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To: alt.magick.tyagi From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (mordred) Subject: Re: Temple of Set alt.satanism FAQ Date: 29 Dec 1994 22:07:26 GMT [from alt.satanism: Michael.Aquino@125-430.astaroth.sacbbx.com (M. Aquino)] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * alt.satanism Internet Newsgroup * * FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -- as of December 27, 1994 - by Michael A. Aquino, Ph.D. High Priest, Temple of Set [This FAQ is not connected with any other alt.satanism FAQ, and the Temple of Set neither participates in nor endorses any other such FAQ.] Q1: WHO OR WHAT IS SATAN? A1: In Jewish, Christian, and Islamic mythology, Satan is an angel who, after initially [in the _Old Testament_] being a questioner or challenger of God's goals and decisions, led a revolt against God and the loyal angels, was defeated, and was cast down into an underworld called Hell, to which the same mythology also dooms inadequate or disobedient Christians and Muslims. [The Jewish afterlife in _Sheol_ is not Satan-run, and is generally applicable to obedient & disobedient humans alike.] Over the Christian centuries, gods from competing religions were incorporated into Christianity's Satan and Hell, hence the Pan-like renditions of Satan, the use of the Roman "Lucifer" as an alternate name for him (sometimes used to identify him "pre-fall"), etc. Q2: WHAT IS SATANISM? A2: Satanism is the belief in the existence of Satan as a sentient being or spirit in the universe, and the worship of Satan and obedience to his perceived principles, standards, and goals. As Satan is defined as a metaphysical being - Devil or Archangel, such belief in him constitutes a religion rather than a rational philosophy or an indoctrinated ideology. Q3: CAN ONE BE A SATANIST WITHOUT BELIEVING IN THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN? A3: Not if words are to have their generally-accepted meanings. A Satanist is one who believes in Satan, just as a Christian is one who believes in Jesus Christ, a Buddhist one who believes in the Buddha, and a Muslim one who believes in Mohammed. A person who professes to be a "Satanist" but who denies the existence of Satan is simply using the title for ulterior motives such as personal glamorization or commercial exploitation. If that person denies the existence of all metaphysical beings, he is by definition an atheist, not a Satanist. If he professes to believe sometimes and not others, when it may suit his convenience, he is a hypocrite. Q4: IS SATANISM AN ORGANIZED RELIGION? IF SO, WHAT ORGANIZATION(S) ARE RESPONSIBLE OR RELIABLE? A4: Prior to 1966 Satanism existed only in scattered, short-lived instances as anti-Christian social gestures, but never as formal organizations. Institutional Christianity often represented "heretical" individuals or organizations as "Satanic", but this was mere propaganda. Thus the Knights Templar, Yezidis, Freemasons, Illuminati, Thelemites, and a variety of pagan & Rosicrucian groups were frequently labeled "Satanic" when in fact they were nothing of the sort. In 1966 San Francisco occultist Anton Szandor LaVey founded the Church of Satan, which functioned as an authentic, sincere religion until 1975. In that year LaVey denied the existence of Satan, and redefined the Church as simply his personal commercial venture and fan club. Thereby the "Church of Satan" ceased to be an authentic Satanic religion and became simply a business front, though LaVey and his representatives continue to sell memberships and to advertise the "Church" as both "Satanic" and a "religion". At the time of LaVey's 1975 announcement, a majority of the Satanic Priesthood and membership rejected what they considered to be his prostitution of the Church, and resigned _en masse_. These Initiates founded the Temple of Set as a replacement for and successor to the Church of Satan. The name-change also reflected the founders' realization that "Satan" was inescapably a propagandistic caricature of the true and original metaphysical being who had energized the positive and creative legacy of Satan and Satanism in Judaeo/Christian/Islamic mythology and superstition. The Temple thus restored to preeminence and honor his original, undistorted name and image. In addition to the Church of Satan and Temple of Set, various other individuals and organizations have from time to time proclaimed themselves to be Satanic and to represent Satanism. If sincere, they would have to believe in Judaic, Christian, or Islamic mythology and to worship its antithesis-Devil. If insincere, they merely use "Satanic" terminology for glamor and/or shock value. Q5: IF THE TEMPLE OF SET DOES NOT BELIEVE IN JUDAEO/CHRISTIAN/ISLAMIC MYTHOLOGY, WHY DOES IT CALL ITSELF A "SATANIC" RELIGION? WHAT IS IT DOING HERE ON ALT.SATANISM? A5: For the last two thousand years most of the social cultures in which the Temple currently exists have been dominated by one or more branches of Judaeo/Christianity. This influence is far more pervasive than most people consciously realize, extending into these societies' most basic assumptions about group & individual relationships, law, justice, ethics, social mores, family units, cosmology, and metaphysics. It is easy to not be a member of a Christian church, or to call oneself a non-Christian; it is far more difficult to escape from J/C social conditioning. Within this climate many of the aspects of Set are symbolized in religious imagery by the *positive* attributes of the J/C Satan. While Judaism, Christianity, and Islam created their "Satan" distortion of the Set _neter_ of ancient Egypt in order to fashion an "evil scarecrow" to intimidate and control their societies, they could not help endowing "Satan" with such Setian attributes as independence, creativity, honesty, artistry, and