is satanism a valid belief system if it doesn't have a definite set of beliefs?

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: theblackpeacock

I have been thinking a lot about this lately and, seeing as how stagnant the satanism forum seems to have gotten, I figured i'd try my luck here.

Is it justifiable to refer to oneself as a "satanist" if one doesn't share some or any beliefs with other satanists?

The divisions in satanism are more than sectarian (sorry, that's a really bad word to use but i mean this in terms of how other religions have sects.) Many have pointed out that no two satanists believe the same thing. This is true of many religions, but i frankly have a hard time finding two satanists that believe any of the same things (besides, you know, modern ones.) Can you really identify with a religion that basically says, "Ok you guys, make it up yourselves."

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: L_Lawliet

Your avatar is a chaosphere, you should know the answer already.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: doh

LOL Nice reply.

Honestly, you are trying to apply a set belief system to an idea that has many facets about and beyond any one application. There are as many varieties of Satanism as there are Christianity. I don't see that as possible.

Plus, I truly believe that many aspects of many practiced religions have had, or still do have, aspects of the "make it up yourself" mentality. After all, what brought about the divisions between Sunni and Shiite Islam? Where in the hell did the "snake charming" Christians come from? How did the original ideas for a religion come about in the first place in less some started with an idea and made up some of the other aspects?

Now, I'm not a Satanist per se (been called a closet Satanist a few times, though), but my personal practice is an evolutionary work, picking bits and pieces from a variety and then throwing them together. That, technically, is making it up as I go along.

I think you may wish to look at it not so much as a religion, which I tend to believe is generally inherantly immoral and wrong to begin with, but as a belief system. Religion is something that someone who came before you believed how you should behave in life based on their set principles, or lack of them, as the case may be.

[alex nero]

If you worship Satan,you are a Satanist.There are many organizations,each with differing views.Study,read,think,meditate and you will be led to a similar group of people.If not,start your own group.I am going to finish my book,form my own sect,and never look back!Good luck on your left hand path!

[rezal]

What is your definition of a vaild religion?

[alex nero]

[shadow][/shadow]Tempting as it might be,I have not "made up" my religion.My religion is based on personal research and exploration.Having gone through phases of not-really-believing-in -any-religion-but-kinda- scared-of -hell to atheism,I discovered what I truly was:a Satanist,not an elitist,not one whose backside-has-no-odor,but a realist,an evolved animal upon this Earth.I enjoy life,frown upon but do not fear death,and generally try to have a good time.I choose my own morals,embrace individuality,and have found Satan to be my god of choice.

[dodaive]

Ok so you need to have a definite set of beliefs, in order to be valid? IMHO much of Satanist beliefs have sprung out the excesses of the Christian Masses. Fundamental Christians in my view, tend to be serious anti-intellectualists, and have every trick in the book to cut off any reason to question or critically think about the world they live in. They also feel forced to take everything literally and tend to miss out on anything abstract. So IMHO Satanism tends to be the manifestation of all these traits that are opposite of the Fundamental Christian Masses. "Definite set of beliefs" to me sounds kinda of like dogma, the world is complicated and a person has to find specific practices for specific situations.