Christian - Wiccan

Posted 18th September 2010 at 03:17 PM on "Interfaith Forums"

by Rev Chard

Reproduced here with the permission of Rev Chard

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Christian-Wiccan:

I was asked by my niece if it were possible to be a Christian-Wiccan. She believed it was but had received resistance from both Christians and Wiccans.

The following is what my research and study has determined to be the basics of what I believe to be Christian –Wiccan path.

All Wiccan’s are witches, but not all witches are Wiccan.
All who follow Christ are Christian by faith, but not all are Christian by religion.

Wicca is an earth based belief system, an open minded, accepting, welcoming religion which celebrates diversity and considers all as children of the same Mother.
There are no dues to pay, no central organization, no governing body, no chairman, no president, nor are there any high priest or priestess that speaks for the Goddess.

Wiccans worship in gardens, on beaches, in the woods, in libraries, book stores, on mountain tops and in personal spaces known only to the individual.
Wicca simple is the collection of witches with their various collective beliefs, practices and traditions who share a common faith.

No one should call themselves a witch lightly. To be a witch is to set oneself apart from the majority of others and should be considered a binding contract of service to the life force.

There are solitary Wiccans, those who practice individually without joining in fellowship with others, and there are those who join with others and follow the traditions of that coven.

There are different Wiccan traditions (Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Celtic, Dianic, etc) plus many family and coven traditions which have developed through the ages.

The first step to become witch is to find your path to the Goddess. The second is to dedicate oneself to an ethical system which one follows when they utilize the power and magic which she gifts to you.

The Wiccan faith has two pillars: the Great Goddess and the “Wiccan Rede”.

Christian-Wiccans dedicate themselves to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ. This is the ethical system which they hold themselves to.

Time out!

How can someone be both Wiccan and Christian if Wiccans worship the Great Goddess and Christians worship God?

The Christian God is the Creator. He is the first and only parent of all mankind. Although referred to as Father, God is both male and female or neither male nor female.

The Judeo-Christian societies were, and in many cases still are, male oriented societies. So it would be natural for a creator God to be referred to as male.

Whether it is God, Goddess, Creator, Parent, Sustainer, Provider or the Eternal Universe: all these words are man’s way of describing a God he does not understand.

Time back in:

The Great Goddess is everything within the universe and she is the universe itself. She is not separate or superior. Creation is constant, it destroys only to recreate. That which is referred to as the Great Mother is the creator of all. We are all part of her. We share our very being with her and we are because of her. She is infinite and varied as fingerprints or snowflakes. She is the yin and yang, the Alpha and Omega, and both the female and male essence.

The Wiccan Rede in its simplest form states: “And it harms none, do as ye will.”

This has been passed down from witch to witch for generations, in many forms and versions. A common version is credited to Adriana Porter known as the “Rede of Wiccae”.

A common belief for Wiccans is that there are many paths to enlightenment and that all religions are equally valid. Most respect the belief systems of others and value freedom of worship for all. Live and let live, if you may, for like the Rede says: “And it harms none, do as ye will.”

The Wiccan year consists of four Greater Sabbats and four Lesser Sabbats. A Sabbat is a holiday or festival.
Wiccans see the year as an ever revolving wheel and celebrates the waning and waxing of the moon, the changing seasons, the agricultural year and the solar year.

The four Greater and the four Lesser Sabbats are:

February 2: Imbolic
May 1: Beltane
August 1: Lughnasadh
October 1: Samhain

Spring Equinox: Ostara
Summer Solstice: Litha
Autumn Equinox: Mabon
Winter Solstice: Yule

The two holiest Christian seasons are Christmas time, which includes Advent which leads up to Christmas day and Easter time, which includes Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending with Easter.

Many Christian faiths observe the following sacraments or rites:
Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion (or the Lord’s Supper), Marriage and Last Rites.

Wiccan rites usually consist of the following:
Wiccaning, Initiation, Handfasting, The Great Rite, Croning and Death Rites.

Much is available about both the example and teachings of Jesus Christ and Wicca. There are books, articles and information galore available on the internet.

Some words of caution.

Much of what is available is the opinion and beliefs of the author. Do much research, compare what you find and always remember we each have the responsibility of determining our personal paths within any faith system. What is right for others may not be right for us and vice versa.

Respect others and never forget the Wiccan Rede, “And it harms none, do as ye will.”

