Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Given all the terrible and hateful stuff people do in the name of religion, my vote is no, there’s no difference.

I think people do a lot more good in the name of religion than bad.

Whereas "doing good in the name of Satan" is simply contradictory and impossible by definition.

It isn't, actually. Satanists define the primary virtues as personal freedom, materialism, kindness for the virtuous, intelligence, knowledge, and "doing unto others as they do to you." It's pretty American, all told.

You can’t possibly claim to speak for all Satanists. Maybe just for the fake Satanists (who don’t really believe in it all) who are trolling religion. But there are plenty of Satanists who do actually think evil (however you define that) is a “good” thing.

I find it amusing that you (a Christian?) are trying to define who is a "real Satanist" and who isn't. The Satanic virtues are pretty much the same ideas for both atheist Satanists and religious Satanists.

Oh really? You’re the one who tried to give Satanism a narrow scope.

Why are you lying so transparently?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-devil-you-know-the-satanic-cult-leader-who-loved-animal-sacrifices-orgies-and-murder
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2016/03/13/officials-probe-satanic-animal-sacrifices-on-long-island/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ctpost.com/policereports/amp/Cops-Rooster-burned-in-apparent-satanic-ritual-4009133.php
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-work-of-the-devil/amp/

Just the first few hits that came up, there are plenty more.

And in the 80s, people were sure Satanists were running day care rings. It's all fear mongering nonsense.

No, those are news articles with evidence of people who worship Satan killing people. I don’t think the people who were killed and their families think satanic killings are nonsense.

Those aren't"news articles" and aren't even evidence that satanic cults killed these people. Read the links and then do some more googling on the perpetrators and victims.

Briefly, the first guy was a psychopath. If you read about the poor guy Mark Killroy, the people who tortured and killed him were not "satanists." They were a murderous group/cult involved in drug smuggling, magic spells and something closer to voodoo.

I think actual cults of people who worship Satan and murder people are non-existent or rare.

Found the apologist for Satanic killers. Dude just stop.

*edited

+1. They were followers of Satan, full stop. If you want to let the psychopath off for being a psychopath, then you’re going to have to let abusive Christians (since you hate Christians so much) off for mental illness too, and I’m sure you don’t want to go there.

I don't know why you're saying I hate Christians. You're pulling that out of thin air.

I'm not letting anyone off for anything. But how many people have you heard of who murder in the name of Christ compared to people like that psychopath guy who claim to worship the devil? You'll find that actual devil worshipping murderers are very rare compared to the people who bomb abortion clinics, burned heretics at the stake, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you are serious, Satan and Satanism represent (some would say cause) humanity’s worst impulses. We’re not talking about cute witch covens or crunchy pagans. We’re talking about people who abuse their kids or parents, who steal from retirees, who are mass murderers, and so on.

Religious folks call it Satan; secular/atheists call it sociopathy ir psychopathy. But they all find common ground in judging mass murders to be bad.

So to some religious people, mental illness is evil? Is one the cause of the other?

My brother dabbled in Satanism, he's neither a sociopath or psychopath.

I hate to bring up reading comprehension, but it seems so important here. Let me help you, you poor dear (or you’re just trolling and pretending to be this dumb). The Satan apologist is the one claiming that “bad” Satanists are just mentally ill, and the other poster is saying that’s a false equivalency because the Satan apologist (key noun here!) wouldn’t apply the same criteria to “bad” religious folks. HTH!

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you are serious, Satan and Satanism represent (some would say cause) humanity’s worst impulses. We’re not talking about cute witch covens or crunchy pagans. We’re talking about people who abuse their kids or parents, who steal from retirees, who are mass murderers, and so on.

Religious folks call it Satan; secular/atheists call it sociopathy ir psychopathy. But they all find common ground in judging mass murders to be bad.

So to some religious people, mental illness is evil? Is one the cause of the other?

My brother dabbled in Satanism, he's neither a sociopath or psychopath.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. From a spiritual person who is very far from your idea of a traditional Christian... you sweet summer child. You really sound clueless. Satanists *do* "sacrifice babies and drink their blood", as well as many other creatures. That's part of how you connect to satan, who craves, pain, torture, blood, chaos, etc. The best way to get that is through killing a living being and ideally torturing them for a long period of time beforehand.

