Bible verse by verse

[_LeVay]

HAIL SATAN!

In this arid wilderness of steel and stone, I raise up my voice that you may hear. To the East and to the West I beckon. To the North and to the South I show a sign proclaiming: Death to the weakling, wealth to the strong!

Open your eyes that you may see, O men of mildewed minds; and listen to me, ye laborious millions!

For I stand forth to challenge the wisdom of the world—to interrogate the “laws” of man and of “God”.

I request reasons for your golden rule, and ask the why and wherefore of your Ten Commands.

Before none of your printed idols do I bend in acquiescence, and he who saith “thou shalt” to me is my mortal foe.

I demand proof over all things and accept with reservations even that which is true.

I dip my forefinger in the watery blood of your impotent, mad redeemer and write over his thorn‐torn brow: The true prince of evil—the king of the slaves.

No hoary falsehood shall be a truth to me; no cult or dogma shall encramp my pen.

I break away from all conventions [that do not lead to my earthly success and happiness].

Alone, untrammeled. I raise up in stern invasion the standard of the strong.

I gaze into the glassy eye of your fearsome Jehovah and pluck him by the beard; I uplift a broad‐axe and split open his worm‐eaten skull.

I blast out the ghastly contents of philosophic whited sepulchers and laugh with sardonic wrath!

Then, reaching up the festering and varnished facades of your haughtiest moral dogmas, I write thereon in letters of blazing scorn: “Lo and behold, all this is fraud!”

I deny all things! I question all things!

And yet! And yet!

Gather around me, O ye death‐defiant, and the Earth itself shall be thine, to have and to hold.

II.

Behold the crucifix; what does it symbolize? Pallid incompetence hanging on a tree.

All ethics, politics, and philosophies are pure assumptions, built upon assumptions. They rest on no sure basis. They are but shadowy castles‐in‐the‐air erected by day‐dreamers, or by rogues, upon nursery fables. It is time they were firmly planted upon an enduring foundation. This can never be accomplished until the racial mind has first been thoroughly cleansed and drastically disinfected of its depraved, alien, and demoralizing concepts of right and wrong. In no human brain can sufficient space be found for the relentless logic of hard fact, until all pre‐existing delusions have been finally annihilated. Half‐measures are of no avail; we must go down to the very roots and tear them out, even to the last fibre. We must be, like nature, hard, cruel, relentless.

Too long the dead hand has been permitted to sterilize living thought. Too long right and wrong, good and evil have been inverted by false prophets. In the days that are at hand, neither creed nor code must be accepted upon authority—human, superhuman, or “divine”.

Morality and conventionalism are for subordinates. Religions and constitutions and all arbitrary principles, every mortal theorem, must be deliberately put to the question. No moral dogma must be taken for granted, no standard of measurement deified. There is nothing inherently sacred about moral codes. Like the wooden idols of long ago, they are all the work of human hands; and what man has made, man can destroy.

He who is slow to believe anything and everything is of great understanding, for belief in one false principle is the beginning of all unwisdom. The chief duty of every new age is to upraise new men to determine its liberties, to lead it towards material success—to rend the rusty padlocks and chains of dead custom that always prevent healthy expansion. Theories and ideals and constitutions that may have meant life, hope, and freedom for our ancestors may now mean destruction, slavery, and dishonor to us. As environments change, no human ideal standeth sure.

Whenever, therefore, a lie has built unto itself a throne, let it be assailed without pity and without regret; for under the dominance of an inconvenient falsehood, no nation can permanently prosper. Let established sophisms be dethroned, rooted out, burnt, and destroyed—for they are a standing menace to all true nobility of thought and action.

Whatever alleged “truth” is proven by results to be but an empty fiction, let it be unceremoniously flung into the outer darkness, among the dead gods, dead empires, dead philosophies, and other useless lumber and wreckage.

The most dangerous of all enthroned lies is the holy, the sanctified, the privileged lie—the lie that everyone believes to be a model truth. It is the fruitful mother of all other popular errors and delusions. It is a hydra‐headed. It has a thousand roots. It is a social cancer. The lie that is known to be a lie is half‐eradicated. But the lie that even intelligent persons regard as a sacred fact—the lie that has been inculcated around a motherʹs knee—is more dangerous to contend against than a creeping pestilence. Popular lies have ever been the most potent enemies of personal liberty. There is only one way to deal with them: Cut them out, to the very core, just as cancers are. Exterminate them root and branch, or they will surely eat us all up. Annihilate them, or they will us. Half and half remedies are of no avail.

However, when a lie has gone too far—when it has taken up its abode in the very tissues, bones, and brains of a people, then all remedies are useless. Even the lancet is of no avail.

Repentance of past misdeeds cannot “save” decadents from extermination. The fatal bolt is shot, and into the fiery furnace of wholesale slavery they must go, to be there righteously consumed. From their ashes something new, something nobler, may possibly evolve; but even that is the merest optimistic supposition.

In nature the wages of sin are always death. Nature does not love the wrong‐doer, but endeavors in every way to destroy him. Her curse is on the brow of the “meek and lowly”.
Her blessing is on the very heartʹs blood of the strong and the brave. Only Jews and Christs and other degenerates think that rejuvenation can ever come through law and prayer. “All the tears of the martyrs” might just as well have never been shed.

III.

“Love one another”, you say, is the supreme law. But what power has made it so? Upon what rational authority does the gospel of love rest? Is it even possible of practice, and what would result from its universal application to active affairs? Why should I not hate mine enemies and hunt them down like the wild beasts they are? If I “love” them, does that not place me at their mercy? Is it natural for enemies to “do good” unto each other? And what is “good”? Can the torn and bloody victim “love” the blood‐splashed jaws that rend him limb from limb? Are we not all predatory animals by instinct? If humans ceased wholly from preying upon each other, could they continue to exist?

[Is not “lust and carnal desire” a more truthful term to describe “love” when applied to the continuance of the race? Is not the “love” of the fawning scriptures simply a euphemism for sexual activity, or was the “great teacher” a glorifier of eunuchs?]

“Love your enemies and do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you” is the despicable philosophy of the spaniel that rolls upon its back when kicked. Obey it, O reader, and you and your posterity to the tenth generation shall be irretrievably and literally damned. They shall be hewers of wood and carriers of water: degenerates, Gibeonites. But hate your enemies with a whole heart. If a man smite you on one cheek, smash him down!

Smite him hip and thigh, for self‐preservation is the highest law.