THE MAGICIAN'S GOD

Bob Makransky's

The Magician's God

The magician's conception of God is very different from the Judeo-Christian- Islamic conception. This is not to say that one is right and the other is wrong. On the contrary, a tenet of magic is that what is going on out there in the universe is not anything the human mind can possibly conceive of. Therefore all conceptions (beliefs) are wrong. Indeed, a human conception of God, no matter what it is, has definitely got to be puny in comparison with whatever God really is.
However it is instructive to compare the two conceptions of God since the two versions have different implications for how we should behave in our everyday lives. Emulating God, becoming more Godlike, is the meat and bone of any spiritual practice. How we conceive of God will determine what our spiritual ideal is, and what we are trying to accomplish in our spiritual lives.
To avoid confusion, we'll refer to the Judeo-Christian- Islamic supreme deity as "God", and to the magicians' supreme deity as "the Spirit".
Most people believe that God cares about them personally. Conventional religions inculcate fear of death, and then teach people to cover over that fear of death with the promise of heaven. People believe that if they do X and Y and Z, then God will be pleased with them and they will go to heaven when they die.
The magician's path is very different. Magicians know that death is not only inevitable, but is nothing to fear. Death is right there in the background all the time. Magicians learn to feel that they are in the presence of death every minute. There is no salvation. Anything that comes through for them they are going to have to make happen themselves, since the Spirit doesn't care a rat's butt about them one way or the other. Use your head: if God cared about you, would He have condemned you to death? Believing that you're special to God is the acme of self-pity.
Both God and the Spirit are all-powerful and created the universe intentionally. That is to say, creation was no accident, as the materialists would have it.* However the Judeo-Christian- Islamic God is monotheistic: God stands outside of His creation. The Spirit, on the other hand, is pantheistic: the Spirit is everything and everything is the Spirit.
God cares about His creation: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son … ." The Spirit, on the other hand, is utterly detached and indifferent, so that there is no point in worshipping it or praying to it: "The Spirit was so indifferent to the world that it left all sentient beings to figure things out for themselves."
Since spiritual practice entails emulating the supreme deity, evidently caring is a fundamental part of Judeo-Christian- Islamic practice, whereas being detached and indifferent is essential to magic. Most people need the sense of security (from the magicians' viewpoint, false sense of security) of believing that God is concerned about them personally. They need to feel that they fit in and belong somewhere. They must believe that they're not all alone, at the mercy of ineffable, incomprehensible, and wholly impersonal forces of the universe. However, magicians need no such assurance. Indeed, they find such a belief useless baggage which weighs them down.
We all lie to ourselves constantly. For example, we believe that our luck is going to change really soon; or that this person we're in love with is the most marvelous person on earth; and so on. Really, lying to ourselves is about the only way we can keep on keeping on much of the time. The difference between magicians and most people is that magicians know that they are lying to themselves. An example of a magician's lie is "you create your own reality." This is something magicians have to believe, even though they know it's a lie.** Magicians choose their lies with care. Thus their conception of what the Spirit is, is another carefully crafted lie.
Although the Spirit is too vast to have what might be termed a personality, nonetheless it is correct to say that the Spirit is a trickster. The Spirit is a trickster because the magician's reality is a reality of trickery, and you create your own reality and your own deity with it.
Magicians have to trick themselves to stay on the magician's path, else who in blazes would follow it? Magic is a path of utmost responsibility, self-discipline and self-denial. Magic requires being utterly alone and facing up to the truth. No one wants to face the truth; not even magicians.
The Spirit is a trickster because although it will bring us what we want, what we've been praying for all along, it usually does this in such a guise that we don't recognize it for what it is, and we therefore reject it. As an example, more than once I've seen the Spirit bring a person a true soul mate when they were on the rebound from a break-up, and still too filled with self-pity to see that this person they met accidentally was the one they were praying for all along.
How many times have I seen the Spirit bring someone their true heart's desire on a silver platter, yet the person rejected it because they still had too much self-hatred to permit themselves to feel happiness. What keeps us from seeing and grasping the Spirit's gifts is our own self-pity, which blinds us to everything except how much we're suffering.
My spirit guides used trickery as their main teaching tool. Now that I'm more or less on my own, I have to trick myself. For many years I fantasized that one day a woman would come into my life and love me and make me happy (this rather asinine fantasy is common among men. I call it the "Claudia" complex after the character in Fellini's 8 ½). My spirit guides really seized on that one. Every time a likely woman came across my horizon they played it to the hilt: "Oh yes! She's the one you've been waiting for, definitely! Very soon now all your dreams will come true and you'll find true love!" They encouraged me to make an ass of myself and follow every mirage until it too turned to dust. And in my stupidity and desperation I fell for that ploy every time, even long after I understand intellectually what they were doing and why. They were trying to burn that expectation out of me via exhaustion. They always told me that spiritual growth is mostly a matter of exhaustion, of giving up one's own will. They were right, but I'm so stubborn and obsessive that it took me a long, long time to burn out. Now that their tricks don't work on me anymore, I have to trick myself. This is what the technique of Creative Visualization is all about.
The point is that the magician's deity is a trickster because the magician's path is a path of trickery. There is no ultimate truth in this. The Christian and Hindu Gods are Gods of love because these paths are devotional paths. Magic, by contrast, is a very rational path – detached and coldly objective. There's love in it, of course, and joy. Lots of joy, actually. In fact, the joy – the incredible joy – is the only excuse for following the magician's path, because otherwise it's a complete pain in the butt. But the principle mainspring to action is intent. What drives magicians forward is the quest for power and freedom.
Although the Spirit is wholly impersonal and indifferent, it nonetheless can be put to use. From the magical point of view, the Spirit is our servant. Every time we desire something, no matter how trivial, we emit an order, a desire line. Desire lines are actual fibers of light which pop out of our navels. They can be considered commands to the Spirit, who immediately starts racing around trying to fulfill our order.
The reason why most people can't bring their desires to realization is because they have their desire lines tangled up. They don't really want things to spring into existence the moment they think of them, as happens in dreams. Most people are afraid of taking responsibility for that much power. They would prefer to pretend that they don't have that much potential control over their own lives and destinies. They prefer to cringe helplessly and wallow in self-pity rather than take on the awesome responsibility of total control over themselves: control over their moment-to-moment thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Most people prefer to believe in fantasies, like that someday God is going to bring them exactly what they desire, with no effort on their part. This is why they need to believe in a God who is outside of themselves, disconnected from them, rather than that they are the Spirit, and whatever situation they find themselves in is their own creation. To change it they're going to have to change themselves by changing their way of looking at the situation they are in. Average people don't want to have to do this.
The Judeo-Christian- Islamic God pities us and thus mirrors our own self-pity. The Spirit, on the other hand, is pitiless and can only be commanded by erasing self-pity. Power comes from taking responsibility for our decisions. In particular, this means taking responsibility for the situation in which we find ourselves in the present moment – dealing with the reality of it instead of wishing it would go away.
Taking responsibility means not blaming other people or the Spirit for our own unhappiness, nor trying to slough off our unhappiness on other people around us. Rather, it means understanding that we have deliberately, if unconsciously, chosen the circumstances of our lives, and only we can change them. When we truly understand this in our hearts, when we resign ourselves to this truth and begin to act on it, then we become one with the Spirit.