Anyway, you seem extremely naive and like you couldnt even handle having your rose colored glasses ripped off, so I'll just leave it there. I'd advise you not to wade in spiritual waters that you're way out of your depth in. I.e.- don't decide "these satanists are just punk rock fun! " and try it out. Or do, but man... you're very innocent and gullible, so be aware of that.

You sweet summer child, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Members of the CoS do not do these things, nor do they “worship” Satan, nor do the vast majority of them even believe he exists.

This. The Church of Satan exists mostly to prevent evangelical Christianity from taking over our country. The people you should truly fear are the souther baptist types who are truly evil personified.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Given all the terrible and hateful stuff people do in the name of religion, my vote is no, there’s no difference.

I think people do a lot more good in the name of religion than bad.

Whereas "doing good in the name of Satan" is simply contradictory and impossible by definition.

It isn't, actually. Satanists define the primary virtues as personal freedom, materialism, kindness for the virtuous, intelligence, knowledge, and "doing unto others as they do to you." It's pretty American, all told.

You can’t possibly claim to speak for all Satanists. Maybe just for the fake Satanists (who don’t really believe in it all) who are trolling religion. But there are plenty of Satanists who do actually think evil (however you define that) is a “good” thing.

I find it amusing that you (a Christian?) are trying to define who is a "real Satanist" and who isn't. The Satanic virtues are pretty much the same ideas for both atheist Satanists and religious Satanists.

Oh really? You’re the one who tried to give Satanism a narrow scope.

Why are you lying so transparently?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-devil-you-know-the-satanic-cult-leader-who-loved-animal-sacrifices-orgies-and-murder
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2016/03/13/officials-probe-satanic-animal-sacrifices-on-long-island/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ctpost.com/policereports/amp/Cops-Rooster-burned-in-apparent-satanic-ritual-4009133.php
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-work-of-the-devil/amp/

Just the first few hits that came up, there are plenty more.

And in the 80s, people were sure Satanists were running day care rings. It's all fear mongering nonsense.

No, those are news articles with evidence of people who worship Satan killing people. I don’t think the people who were killed and their families think satanic killings are nonsense.

Those aren't"news articles" and aren't even evidence that satanic cults killed these people. Read the links and then do some more googling on the perpetrators and victims.

Briefly, the first guy was a psychopath. If you read about the poor guy Mark Killroy, the people who tortured and killed him were not "satanists." They were a murderous group/cult involved in drug smuggling, magic spells and something closer to voodoo.

I think actual cults of people who worship Satan and murder people are non-existent or rare.

Found the apologist for Satanic killers. Dude just stop.

+1. They were followers of Satan, full stop. If you want to let the psychopath off for being a psychopath, then you’re going to have to let abusive Christians (since you hate Christians so much) off too, and I’m sure you don’t want to go there.

I looked at the links. The Long Island piece mentions evidence of animal killing that mostly link to Santeria and Palo Mayombe--these sects have nothing to do with Satanism. The one self-proclaimed Satanist and his gf were charged with murder that may have had nothing to so with the religion, from what I read there were 2 buried bodies of guys they knew but no indication said bodies were used in rituals--the rest was stuff he had made claims about but no specific evidence found.

As I recall, legal disputes related to Santeria (and probably Palo) boil down to laws ad ordinances prohibiting animal slaughter outside of a licensed slaughter operation. Halal and Kosher slaughter (which, btw, have been prohibited in some places over animal welfare concerns since animals are not stunned first, although temple grandin prescribes a procedure without stunning she regards as humane (upright positioning of the animal rather than hanging upside down as slaughterers typically do). The chickens are probably killed the same way our rural forebears killed their own chickens for food (in factory processing, the chickens are first given an electric shock, which is probably no fun for them either).

As for what is (or could be) "bad" about Satanism, libertarians can be assholes sometimes and their politics, when teamed up with GOPs (who have the numbers) are awful. And committing terrible crimes is terrible. And maybe some antisocial people who also commit crimes latch on to the Church of Satan thing for its perceived antisocial impact and perhaps also to get some privileges in prison without having to go evangelical.

Some fundamentalist Christians regard practices like meditation and yoga to be invitations for the devil to enter a person's soul, and some Christians believe fervently in the concept that the devil leads people astray, etc etc. Even atheism (without a Satan component) is beyond their ken, really--anytime I have had a conversation with a Christian about atheism their immediate reaction is "what about the afterlife???" and "without God to judge you, atheists have no moral compass!"