He who turns the other cheek is a cowardly dog—a Christian dog.

Give him blow for blow, scorn for scorn, doom for doom—with compound interest liberally added thereunto! Eye for eye, tooth for tooth—aye, four‐fold, a hundred‐fold! Make yourself a Terror to your adversary; and when he goeth his way, he will possess much additional wisdom to ruminate over. Thus shall you make yourself respected in all the walks of life, and your spirit—your immortal spirit—shall live: not in an intangible paradise, but in the brains and thews of your aggressive and unconquerable sons. After all, the true proof of manhood is a splendid progeny; and it is a scientific axiom that the timid animal transmits timidity to its descendants.

If men lived “like brothers” and had no powerful enemies to contend with and surpass, they would rapidly lose all their best qualities—like certain oceanic birds that lose the use of their wings because they do not have to fly from pursuing beasts of prey. If all men had treated each other with brotherly love since the beginning, what would have been the result now? If there had been no wars, no rivalry, no competition, no kingship, no slavery, no survival of the toughest, no racial extermination, truly what a festering “hell fenced in” this old globe would be!

IV.

If this struggle is ordained of us, why not enter into it with kindly courage, with dauntless delight? Why not go forward daring all things, to conquer or to die?

Is it not better to perish than to serve? “Liberty or death” is not a meaningless phrase. No, it is of tremendous import to those who—comprehend.

What is death that it should make cowards of us all? What is life that it should be values so highly? There are worse things than death, and among them is a life of dishonor. All men lead dishonorable lives who serve a master with hand or brain.

Life itself is but a spark in the gloom that flashes out and disappears [1]. Why therefore not make the most of it here and now—here and now!

There is no “Heaven of glory bright”, and no Hell where sinners roast. There is no Right; there is no Wrong—nor God—nor Son—nor Ghost.

Death endeth all for every man.

For every “son of thunder”: Then be a Lion in the path, And donʹt be trampled under.

For us there is no rest—no Kingdom of Indolence, either on this Earth or beyond the skies—no Isles of the Blest—no Elysian Fields—no garden of the Hesperides. No! No! All these magical legends are but fanciful waking dreams—fiction of mortals of yore.

Here and now is our day of torment! Here and now is our day of joy! Here and now is our opportunity! Choose ye this day, this hour, for no Redeemer liveth.

Every attempt made to organize the future must necessarily collapse. The present is our domain, and our chief duty is to take immediate possession thereof upon strict business principles.

Strive therefore against them that strive against you, and war against them that war against thine. Lay hold of shield and buckler or their equivalents; stand up! Be a terrible one in thine own defense. Raise up also the clenched hand, and stop the way of them that would persecute you. Say unto thine own heart and soul: “I, even I, am my own redeemer.”

Let them be hurled back to confusion and infamy, who devise thine undoing. Let them be as chaff before the cyclone, and let the Angel of Death pursue them, nay, overtake them. In a pit they have hidden a trap for thy feet; into that very destruction let them fall. Then, exultant, “sound the loud timbrel”. Rejoice! Rejoice! in thine own salvation. Then all thy bones shall say pridefully, “Who is like unto me? Have I not delivered myself by mine own brain? Have I not been too strong for mine adversaries? Have I not spoiled them that would have spoiled me?”

[_subgenius]

[_LeVay]

I don't know about you, but I think she looks pretty hot.

[_LittleNipper]

Isaiah 53:1-53

New International Version (NIV)



1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.

5
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

8
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.

9
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

11
After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

12
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

[_LittleNipper]

2 Samuel 22:1-51 David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. Singing:

The Lord is my foundation, my refuge, my savior;

my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
He is my refuge, my savior,
the one who saves me from violence.

I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.

“The waves of death overwhelmed me;
floods of destruction swept over me.

The grave wrapped its tentacles around me;
death laid a trap in my path.

But in my pain I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I cried to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.

“Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the heavens shook;
they quaked because of his anger.

Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.

He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.

He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.

A great brightness shone around him,
and burning coals[d] blazed forth.

The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.

He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were confused.

Then at the command of the Lord,
at the blast of his breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

“He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord uplifted me.

He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.

The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

I have followed all his regulations;
I have never disregarded his decrees.

I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.

The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.

To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself threatening.

You rescue the humble,
but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.

O Lord, you are my lamp.
The Lord lights up my darkness.

In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any hurdle.

“God’s direction is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises come true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is immovable?

God is my strong castle,
and he makes my way perfect.

He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

You have given me your shield of victory;
your help has made me great.

You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.

“I chased my enemies and destroyed them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.

I consumed them;
I struck them down so they did not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.

You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.

They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.

I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trampled them in the gutter like dirt.

“You gave me victory over my accusers.
You preserved me as the ruler over nations;
people I've never even met now serve me.

Foreign nations cringe before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they give up.

They all lose their courage
and come trembling from their strongholds.

“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he brings down the nations under me

and delivers me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.

For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.

You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.”


(I personally believe that King David ---- through this song maybe pointing back to NOAH, metaphorically comparing his own troubles with those Noah faced. And then moving forward revealing the promise of the coming Messiah and finally the Millennial Kingdom. Consider, if you will that if indeed the Flood of Noah is pictured in the beginning of this song, it was a most catastrophic event.)
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)


1 And David speaketh to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,

2 and he saith: `Jehovah [is] my rock, And my bulwark, and a deliverer to me,

3 My God [is] my rock -- I take refuge in Him; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge! My Saviour, from violence Thou savest me!

4 The Praised One, I call Jehovah: And from mine enemies I am saved.

5 When the breakers of death compassed me, The streams of the worthless terrify me,

6 The cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been the snares of death.

7 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I call, And He heareth from His temple my voice, And my cry [is] in His ears,

8 And shake and tremble doth the earth, Foundations of the heavens are troubled, And are shaken, for He hath wrath!

9 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils. And fire from His mouth devoureth, Brands have been kindled by it.

10 And He inclineth heaven, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.

11 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And is seen on the wings of the wind.

12 And He setteth darkness Round about Him -- tabernacles, Darkness of waters -- thick clouds of the skies.

13 From the brightness before Him Were brands of fire kindled!

14 Thunder from the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice.

15 And He sendeth forth arrows, And scattereth them; Lightning, and troubleth them;

16 And seen are the streams of the sea, Revealed are foundations of the world, By the rebuke of Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of His anger.

17 He sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.

18 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, From those hating me, For they were stronger than I.