(Copyright © 2009 by Bob Makransky. All rights reserved).

"Excerpted from Bob Makransky's free monthly ezine Magical Almanac, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagicalAlmanac.

To subscribe, send an email to: MagicalAlmanac-subscribe@yahoogroups.com"

OPHIDIAN SUITHEISM and SATANISM

Post-LaVeyan Satanic Primer

(The following piece was written in part and compiled by Octavius Raziel Masters, former council member of The Empire of Satan. Much of the information contained below was cooperatively written by the senior members of the Empire of Satan, now defunct.)

Introduction to Ophidian Suitheism

There are surely as many different forms of Satanism as there are Satanists. Most Satanists are mired in the LaVeyan theories laid out in the Satanic "Bible." The fact that these people claim to be so elite and superior while shackling themselves to a bible (for which they usually chide Abrahamic followers for doing the same) is hypocritical at best. If you challenge a LaVeyan Satanist with this fact they will more than likely take offense and spare no words in trying to reduce you to a simpleton they can once again leer over. This only illustrates the insecurity of most Satanists, and also explains why most abandon their beliefs and title before the age of 25 as they are unable or unwilling to challenge their beliefs...it's easier to simply abandon their time as a Satanist as "a phase I went through."

Challenging everything in life is a basic tenet of Satanism, and the most paramount. However, woe to the person who dares to challenge most Satanists. To approach everything with an agnostic point of view and engage in reasonable and respectable debate is the hallmark of Satanism; take nothing at face value, accept no singular truth without ample consideration, and be willing to accept change. The reason we call ourselves Satanists is because of the Christian archetype, Lucifer, who dared to question an absolute and infallible authority. It is in this act that we find our strength. However, as Satanists, we must be able to accept and embrace change as we learn and grow as humans. The pursuit of challenging our beliefs must be paramount if we are to take the seeds of Satanism and allow them to flourish into what can be a metaphysical eruption of possibilities. Those Satanists who do not have this ability are merely trading one set of infallible tenets for another. Thus far, the reason for choosing the title of "Satanist" in the majority of cases lies in the archetypal identification. However, it is important to note that most educated and intelligent Satanists will likely agree that the archetype is synonymous with Prometheus, Maui, Quetzalcoatl, Loki, Melek T’au, Maya, Mara, and countless other mythological figures throughout history and cultures...those who acted in humanity's best interests, or their own, instead of following a higher deity's selfish or jealous motives.

Over the past several years, there has been a movement within many satanic communities to move away from the dreaded "S" word and use other titles to describe their beliefs. While I am unaffiliated with any Satanic Organization, I consider myself primarily an Ophidian Suitheist, which is an esoteric and metaphysical expression of Modern Satanism based on some of Anton LaVey’s philosophies. However, the title is not important. It's the philosophy behind it that matters. To the adept “Satanist,” Satan himself is an unworthy symbol. Ophidian Suitheism is a termed coined by occultist David Michael Cunningham. No official church adheres to Ophidian Suitheistic philosophy, and it is not a registered religion in any country. Practitioners of Ophidian Suitheism are inherently solitary and an exact number of practitioners are not known.

There are countless other derivative forms of Satanism, most of which are diluted from Anton LaVey's philosophies or intentional Christian blasphemy. "Theistic Satanists," those that believe in and worship the Christian Devil, are not Satanists at all...merely heretical Christians. Such beliefs are steeped in negativity and pointless adversity. Satanism ideally should be based on personal development, not misdirected rage against another's faith. Satanism should be based on earned or justifiable respect, or at the very least, tolerance or indifference. Alas, there are too few of us who are able to truly focus inward without having to declare fault with everything else.


Criticism of the Official Church of Satan

Some 35 years since its inception by Magus Anton LaVey, the Official Church of Satan (CoS) is still using Coop illustrations and dusty photos from the 1960’s of festooned members mocking the Christian Church as propaganda. There have been countless criticisms of the CoS written over the years; mostly by outraged fundamentalist Christians labeling Satanists as baby killing serial rapists and murderers. Those claims, more commonly known as the “Satanic Panic,” have all been debunked by multiple Government investigations of the 1980’s and 90’s. However, there are still many people who view the Church of Satan as a credible threat to society. Dawn Perlmutter, Ph.D, Director and founder of the Institute for the Research of Organized & Ritual Violence, and developer of Symbolic Evidence Database of Gangs Cults and Terrorists (SEDGCAT), is single-handedly resurrecting the Satanic Panic for no other reason than to try and put down the philosophy and practice of Satanism.

