From: ikonen@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Ian Konen)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: Re: What is "occult?"
Date: 12 Oct 92 19:50:27 GMT
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

In <1992Oct12.151918.9068@twisto.eng.hou.compaq.com> mccreary@sword.eng.hou.compaq.com (Ed McCreary) writes:

>In article <1992Oct12.125501.164757@dstos3.dsto.gov.au> jsm@ibis.dsto.gov.au (James Marcus) writes:
>>ikonen@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Ian Konen) writes:
>>
>>>In <n0b4ft@ofa123.fidonet.org> David.Rice@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:
>>
>>>>Whereas most Christians believe in the occult (God / devils /
>>>>angels / demons / etc.) Satanists for the most part do not.
>>>>In fact, most Satanists do not believe in Satan, let alone
>>>>worship it/him, and consider the belief of such things silly.
>>>> 
>>>>If you ask, I will post some info on Satanism, and what
>>>>Satanists really believe.
>>
>>>Please do.  This is not the first time I have heard Satanists refered to as
>>>people who neither worship nor believe in Satan.  What is the difference
>>>between a Satanist and an atheist?
>>>							-Ian Konen
>>
>>This stuff about Satanists NOT worshipping Satan is absolute RUBBISH!
		[useless information deleted]
>>

>Gee, this sounds familiar.  "I've got a great proof, but no time
>to type it in.  I'll get to it later..."

>The fact is, most (to generalize) Satanists call themselves that
>for one of two reasons.

>a) shock value

>b) they use the symbol of Satan to represent personal freedoms
>and/or the more visceral instincts of man.  In this case they
>do not truely believe that Satan as a supernatural being exists.

	This second part seems a little silly to me.  I can see how people
value such attributes associated with Satanism (free thought, individualism,
etc.), since these are things I value myself.  I however, do not consider
myself a Satanist, since it seems that the most accepted description of Satan
is a supernatural being who embodies all that is evil.  To say, "I don't
consider Satan the embodiment of evil, just the imaginary representation of
various traits that I value, therefore it's o.k. for me to worship him/it,"
seems to me to be the same thing as defining God as Existance, or the sum
total of all energy in the universe, and therefore professing to be an atheist
who believes in God.  Both statements are just definition games.  My Webster's
dictionary defines God as the creator and ruler of the universe, and Satan as
the chief evil spirit, the adversary of God and humanity.  If we can't agree
on some universal definition to go by, there is no point arguing what exists
or even what should be worshipped.  
	If there are any Satanists reading this, I apologize if I seem to be
insulting your [ can we even call it a religion?  I notice no one else has
specifically referred to it as such] religion.  I'm just still not convinced
of the significance of Satanism.
						Ian Konen


>--
>In the midst of the word he was trying to say,|McCreary@sword.eng.hou.compaq.com
>     In the midst of his laughter and glee,   |Me, speak for Compaq?  
>He had softly and suddenly vanished away---   |Yeah, right.
>     For the Snark *was* a Boojum, you see.   |#include <stddisclaimer.h>
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