I’m not sure if I managed to get at the central feeling, the core purpose and idea of Satanism. So far I think I have managed to come away each month with the basic, unique feeling and purpose of each religion. Discordianism was all about the beauty of chaos and creative, inspired spontaneity. Jainism was about asceticism and the pursuit of a higher, purer state of being. The central ideas of the Baha’i faith were the oneness and progressiveness of every religion and of mankind and their search for Truth. But the best I can summarize of Satanism is that it is a reaction.

Satanism just seemed to be reacting to Christian hypocrisy and fundamentalism. The Satanic Bible mocks church goers and Christian philosophy much to the same tune as Nietzsche- pointing out their lack of follow through and the oppressive “slave” morality that tends to develop. It puts forward arguments against dogmatic ideas, but as far as a positive, purposeful idea, I feel it is kind of lacking.

The reaction however, is pretty powerful, and is certainly felt by many people these days. When I first discovered Satanism and the Satanic Bible it intrigued me. It made sense. It had none of the contradictory, useless rules and theology that the mainstream religion had. It was a powerful reaction, a rebellion against all the things that I saw wrong in the world. A reaction to what is wrong.

Perhaps this is the real core of the religion. It is a reaction, an important reaction to those parts of religion that just don’t jive with our nature or our reason. Perhaps Mr. LaVey goes a little far in a few parts in giving too much credence to the triumph of psychology, but his criticisms are an important indication that the Old Ways are not working anymore. We are growing beyond the limits that used to be prescribed for us, we are aware of our ego and of our own needs now, and that these are not something that need to be demonized.

Faith is not enough to sustain us any longer. We require fact and reason, something that can be demonstrated right before our eyes. It does not necessarily follow that the alternative is then a life of indulgence instead of abstinence, but that we shouldn’t rule our lives with a set of ideas that make no sense, that have no backing other than blind convictions.

Satanism isn’t so much against authoritative ideas, after all it posits it’s own morality and philosophy. Satanism is against bullshit. Perhaps that is the important grain of Truth in Satanic religion.  No more victims of ignorant religions.