In a world of - generally - god-fearing religions that pit good vs. evil, it would make sense that a belief system named after and based around the idealization of one of the figureheads of “evil” would be a belief system to be feared, criticized, and delegitimized. Yet, those within that system - and likewise, those who understand it - would beg to differ. Satanism, at its core, is a belief system centred around the idea that free will is humanity’s ultimate privilege, and that to have it in any way manipulated is to have your humanity lessened. I will further explain this in regards to both forms of Satanism: theistic and atheistic.
Theistic Satanism, that is, Satanism in which Satan is worshipped as deity, holds true to the belief that
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Witchcraft itself, in its earliest form, took roots long before Satanism did. In fact, what Abrahamic traditions have defined as “witchcraft” could possibly have been around before the Abrahamic traditions themselves. Witchcraft gained its association with Satanism through the conclusion that any “magics or rituals” that are not God’s miracles must clearly be tricks by the Devil, made to deceive humanity into believing they could harness powers beyond themselves. An odd conclusion to draw from Wicca-based witchcraft, which is more often that not a group of homeopathic friendly human beings who use all of what nature has to offer in their day-to-day lives. Witch trials and burnings began because it was believed that these people were capable of summoning demons, or creating magick that would spit in the face of God. Abrahamic believers found out that Wiccan deities had horns and hooves, and associated that appearance with that of Lucifer. All of this violence and narrowmindedness… and Abrahamic believers still chose to say that these people were the violent ones. The ones who would sacrifice your children and your livestock. Natural progression led to them saying the same thing about Satanists. From there, the story became a mess of Christian Unions believing that Satanists and witches were in cahoots to create things like Harry Potter and Dungeons and Dragons. So, these …show more content…
That Satanism is an attack on mainstream Abrahamic religion. To be entirely fair, though it is not the primary intent of Satanism… it quite literally is an attack on Abrahamic religion. At least, on Abrahamic tradition. While Satanists believe that all manner of people and their choices should be respected, they do often believe that Abrahamic values are outdated and unnatural. The natural world, and natural desires are at the core of Satanist beliefs, and it would make a great deal of sense that that would oppose, quite greatly, the rather unnatural belief system of working for the good of a supreme being as opposed to oneself. Working to oppose these traditions is also not inherently evil. Perhaps these traditions deserve to be questioned? Perhaps, even though modern day Christianity has taken more to embracing the LGBTQ+ community, it is not evil of Satanism to still point of the centuries of torture they put them through. Perhaps it is not evil of Satanists to ask why it is that you, as a human being are not living for you, as a human being. Finally, perhaps it is not evil of Satanism to exist as an outlet for those who have felt excluded and ostracized by a mainstream machine of constant bigotry and bloodshed that has gone on for millenia. Satanism is not the violent, overbearing, dark, fiery hellscape that it is depicted to be. Rather, it intend to be the exact opposite. A solution to a world that has been poisoned by the word of
What images come to mind when you think of witches? Many people immediately imagine a black pointy hat, bubbling cauldron, green warty skin, and Halloween. Usually the image that comes to mind is something scary and evil. Real witches do exist. Most modern witches go by the label Wiccan now. Wiccans practice Wicca, which is a nature-based religion with many different branches or denominations. The basic tenant of all Wicca is called the Three Fold Law. The Three Fold Law states that whatever you do will come back to you times three, good or bad, so do not cause harm or, in other words, “harm none”. It is kind of like the concept of karma in one lifetime. There is debate over how old the religion actually is with some saying that it is an ancient religion that pre-dates Christianity and some saying it is more modern, starting in the 1950’s with Gerald Gardener. Regardless of how old the religion is, Hollywood’s portrayal of witches often does have some kernel of truth, albeit sometimes it is hard to find.
...mixing pot of nationalities. It is ideal to people who are open minded, while Satanism is for people who are against following the natural order of things. They believe that a person can do anything they want without repercussions. It is a wrong and immoral way of thinking.
Wicca is an old religion, having begun “more than thirty-five thousand years ago” as stated by Starhawk, a Wiccan (qtd in Allen 18). Even though it had started long before him and many events involving witchcraft had happened, research has shown that a man named Gerald Gardner was the one who brought the religion of Wicca to the public eye in the 1950s (Allen 19). Gardner said it was thought to be the pre-Christian religion of Europe called the “old religion” (Adler 637). ...
Satan is the core of Milton’s master piece and no matter how he is interpreted; the overall complexity of his character cannot be overlooked.
The controversies that surround Wicca start with its exact origin. There are some who believe that it has its origins in Witchcraft due to the similarities between the two. Witchcraft itself is a Pagan practice [polytheistic and non-Christian, Muslim and Jewish in origin] that began with the Celts around 700 B.C. As the movie The Burning Times depicts, the region during this time period was primarily a rural culture so the Celtic traditions were based completely on Nature. Their months were even named after trees and their festivals revolved around the solstices and equinoxes (Steiger). A polytheistic religion, they worshiped a host of female and male deities and are most notably associated with the concept of Goddess worship, a strong belief in the divinity of the female (Burning Times). These paganistic beliefs and rituals gradually over the centuries combined with other European religious practices, such as magic, potions, and ointments for healing, to form what we call in modern times Witchcraft. Groups who did not hav...
