Hello. I've just gotten done reading some of the topics, especially from the Magisters. I really enjoyed the essays found there. I used to use "satanism" (lower case "s") as an excuse to over-indulge in "taboos". This allowed me to continue the religious idea of scapegoating with the excuse of saying "Well I did this or that because it is allowed by my "satanic" religion." And it's sad to know that many who get introduced into real Satanism confuse it, like I did, with irresponible "satanism". I guess I must take responibility for my ignorance and yes, stupidity. Already I was going against the Satanic philosophy. Stupidity! It's easy to fall into stupidity at a young age in order to discover the Satanic lifestyle. Drugs, sex, booze, and violence are easy to take advantage of. But any nimrod can do these. It happens everyday and it makes me laugh when so-called "liberated" Satanist get hooked on these and end up killing themselves. But don't get me wrong I don't judge, cause it almost happened to me! I can laugh at myself now for those times.
Anyways to be a Satanist and use it as an excuse to act like a dickhead seems to be quite hypocritical and "un-Satanic". Well 13 years later I'm where I want and need to be. I'm in control now. I don't need to prove my how "Satanic" I am. And if I do indulge in these behaviors at least I'm aware of it and have fun. So today I try to examine myself and let go of any excuses. If I decide to by dick and get myself killed or have people laugh at me, it's my fault not Satanism, nor anyone else.

WrathfulDorje

This is true. Being judgemental can save your ass more often than not.

I should have posted this topic in the essays, but was to ignorant to check out all the forums.

I can totally identify with what you are saying, I spent the latter part of my teens and some of my twenties believing I was being 'satanic' by being a dickhead, spending as much time out of it on drink and drugs as possible, and being an obnoxious hypocritical moron to anyone who was unfortunate enough to end up in my company (especially when I was Wasted).

How grateful I am to have grown up and realised what Satanism really is, and that I can look back at my past stupidity, not with rose tinted glasses, but with a sense of humour, and the realisation that I didn't have a clue!

HAIL SATAN!

First of all, it's good you learned your lesson, and that is a very valuable lesson to learn.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Using religion as an excuse to do something seems very Christian to me. Many Christians use the “God won’t let anything happen to me if I pray often and have faith in him” excuse for doing stupid and irresponsible things, and then they blame someone or something else when shit happens to them. I’ve seen this several times.

As a Satanist, I do not make excuses for my behavior. When I was seventeen years old, I came to realize that everything that happens in my life is either a result or a consequence of my own actions. Every success is my own credit to myself, and every failure is my own fault.

To view Satanism as an “excuse” for anything, whether good or bad is, in my opinion, a very negative way to view Satanism.

Satanism is not just some “excuse”; it is a gift to those of us who are living for the right reasons, and it is the root of opportunity and personal advancement.

But don't get me wrong I don't judge, cause it almost happened to me!

One of the reasons that Satanists are feared in our culture is that we do judge others and their actions in a society that is unwilling to do so.

Satanism advocates that the individual is responsible for the choices he or she makes. Just because "it" did happen to you (in this case, over-indulgence), that doesn't make it any less stupid, and as a thinking person, you can judge it to be stupidity all the same. The catch is, of course, you must admit you were being stupid at the time.

No Satanist is devoid of flaws and mistakes. However, we admit them and learn from them, everytime.

Welcome to the board.

Judging and being judgemental aren't the same, are they?