Are we, as intelligent people, supposed to take the writings of Anton LaVey as our Gospel? Even by LaVey’s definition, we should certainly not. We should all strive to take the philosophies he expounded upon and use them as the first stepping-stones towards a higher understanding of our unique visions of society, philosophy, morality, and ourselves. While LaVey was many things in his life, he was first and foremost an eccentric carnival barker…the world was his carnival and he presented it in a very different light than most of “the herd” perceived it.

Anton’s death brought a schism to his Church, and it now lies in the hands of sycophants and charlatans bent on the continued perception of heretical Christianity. It’s apparent in the rituals of the Church, by the Satanic “priests” in their mocking attire, and their paradoxical rhetoric. Why isn’t the CoS continuing to build on Anton’s vision? Where are the books that should be coming from the Church helping to foster thought and fight the stagnancy it now rests in? Magus Peter Gilmore’s “Satanic Scriptures” are a weak collection of essays and articles collected from various Church newsletters. The Church’s publishing house, Purging Talon, is little more than a (albeit effective) means to tithe even more money out of church members with substandard “literature.”

Perhaps there is much more going on behind their veil of secrecy and silence. Perhaps I am not qualified to even ask these questions and criticize. However, it is clear that LaVey did not fear the public like his Church now does…answers may only come with approved membership and appropriate financial tithing.


Nine Points of Mastery

This is a meditation on the Ophidian Way; the necessary perspective one must have to enter into higher satanic understanding. The core tenets are the Nine Points of Mastery. These points are as follows:

1. For the individual, living ceases to exist upon the death of the Self. Therefore if the individual enjoys living, the most important thing for the individual is its own life--thus the god of the individual is the Self.

2. All actions are either productive or counterproductive according to the perception of the individual. Therefore good and evil do not exist but only in the mind of the individual.

3. A thing only has meaning if it is given meaning by the individual. Therefore the only meaning to life is what the individual bestows upon it.

4. The individual is free to decide whether to act or not to act. Therefore the destiny of the individual depends solely upon the individual.

5. Pain and strife are not necessary in order to teach or understand a truth or principle. Therefore there is no great purpose for human suffering.

6. All beliefs are the construction of fallible creatures. Therefore all beliefs must be questioned.

7. Faith is to believe that which has not been verified. Therefore no truth can be found through faith but only through reason.

8. The Self is partially the sum of all its experiences, its ego and identity--the body is merely a tool of the Self. Therefore immortality cannot be solely achieved through immortalizing the body but only through sustaining the Self till time indefinite.

9. The Self is the Center Point of Consciousness. Therefore all are paradoxically the creators of reality.*

*Evidence of the truth of the ninth statement is found within the writings of David Bohm, Michael Talbot, Amit Goswami, Stanislav Grof, Karl Pribram and others.

Seven Signs of Spiritual Slavery

The seven signs of spiritual slavery are used by the student as a reminder that spiritual systems lead nowhere. It shows the outsider the inferiority of their beliefs. In addition to the Nine Points of Mastery, the Ophidian Suitheist recognizes that these Seven Signs define the shackles of intellectual, metaphysical, and esoteric bondage. They are as follows:

1. You must believe that the source of the teachings is not a mere human being. Therefore you will believe that your thoughts, and those of other humans, are inferior and ultimately illusory.

2. You are given the threat of spiritual or physical punishment should you cease to follow the teachings. Therefore you will fear to look in places that may reveal other truths.

3. You are led to believe that human suffering is necessary for the eventual betterment of mankind. Therefore you can never dedicate the wholeness of your being to squelching human turmoil.

4. You are taught that your very nature is a transgression against "right". Therefore you will resist that which would bring you joy by authority of your nature.

5. You are led to believe that your salvation extends solely from the will of a particular supernatural force or entity. Therefore you will fear to resist its will and place yourself in subservience to it.

6. You are given the promise of immortality. Therefore in dreading death you will fear to question the teachings.

7. You must have unquestioning faith in the teachings. Therefore you will never know the truth of any other.


Eighteen Satanic Virtues

Eighteen Satanic Virtues give the Satanist a framework upon which to build their own divinity. While there are absolutes here, the virtues open the student up to ponder his or her own evolution by posing the question, "How have I lived today?" It is there that the Satanist will build upon the virtues and thereby build upon themselves.

Individuality <> Prudence
Loyalty <> Integrity
Courage <> Confidence
Responsibility <>Independence
Sacrifice <> Duty
Nobility <> Temperance
Excellence <> Perception
Discipline <> Perseverance
Humanity <> Creativity


Common Questions, Misconceptions, and Clarification

What is the difference between someone who worships Satan and a Satanist?

A Satan worshiper has modeled himself after the irrationality of theism. This type of person cannot detach himself from the idea that there is something that holds his destiny in its hands. The Satanist on the other hand, will exalt his rational mind to the highest degree and will proclaim himself the master of all he observes. He is circumspect in acknowledging that if something must be done it will be he alone that initiates its manifestation. Nevertheless, it is beyond this mentioning of taking responsibility for ones own life. The Satanist is a scientist in that he will never wholly claim something to be a fact unless it has been proven before him to be so. Blind belief is an attribute of the Right-Hand Path (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Wicca, etc.), it is easily observed to be its biggest weakness, and thus the Satanist avoids its seductive and numbing grasp. Even in the highly mistranslated book of Genesis, it was the Serpent who attempted to instill in humans the understanding that we too have the ability to be gods and goddesses somewhere within ourselves. We advise all of humanity to take caution when dealing with people who want to continue looking past the possibility of godhood and instead want to supplicate in front of false idols.


