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Temple of Set alt.satanism FAQ

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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