19 They are before me in a day of my calamity, And Jehovah is my support,

20 And He bringeth me out to a large place, He draweth me out for He delighted in me.

21 Jehovah recompenseth me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.

22 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.

23 For all His judgments [are] before me, As to His statutes, I turn not from them.

24 And I am perfect before Him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.

25 And Jehovah returneth to me, According to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes.

26 With the kind Thou shewest Thyself kind, With the perfect man Thou shewest Thyself perfect,

27 With the pure Thou shewest Thyself pure, And with the perverse Thou shewest Thyself a wrestler.

28 And the poor people Thou dost save, And Thine eyes on the high causest to fall.

29 For Thou [art] my lamp, O Jehovah, And Jehovah doth lighten my darkness.

30 For by Thee I run -- a troop, By my God I leap a wall.

31 God! Perfect [is] His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield He [is] to all those trusting in Him.

32 For who is God save Jehovah? And who a Rock save our God?

33 God -- my bulwark, [my] strength, And He maketh perfect my way;

34 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand,

35 Teaching my hands for battle, And brought down was a bow of brass by mine arms,

36 And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.

37 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.

38 I pursue mine enemies and destroy them, And I turn not till they are consumed.

39 And I consume them, and smite them, And they rise not, and fall under my feet.

40 And Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Thou causest my withstanders to bow under me.

41 And mine enemies -- Thou givest to me the neck, Those hating me -- and I cut them off.

42 They look, and there is no saviour; Unto Jehovah, and He hath not answered them.

43 And I beat them as dust of the earth, As mire of the streets I beat them small -- I spread them out!

44 And -- Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of my people, Thou placest me for a head of nations; A people I have not known do serve me.

45 Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me, At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me.

46 Sons of a stranger fade away, And gird themselves by their close places.

47 Jehovah liveth, and blessed [is] my Rock, And exalted is my God -- The Rock of my salvation.

48 God -- who is giving vengeance to me, And bringing down peoples under me,

49 And bringing me forth from mine enemies, Yea, above my withstanders Thou raisest me up. From a man of violence Thou deliverest me.

50 Therefore I confess Thee, O Jehovah, among nations. And to Thy name I sing praise.

51 Magnifying the salvations of His king, And doing loving-kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed -- unto the age!'

[_LeVay]

HAIL SATAN!

Blessed are the strong, for they shall possess the Earth. Cursed are the weak, for they shall inherit the yoke.

Blessed are the powerful, for they shall be reverenced among men. Cursed are the feeble, for they shall be blotted out.

Blessed are the bold, for they shall be masters of the world.

Cursed are the [righteously] humble, for they shall be trodden under [cloven] hoofs.

Blessed are the victorious, for victory is the basis of right.

Cursed are the vanquished, for they shall be vassals forever.

Blessed are the battle‐blooded. Beauty shall smile upon them. Cursed are the poor in spirit, for they shall be spat upon.

Blessed are the audacious, for they have imbibed true wisdom. Cursed are the obedient, for they shall breed creeplings.

Blessed are the iron‐handed; the unfit shall flee before them. Cursed are the haters of battle; subjugation is their portion.

Blessed are the death‐defiant; their days shall be long in the land.
Cursed are the feeble‐brained [2], for they shall perish amidst plenty.

Blessed are the destroyers of false hope; they are the true Messiahs.
Cursed are the God‐adorers; they shall be shorn sheep!

Blessed are the valiant, for they shall obtain great treasure.
Cursed are the believers in Good and Evil, for they are frightened by shadows.

Blessed are those who believe in Nothing [3]; never shall it terrorize their minds.
Cursed are the “lambs of God”; they shall be bled “whiter than snow.”

Blessed is the man who has powerful enemies [4]; they shall make him a hero.
Cursed is he who “doeth good” unto others [5]; he shall be despised.

Blessed the man whose foot is swift to serve a friend; he is a friend indeed.
Cursed are the organizers of charities; they are propagators of plagues.

Blessed are the wise and brave, for in the struggle they shall win.
Cursed are the unfit, for they shall be righteously exterminated.

Blessed are the sires of noble maidens; they are the salt of the earth.
Cursed the mothers of strumous tenderlings, for they shall be shamed.

Blessed are the mighty‐minded, for they shall ride the whirlwinds.
Cursed are they who teach lies for truth and truth for lies, for they are—abomination.

Blessed are the unmerciful; their posterity shall own the world. Cursed are the famous wiselings; their seed shall perish off the Earth.
Thrice cursed are the vile [6], for they shall serve and suffer.

[The angel of self‐deceit is camped in the souls of the “righteous”.]

[The eternal flame of power through joy dwelleth within the flesh of the Satanist!]

* * *

[1] Life is the great indulgence—death the great abstinence.

[2] Cursed are the gazers toward a richer life beyond the grave,

[3] Blessed are those who believe in what is best for them;

[4] Blessed is the man who has a sprinkling of enemies;

[5] Cursed is he who doeth good unto others who sneer upon him in return;

[6] Thrice cursed are the weak whose insecurity makes them vile,

The Hidden Source of the Satanic Philosophy
George C. Smith in The Scroll of Set #XIII‐3, June XXII/1987

Reading through past issues of the Scroll of Set, I came across a statement by Susan Wylie (March/April XVI: “The Devil’s Game”): “One should remember that, prior to I ÆS, there had never been any organization or belief structure similar to the Church of Satan.” Although this was written several years ago, I must reach across the years and address this serious error.

The implications for those of us in the Temple today are no less severe.
“I know that I am challenging the cultural tradition of two and a half thousand years.”

The speaker was not Anton LaVey. The speaker was a novelist, playwright, and philosopher, Ayn Rand. From the springboard of her famous, bestselling novels ( The Fountainhead in 1943 and Atlas Shrugged in 1957) was created the philosophy of Objectivism, which attracted thousands of persons—myself included—who were more than “openly honest regarding what they believed” but studied, wrote, taught, and practiced what they held to be the highest expression of living.

Although like others I now have some obvious points of philosophical disagreement with Objectivism, the legacy of this enormous Satanic break with the past remains a fact of history that is of prime importance to Setians everywhere. To imply or state that the Church of Satan was the first to clearly state the Satanic ethic is to ignore the continuing impact of Ayn Rand and individualists influenced by her work such as Nathaniel Branden [ The Psychology of Self-Esteem and Honoring the Self] and Harry Browne [ How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World]. It would instead benefit us to enrich our understanding of what the Gift of Set has meant and does mean to others who preceded I ÆS.