Do Satanists serve Satan?

No. Satanists do not hold a belief in the literal existence of Satan -- nor do we attempt to worship Him as an external amorphous or anthropomorphic entity. The Satanist worships himself in the Left-Hand Path tradition of Ophidian Suitheism, using various anti-hero archetypes as a useful means of aligning himself with certain magical streams of energy, which are prevalent in the Collective Unconscious of modern day society. The imagery of any incarnation of Satan is powerful, in that it can be used for the purpose of deterring the close-minded from any proverbial doorway or catapulting any magical working with the thrust of humanity's worst nightmares. The idea that Satan exists as a Jungian archetype--created only by mans belief in Him--is therefore effective in the practice of magic and thus this concept can [and is] entertained as well. Theistic thinking is incredibly flawed in that it requires a permanent suspension of the rational mind and therefore it has no place within the teachings of Satanism.

Note: Our conception of Satan is not limited to what is merely called "Satan". We see Him in many cultures as the anti-hero/liberator archetype of the region.


Why are Satanists so anti-Christian?

Historical records of the expansion of Christianity reveal hundreds upon hundreds of years of spiritual and violent oppression at the hands of the creators of a bloodthirsty, contradictory, and utterly maniacal god that was designed to enslave the masses. Ultimately, as Satanists, we try to ignore them as much as possible. On a personal level, the revolt took place the minute we took the title upon ourselves. Liberation is an ongoing process, and unlike the majority of the world's Christians, the Satanist does not trifle with evangelism for the purpose of converting as many people as possible (i.e., saving souls). Nor do we occupy our valuable time with deciding who is morally correct, or homogenizing the world we live in. The Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths have undoubtedly restricted humanity more so than any other phenomena, yet this has only tempered our resolve and determination to exceed. We, as Satanists, have chosen to wield wisdom as our weapon, instead of the flaming finger of "God." To hate a Christian just for his or her faith or beliefs could only be considered as righteous stupidity, and thus, no better than the mindset we oppose.


Is Satanism a religion?

The Satanic individual will at first emulate what he or she perceives as Satan. As a powerful archetype, emulation alone is capable in and of itself of nurturing individualism and personal strength. Rather than further promoting the categorizations of this already broad spectrum of almost unlimited personal choices, let it be known that the term "Satanism" generally applies to a philosophy, with little or no spiritual connotations. However, a Satanist can and frequently will be just as devout as any other religious devotee, the difference being the Satanic emphasis on determinism and will, rather than the self-inflicted tyranny of submission common in most strains of religious fever. Emulation is the most powerful method of learning, and the Satanist that makes it his or her life will ultimately become one's own deity, as this is the realization of the goal of Ophidian Suitheism. By the textbook definition of religion, Satanism does in fact qualify, simply by the fact that the individual will maintain a set of beliefs, values, and practices. The applied faith factor should be of no consequence, whether it should come from a mythological deity or not. The Higher Law the Satanist follows comes from within, and for this reason, Satanism is the most pure religion. After all, religion is mans search for meaning among other men, how to live, and how to love.


Do Satanists practice Black Magic?

Yes, and no. Given to common definition of Black or White Magic, existing public Satanic texts indeed teach "Black" Magic. However, we feel that making this ridiculous connotation is nothing more than symbolic. White Magic can be viewed as that which is cast for a purpose beyond self or selfishness. However, because all acts are irrefutably selfish, this definition is nonsensical. There is not one act that a human can commit that is selfless and therefore all magic is simply magic. To attempt to note a magician's Will as right or wrong, white or black, is primitive thinking. The Satanist moves beyond good and evil and simply defines each action as either productive or counterproductive according to his own desired ends. Classifying magic is a product of Right-Hand Path magicians who result to using childish color codes because they cannot divorce themselves from their limited beliefs -- unfortunately adopted from the guilt ridden religions which they have purportedly transcended.


Do Satanists practice animal or human sacrifice?

No. Those who practice magic that requires the slaughter of life are practicing the weakest kind of magic of all. It is a weak magician who thinks he needs to kill something to make his will manifest.


Does a person have to agree entirely with what is professed to define Satanism in order to call oneself a Satanist?

In being a religion based on rational thought, we invite anyone to prove us wrong. To do otherwise would be to silence potential truths and fall victim to the plight of the Right-Hand Path -- insofar as they demand blind acceptance of their doctrines. Demanding that anyone reprogram themselves with things that they have not proven to be a truth is to lock their mind in a prison. Unlike some religions, we will never say, "Do not question."


Is Satanism against homosexuality, bestiality, orgies, incest, or other sexual activities, which are considered immoral by the majority of society?

Satanism does not support any action that infringes upon another's freedoms, happiness or Will. Sexual activities are nothing more than a mass of physical movements that may be perceived as positive or negative depending solely upon the aesthetics and moral standards of those involved. Therefore, Satanism leaves it up to the participants to decide what is good and enjoyable for them. Satanism is not against homosexuality, open relationships, orgies, or any type of sexual activity between mature consenting people who know what they are getting into. If a person should be ignorant (because of their age for instance) of sexual activities, we feel it would be counterproductive to their healthy development for them to participate in it. Therefore, Satanism is completely against involving young children in sexual activities because they cannot fully comprehend the concept and potential consequences of sex.



