Just curious, since I am & would definitely appreciate finding like
minded individuals. Especially since we are a misunderstood & often
maligned minority. Many people who share my philosophical opinions are
now coming out of the preverbial closet. I think this is a great thing.
Knowledge is power & assisting poeple in the true understanding of what
we really are can only lead to acceptance & tolerance of others & their
right to "believe" as they see fit.

i must agree being that i am left handed. Most people dont understand
the lot of us that are left handed.

Although I am also left-handed, that is not exactly what I was referring
to. Those who actually dwell in or understand this realm of philosophy
will "get it".

I 'get it' but then I know you very well too Sis

if ya don't mind my askin'--what religion is this?

It is not a "religion" per say, more of a philosophy & concept of life.
Just as with any other "religion", there are different factions & many
individual "belief" systems within the core group. I have found it to be
more individualized than any other path. Of what I speak is commonly
known as Satanism. It is highly misunderstood & misinterpreted. Many
thinking that everyone who is a Satanist actually worships Satan. Which
is far from the actual truth. The fact is, most Satanists worship
nothing. We are not "evil". We are regular people just like everyone
else out there. We just choose a more intelligent path that puts the
responsibility for everything you do on you & you alone. There is no
shifting the blame for ones actions. And you do not live with the
inordinate amount of guilt that other religions place on you for being
human.

I am not sure what religion this is, but I suspect that it is one that
involves the sacremental use of the magic mushroom.

Sorry to dispell your delusion, but there is no "sacremental" use of
anything involved here.

oh--gotcha--

Hmmmm!Your statement about choosing a "more intelligent"path.Well many
of us will perceive that comment strictly as your opinion.To many
??????No where near enough answers yet.What do you mean Satanists
worship nothing?????Hello!Satanists worship Satan as far as I
know.Wouldn't he represent the the very core and beliefs of a
Satanist.Obviously you have your belief and I have
mine.Amen!Godspeed!Cybear

Yes, it is my opinion. And no, all Satanists do not worship Satan, nor
do most even believe that such an entity exists. I find most people in
my realm to be highly intelligent & non-judgemental. We tend to accept
other for who & what they are. We do not apologize for nor do we
rationalize our philosophy. We are not sheeple & follow nothing blindly.
We do not go out of our way to explain or "convert" others to our way of
thinking. It takes a certain level of intelligence to question a belief
system that is a major part of society. There are different paths
through life for a reason. We are all individuals who have the right to
choose for ourselves.

O.K.!Kewl,you are absolutely correct;we all have the right and freedom
of choice to choose which path we travel.You have chosen yours and I
have chosen mine.I personally am a Christian from the Protestant
faith.And I unlike you do have many things that I believe in that fall
within my faith and teachings.We also do not attempt to persuade,convert
or change others.But rest assured our faith and philosophies are as
equally as strong as yours.And our faith will remain steadfast for all
eternity.Amen!And personally,I don't now or have ever followed anyone or
anything blindly.I am a leader of men,not a follower.So then am I and my
fellow Christians to assume that we have taken a less intelligent path
in life because of our beliefs,according to your statement.I think
not!Godspeed!Cybear.

My comment did in no way reflect that any given path is more or less
intelligent a choice than any other path chosen. I applaud you for your
convictions & the fact that you live what you believe. One of your
comments I do not understand..."And I unlike you do have many things
that I believe in that fall
within my faith and teachings." What makes you think that I do not
believe or that my path does not include teaching & learning? I have
many friends from various walks of life, including, but not exclusive
to, a variety of Christians, Buddhists, Pagans, Wiccans, Muslims &
Athiests. We all respect & learn from each other, never being
condescending or judgemental of one another. I did not attack your
belief system, I respect it. I was asked a simple questiopn by another
member & answered it. That is all. I did not wish to begin a battle of
"who's philosophy/religion is the best". All paths seek the same basic
goal in life.

You know, i've heard this again and again "Satanists do not worship
satan." If there are Christians and so-called satanists in the same
room theres quickly an argument on the meaning of the word "satanist",
and i just don't get it. Words only have the meanings we give them.
Websters is a pretty good authority and what the majority opinion has
been, and websters says that "satanism" *is* related to worshiping
satan. So there's these people who call themselves satanist who don't
worship satan, fine, but it seems to me they should acknowledge that
they are making a non-standard use of the word, and stop acting like the
Christians (and others) are just "confused" about the "real" meaning of
the word. I'm sure i've got some parts of this all wrong, and i look
forward to hearing why.

What you stated is one of the largest problems concerning opinions of &
about what outsiders consider to be "satanism". A simple definition of
any word or term does not encompass all aspects. Hence the reason for a
Thesaurus. I did not say that ALL Satanists do not "worship" "Satan", I
said MOST worship nothing. There are numerous variables in every path. I
am not, nor have I ever been "confused" about my philosophical
beliefs/opinions. Referring to oneself as a Satanist does not in any way
make said person a "devil worshipper". Satanism is the epitomy of
non-standardism. It is one of the most individualistic forms of
"religious" expression available. Ignorance, not to be confused with
stupidity, is the main reason people question other peoples beliefs &
are condescending or judgemental of them.

Well, I can see why people who identify with this form of 'satanism'
would very much want to get their message out, and to NOT be confused
with devil worshiping.

I read a book called something like the 'satanist bible' a long time
ago, and it seemed to me to be mostly rational skepticism combined with
libertarianism/personal responsibility all tied neatly together and
'branded' as satanism. I think there were some good messages in that
book, and i figured the name was chosen for marketing purposes cause it
has shock value. But then i meet people who speak of this (or just a
similar?) form of 'satanism' as if it was a long-standing tradition.

Is it? I thought that devil-worshiping was a long-standing tradition
under the name 'satanism', and that the name 'satanism' was just
*chosen* by a more recent movement. Thats just an impression. Am i
wrong?

That book would have been The Satanic Bible, authored by Anton LaVey.
Obviously you have some knowledge of the concept of Satanism. Many of
the things you referred to were indeed addressed my Dr. LaVey in his
numerous books. There are many levels & areas of Satanism, including
LaVeyan, Traditional & Luciferian. Anyone who is seeking to learn more
should read one or more of his books or check online for information. I
am not here to answer everyone's questions or dispell myths concerning
my philosophies. I just was curious to know if there were any
like-minded individuals out there. May we put the lid on this preverbial
can of worms now? Thank you!!

Hey Ghost,
I started researching the different christian religions when I was
about 10. That led me into other kinds of faiths and belief systems,
which required that I research a lot of history, which ultimatly led me
into phylosophy. At the time I was learning about the satanism, there
were several factions and not all were based on phylosophy. So it got a
bad name and now has a lot to rise above. So I'm glad you are here
answering questions, I'm learning again.

Thanks for your open information. I too believe that the only way to
acceptance for everyone, is to be seen, heard and accepted in the public
eye.

Thank you very much, Redy, for your comments. I too began my search for
knowledge at about the same age. I was raised Mormon & attended Catholic
school. When I finally began going to public schools & they taught us
about Drawin's theory of evolution, I began to question all I had been
taught to be "factual". realizing that both versions could not be true,
I set out of a quest for knowledge. I think one of my first major
inquiries was the age old question "Did god create man or did man create
god?" To me knowledge is power & the more you learn, the more you grow &
the more powerful you become.

Thank you again & I must thank you for your interesting threads as well.
They are fun & informative. I like to see what other people think about
any given subject. I find human nature fascinating.

*shoots typist* Darwin's theory of evolution. I must be getting sleepy.
I think i may have to shoot my proof reader too!!! LOL.....(just
kidding folks)