Anonymous wrote:This is not a troll post. I’m not a religious person so I have no, er… goat, in this fight.

Is there anything inherently wrong with people who worship Satan? Unless of course they actually sacrifice babies and drink their blood, but I haven’t heard any actual reports of that. In fact it sounds like other religions are far more keen on committing acts of terrorism. Satanists basically seem to just side with another team and embrace the punk anarchist vibe. None of that affects me in any way, but maybe religious people find something intrinsically wrong and offensive. If your religion is the right way, though, then you should have no worries about being outcompeted by the other side. That’s sort of why I never believed in religion in the first place…. One’s faith should be enough to believe that your religion is the right one, so why would it matter what others believe if essentially they’ll get what’s coming in the end anyway?

Nothing wrong. And some making fun of the devil are thought of being devil worshipers. My favorite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIlz3g3DgCU

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given all the terrible and hateful stuff people do in the name of religion, my vote is no, there’s no difference.

I think people do a lot more good in the name of religion than bad.

Whereas "doing good in the name of Satan" is simply contradictory and impossible by definition.

It isn't, actually. Satanists define the primary virtues as personal freedom, materialism, kindness for the virtuous, intelligence, knowledge, and "doing unto others as they do to you." It's pretty American, all told.

You can’t possibly claim to speak for all Satanists. Maybe just for the fake Satanists (who don’t really believe in it all) who are trolling religion. But there are plenty of Satanists who do actually think evil (however you define that) is a “good” thing.

I find it amusing that you (a Christian?) are trying to define who is a "real Satanist" and who isn't. The Satanic virtues are pretty much the same ideas for both atheist Satanists and religious Satanists.

Oh really? You’re the one who tried to give Satanism a narrow scope.

Why are you lying so transparently?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-devil-you-know-the-satanic-cult-leader-who-loved-animal-sacrifices-orgies-and-murder
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2016/03/13/officials-probe-satanic-animal-sacrifices-on-long-island/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ctpost.com/policereports/amp/Cops-Rooster-burned-in-apparent-satanic-ritual-4009133.php
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-work-of-the-devil/amp/

Just the first few hits that came up, there are plenty more.

And in the 80s, people were sure Satanists were running day care rings. It's all fear mongering nonsense.

No, those are news articles with evidence of people who worship Satan killing people. I don’t think the people who were killed and their families think satanic killings are nonsense.

Those aren't"news articles" and aren't even evidence that satanic cults killed these people. Read the links and then do some more googling on the perpetrators and victims.

Briefly, the first guy was a psychopath. If you read about the poor guy Mark Killroy, the people who tortured and killed him were not "satanists." They were a murderous group/cult involved in drug smuggling, magic spells and something closer to voodoo.

I think actual cults of people who worship Satan and murder people are non-existent or rare.

Found the apologist for Satanic killers. Dude just stop.

*edited

+1. They were followers of Satan, full stop. If you want to let the psychopath off for being a psychopath, then you’re going to have to let abusive Christians (since you hate Christians so much) off for mental illness too, and I’m sure you don’t want to go there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given all the terrible and hateful stuff people do in the name of religion, my vote is no, there’s no difference.

I think people do a lot more good in the name of religion than bad.

Whereas "doing good in the name of Satan" is simply contradictory and impossible by definition.

It isn't, actually. Satanists define the primary virtues as personal freedom, materialism, kindness for the virtuous, intelligence, knowledge, and "doing unto others as they do to you." It's pretty American, all told.

You can’t possibly claim to speak for all Satanists. Maybe just for the fake Satanists (who don’t really believe in it all) who are trolling religion. But there are plenty of Satanists who do actually think evil (however you define that) is a “good” thing.

I find it amusing that you (a Christian?) are trying to define who is a "real Satanist" and who isn't. The Satanic virtues are pretty much the same ideas for both atheist Satanists and religious Satanists.

Oh really? You’re the one who tried to give Satanism a narrow scope.