To illustrate this historical precedent, let us examine the Nine Satanic Statements in view of the Rand work Atlas Shrugged. In Galt’s speech (pages #936‐993) is the written source of most of the philosophical ideas expressed in the Satanic Bible. Here are the first clear, contemporary statements which led to the glorification of man’s pride and the denouncing of the life‐killing concept called altruism. Here also is a vindication of rationality and the inevitable cause of the failure of the Church of Satan to encompass the needs of intelligent and curious minds.

Note that the sequential order of these Atlas Shrugged quotations parallels the order of the Nine Satanic Statements.

1. LaVey: Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence.
Rand: A doctrine that gives you, as an ideal, the role of a sacrificial animal seeking slaughter on the altars of others, is giving you death as your standard. By the grace of reality and the nature of life, man—every man—is an end in himself. He exists for his own sake, and the achievement of his own happiness is his highest moral purpose. (page 940) 2. LaVey: Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams.

Rand: My morality, the morality of reason, is contained in a single axiom: existence exists—

and in a single choice: to live. The rest proceeds from these. (page 944) 3. LaVey: Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self‐deceit.

Rand: Honesty is not a social duty, not a sacrifice for the sake of others, but the most profoundly selfish virtue man can practice: his refusal to sacrifice the reality of his own existence to the deluded consciousness of others. (page 945)

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

Rand: To withhold your contempt from men’s vices is an act of moral counterfeiting, and to withhold your admiration from their virtues is an act of moral embezzlement. (page 946) 5. LaVey: Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.

Rand: When a man attempts to deal with me by force, I answer him by force. (page 950) 6. LaVey: Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires.

Rand: You have been using fear as your weapon, and have been bringing death to man as his punishment for rejecting your morality. We offer him life as his reward for accepting ours.

(page 950)

7. LaVey: 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.

Rand: Damnation is the start of your morality; destruction is its purpose, means, and end.

Your code begins by damning man as evil, then demands that he practice a good which it defines as impossible for him to practice. It demands, as his first proof of virtue, that he accept his own depravity without proof. It demands that he start not with a standard of value but with a standard of evil, which is himself, by means of which he is then to define the good; the good is that which he is not. (page 951)

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

Rand: What is the nature of the guilt that your teachers call his Original Sin? What are the evils man acquired when he fell from a state they consider perfection? Their myth declares that he ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge—he acquired a mind and became a rational being. It was the knowledge of good and evil; he became a moral being. He was sentenced to earn his bread by his labor; he became a productive being. He was sentenced to experience desire; he acquired the capacity of sexual enjoyment. The evils for which they damn him are reason, morality, creativeness, joy—all the cardinal values of his existence. (page 951) 9. LaVey: Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years.

Rand: And as he now crawls through the wreckage, groping blindly for a way to live, your teachers offer him the help of a morality that proclaims that he’ll find no solution and must seek no fulfillment on Earth. Real existence, they tell him, is that which he cannot perceive, true consciousness is the faculty of perceiving the non‐existent—and if he is unable to understand it, that is the proof that his existence is evil and his consciousness impotent. (page 952)

I think that most careful examinations of the Satanic Bible will show how the Nine Satanic Statements acted as an outline for the “Book of Lucifer” essays.

Anton LaVey is the Magus of the Age of Satan, and did Utter a Word and cause a magical restructuring of the universe. As the instrument of the creation of that Age, he is immortalized. At the same time, credit for the source of the philosophy which he espoused must be given to Ayn Rand.

Please understand that I was an Objectivist prior to joining the Church of Satan. It was the intellectual rigor demanded by Objectivism which enabled me to appreciate the full meaning of the Satanic Bible. At the same time I first completed reading it, I said that here I had found Objectivism with an open mind concerning paranormal phenomena.

Satanism and Objectivism

Nemo

The Black Flame, Volume 6, #1 & 2, 1997 c.e.

Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand, is an acknowledged source for some of the Satanic philosophy as outlined in The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey. Ayn Rand was a brilliant and insightful author and philosopher and her best‐selling novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead continue to attract deserved attention for a new generation of readers. I am a strong admirer of Ayn Rand but I am an even stronger admirer of Anton LaVey for the vital differences between the philosophies of Objectivism and Satanism.

First, Objectivism holds that metaphysics, that branch of philosophy which concerns itself with the nature of reality, determines the nature of epistemology (which is concerned with how man acquires knowledge) as well as ethics (which is concerned with valuing human action), politics (social ethics) and art. Current philosophical disagreement on this issue still continues. It is, in fact, an unproven assertion by Rand that oneʹs metaphysical assumptions determine oneʹs ethics.

You donʹt have to start with metaphysics to create your ethics. Satanism does not assert that the fundamental truth of the nature of reality (metaphysics) is known. In fact, Satanists utilize two different metaphysical assumptions regarding reality as evidenced in Satanic ritual as opposed to the rest of life. In effect, Satanists are pragmatic regarding their beliefs concerning reality. Thus, as Satanists do not claim to know the absolute “truth” regarding what is real they are, by definition, not “Objectivists” who hold that reality is totally objective. Satanists proclaim that doubt is vital in the absence of proof. At this fundamental level there is division between the two views of reality.

Second, Satanism does not hold that “a life appropriate to a rational being” is the sole standard of ethical right as does Objectivism. If anything, Satanism holds that indulgence in life or “fun” as perceived by the individual is the highest standard of ethics. Satanists see that Objectivism has enthroned reason above the individual as opposed to utilizing this sole means to knowledge as a tool to achieve a purpose. Satanism enthrones the individual as a whole, not reason, as the supreme standard to determine the value of actions (ethics).

Third, Randʹs philosophy rejects as ethical accepting the sacrifice of another to oneʹs self (to paraphrase the end of Galtʹs oath from Atlas Shrugged). The Satanic view sees as ethical the reality of domination of the weak by the strong. The assertion in Objectivism is that the use of force to cause others to submit to the will of the stronger or cleverer individual is ʺwrongʺ for the individual. This is a second major assertion which Satanism finds unproven by the Objectivists. Consequently, the Satanist is far more flexible in the choice of actions available than is the Objectivist who cannot simply accept his personal needs as absolutely reliable to determine the best course of action in any circumstance.

[_LittleNipper]

Genesis 3

Living Bible (TLB)


3 The serpent was most subtle of all the creatures the Lord God had made. So the serpent came to the woman. “Really?” he asked. “None of the fruit in the garden? God says you mustn’t eat any of it?”