What is Satanism's stance on drugs/illegal narcotics and consuming alcohol?

While opinions vary on mind-altering substances, Satanism does not advocate or promote any activity that blatantly destroys the human mind or body. We are aware that there is much disinformation concerning many currently illegal substances. However, we are positively against the compulsive use of anything that is produced to cause addiction or mind numbing effects within its users. Compulsive acts; acts based on addiction are counterproductive to human evolution. Addictive and brain-destroying chemicals are convenient tools for today's slave masters.


What is Satanism's stance on murder and other highly illegal crimes?

Satanism does not advocate that its adherents partake in acts that are considered illegal within the countries that they reside in. We do not agree with all laws in existence but neither does Satanism exist to influence people to break laws. A wise Satanist will work smoothly through the system that he opposes instead of violently against it.


Does Satanism support racism or sexism?

No. We believe on judging people on their own merits. We recognize that women and men are different and each gender tends to have its own intrinsic advantages and drawbacks and therefore they are not equal in the sense of being the same. No one person is exactly the same as any other, therefore people are only equal in that they should be equally given the chance to be judged on an individual basis.


Satanism and Children

Satanists do not indoctrinate children into Satanism. Children lack the basic skills to rationally and intellectually disseminate all the intricacies of issues like faith, religion, belief, morality, and many other metaphysical and esoteric concepts. Self-discipline, tolerance, independence, and respect are a few primary principals that children of satanic parents should instill. Children naturally have questions about the world they live in and the people they interact with. It is critical that the satanic parent answers their questions from an honest perspective, but also explain that there is never one specific answer to questions involving metaphysical, spiritual, and religious implications. Great care must be taken by the satanic parent in order to let the child develop his or her own truly individual beliefs.

“I want to see young people who are as committed to the cause of Jesus Christ as young people are to the cause of Islam. I want to see them as radically laying down their lives for the gospel…because we have the truth.”
- Becky Fischer, Pentacostal Children’s Minister


Conclusion

This piece only scrapes the surface of what Ophidian Suitheism can be. There is still so much to explore and boundaries to push. There is little information on communal Satanism and none on communal Ophidian Suitheism. There are cyclical rituals, life event rituals, ethics based on principal (not dogma), morality, and so much more that lies shrouded in individual minds…perhaps never to be chronicled or shared. The Left Hand Path does not invite its adherents. We create our own visions of existence and work hard to manifest our will to create our own physical reality. We wish harm to no one, but defend our right to believe in our own divinity.

WHY I AM AN ATHIEST

Reproduced here with permission from Mr. Earle


Why I Am An Atheist
by Allen Earle

This is a work in progress. It may well change over time.

“How can you be an atheist?” That’s the question I am most often asked when I’m discussing my non-religious views with religious acquaintances. This is usually followed up with some variation on, “how do you know right from wrong if you don’t believe in god?” Another frequent question is, “where do you go for help when it’s all too much?”

And yet, to answer the question, “why am I an atheist,” seems to presuppose that I had some choice in the matter. That, for the record, is simply not true. William James and Pascal’s Wager aside, one cannot really will oneself to believe. One either does or one does not. Certainly one can pretend (lots of church-goers do that), but at the core of one’s being, what one believes about god does not feel as if it’s a matter dependent upon the will. Not if one is honest.

So the real answer, the only one that actually answers the question “why am I an atheist,” seems to be, “because that’s the way I’m made.” This is hardly a satisfying answer, of course, and doesn’t seem to answer the question that is so often asked. The intent of that question, if I understand it correctly, is rather more “how is it possible you gave up god?”

I Did Not Give Up God
I cannot recall a time, ever in my life, when I believed in a god, a soul that survived my body, or a “spirit realm” called either heaven or hell. I was certainly told about all of those things, of course – along with Santa and the Tooth Fairy – but I simply and quite honestly thought it all equally silly nonsense for kids. The Tooth Fairy and Santa didn’t take long to dispense with, as I’m sure it doesn’t for most kids, but it seems as if, somehow, I just applied the same kind of thinking to god.

I went to Sunday School and heard the Bible stories specially prepared for children. I was told that “Jesus loves me,” though nobody else at the time seemed to, and that “god sees the little sparrow fall.” I noticed, though, that god didn’t hold out a single deified digit to prevent that fall. Then I checked out those Sunday school stories – I read the book (yes, that book, the Bible), from beginning to end, before I was 11 years old.

What horrors I found there! And what nonsense!

Now, as it happens, I was also a big fan of National Geographic (the only place I could see naked bodies back then), and everything I could find on dinosaurs and as much science as I could understand. The Bible didn’t come close to being as believable as any of my other reading material. The god I found there was not, most assuredly not, the god I heard about in Sunday school.

What Did Other People Believe
And then, I discovered (perhaps I should say intuited) quite early on that most of the people around me who thought of themselves as believers – and who were supposed to be my role models in religious belief – didn’t seem believe much either. Or rather, I should say that they may (I couldn’t tell) have held some belief about the existence of god, but they most assuredly did not give much evidence of believing any of the Christian dogma that I was learning about.

