Satanism

[Yuda]

Hmmm, just read over the principles of LaVeyan Satanism, it actually sounds rather good.

Was it LaVey that wrote the Satanic Bible? I remember reading it years ago, some of it was interesting and could be construed as anarchic, although I wasn't overly keen on the ultra-individualist bent.

[Zazaban]

Was it LaVey that wrote the Satanic Bible?

Yes, he wrote it.

[Francois Tremblay]

LaVey pretty much designed his new ideology to be the exact opposite of Christianity. Insofar as that goes, I think it ends up being a lot better than Christianity.

[Marja]

... I think Christianity had already filled the niche of the exact opposite of Christianity.

[Yuda]

Was it LaVey that wrote the Satanic Bible?

Yes, he wrote it.

Should have read the rest of the thread first .....

[Yarrow]

the principles are fine, though incomplete for formation of a healthy society (i think). the book itself is a manual for evil geniuses, who can read between the lines of propaganda for violent morons.

[Francois Tremblay]

... I think Christianity had already filled the niche of the exact opposite of Christianity.

How can something be its opposite?

[birthday pony]

... I think Christianity had already filled the niche of the exact opposite of Christianity.

How can something be its opposite?

Religion can be contradictory and illogical because it's not about rationality it's about what people believe and feel.

[Francois Tremblay]

I know religion is irrational. But even something irrational cannot be its opposite. A racist cannot also be anti-racist. A statist cannot be an Anarchist.

[Marja]

I mean that established Christianity can directly contradict the beliefs of the earliest Christians and/or of dissident Christians today.

One classic example is the use of the letter to the Romans to justify the state; it was once used to condemn participation in the state. A shift from absolute nonviolence to the crusader mentality. A shift from "be not unequally yoked" to defending patriarchy. A shift from Matthew 19:12 and Acts 8 to defending heteronormativity. A shift from Galatians 3:28 to outright nationalism. A shift from Philemon to defending slavery, and only later condemning it. A shift from "firstborn of all creation" to the Nicene Creed. A call to "love your neighbor as yourself," all too often gets combined with hatred of one's self or hatred of one's neighbors, in the name of one or another cause.

One could condemn almost every implication of established Christianity, on Christian grounds. Not theism itself, but still...

[Francois Tremblay]

Yea, but those contradictions are already contained within the Bible. It's possible to find a sect that believes the opposite of any other on any topic, I would think.

[Yarrow]

turn the other cheek, then overturn the tables in the temple. and that's just one 'man' (depending on the council of nicea).

[ambi]

How can something be its opposite?

lol, a little of the old "A and not A can never be valid" eh, Francois?

surely you've heard of newspeak - war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, etc.

when it comes to church and state, only the contradictory can be 'true.'

there are people who call themselves "christian" because they've read some of the supposed words of a (semi-)mythical person commonly referd to as 'christ.' what the 'christ' said was often contradictory, so these people ignore the bad stuff and accept the good - al the while calling themselves christian. so i don't think that all christians should be lumped together as bad guys. weak minded, yed, but bad, no.

[Francois Tremblay]

Saying "war is peace" is a deliberate act to mislead people and confuse them. This fact implies that one is very conscious that they are not in fact similar at all.

[ambi]

Saying "war is peace" is a deliberate act to mislead people and confuse them.

except when one is invoking newspeak to show irony, or even for humor, such as when Marja said:

I think Christianity had already filled the niche of the exact opposite of Christianity.