2-3 “Of course we may eat it,” the woman told him. “It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not to eat. God says we mustn’t eat it or even touch it, or we will die.”

4 “That’s a lie!” the serpent hissed. “You’ll not die! 5 God knows very well that the instant you eat it you will become like him, for your eyes will be opened—you will be able to distinguish good from evil!”

[_LeVay]

HAIL SATAN!

Blessed are the strong, for they shall possess the Earth. Cursed are the weak, for they shall inherit the yoke.

Blessed are the powerful, for they shall be reverenced among men. Cursed are the feeble, for they shall be blotted out.

Blessed are the bold, for they shall be masters of the world.

Cursed are the [righteously] humble, for they shall be trodden under [cloven] hoofs.

Blessed are the victorious, for victory is the basis of right.

Cursed are the vanquished, for they shall be vassals forever.

Blessed are the battle‐blooded. Beauty shall smile upon them.

Cursed are the poor in spirit, for they shall be spat upon.

Blessed are the audacious, for they have imbibed true wisdom.

Cursed are the obedient, for they shall breed creeplings.

Blessed are the iron‐handed; the unfit shall flee before them.

Cursed are the haters of battle; subjugation is their portion.

Blessed are the death‐defiant; their days shall be long in the land.

Cursed are the feeble‐brained [2], for they shall perish amidst plenty.

Blessed are the destroyers of false hope; they are the true Messiahs.

Cursed are the God‐adorers; they shall be shorn sheep!

Blessed are the valiant, for they shall obtain great treasure.

Cursed are the believers in Good and Evil, for they are frightened by shadows.

Blessed are those who believe in Nothing [3]; never shall it terrorize their minds.

Cursed are the “lambs of God”; they shall be bled “whiter than snow.”

Blessed is the man who has powerful enemies [4]; they shall make him a hero.

Cursed is he who “doeth good” unto others [5]; he shall be despised.

Blessed the man whose foot is swift to serve a friend; he is a friend indeed.

Cursed are the organizers of charities; they are propagators of plagues.

Blessed are the wise and brave, for in the struggle they shall win.

Cursed are the unfit, for they shall be righteously exterminated.

Blessed are the sires of noble maidens; they are the salt of the earth.

Cursed the mothers of strumous tenderlings, for they shall be shamed.

Blessed are the mighty‐minded, for they shall ride the whirlwinds.

Cursed are they who teach lies for truth and truth for lies, for they are—abomination.

Blessed are the unmerciful; their posterity shall own the world. Cursed are the famous wiselings; their seed shall perish off the Earth.

Thrice cursed are the vile [6], for they shall serve and suffer.

[The angel of self‐deceit is camped in the souls of the “righteous”.]

[The eternal flame of power through joy dwelleth within the flesh of the Satanist!]

* * *

[1] Life is the great indulgence—death the great abstinence.
[2] Cursed are the gazers toward a richer life beyond the grave,
[3] Blessed are those who believe in what is best for them;
[4] Blessed is the man who has a sprinkling of enemies;
[5] Cursed is he who doeth good unto others who sneer upon him in return;
[6] Thrice cursed are the weak whose insecurity makes them vile,

The Hidden Source of the Satanic Philosophy
George C. Smith in The Scroll of Set #XIII‐3, June XXII/1987

Reading through past issues of the Scroll of Set, I came across a statement by Susan Wylie (March/April XVI: “The Devil’s Game”): “One should remember that, prior to I ÆS, there had never been any organization or belief structure similar to the Church of Satan.” Although this was written several years ago, I must reach across the years and address this serious error.

The implications for those of us in the Temple today are no less severe.
“I know that I am challenging the cultural tradition of two and a half thousand years.”

The speaker was not Anton LaVey. The speaker was a novelist, playwright, and philosopher, Ayn Rand. From the springboard of her famous, bestselling novels ( The Fountainhead in 1943 and Atlas Shrugged in 1957) was created the philosophy of Objectivism, which attracted thousands of persons—myself included—who were more than “openly honest regarding what they believed” but studied, wrote, taught, and practiced what they held to be the highest expression of living.

Although like others I now have some obvious points of philosophical disagreement with Objectivism, the legacy of this enormous Satanic break with the past remains a fact of history that is of prime importance to Setians everywhere. To imply or state that the Church of Satan was the first to clearly state the Satanic ethic is to ignore the continuing impact of Ayn Rand and individualists influenced by her work such as Nathaniel Branden [ The Psychology of Self-Esteem and Honoring the Self] and Harry Browne [ How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World]. It would instead benefit us to enrich our understanding of what the Gift of Set has meant and does mean to others who preceded I ÆS.

To illustrate this historical precedent, let us examine the Nine Satanic Statements in view of the Rand work Atlas Shrugged. In Galt’s speech (pages #936‐993) is the written source of most of the philosophical ideas expressed in the Satanic Bible. Here are the first clear, contemporary statements which led to the glorification of man’s pride and the denouncing of the life‐killing concept called altruism. Here also is a vindication of rationality and the inevitable cause of the failure of the Church of Satan to encompass the needs of intelligent and curious minds.

Note that the sequential order of these Atlas Shrugged quotations parallels the order of the Nine Satanic Statements.

1. LaVey: Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence.

Rand: A doctrine that gives you, as an ideal, the role of a sacrificial animal seeking slaughter on the altars of others, is giving you death as your standard. By the grace of reality and the nature of life, man—every man—is an end in himself. He exists for his own sake, and the achievement of his own happiness is his highest moral purpose. (page 940) 2. LaVey: Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams.

Rand: My morality, the morality of reason, is contained in a single axiom: existence exists—and in a single choice: to live. The rest proceeds from these. (page 944) 3. LaVey: Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self‐deceit.

Rand: Honesty is not a social duty, not a sacrifice for the sake of others, but the most profoundly selfish virtue man can practice: his refusal to sacrifice the reality of his own existence to the deluded consciousness of others. (page 945)

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

Rand: To withhold your contempt from men’s vices is an act of moral counterfeiting, and to withhold your admiration from their virtues is an act of moral embezzlement. (page 946) 5. LaVey: Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.

Rand: When a man attempts to deal with me by force, I answer him by force. (page 950) 6. LaVey: Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires.

