Respected Church of Satan members,

I have been present on this forum for something like a week now.

One of my reasons for joining this forum is trying to figure out how exactly I would benefit from membership in the Church of Satan.

I was told by a high ranking member that it is not about getting a nice little red card with your name of it (although I do fancy plastic cards with my name on it).

I have also understood that it all works on a "quid pro quo" basis, I give the money - you give me membership. That is also a principle I agree with.

I have seen on this forum that people have already been asking about eventual benefits from membership. I could not find a straightforward answer.

I was also told that by a high ranking member that one's religious commitment is an important thing. Of course, but I don't think that by buying membership I will also buy my religious identity.

Doktor LaVey was very generous in this way, making his work public. Paying for membership would make much more sense to me if his work wasn't public and one had to pay to gain access to his written wisdom.

In my opinion, publicity can only hurt the Church of Satan, not because of the negative publicity but because of attracting all kinds of people who may not be the kind of people considered Satanic.

I have found this also on this very forum. Nonetheless, I have read some very interesting and very intelligent postings, but mostly from higher ranking members. And intelligent discussion is also one of the reasons why I have joined this forum.

I do consider myself a Satanist, and I may be completely wrong (and I would appreciate your clarification on this), but until I see how exactly I can benefit from the Church of Satan - I cannot see why I should join. I don't think that membership would make me more of a Satanist.

The only appeal in membership that I see is getting to know people with power, influential people, with which I would like to collaborate. I know that Satanists are not altruists, so I don't expect to get anything for free, of course.

Let's make all of this a simple question - I pay for membership, I get a card. That's a fair deal. What can I expect after that?

And also, what extra benefits can Active Membership bring?

I will just add that I believe that merely asking - "What's in it for me?" is a purely Satanic concept, so that's why I am posting this.

Thank you for your patience.

>> In my opinion, publicity can only hurt the Church of Satan <<

It hasn't harmed us yet in over 40 years of being the first and only above ground genuine representative organisation of Satanism in the world.

>> because of attracting all kinds of people who may not be the kind of people considered Satanic. <<

The Church of Satan operates as per our principles of maintaining a meritocracy. There are those that know what I am talking about and there are those that don't. Members stratify themselves.

>> The only appeal in membership that I see is getting to know people with power, influential people, with which I would like to collaborate. <<

Well meeting such people is always a boon. But for it to be mutually beneficial what do you yourself bring to the table that will make anyone want to interact with you. So far you are not doing very well.

>> I cannot see why I should join. <<

Then please don't.

Personally, I didn't dither about asking the kind of questions you are asking. And the benefits and pleasures I have enjoyed came to me as a natural consequence both of my life outside of the CoS and because of my input into it.

If you have talents then you will reap rewards.

I am not about to divulge the nature of my own positive experience - information is on a need to know basis. As of yet, you have not shown that you have a good hand of cards. We won't show you ours.

"I am not about to divulge the nature of my own positive experience - information is on a need to know basis. As of yet, you have not shown that you have a good hand of cards. We won't show you ours."

That is fair, and exactly the kind of answer I was looking for.

Thank you very much for your quick and useful response.