devil?
Most people who ask that question tend to expect a simple answer – after all, it does seem like a simple question, doesn’t it? But is it? No, of course not.
The common misconception that it should be as simple is that most likely stems from preconceived notions and stereotypes – like for instance, the view that Christians all believe in God – because that belief is ostensibly the basis of Christianity, isn’t it? This belief tends to persist regardless of whether individual Christians live in accordance with the commonly understood principles of their beliefs – or not.
Most people typically are unaware that there are different kinds of people who identify with Satanism, and who for very different reasons identify as Satanists. The very same can be said about people who identify as Christians – each has their own reasons for doing so – and also their own notion of what Christianity is or should be. Consequently, those identifying with Satanism fall along a spectrum.
There are people who bill themselves as “occult experts”; Christian evangelists fraudulently presenting themselves as experts in the study or practice of Satanism – people who take to the stage, the camera and the microphone, while conveying the impression of authority, to spread a false narrative of what Satanism is, and what Satanists believe or do. They garner sympathy, support, fame and even fortune from their outlandish and fantastic claims about their paper-thin and implausible “involvement in Satanism” – which invariably turns out to be either a complete fabrication, or a bogus fantasy that took place within their own imaginations.
Only one group fits the description of “satanists” as described by these people: People, often teenagers influenced by their misinformation – who adopt it as an act of rebellion. This approach to “satanism” is described as “reverse Christianity” – that is, they believe that Satanism is the exact opposite of Christianity (i.e. intrinsically and practical evil) and follow all the myths about Satanism that such frauds claim it is; inverted crosses, black candles, animal and infant sacrifice etc. – usually coupled with copious amounts of conspiracy theory nonsense. For all intents and purposes, such people live up to what is called “mythical satanism” or “legend tripping” – that is, they believe the hype and live it for themselves, in essence creating a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. These people are not Satanists and what they practice is not Satanism.
Satanism is actually an umbrella a collection of different religions or identities – beginning with the major difference that separates them: Theism and Atheism. The difference between these is, to sum up, belief. People who literally believe in God for example, as a deity and an actual personality, are categorized as theists, and people who do not believe in God as a deity or actual literal person, fall under the category of atheists. Likewise, when it comes to Satanism, Satanists are categorized and separated accordingly.
Now that we’re off to a seemingly simple start, and you’re probably thinking “that’s not so hard to understand”, is where it gets a little more complicated… that’s just a scratch on the surface – and then there’s the matter of people who aren’t actual Satanists getting associated with Satanism by hysterical Bible-thumping “occult experts” and their friends in cahoots, journalists caught up in the hysteria, who help to spread the manure all round nice and even, like – which results in episodes of “Satanic Panic” and witch hunts.
Like any complex subject, this question can’t be answered in just five minutes – or in a short article – so… to answer your questions thoroughly, here is a free copy of a book I was privileged to work on some years ago called “Satanism: The Acid Test”. Just click on the cover to open the pdf file – and to download a FREE copy from Academia, just click “save as” in your pdf reader menu.
“Satanism: The Acid Test” is a 400 page document peer-reviewed by academics in the field of religious studies as well as by many notable occult religious organizations – making it a truly unique, authentic document of which I’m very proud!
Feel free to examine the website for the document for more information, and you can also view this PowerPoint presentation: “STAT Presentation – Abbreviated“.
I also have another three papers on the topic of the occult and Satanism, for your further reading.
Until next time, when I’ll post about something lighter (I promise!)
Cheers!
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All material copyright © Christina Engela, 2020.