Rand: You have been using fear as your weapon, and have been bringing death to man as his punishment for rejecting your morality. We offer him life as his reward for accepting ours. (page 950)

7. LaVey: 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.

Rand: Damnation is the start of your morality; destruction is its purpose, means, and end.

Your code begins by damning man as evil, then demands that he practice a good which it defines as impossible for him to practice. It demands, as his first proof of virtue, that he accept his own depravity without proof. It demands that he start not with a standard of value but with a standard of evil, which is himself, by means of which he is then to define the good; the good is that which he is not. (page 951)

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

Rand: What is the nature of the guilt that your teachers call his Original Sin? What are the evils man acquired when he fell from a state they consider perfection? Their myth declares that he ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge—he acquired a mind and became a rational being. It was the knowledge of good and evil; he became a moral being. He was sentenced to earn his bread by his labor; he became a productive being. He was sentenced to experience desire; he acquired the capacity of sexual enjoyment. The evils for which they damn him are reason, morality, creativeness, joy—all the cardinal values of his existence. (page 951) 9. LaVey: Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years.

Rand: And as he now crawls through the wreckage, groping blindly for a way to live, your teachers offer him the help of a morality that proclaims that he’ll find no solution and must seek no fulfillment on Earth. Real existence, they tell him, is that which he cannot perceive, true consciousness is the faculty of perceiving the non‐existent—and if he is unable to understand it, that is the proof that his existence is evil and his consciousness impotent. (page 952)

I think that most careful examinations of the Satanic Bible will show how the Nine Satanic Statements acted as an outline for the “Book of Lucifer” essays.

Anton LaVey is the Magus of the Age of Satan, and did Utter a Word and cause a magical restructuring of the universe. As the instrument of the creation of that Age, he is immortalized. At the same time, credit for the source of the philosophy which he espoused must be given to Ayn Rand.

Please understand that I was an Objectivist prior to joining the Church of Satan. It was the intellectual rigor demanded by Objectivism which enabled me to appreciate the full meaning of the Satanic Bible. At the same time I first completed reading it, I said that here I had found Objectivism with an open mind concerning paranormal phenomena.

Satanism and Objectivism

Nemo

The Black Flame, Volume 6, #1 & 2, 1997 c.e.

Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand, is an acknowledged source for some of the Satanic philosophy as outlined in The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey. Ayn Rand was a brilliant and insightful author and philosopher and her best‐selling novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead continue to attract deserved attention for a new generation of readers. I am a strong admirer of Ayn Rand but I am an even stronger admirer of Anton LaVey for the vital differences between the philosophies of Objectivism and Satanism.

First, Objectivism holds that metaphysics, that branch of philosophy which concerns itself with the nature of reality, determines the nature of epistemology (which is concerned with how man acquires knowledge) as well as ethics (which is concerned with valuing human action), politics (social ethics) and art. Current philosophical disagreement on this issue still continues. It is, in fact, an unproven assertion by Rand that oneʹs metaphysical assumptions determine oneʹs ethics.

You donʹt have to start with metaphysics to create your ethics. Satanism does not assert that the fundamental truth of the nature of reality (metaphysics) is known. In fact, Satanists utilize two different metaphysical assumptions regarding reality as evidenced in Satanic ritual as opposed to the rest of life. In effect, Satanists are pragmatic regarding their beliefs concerning reality. Thus, as Satanists do not claim to know the absolute “truth” regarding what is real they are, by definition, not “Objectivists” who hold that reality is totally objective. Satanists proclaim that doubt is vital in the absence of proof. At this fundamental level there is division between the two views of reality.

Second, Satanism does not hold that “a life appropriate to a rational being” is the sole standard of ethical right as does Objectivism. If anything, Satanism holds that indulgence in life or “fun” as perceived by the individual is the highest standard of ethics. Satanists see that Objectivism has enthroned reason above the individual as opposed to utilizing this sole means to knowledge as a tool to achieve a purpose. Satanism enthrones the individual as a whole, not reason, as the supreme standard to determine the value of actions (ethics).

Third, Randʹs philosophy rejects as ethical accepting the sacrifice of another to oneʹs self (to paraphrase the end of Galtʹs oath from Atlas Shrugged). The Satanic view sees as ethical the reality of domination of the weak by the strong. The assertion in Objectivism is that the use of force to cause others to submit to the will of the stronger or cleverer individual is ʺwrongʺ for the individual. This is a second major assertion which Satanism finds unproven by the Objectivists. Consequently, the Satanist is far more flexible in the choice of actions available than is the Objectivist who cannot simply accept his personal needs as absolutely reliable to determine the best course of action in any circumstance.

[_LittleNipper]

2 Samuel 23:1-39 These are the last words of David, Jesse's son, raised on high, chosen of the God of Jacob, being a sweet song writer of Israel, says,

“The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me. His Word was on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken. The Rock of Israel said to me, ‘When one is right and good in ruling over men, ruling in the fear of God, is as the morning light, without clouds. He is like rain that makes the new grass grow out of the earth through sunshine after rain.’ In truth, does not my house stand right with God? For He has made an agreement with me that lasts forever. It is planned right in all things, and sure.

But those of no worth are all like thorns that are destroyed, because they cannot be picked up. The man who touches them must be protected and have some weapon. All of them will be destroyed while in their leisure.”

These are the names of David’s men of war. There was Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, head of the three. Nicknamed Adino the Eznite, because he had killed 800 men at one time. Next to him among the three strong men was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was with David when they spoke against the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had left. Eleazar got up and killed the Philistines until he was worn out. The men returned after him only after scavengering among the dead. Next to him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines were gathered together at Lehi, where there was a piece of ground full of lentil plants. The people ran from the Philistines. Shammah stood in the center of the piece of ground and fought for it. He killed the Philistines.

Three of the 30 leaders went down to David during harvest to the cave of Adullam. The Philistine army was staying in the valley of Rephaim. David was in the strong place, while the Philistine soldiers occupied Bethlehem. David had a desire and said, “If only someone would give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Bethlehem!” So the three strong men broke through the Philistine army and took water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord, and said, “O Lord, far be it from me to do this. Should I drink the blood of the men who went and put their lives in danger?” So he would not drink it. The three strong men did these things.

Abishai the brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, was head of the 30. He fought with his spear against 300 men and killed them. His name was respected as well as the three. He was the most honored of the thirty, and became their captain. But he was not as strong as the three.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a man of Kabzeel with strength of heart. He had done powerful things. He killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. And he went down and killed a lion in a pit while it snowed. He killed an important Egyptian, who was holding a spear. Benaiah took the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. His name was respected as well as the three strong men. He was honored among the 30. But he was not as strong as the three. David made him captain of the soldiers who kept him from danger.

