Anton LaVey
| Here's to my sweet |
| Whose power is Satan |
| He will give those with him 666 |
Anton Szandor LaVey (1930-1997) was the founder of the Church of Satan and author of The Satanic Bible. We at RationalWiki abase ourselves before him and his master, and humbly request the dark blessings of Lucifer.
He was born Howard Stanton Lavey (no capital "V"), which kind of lacked the edge he needed, so you can't blame him for changing it. He started his career playing the calliope in the circus, from which he graduated to playing the organ at burlesque clubs.[1] LaVey made something of a name for himself as a paranormal researcher in the San Francisco area and eventually formed the Order of the Trapezoid. Presently, he shaved his head and declared the founding of a new church.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Church of Satan
Contrary to what many think, LaVeyan Satanists do not actually worship Satan, or any deities at all. It's actually an atheistic, nihilist philosophy that uses the Christian character of Satan as a symbol of defiance, with a healthy dose of trolling. Think of it as a '60s counterculture version of the Church of the SubGenius. This does not stop many Christians from flipping out whenever it's mentioned.
[edit] Nine Satanic Statements and Sins
The epitome of his creed was given as the "Nine Satanic Statements", appearing in The Satanic Bible (1969):[3]
- Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!
- Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
- Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
- Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!
- Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!
- Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!
- 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!
- Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
- Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!
As an extension of Statement #8, LaVey has his own list of what he feels constitute sins. His "Nine Satanic Sins" are as follows: stupidity, pretentiousness, solipsism (defined here as projecting your own biases onto those around you), self-deceit, herd conformity, lack of perspective, forgetfulness of past orthodoxies, counterproductive pride, and lack of aesthetics (i.e. being a slob).
[edit] Atheism
LaVey's Church of Satan is at some pains to explain that it is an officially atheistic association that does not endorse the practice of magic, witchcraft, or indeed any supernatural beliefs at all. "Satanism is an atheist philosophy, hence it is not congruent with any other philosophy or religion which endorses the belief in supernatural entities, whether they be considered gods or devils."[4] "Satanists do not believe in demons or other supernatural beings, nor do we believe in spells."[5] Notwithstanding this disclaimer, LaVey's Church of Satan uses many of the traditional trappings of the Black Mass and other traditional forms of ritual magic. The Satanic Bible invites its readers to recite gibberish derived from the Enochian keys from the Elizabethan-era magician John Dee.
[edit] Not to be confused with...
Davis Aurini, a neo-reactionary MRA whose personal appearance and manner of dress is very similar to LaVey's, possibly intentionally. LaVey probably wouldn't be so thrilled to have a fan who falls afoul of so many of the Satanic Sins, though.
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Anton Lavey reprising one of his carny skills.
- ↑ Anton Szandor LaVey biography at The Church of Satan.
- ↑ LaVey, Anton. [http://feastofhateandfear.com/archives/lavey.html "9 Satanic Statements, 9 Satanic Sins & Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth."
- ↑ Church of Satan FAQ, "Occultism / Crowley / Wicca / Voodoo".
- ↑ Church of Satan FAQ, "Demonic Possession, Strange Dreams, and/or Diabolical Destiny"