Why are you lying so transparently?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-devil-you-know-the-satanic-cult-leader-who-loved-animal-sacrifices-orgies-and-murder
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2016/03/13/officials-probe-satanic-animal-sacrifices-on-long-island/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ctpost.com/policereports/amp/Cops-Rooster-burned-in-apparent-satanic-ritual-4009133.php
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-work-of-the-devil/amp/

Just the first few hits that came up, there are plenty more.

And in the 80s, people were sure Satanists were running day care rings. It's all fear mongering nonsense.

No, those are news articles with evidence of people who worship Satan killing people. I don’t think the people who were killed and their families think satanic killings are nonsense.

Those aren't"news articles" and aren't even evidence that satanic cults killed these people. Read the links and then do some more googling on the perpetrators and victims.

Briefly, the first guy was a psychopath. If you read about the poor guy Mark Killroy, the people who tortured and killed him were not "satanists." They were a murderous group/cult involved in drug smuggling, magic spells and something closer to voodoo.

I think actual cults of people who worship Satan and murder people are non-existent or rare.

Found the apologist for Satanic killers. Dude just stop.

+1. They were followers of Satan, full stop. If you want to let the psychopath off for being a psychopath, then you’re going to have to let abusive Christians (since you hate Christians so much) off too, and I’m sure you don’t want to go there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given all the terrible and hateful stuff people do in the name of religion, my vote is no, there’s no difference.

I think people do a lot more good in the name of religion than bad.

Whereas "doing good in the name of Satan" is simply contradictory and impossible by definition.

It isn't, actually. Satanists define the primary virtues as personal freedom, materialism, kindness for the virtuous, intelligence, knowledge, and "doing unto others as they do to you." It's pretty American, all told.

You can’t possibly claim to speak for all Satanists. Maybe just for the fake Satanists (who don’t really believe in it all) who are trolling religion. But there are plenty of Satanists who do actually think evil (however you define that) is a “good” thing.

I find it amusing that you (a Christian?) are trying to define who is a "real Satanist" and who isn't. The Satanic virtues are pretty much the same ideas for both atheist Satanists and religious Satanists.

Oh really? You’re the one who tried to give Satanism a narrow scope.

Why are you lying so transparently?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-devil-you-know-the-satanic-cult-leader-who-loved-animal-sacrifices-orgies-and-murder
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2016/03/13/officials-probe-satanic-animal-sacrifices-on-long-island/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ctpost.com/policereports/amp/Cops-Rooster-burned-in-apparent-satanic-ritual-4009133.php
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-work-of-the-devil/amp/

Just the first few hits that came up, there are plenty more.

And in the 80s, people were sure Satanists were running day care rings. It's all fear mongering nonsense.

No, those are news articles with evidence of people who worship Satan killing people. I don’t think the people who were killed and their families think satanic killings are nonsense.

Those aren't"news articles" and aren't even evidence that satanic cults killed these people. Read the links and then do some more googling on the perpetrators and victims.

Briefly, the first guy was a psychopath. If you read about the poor guy Mark Killroy, the people who tortured and killed him were not "satanists." They were a murderous group/cult involved in drug smuggling, magic spells and something closer to voodoo.

I think actual cults of people who worship Satan and murder people are non-existent or rare.

Found the apologist for Satanic killers. Dude just stop.

Please read about the Satanic Panic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. From a spiritual person who is very far from your idea of a traditional Christian... you sweet summer child. You really sound clueless. Satanists *do* "sacrifice babies and drink their blood", as well as many other creatures. That's part of how you connect to satan, who craves, pain, torture, blood, chaos, etc. The best way to get that is through killing a living being and ideally torturing them for a long period of time beforehand.

Anyway, you seem extremely naive and like you couldnt even handle having your rose colored glasses ripped off, so I'll just leave it there. I'd advise you not to wade in spiritual waters that you're way out of your depth in. I.e.- don't decide "these satanists are just punk rock fun! " and try it out. Or do, but man... you're very innocent and gullible, so be aware of that.

You sweet summer child, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Members of the CoS do not do these things, nor do they “worship” Satan, nor do the vast majority of them even believe he exists.

You sweet summer child. Keep deluding yourself. You have no clue what you're talking about. So ignorant, so gullible. Anyway...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given all the terrible and hateful stuff people do in the name of religion, my vote is no, there’s no difference.

I think people do a lot more good in the name of religion than bad.

Whereas "doing good in the name of Satan" is simply contradictory and impossible by definition.