Joab’s brother Asahel was among the 30. Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, and Mebunnai the Hushathite. Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin. Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the rivers of Gaash, Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, and Jonathan. Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel of Gilo, Hezro the Carmelite, and Paarai the Arbite. Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the one who carried the battle clothes of Joab the son of Zeruiah. Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, and Uriah the Hittite. There were 37 in all.


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And these [are] the last words of David: -- `The affirmation of David son of Jesse -- And the affirmation of the man raised up -- Concerning the Anointed of the God of Jacob, And the Sweetness of the Songs of Israel:

2 The Spirit of Jehovah hath spoken by me, And His word [is] on my tongue.

3 He said -- the God of Israel -- to me, He spake -- the Rock of Israel: He who is ruling over man [is] righteous, He is ruling in the fear of God.

4 And as the light of morning he riseth, A morning sun -- no clouds! By the shining, by the rain, Tender grass of the earth!

5 For -- not so [is] my house with God; For -- a covenant age-during He made with me, Arranged in all things, and kept; For -- all my salvation, and all desire, For -- He hath not caused [it] to spring up.

6 As to the worthless -- As a thorn driven away [are] all of them, For -- not by hand are they taken;

7 And the man who cometh against them Is filled with iron and the staff of a spear, And with fire they are utterly burnt In the cessation.'

8 These [are] the names of the mighty ones whom David hath: sitting in the seat [is] the Tachmonite, head of the captains -- he [is] Adino, who hardened himself against eight hundred -- wounded at one time.

9 And after him [is] Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, of the three mighty men with David; in their exposing themselves among the Philistines -- they have been gathered there to battle, and the men of Israel go up --

10 he hath arisen, and smiteth among the Philistines till that his hand hath been weary, and his hand cleaveth unto the sword, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation on that day, and the people turn back after him only to strip off.

11 And after him [is] Shammah son of Agee the Hararite, and the Philistines are gathered into a company, and there is there a portion of the field full of lentiles, and the people hath fled from the presence of the Philistines,

12 and he stationeth himself in the midst of the portion, and delivereth it, and smiteth the Philistines, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation.

13 And three of the thirty heads go down and come unto the harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, and the company of the Philistines are encamping in the valley of Rephaim,

14 and David [is] then in a fortress, and the station of the Philistines [is] then in Beth-Lehem,

15 and David longeth and saith, `Who doth give me a drink of the water of the well of Beth-Lehem, which [is] by the gate?'

16 And the three mighty ones cleave through the camp of the Philistines, and draw water out of the well of Beth-Lehem, which [is] by the gate, and take [it] up, and bring in unto David; and he was not willing to drink it, and poureth it out to Jehovah,

17 and saith, `Far be it from me, O Jehovah, to do this; is it the blood of the men who are going with their lives?' and he was not willing to drink it; these [things] did the three mighty ones.

18 And Abishai brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he [is] head of three, and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred -- wounded, and he hath a name among three.

19 Of the three is he not the honoured? and he becometh their head; and unto the [first] three he hath not come.

20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada (son of a man of valour, great in deeds from Kabzeel), he hath smitten two lion-like men of Moab, and he hath gone down and smitten the lion in the midst of the pit in a day of snow.

21 And he hath smitten the Egyptian man, a man of appearance, and in the hand of the Egyptian [is] a spear, and he goeth down unto him with a rod, and taketh violently away the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slayeth him with his own spear.

22 These [things] hath Benaiah son of Jehoiada done, and hath a name among three mighty.

23 Of the thirty he is honoured, and unto the three he came not; and David setteth him over his guard.

24 Asahel brother of Joab [is] of the thirty; Elhanan son of Dodo of Beth-Lehem.

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26 Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

27 Abiezer the Annethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, [of] the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai, son of the Maachathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39 Uriah the Hittite; in all thirty and seven.

[_LeVay]

HAIL SATAN!

Fourth, Objectivism is purely atheistic with a complete rejection of the value of a god in their metaphysics. The Satanic view of this is in pure agreement except in two areas. The Satanist holds that the meaning of god is useful when one holds it to mean the most important person in an individualʹs universe and chooses that person to be himself. The Satanist also ascribes magical god‐like qualities to himself when indulging in the alternate view of reality enjoyed in ritual. In both instances, Satanism sees the cultural effect of religion and god as an emotional asset to be tapped rather than simply rejected. In other words Satanism is a religion (with the individual as God) and Objectivism isnʹt.

Let me conclude this brief overview by adding that Satanism has far more in common with Objectivism than with any other religion or philosophy. Objectivists endorse reason, selfishness, greed and atheism. Objectivism sees Christianity, Islam and Judaism as anti-human and evil. The writings of Ayn Rand are inspiring and powerful. If the reader has not yet experienced her power, try her novelette Anthem for a taste. You will almost certainly come back for more.

At the same time, Satanism is a “brutal” as well as a selfish philosophy. We do not hold, as do the Objectivists that the universe is “benevolent.” Satanists view the world as neutral, beyond the concepts of benevolent or treacherous, good or evil. Satanism enables the Satanist to codify his life beyond the ethical and metaphysical straightjacket which Objectivism unfortunately offers. This is not written to attack Objectivism but merely to clarify the areas of difference.

Satanism drew from Objectivism as even Rand drew from others. Both are, however, unique.
Both are different from the other.

The Satanic Bible: Quasi-Scripture / Counter-Scripture James R. Lewis, Department of Philosophy
University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point1

[Interviewer]: Do you have any regrets about how The Satanic Bible came out‐would you write it any differently today?

