Satanism has a very liberating perspective: that Satan represents not a deity, but the power of human logic and willpower as raised to God-like levels - that divinity is not outside the self, but deeply within.
I always felt growing up that if any deity wanted to rightfully demonstrate its power, would not the answer be to take a handicap, and "do so with both hands tied behind the back" so to say?
Imagine a being that can sustain reason and moral behaviour, *without* having to be told what that is or to only do so under the fear of punishment (but rather, to act so because it is simply the right thing to do), and while subject to all the adversity and limitations faced in mortality.
That's real divinity. We have it.
Ave Satanas!
Exactly. Doing the right thing not because of eternal punishment but just doing the right thing by others without eternal reward is within each of us. And no Satanist do not kill little animals or sacrifice virgins on Halloween. That is some BS <not allowed> that Hollywood made up, book writers and storytellers.
But there is also a universal aspect too with the spells and rituals. That is not so far from some mystic religions in what you put into the universe you will reap. So if someone harms you or your family and a Satanist talks about destroying that person usually they don't mean kill the person, just that you conscious desire will make that persons life a living hell. Loss of a job, loss of finances in the stock market and so on. It kind of sounds like the Justice System at work and poetic justice. Child molesters are targeted in prison. Rapists and certain murderers too.
But Satanists are not evil and Anton Szandor LeVey looked pretty evil but could still laugh at himself in interviews. There are a lot of musicians that are card carrying members of the Satanic Church.
One of the main differences that I see is that Christians and other "devine" religions are trying to overcome the Seven Deadly Sins which is not even in the original texts of the Holy Bible. So in my opinion Christians are supposed to denounce those "sins" but humans are a duality because we have a Spiritual side but we are still animals too and those seven sins are animalistic instincts. No more or no less. Gluttony. I have seen a lot of fat preachers and priests. Pride. I have seen a lot of over the top churches. Lust. There a few names out there and guess what? One is just as rich as he was before his fall from grace. Wrath. Why do some devine religions rage against LGBT? Then again it could be because of Envy. That is an interesting aspect. Either envy for not having the courage or the envy of wanting to express themselves with someone else. That also goes back to pride. I come from the smaller areas and I have seen men of faith in strip clubs and on the streets and it always starts out the same, they want to try and save a lost soul but then it turns into throwing bills on the stage or spending the night with a woman. All of this goes on well out of town from where they live though. And Greed.
I am not a Satanist I am not a Christian either or any other established religion. I do believe there is something out there though but what or who? I have no idea. Personally I believe it is beyond the comprehension of our limited minds with the concept of good and evil. In the story of Job in the Bible, God was pretty evil. He took everything from Job on what was pretty much a bet against Lucifer. It is a really good lesson on what God and Lucifer represents. But remember In Christian theology there was an uprising in Heaven, was it really an uprising and much as a job to temp man? That is just like Judas' betrayal of Christ. Did Judas betray Christ or do what Christ asked him to do. There are the Gnostic Books which is more mysticism than anything else. I also don't believe in the Resurrection either because who Christ was, I think the body was hidden to not t suffer more humiliation after death. I think both his followers and a few Roman soldiers helped move his body. But some of the stories state to an Apparition instead of a human body bound by physics though.
To be completely honest I think Lucifer and the demons are a good thing because that is temptation and overcoming temptation is a really good think on a very deep level in the mind. The Universe and what is in it outside of our spectrums of understanding is pretty much incomprehensible to the human mind which is the conscious mind, subconscious mind and probably a whole lot of other levels of consciousness. But those seven deadly sins or animal instincts we also need to secure that humankind will go on. I never worked for a poor person so thank god for people that have greed. Envy will push us to aquire what we want without steeling or should be anyway. Sloth is laziness and they need to get out of it and do their thing to survive. But I am slothful too on the weekends or whenever I am off. I have to rest. Lust but not in the LGBT community is a good thing to secure humankind but they don't really need us to procreate, we can always adopt and teach them to live their lives in a manner that doesn't hurt anyone. and Pride, well be proud of who you are and if someone don't like it and tries to discredit you then use wrath. Get pissed but give them a choice to either back off or what you know you will tell and that would destroy their reputation and good standing.
Has anyone ever been to a "Devine" Church and listen o what people have to say about there own bothers and sisters? I have just for the hell of it, got to know them and Jesus Christ, there are so many rumors and backstabbing and so on. So neither is much different than the other. As a matter of fact the Satanic religion is less lethal to the human spirit and a reputation than a Divine religion.
That is just my take on things and my experiences. Other's experiences will be different.
Seriously it is something to think about though and thinking is a really good thing.