It isn't, actually. Satanists define the primary virtues as personal freedom, materialism, kindness for the virtuous, intelligence, knowledge, and "doing unto others as they do to you." It's pretty American, all told.

You can’t possibly claim to speak for all Satanists. Maybe just for the fake Satanists (who don’t really believe in it all) who are trolling religion. But there are plenty of Satanists who do actually think evil (however you define that) is a “good” thing.

I find it amusing that you (a Christian?) are trying to define who is a "real Satanist" and who isn't. The Satanic virtues are pretty much the same ideas for both atheist Satanists and religious Satanists.

Oh really? You’re the one who tried to give Satanism a narrow scope.

Why are you lying so transparently?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-devil-you-know-the-satanic-cult-leader-who-loved-animal-sacrifices-orgies-and-murder
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2016/03/13/officials-probe-satanic-animal-sacrifices-on-long-island/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ctpost.com/policereports/amp/Cops-Rooster-burned-in-apparent-satanic-ritual-4009133.php
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-work-of-the-devil/amp/

Just the first few hits that came up, there are plenty more.

And in the 80s, people were sure Satanists were running day care rings. It's all fear mongering nonsense.

No, those are news articles with evidence of people who worship Satan killing people. I don’t think the people who were killed and their families think satanic killings are nonsense.

Those aren't"news articles" and aren't even evidence that satanic cults killed these people. Read the links and then do some more googling on the perpetrators and victims.

Briefly, the first guy was a psychopath. If you read about the poor guy Mark Killroy, the people who tortured and killed him were not "satanists." They were a murderous group/cult involved in drug smuggling, magic spells and something closer to voodoo.

I think actual cults of people who worship Satan and murder people are non-existent or rare.

Found the apologist for Satanic killers. Dude just stop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) The actual Church of Satan is a secular humanist organization whose primary goal is to undermine attempts by right-wing christian fundamentalist groups to turn the US into a theocracy (look up the Satanist response to the Texas anti-abortion laws for a perfect example).

2) Yes, there are some people who suffer from severe, untreated mental illness who commit horrible acts and claim to do so in the name of Satan.

3) There are also people who commit horrible acts and claim to do so in the name of Jesus. These people, despite what many religious people will tell you, are not categorically different from those who commit the same acts in the name of Satan.

For example, a close friend is an assistant district attorney who has handled several child sexual abuse cases. One abuser was a devout Christian who molested a number of boys and his M.O. was to tell the boys how important sexual purity is and then demonstrate that touching their genitals is evil and a sin against Jesus…by touching their genitals. He would proceed to molest them and then punish them if they appeared to enjoy it.

Is this man a true follower of Christianity? He says he is. He goes to church 3 times a week. Pays his offerings, had a church wedding to a devout Christian woman and committed all his acts of abuse in his good Christian home or in the church building itself, referencing bible verses and Christian teachings literally as he molested prepubescent children.

A lot of Christians would say that he is not a “real” Christian, but when someone who claims to worship Satan then does something equally vile in pursuit of that belief, they say, “See, we told you Satan is a powerful leader of a real religion competing with Christianity for the souls of men!”

My take is that people who are driven to commit evil and abusive acts will grab on to any convenient ideology to justify themselves. Blaming everything evil on Satan is a way to absolve yourself of responsibility for trying to combat evil. People don’t commit child abuse and murder because the devil made them do it. They do so because they have the right combination of mental health issues, trauma and opportunity to act out.

When we fight to normalize and increase access to mental health care, or to provide financial logistical and educational resources to parents that reduce neglect and trauma for at-risk children, the result is a decrease in violence and abuse in society. But if we don’t want to do those things, saying that only Jesus can stop evil is a good excuse for not trying.

—Christian woman

Different poster here, please humor me. In regards to the bolder: To my mind, the child abuser you describe is actually an adherent of the devil, not Christianity. He may not acknowledge it consciously, but he is following satanic impulses. Definitely not a Christian. He has wrapped himself in the cloak of Christianity, and that is why he is so dangerous.

I believe the topic of this thread is Satanism. You're talking about the belief of some Christians that people who do atrocious things are being influenced by the devil. These are two different subjects.

A third confounding thing here is the idea that satanic cults exist in which people sacrifice babies etc to worship Satan.

