From: rtsumn01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu
Subject: Re: Name That Deity contest!!!
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 23:48:45 GMT
Organization: University of Louisville

In article <By6sKq.6z2@ddsw1.mcs.com>, bes@ddsw1.mcs.com (Bes) writes:
> ###rtsumn01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:
> : I'm fed up with all the complaints and criticisms, both on and off
> : the Net, for my chosen religion.
> : 
> : I could use logic to explain my position, but you know athiests, 
> : they have their faith and "know" what's Right  :)##
> 
> 
> Do you know any better?

It was mild humor on my part. Notice the smiley. It was also serious.
I have had run-ins with a few atheists and agnostics who "know" the
way the world works and have a narrow definition of "Satanism" which
they are determined will exclude me. It doesn't matter if their
opinion isn't important to me, they continue to express it to me.
Much like a few people of other religions I have run into. It was a
little joke, based on a few people, much as my frequent characterizations
of "Xians" are based on a few people.

I know what works for me. I dont pretend to know whether it will work
for anyone else.
 
> ##: So instead I want to try something different. I want to be 
> : something else besides a Satanist. One little problem:  I need a
> : good symbol. Are there any gods, or other appropriate beings, who
> : would be good for representing:  
> : 
> :      Night
> :      Death
> :      The bestial side of humanity
> :      Worldly power
> :      Love (for your own side)
> :      Sex
> :      Equality
> :      Knowledge, reason, enlightenment
> :      Change (e.g. overturning the status quo)
> :      Dualism######
> 
> Then you shouldn't be asking that question in alt.satanism if you don't want
> to be one any more.

How many people on alt.satanism believe in Satan?

I asked here because many of the qualities I listed have been related
to Satan over time. I hoped that other readers of this newsgroup, being
interested in the topic of Satan, might have some knowledge of the
history, and related figures in mythology, that they could share with
me. In fact I have gotten some interesting suggestions.

> Besides, you have good enough symbols in night, death, love, sex etc.. just
> worship these as they are said. But do you really know what you want?

Yes. I know what I want. If I wanted to simply worship those things as
they are I would become--oh, I don't know the name offhand. Something
similar to a pagan. I know what I want, which is why I gave a list and
requested a symbol to sum them up.

To clarify my position, which I thought would be clear if one read
between the lines, but evidently I am wrong, I wanted to be a
Satanist with a different name so I didn't catch as much flack.
 
> : 
> ##: That's all I can think of for now. If anyone comes up with a
> : suitable god, I guess I'll switch over. Otherwise, I'll have to
> : start practicing Black Masses in order to justify my continued
> : existence, and I would so hate to go to all the trouble of 
> : becoming a defrocked priest.
> : 
> : --Semhaza (of course I'll still be the Antichrist)##
> 
> Semhaza, you're putting us on. I thought you were serious, but with this
> last statement.......really.;-)
> 
> Bes

Okay. It's been almost a year and nobody has yet asked *why* I am the
Antichrist. Probably most have assumed it is a juvenile tough stunt.
Maybe a few have guessed at the real reason (Shaitan did, for one, but
he has an edge).

I am the Antichrist because I have taken it upon myself to do what I can
to combat what I see as the worst features of Christianity in my
society. I feel that some of its elements have done and continue to
do a great deal of harm in the US, and I want to do my part to remedy
the situation. I feel it is one of the main causes of the miserable
state this society is in. Were I to go to a different planet and find
a similar situation, I would have to become the False Prophet, the 
Non-Ziggurma, or whatever. It's a title and a description, nothing more.
Because I included some humor in my post does not mean the whole thing
was a put-on.

Sigh...I can see I've opened a real can of worms. I dont think I've
ever chased anybody off the group just because they said they didn't
want to be a Satanist....

--Semhaza