intellectual genius - as these *same* attributes, except in severely controlled and approved forms, are "sins against God" in J/C/I culture. Therefore many persons of Setian disposition and potential first became aware of their true nature through an unusual interest in and attraction to "Satan" and Satanic imagery. [This was the case of the Temple of Set as a whole, which from 1966 to 1975 - as the Church of Satan - was exploring the Left-Hand Path from within J/C terminology.] Hence it is sometimes necessary to use the "Satanic" metaphor to initially communicate with J/C-socialized individuals concerning the Setian interests and capabilities they are otherwise incapable of expressing. Once such persons understand a little more what they are actually awakening in themselves, they are more easily able to recognize and jettison the entire cage of J/C reference-points, then enter a much larger universe of thought and being as Setians. Q6: WHAT IS BLACK MAGIC? DOES THE TEMPLE OF SET TEACH IT? A6: The Temple of Set will help you to understand just what magic is - and indeed there are several types of magic to be learned and distinguished. But as magic enables you to influence or change events in ways not understood nor anticipated by society, before you put it to use you must first develop a sound and sophisticated appreciation for the ethics governing your own motives, decisions, and actions. Merely using magic for impulsive, trivial, or egoistic desires is not Setian. It must become second-nature to you to carefully preevaluate the consequences of what you wish to do - then choose the course of wisdom, justice, and creative improvement. Q7: IS SATANISM CRIMINAL? WHAT ABOUT ALL THE ALLEGATIONS THAT SATANISTS PRACTICE HUMAN/ANIMAL SACRIFICE, CATTLE MUTILATION, CHILD MOLESTATION, CANNIBALISM, GRAVE-ROBBING, ETC.? A7: Authentic Satanism (i.e. the 1966-75 Church of Satan and the 1975-present Temple of Set) is emphatically non-criminal and, if anything, far more decent and socially mature than any conventional religion. As it is based on principles of creativity, beauty, freedom, courtesy, tolerance, and pleasure, this is inherent in its design. Since its inception, Christianity has made use of the most horrific propaganda to attack its competitors. For many centuries it was the Jews who were accused of human sacrifice, cannibalism, [Christian] child sexual abuse, etc. - and persecuted accordingly. As the Church of Satan and Temple of Set were founded in a period of extreme religious tolerance and experimentation in the United States, such propaganda was initially not a serious problem to them. In the 1980s, however, a revival of Fundamentalism sponsored a wave of unprecedented "Satanic crime" hysteria, first in the United States and then in culturally- close nations such as Britain and Australia. By the mid-1990s, many studies by responsible law-enforcement and academic institutions have thoroughly exposed and discredited the "Satanic crime" myth, although some Fundamentalists still try to promote it. The Temple of Set maintains a database of the most current and prominent of these law-enforcement and academic reports. It is unfortunately the case that the recent Fundamentalist propaganda campaign has convinced some sick or maladjusted Christians that the way to practice "Satanism" is to perform the destructive and perverse outrages prescribed by the propaganda. When/if such Christians go on emotional rampages, they may follow that model and call themselves "Satanists". Obviously the Temple of Set would deny them this title, just as the 1966-75 Church of Satan would have denied it to them. However this phenomenon illustrates the dilemma that the Church of Satan regularly confronted [and which foreshadowed the Temple of Set's rejection of J/C mythology altogether]: that the god *it* represented as good and constructive was the *same* one defined by the world's three largest conventional religions as evil and destructive. Q8: HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TEMPLE OF SET? A8: A copy of the current General Information Letter is available upon request. Write to: Executive Director, Temple of Set, Post Office Box 470307, San Francisco, CA 94147, USA. Or provide a *postal* mailing address to Internet: 2784041@mcimail.com Q9: WHAT ABOUT ANSWERING QUESTIONS ON ALT.SATANISM? A9: Earlier postings on this newsgroup by Temple of Set representatives were responded to politely by some other participants, but also resulted in extraordinary rudeness and attempts at personal slander by individuals who felt threatened by the Temple of Set's honesty and integrity. It seemed necessary to either refute such attacks or allow them the image of credibility by not challenging them. Hence the Temple faced a tedious and time-consuming chore of setting the record straight again and again. One option was to leave alt.satanism entirely. This, however, would be to abandon a "Satanic" newsgroup to predatory manipulation of sincere enquirers by various inauthentic, dishonest, and insincere persons and groups. The Temple cannot in good conscience do this. Our solution has been to create this FAQ and to post it regularly on the newsgroup, and otherwise to reject provocation. All responses of a discourteous/slanderous nature will be ignored/killfiled, whether posted here or sent separately to the Temple. Courteous, sincere inquiries will be answered *privately*, if a postal or Internet address is provided. Questions of general interest may be incorporated into future editions of this FAQ. Setians are of course welcome to dialogue on alt.satanism as they may wish. However this FAQ alone represents its author's sole participation in the newsgroup, and the official position of the Temple of Set concerning the included issues.
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