Anton LaVey: If you’d have asked me that two or three years ago, I’d have told you it had too many exclamation marks‐it was too loud. Since then, I’ve changed my mind. The Satanic Bible won’t strain people’s intellects too far and will get them thinking and doubting. ... I think The Satanic Bible is now timelier than ever. (Baddeley 1999, p. 75)

Unlike traditional religions, and even unlike early Satanist bodies such as the Church of Satan, contemporary Satanism is, for the most part, a decentralized movement. In the past, this movement has been propagated through the medium of certain popular books, especially Anton LaVey’s Satanic Bible. In more recent years, the internet has come to play a significant role in reaching potential “converts,” particularly among disaffected young people.2

Although religious Satanism is interesting, academics have largely ignored it. (The relevant academic literature consists of a handful of articles‐e.g., Alfred 1976; Harvey 1995‐and passing mentions in studies of the ritual abuse scare.) The principal reason for the lack of attention appears to be that Satanism is perceived as a trivial phenomenon rather than as a serious religion. The tendency seems to be to regard Satanists as mostly immature adolescents who have adopted a diabolical veneer as a way of acting out their rebellion against parents and society. Does the phenomenon of adolescent rebellion, however, exhaust the significance of religious Satanism? Are most Satanists, in other words, just angry teenagers who adopt diabolical trappings to express their alienation, only to renounce the Prince of Darkness as soon as they mature into adults? While many youthful Satanists undoubtedly fit this profile, I came to feel that this was, at best, only a partial picture. Instead, I reasoned, there must be a core of committed Satanists who‐for whatever reasons they initially become involved‐had come to appropriate Satanism as something more than adolescent rebellion.

In order to test this hypothesis‐and also because so little had been written on contemporary Satanism‐I decided to collect some basic demographic data. To this end, I constructed a simple questionnaire that could be answered in 5 or 10 minutes. I began sending out questionnaires in early August 2000. By the end of February 2001, I had received 140 responses,3 which I felt was adequate to use as the basis for constructing a preliminary profile.

Early in my internet research, I found that Anton LaVey was a controversial figure among contemporary Satanists, and that his organization was deeply embroiled in controversy with other Satanist groups. I also quickly discovered that I had unwittingly stepped into this arena of contention. As a consequence of this conflict, some of my contacts voiced objections to the central role I assigned LaVey and his best‐known work, The Satanic Bible, in the formation of modern Satanist religion. I was, furthermore, encouraged to shift my emphasis to the work of earlier literary figures ultimately responsible for fashioning the positive image of the Devil that LaVey later adopted for his Church of Satan.

My survey findings, however, consistently indicated the centrality of LaVey to modern Satanism. This finding was a surprise, as I had initially assumed that contemporary Satanism had moved well beyond LaVey. I was thus led to conclude that‐despite his dependence on prior thinkers‐LaVey was directly responsible for the genesis of Satanism as a serious religious (as opposed to a purely literary) movement. Furthermore, however one might criticize and depreciate it, The Satanic Bible is still the single most influential document shaping the contemporary Satanist movement. As one of my informants noted in his commentary on an earlier draft of the present paper, “I do not think Satanists can get away from LaVey, although some seem to take a real issue with him or try to downplay his importance. He wrote the book that codified Satanism into a religion, and for that he should be considered the central figure of the religion.”

Part of the reason for the attractiveness of The Satanic Bible is LaVeyan Satanism’s ability to hold together a number of diverse meanings found in the ambivalent symbol of Satan. In the Western cultural tradition, the Devil represents much more than absolute evil. By default, the Prince of Darkness has come to embody some very attractive attributes. For example, because traditional Christianity has been so anti‐sensual, Satan became associated with sex. The Christian tradition has also condemned pride, vengefulness and avarice, and, when allied with the status quo, has promoted conformity and obedience. The three former traits and the antithesis of the latter two traits thus became diabolical characteristics. LaVeyan Satanism celebrates such “vices” as virtues, and identifies them as the core of what Satanism is really all about. Also, LaVey was able to suggest the reality of mysterious, “occult” forces while simultaneously appealing to an atheistic viewpoint that, he asserted, was supported by modern science.

I do not intend to review my survey findings here (they are the subject of another paper‐see Lewis 2001), but I do want to note that I was startled to find that the average respondent had been a Satanist for eight years. I also found that over two‐thirds of the sample had been involved in at least one other religion beyond the tradition in which they were raised‐usually Neopaganism or some other magical group. Both of these statistics indicate a level of seriousness I had not anticipated.

Because most respondents had become involved during their teens, I inferred that many had initially become Satanists as an expression of teenage rebelliousness. It was clear, however, that their involvement did not end after they left home. Rather, they went on to appropriate Satanism as a serious religious option. The fact that the great majority of Satanists have looked into other religions shows that this was not an unconsidered choice, undertaken solely as a reaction against established religions. Also, though a reaction against Christianity may well have been a factor for some, too many respondents indicated that their religious upbringing was superficial, nominal or non‐existent for this factor to explain why most people become Satanists.

Before I began collecting questionnaire data, I had received the impression from perusing the internet that contemporary Satanism had developed in different directions from the specific formulation developed by Anton LaVey in the 1960’s. In particular, at the time it appeared to me that many contemporary Satanists had moved to a position of regarding Satan as a conscious being. I was thus surprised to discover that LaVey’s humanistic approach‐which rejects the real existence of personal spiritual beings, diabolical or otherwise‐was the dominant form of Satanism professed by respondents.

At least part of the reason for this state of affairs appears to be the pervasive influence of Anton LaVey’s Satanic Bible. A full 20% of respondents explicitly noted The Satanic Bible as the single most important factor attracting them to Satanism. For instance, in response to a questionnaire item asking how they became involved, a number of people simply wrote, “I read the Satanic Bible.” It is also likely that this book played a major role in the “conversion” of other Satanists in my sample.

One respondent elaborated by noting that she had been a Satanist in her “heart first, but I couldn’t put a name to it; then I found the The Satanic Bible.”

One of the more interesting of these responses was another individual who wrote, “My step-father used to be a Christian preacher. After being told my choices in clothing, music, art, poetry, etc. were Satanic, I decided to buy The Satanic Bible to see if it was a bad as he made it out to be.” This respondent subsequently became a Satanist.

Similar stories attributing their infernal “conversions” to The Satanic Bible can be found in other sources. The popular book Lucifer Rising, for instance, recounts the story of how Martin Lamers, founder of the CoS‐affiliated Kerk van Satan (Holland), was initially inspired by his discovery of LaVey’s volume. (Baddeley 1999, p. 104) However, not everyone who is converted to Satanism via The Satanic Bible feels prompted to join the Church of Satan. The author of Lucifer Rising also notes that “the Church of Satanic Liberation was established in January 1986 after its founder, Paul Douglas Valentine, was inspired by reading The Satanic Bible.” (p. 153) Other stories of conversions directly inspired by The Satanic Bible can be found in Michael Aquino’s The Church of Satan (e.g., the conversion of Robert DeCecco, who would later become a Master of the Temple, p. 69; and Lilith Sinclair, who would eventually become a Priestess and Aquino’s wife, p. 82).