“What an astonishing statement,” I hear you say. “How can you possibly know what somebody believes or doesn’t believe?”

Well, I know that people “believe in” gravity when I see them step back from the edge of the precipice, or that fire burns as they quickly draw their hand back from the little explosion in the fireplace. Their actions give them away. I know that people believe that they actually have a chance at winning the lottery, else they wouldn’t buy a ticket, which given the actual odds is pretty much exactly like tossing your two dollars into that precipice. Beliefs inform actions. Where the action is inconsistent with a stated belief, I must assume that the action is informed by some other belief, unknown to me and perhaps even to the person performing the action. But what I do know is that the claimed belief cannot be strongly held internally, or it would prevent the action that is inconsistent with it.

Let me provide a couple of examples.

There is wildly inconsistent use of Bible texts. Leviticus is used to label gay people as sinners worthy of death (or at least hell, perhaps), but seems remarkably ineffective in getting its message about the evils of pork chops, bacon and shrimp out to the masses. I for one (and I knew I was gay before I was ten) couldn’t see why one verse was dutifully adhered to, to my cost, while others right around it were studiously ignored. That seemed to have a whole lot less to do with believing anything at all about god, and was more reflective of personal tastes. In other words, hypocrisy.

And I was told that faith, not good works, was needed to please god. Except, of course, when it was good works, not faith. I decided early on that good works couldn’t be what people believed guaranteed entry into heaven, because those works were in remarkably short supply. And, of course, it doesn’t take much actual observation of people to see how routinely the commandments are broken. I saw a graven image in practically every church I was in, but if you’re going to flout a commandment, I suppose church is the place to do it.

Every believer seems more concerned about his own soul, its disposition after death, then about the condition of his fellow humans who are still alive. The Bible is chock-a-block with prohibitions and "though-shalt-nots," but how much better than “don’t get your hands dirty” might be the enjoinder to soil them dreadfully helping those in need?

And sex! Don’t even get me started on the religious view (at least the Christian one I grew up with) of sex. (Yet, as a science reader I knew that sexual reproduction was only one of the options god had open to him. Nature, however, needed sexual reproduction as the surest route to evolution and the continuation of life through changing conditions.)

It Started with My Upbringing
I was a battered child. Through all the torture of my growing up, I bore the pain and scars. Those who inflicted them went scot-free. I paraphrase David Hume in saying, if god could have prevented my pain but didn’t, then he shares the blame. If he wanted to help me, but couldn’t, then he was weaker than those who were hurting me, so I’d be better off bowing down before them than god. It was certainly clear to me that god was not simultaneously interested in and capable of my protection, or else I would not have been so horrible hurt.

And nothing I found, either in the Bible or in church, answered my questions about why that should be so.

And then I began to see that the world – supposedly the work and pride and joy of a loving god – while often beautiful, awe-inspiring, grand and mysterious, was also a world of unspeakable horror, visited without rhyme or reason upon the just and unjust alike, as were all its many pleasures. And I wondered how it was possible to lay all of the beauty – yet none of the horror – to god’s account. And there were no answers.

Ah, but then I was told about Satan! The Devil, eager to cart everybody’s soul off to Hell, which would be permitted for eternity for quite finite (often mild) indiscretions. Poppycock! Balderdash! Rubbish!

If god is omnipotent, then Satan must be nothing by comparison. Infinity is infinitely greater than anything finite. Therefore, Satan could hold no sway – there cannot be two omnipotent entities in a single universe – by definition – since both would be unable to best the other – a clear failure in the definition of omnipotence. Thus, if god exists and moves in the world, then he’s responsible for it all, including how ludicrously unfair it is.

Such a god, when I thought about it, was completely unacceptable to me.

Answering My Objections
No theist has ever actually answered my objections, although I answer all of theirs. Instead, when I raise what I consider to be a killer argument against god, they simply move on to another statement, usually unrelated. I’ve observed this many, many times in debates, for example between Sam Harris and

But the truth is, the counter-argument to “red and green make purple,” is not “yellow and blue make green,” no matter how true the latter statement might be.

No Answers From Scripture(s)
Answers from Judeo-Christian scripture are no better to me than answers from other scriptures, or from Shakespeare or any other fiction. In fact, every answer from scripture is easily refuted, and almost always by a different selection from the same book. If this were not so, there would be no need for the very busy apologetics industry.

God’s Greatest Creation
I’ve seen the human race at work. God’s greatest creation is responsible for a list of horrors too long for recitation here.

But it’s not just the evil that men do. It’s the sheer bloody stupidity of so much of the race. Watch the football hooligans in the stands, or in the streets after the game. See this creature, a little lower than the angels, this “piece of work...so infinite in faculty,” as it watches endless hours of “reality television.”

I’ve heard Joel Osteen, a “good Christian” describe gays and lesbians as “not god’s best work.” Yet Osteen seems unable, at least in this particular case, to follow the one thing that Christ is said to have really insisted upon – to love his fellow man without judging. Having failed at this single Christian duty, he still considers himself to be, one must assume, among “god’s best work,” and therefore competent to judge the “sins” of others.

Guessing Game
A universe with god, well actually, with all the gods that humanity has created, is an endless guessing game, with poorer odds of being right than the lottery. What does god want? You’ll never figure it out by observing and trying to make sense out of who suffers and who enjoys happiness. If we can’t tell here on earth, what hope have we of understanding the rules by which one merits “heaven?”

