So this video has been popping up on Facebook and other websites:
For many people that have been sharing this video it is frightening proof that Satan is out there and is coming for everyone. However, to me there are so many things in this video that point out the flaws of this theory and show the terrible ignorance that Religion allows people to be comfortable with.
First I think that it is important that people know what Satanism is. There are a few different types of Satanism. I will look at two:
-LaVey Satanism (An Atheistic belief system that sees the self as the “god” figure in that you are responsible for you own actions. Followers of this belief system focus on the material world and the rituals or worships that they do focus on worshiping themselves and what they desire. They do not endorse cruelty specifically but they feel that you should only be good to people that deserve it and not waste your time on those that do not. ) Click the Images to enlarge for some of the core Satanic beliefs.
-Luciferianism (Theistic followers believe that Lucifer is actually the good guy in the Bible and he cares for humans and he wants people to enjoy life and be happy. He endorses knowledge and success. Atheistic followers have a similar view as Sanists but they have slightly less emphasis on the physical and take a bit more of a spiritual approach.)
The video mentions Anton LaVey specifically so they are definitely trying to draw on the first of these types. However this type of Satanist that they want to make people afraid of dies not actually exist. Now, I can not say this 100 percent as true because I am sure there are some crazy people out there that have seen the movie version of Satanism and try to summon or sacrifice in order to be rewarded. There are crazy people everywhere, and they should not be allowed to represent a larger group.
Anton LaVey was a showman, and he thought that Religion (especially Christianity) was terrible and foolish and he tried to make a mockery of it on purpose. The Black Mass and the inverted cross were trying to show people that all that symbolism is silly – but no one saw it that way. No one looked at him and thought “wow that is silly, I should quit.” The churches condemned him and made people afraid. If you think about it the opposite of believing in God is not Satan – the opposite is NOT believing at all.
One more quick point about Satanism before I get back to the video, the pentagram is not an evil thing. Pagans use the pentagram as a symbol of unity and energy it is not some demonic thing, but since the churches also condemned Pagans the pentagram was also seen as evil. For many Satanists the pentagram is a very physical symbol (5 elements, 5 senses so on) and when inverted can mean facing your inner darkness and taking control or of giving into the physical world and being “subservient” to your carnal self.
Now that a basic understanding (and I stress BASIC. Satanism as a worship of the self is very personal and can be extremely different for each individual) of the actual beliefs is out of the way I want to get back to some other points in the video.
The video talks about the sweater that Jay-Z wears that says “Do what thou wilt” I would like to first point out that this says do what THOU wilt, not do what Satan wilt or any such nonsense. This quote is telling people to do what makes them happy and I fail to see how that is a bad thing, the video says that this means going against what God wills but if there is a God then wouldn’t he want you to be happy?
Crowley thought people should find purpose and they should go after it fully. He was not as into carnal desire and instant gratification as some Satanists but he thought that if you could find what you really wanted you should the do that one thing and be happy. This finding of what you truly wanted involved a lot of inward contemplation and sometimes meant that you would have to give up instant gratification for a greater purpose, but all of it focused on this one life and was never giving things up for some un foreseeable reward – only give things up for a greater reward that you can actually be sure of getting.
This saying from him also invokes a common Pagan saying (which is in part where he got the idea) that is used in many castings.
The “it harm none” is vital here however, because Wiccans believe that if you do something that will harm someone else it will come back to you three times worse. With this sort of rule there can be no room for casting dark or hurtful magic.
Finally the video focuses on Sasha fierce, who is the Demon/Alter Ego of Beyonce. Now this strikes me as just nonsense but I am going to address it anyways. It seems to me that everyone has an alter ego, some people may have several. This is normal, every situation requires slightly different behavior. Think about how you may act at work or around your family, and then how you may act around friends or at a party. I would imagine that while you are the same person these situations are going to have you acting differently. In order to be a performer worth watching you would need to be loud, and fearless and some people may not be that way in day to day life. So like anyone who would be taking on a role they would change to fit the situation. Beyonce is the only artist I know of that has given this change a name but I have heard many interviews of performers that say they feel a calm that takes over and then they can go out and give a good show. Actors do this as well when they “get into character” and I would imagine that to be necessary.
The sort of thinking in the video strike me as outright silly, but it seems to have grabbed some attention and that saddens me. I want to point out that this should highlight what I have mentioned in previous posts about the harm of Religion – there is a very serious push for giving up this life for the next. What is the harm in being rich or famous? Celebrities may be annoying sometimes (and I think being obsessed with them is also silly) but they are not hurting anyone. Do what makes you happy! The only time I find celebrities as being a bad thing is when they are no longer happy with what they are doing but they continue to do it anyways just for money. Acting or Singing is a job much like any other and these people are just trying to do what they enjoy. Fame comes with a big paycheck, but it also seems to come with just a big of a price (no not your soul, I am referring to privacy and being micro analyzed). Someone who has not met these people or been famous and is watching these videos that makes worldly success and pleasure a terrible thing should take a step back and think about what they are doing.
Am I sure that Beyonce does not worship the devil? No, of course not. I have never met her. However she has done many gospel songs and talks very positively about God. So I doubt it. There is the possibility that she is mocking religion on purpose but I find it much more likely that she was not intentional in this conspiracy and she has said some unfortunate things that got taken out of context (and apparently made some unfortunate faces while on stage).
Atheist Ramblings 