The history of paganism and witchcraft has dated back as far as the earliest days of humanity, and predates both Judaism and Christianity (Undefined). In result, it makes the assumption of witches worshipping the Devil null and void. Wiccans and witches do not believe in the Christian God or Devil; therefore, they cannot
Witchcraft has been in practice for centuries upon centuries, having been traced back to the beginning of mankind, where it was seen as a religious practice that instilled magical rights upon the user (Witchcraft). Prehistoric art exemplifies this, with inscriptions detailing magical rites that were used to ensure that their hunting was successful (Wiccan One’s Universe). Witches were commonplace all over the world with different stigmas and stereotypes attached to them from each respectful culture that contained them. The belief in magic predated Christianity, Judaism, and recorded history, and over time magic became mainly associated with one group - Witches (Erzulie). This could have been due to the fading out of many other ancient religions as well as the growing popularity that Witchcraft gained from incorporating man...
vulnerable to the Devil’s blandishments. A lurid picture of the activities of witches emerged in the popular mind, including covens, or gatherings over which Satan presided; pacts with the Devil; flying broomsticks; and animal accomplices, or familiars. Although a few of these elements may represent leftovers of pre-Christian religion, the old religion probably did not persist in any organized form beyond the 14th century. The popular image of witchcraft, perhaps inspired by features of occultism or ceremonial magic as well as by theology concerning the Devil and his works of darkness, was given shape by the inflamed imagination of inquisitors and was confirmed by statements obtained under torture. The late medieval and early modern picture of diabolical witchcraft can be attributed to several causes. First, the church’s experience with such dissident religious movements as the Albigenses and Cathari, who believed in a radical dualism of good and evil, led to the belief that certain people had allied themselves with Satan.
Satan is an allegorical representation of God the Father. Both Satan and God are seen as Father figures; God as the Father of all that is virtuous, and Satan as the Father of all that is wicked. Just as God is the King of heaven, Satan claims himself King of Hell. God is the originator of Goodness, as Satan is the originator of Evilness. All in all, Satan is a perverse representation of God.
“If anyone, deceived by the Devil, shall believe, as is customary among pagans, that any man or woman is a night-witch, and eats men, and on that account burn that person to death... he shall be executed” (Charlemagne) When the words witchcraft or magic are spoken, most people think of the Salem Witch trials or the popular television characters that we have today. But do we really know what happened centuries ago that caused the creation of these ideals and these characters we have grown to adore? Witchcraft still has a tight hold on the mind of many and continues to influence the gap between the popular and elite cultures of today.
Typically, when someone thinks of religion, they think about worship of a higher power, compassion for all living things, and a general love of the world. Satanism, while a religion, does not fit these conventions. The faith holds no belief in a higher power, is rather selfish in nature, and paints a bleak picture of the world and its workings. In addition, Satanism has controversy riddled history dating back to the seventeenth century. Due to the religion’s unconventional nature, it is often looked down upon and its principles and values are ridiculed. To better understand a faith like Satanism, it helps to look at it alongside a more familiar and commonly understood religion like Christianity.
This sources provides a well of content and most importantly a look at Satan. This in-depth look lends a great hand in the sorting of details. The timeline given will be a great help.
Satan frequently characterizes “the tyranny of heaven” and employs negative diction in his depictions of both heaven and God (I.124). His negative portrayals of God and his kingdom highlight his utter dissatisfaction with being subservient to God and, from that, his desire for autonomy. In the exposition of the text, Satan’s emotions toward God make themselves apparent when Satan “throws his baleful eyes / That witnessed huge affliction and dismay / Mixed with obdúrate pride and steadfast hate” (I.56-58). Satan reveals himself to be furious with his continued subjugation to God as well as his inability to truly revenge himself against his subsequent punishment. According to Satan, God’s dissimulation of his power tempted Satan and others to rise
...se, destroy and threaten the survival of the Christian world. However, the threats to the Church were economic and sociopolitical and not witchcraft. The Church was struggling with internal conflicts, rebellions, social changes as a result of the breakdown of the feudal system and they were reflected in terms of religious dissatisfaction that demanded religious reform. These threats were treated as heresy rather than political dissent and its response was to frame the motives and practices of heretics in terms of satanism. Witchcraft threatened Christianity because it provided an alternative values system compared to the established patriarchal institutions and questioned male power. Witch beliefs represented the inverse of the positive values in medieval patriarchal society and the stereotype of the witch is the negative standard for women.
Ask anyone to draw Satan and you 'll get a red snake-like figure with horns and a pitchfork. Satan, as introduced in the Hebrew bible is an unworthy adversary of God. His longing to be like God is quickly recognized and dealt with. God banishes him from Heaven and sends him to Hell. That 's the last we see of him until he talks with God about his faithful servant Job. In each interaction we see Satan in, we get only a glimpse of who he really is. Satan 's motive is not developed and we assume he does evil simply because he is evil