Confusion
No god worthy of the position could possibly have arranged to be so variously, and badly, misunderstood. One hundred thousand religions later, and still no agreement on who or what god is, and what He/It wants.

Spirituality Needs Art, Not god
Spirituality is not aided by unwarranted fear nor unjustified hope, but rather by deeper understanding of ourselves and our universe. For true spirituality, put aside your scripture and turn instead to art – any art.

Too Many Beliefs, Too Little Reason
I do not believe in god for the same reason that I do not believe in ghosts, the Yeti, Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Invisible Pink Unicorn, fairies, gnomes, ogres, gremlins, banshees, nyads, dryads, djinn, fairy god-mothers or spontaneous human combustion, among a rather longish list of other nonsense routinely held to be reasonable by far too many people.
• Every “fact” of science can be demonstrated again and again in controlled experiments. Not a single “fact” of such pseudo-scientific or religious nonsense ever has been, nor ever can be.
• When a theory of science is finally shown not to fulfill some criterion or other implicit in itself, then the theory is either corrected or discarded. Pseudo-science and religion are immune to that sort of self-correction, since there is never going to be any evidence to “disprove” their assumptions anyway.
Morals and Ethics
Throughout my entire atheist existence, I’ve managed to behave both more morally and more ethically, with more concern for my fellow man of whatever condition, than many of the religious people that I’ve known. I am in myself proof that morality needs no god – Torqemada, for example, is proof that god does not guarantee moral behaviour.

What a tragic notion must be held by the faithful that if, by some calamity, they lost their faith in god, they would suddenly be unable to restrain themselves from theft and murder. The atheist is in no doubt at all that – should he suddenly believe in god – he should continue to behave as morally as he did before.

The problem with morality guided by religion is that religion (at least the human ones that I’m familiar with) is manifestly unintelligible. If this were not so, there would not, could not, have arisen about 100,000 of them in the course of human history.

God’s Infinite Mercy
I could never believe in both Hell and a merciful god. Mercy is not needed at all except by those who are not worthy of it. It is completely wasted on those who don’t need it.

Religion Gone Bad
I have seen human nature – that good people do good things and bad people do bad. But to get a whole church or mosque panting for the deaths of the homosexuals, the idolators, the “sinners” of every sort – yes, that takes religion.

If anything must exist, it might as well be the universe as god. Is a naked singularity so much less likely than a consciousness without any other sort of existence, (or means to support itself)? Why propose a middle-man, which only complicates matters?

Original Sin
Few things offend me as much as the idea of “original sin” – that I (the child abused by those most accountable for my security) inherit guilt along with their genes. The Bishop of Hippo would excuse god for deformed and still-born children on such a vile supposition, but I will not.

Conclusion
Mostly, I am an atheist because I think. Even as a little kid, I was happier with books and quiet time than on the playing fields. Peaceful walks in natural surroundings, hours with a magnifying glass (and later microscope) examining the wonders of the pond, under rocks, around the roots of trees – these were the things that occupied my mind.

None of my thinking led me to any notion of god. Nothing made me understand that there was any other purpose to my existence than what I chose to make of it. My parents gave me life, but it is mine to live, not theirs. They can hope anything they like for me, but I will go my own way.

My Purpose, Not God's
I am not interested in being the object of “god’s purpose,” whatever that might be (and I challenge anyone to tell me what it is). I’m the object of enough other purposes over which I have little control. Regarding a meaning or a purpose for my life, I prefer my own. And at the least, I have some hope of knowing what it is.
__________________



Allen Earle is a Moderator with InterfaithForums.

InterfaithForums
Where your ideas and beliefs count
http://www.interfaithforums.com/forum.php

Below is the “signture” he provides at the end of each of his posts on the IFF.

evangelicalhumanist: Greek "eu"=good and "angelos"=messenger. Spreading the good news of Humanism.

To learn more of Mr. Earls views, please visit his web site at:
http://www.evangelicalhumanist.com/

INCLUSIVENESS vs SEPARATISM

It is the opinion of this writer that we are all One with God, The Creator. "We are Spiritual Beings having physical experiences" has been a common refrain among spiritually minded people for awhile now and is gaining acceptance and awareness on a broader scale as more individuals become aware of their path to Spiritual enlightenment, growth and advancement.

Separatism is a point on our path (that we all spend many incarnations overcoming and moving on from) encouraging views that have always promoted an attitude that we are better that another, that our ideas or beliefs are superior to that of another's, everyone who doesn't agree with me is wrong and must change the way they think in order to conform to MY way of thinking! It's a very natural point of view when we live by the "look out for number one" rule. That rule has successivelly guided us through millennia of hardships, extreme threats and conditions, of being the hunted instead of the hunter. It has always been the key to our ability to adapt quickly to change, all but guaranteeing our survival, as a species, through the ages. There is no question, it has served us well, and continues to do so among those who are not yet prepared to take the leap of faith necessary to accept their Spiritual heritage and origins.

Inclusiveness is a point on our path where we begin to accept others, without judgement, as being One. Inclusiveness means seeing God as uncondtional love and our intention to manifest that unconditional love through our physical experiences to all we come in contact with. Inclusiveness means to see God in everything and everyone, regardless of outward appearances, beacause God is ALL of CREATION. All that exists, eternally, IS God.

Please feel free to comment.