And yet a fourth confounding factor is mentally ill people who hear voices and have delusions that the devil is controlling them or telling them to do things.

If op is talking about Satanism, the Church of Satan: this is the Anton LaVey stuff. They don't believe Satan exists, they don't worship Satan. Satan is the symbol for their core beliefs of self indulgence, carnality, non conformity, etc.

Then there are a few actual Satan worshippers who are. Like the people in Rosemary's baby I guess, but really not a lot of confirmed murders in the name of Satan.

Anonymous wrote:LOL. From a spiritual person who is very far from your idea of a traditional Christian... you sweet summer child. You really sound clueless. Satanists *do* "sacrifice babies and drink their blood", as well as many other creatures. That's part of how you connect to satan, who craves, pain, torture, blood, chaos, etc. The best way to get that is through killing a living being and ideally torturing them for a long period of time beforehand.

Anyway, you seem extremely naive and like you couldnt even handle having your rose colored glasses ripped off, so I'll just leave it there. I'd advise you not to wade in spiritual waters that you're way out of your depth in. I.e.- don't decide "these satanists are just punk rock fun! " and try it out. Or do, but man... you're very innocent and gullible, so be aware of that.

You sweet summer child, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Members of the CoS do not do these things, nor do they “worship” Satan, nor do the vast majority of them even believe he exists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) The actual Church of Satan is a secular humanist organization whose primary goal is to undermine attempts by right-wing christian fundamentalist groups to turn the US into a theocracy (look up the Satanist response to the Texas anti-abortion laws for a perfect example).

2) Yes, there are some people who suffer from severe, untreated mental illness who commit horrible acts and claim to do so in the name of Satan.

3) There are also people who commit horrible acts and claim to do so in the name of Jesus. These people, despite what many religious people will tell you, are not categorically different from those who commit the same acts in the name of Satan.

For example, a close friend is an assistant district attorney who has handled several child sexual abuse cases. One abuser was a devout Christian who molested a number of boys and his M.O. was to tell the boys how important sexual purity is and then demonstrate that touching their genitals is evil and a sin against Jesus…by touching their genitals. He would proceed to molest them and then punish them if they appeared to enjoy it.

Is this man a true follower of Christianity? He says he is. He goes to church 3 times a week. Pays his offerings, had a church wedding to a devout Christian woman and committed all his acts of abuse in his good Christian home or in the church building itself, referencing bible verses and Christian teachings literally as he molested prepubescent children.

A lot of Christians would say that he is not a “real” Christian, but when someone who claims to worship Satan then does something equally vile in pursuit of that belief, they say, “See, we told you Satan is a powerful leader of a real religion competing with Christianity for the souls of men!”

My take is that people who are driven to commit evil and abusive acts will grab on to any convenient ideology to justify themselves. Blaming everything evil on Satan is a way to absolve yourself of responsibility for trying to combat evil. People don’t commit child abuse and murder because the devil made them do it. They do so because they have the right combination of mental health issues, trauma and opportunity to act out.

When we fight to normalize and increase access to mental health care, or to provide financial logistical and educational resources to parents that reduce neglect and trauma for at-risk children, the result is a decrease in violence and abuse in society. But if we don’t want to do those things, saying that only Jesus can stop evil is a good excuse for not trying.

—Christian woman

Different poster here, please humor me. In regards to the bolder: To my mind, the child abuser you describe is actually an adherent of the devil, not Christianity. He may not acknowledge it consciously, but he is following satanic impulses. Definitely not a Christian. He has wrapped himself in the cloak of Christianity, and that is why he is so dangerous.

But that is literally the conversation: if Christians say that anyone who believes or does anything they disagree with is a follower of Satan, then Satan is a meaningless code word for “bad”—meaningless because it is completely subjective. Who says your version of christianity where molesting kids is bad is the prevailing version? The man in question believed he was a good Christian. You say he is a Satanist because he’s not your kind of Christian.

Using the word Satanist in that was is meaningless and therefore useless. I would argue that the only people we can meaningfully say are Satanists are self-proclaimed Satanists, and the majority of those are secular humanists engaged in group trolling.

Satan, or Ha Satan, is Hebrew for "the accuser." The spirit of accusation is Satanic. I see a lot of it going around. Accusations. If that's what you like, it's rather unfortunate. Hope hell isn't too hot!