352
These are just my personal thought on the ‘phantom’ Satanic community [sic] I’ve been hearing about lately, yet can’t find or see. Who knows, maybe I’m blind or ignorant?
In my opinion, this “satanic community” is what may be understood as an ‘abstractification.’ By this I mean to say that it is an abstract entity as “god” is to Christianity; as “the People” is to Communism and/or democratic republics. It is an intangible abstract concept which only exists as a mental idealism and is used in the same way the other mentioned abstract idealisms are used – to empower or legitimize something or someone. Abstract ideals are very good at this.
Lets take the abstractification of “god” as our first example. How was it utilized in it’s early days? By Popes and the Church. To do what? To legitimize their authority. Later after the Protestant Reformation forever crippled the power and authority of the Catholic Church how was this old abstract idealism utilized? To legitimize the power and authority of the King – who used it to legitimize his claim that he was “divininely appointed” as king. God can be considered a sectarian abstactification of legitimacy.
What would a secular – nonreligious institution such as a political regime use to legitimize itself? “The People.” Just as a priesthood has the mystical powers of speaking on behalf of God; so the lawyers and politician speak on behalf of “the People.” Even though in most cases the actual body of citizenry itself most often disagree with the policies of the political regimes. I mean who in their right minds – proletarian or not – would agree with China’s communist government and its questionable activities (human rights violations, information blackouts, violations of religious freedom, occupation of Tibet etc)? “The People” is an abstract ideal loosely based on the concept of all citizens of a nation. The two are two very different entities/phenomena. One – the citizenry is composed of actual people who desire to think for themselves and live out their short lives in peace. The other is an abstract ideal used by a group of people as a means to legitimize and/or empower themselves in the eyes of the citizenry in question.
The Satanic Community [sic] is also an abstract idealism. A new one which just emerged along with certain very new groups of satanic institutions and/or satanists. Being new in an already existing industry (Satanism), or being the new kid on the block means that these new organizations or new kinds of satanists must seek security and affirmation of self worth and legitimacy. How do they legitimize themselves? By using “the satanic community” as a crutch or legitimizer.
One such newly emerged phenomenon is Theistic Satanism. The kind that actually worships satan as an actual existing being. These new brands of satanism are so knew that they rarely have an established doctrine as say the “modern satanism” or the Temple of Set. This isn’t because they are fake. It’s because it is still in its infancy, but it is a growing phenomenon. Being so new and not having much “meat” in the doctrine department these groups and/or individuals create an abstract ideal to use to make themselves look legit to other Satanists. Since a ‘community of satanists’ exists which SHARES COMMON BELIEFS AND GOALS, and since they are “members” of this satanic community, they must be legitimate, otherwise, how would they be accepted into such a community as a recognizes affiliate?
In otherwords, when someone from one of these newly emerged satanisms says “satanic community” and implies that they are members of said community, they are basically saying: I share the same common beliefs and goals as you do, therefore I am legit just like you are.
But Theistic satanism isn’t the only group to utilize the abstractification of the “satanic community” to legitimize and ‘empower’ themselves. Newly formed Churches and newly emerged satanic organizations of any brand will use this abstract ideal as a legitimizing crutch. For example Legivorden and his Dark Church of Satan who speaks of the satanic community as not only existing, but in dire need of repare. Such a new satanic church that literally came out of nowhere, lacks any doctrine, and only has a ning site to show for its existence NEEDS to lean on the “Satanic Community” to legitimize its existence in other people’s eyes. Which is all this abstractification is all about really. It’s the politics of manipulating people to accept you and your authority.
Is there really a Satanic Community? Does The People really exist? If a satanic Community exists who or what groups composes it? All Satanists? Like myself? When was I ever informed or was I ever given a choice? If I am a member of said community do I have a say in its politics and decision making? Those same Satanists that use this Satanic Community will say that its an unorganized “community” based on common beliefs and goals and nothing more, so I have no say in the politics or decision making. But if this is the case, then how come other satanists can pass judgment and decide who belongs to or represents the “Satanic Community?” How can some satanists say that such and such Satanic organization is a cancer in the Satanic Community and must be cut out, or that such and such Satanic organization must be weeded out of the Satanic Community or do not represent it? If all Satanists are de facto members of a community of satanists, do we not all get a say in the politics of the community?
If you study satanists carefully, you will see that those who affiliate with older brands of satanism, or those who have been Satanists for a long time do not need the Satanic Community to lean on, and most shun the idea. It is only the “newbies” – those new organizations that tout the divinity and existence of such a community.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe in a ‘fake’ satanist; no more than a ‘fake’ Christain, or a ‘fake’ American. We each just have different opinions, and I personally on a private level might not agree with every opinion out there satanic or not. I’m just pointing out the fact that some Satanists have in their pockets an abstract ideal called the “Satanic Community” which use to be just a tool to legitimize their existence, but now, many of these newly emerged satanists are becoming much bolder and are using this abstract ideal to beat people with.
[Written by Marctulius of 352 when he was inspired by recent events]
