I have already sent in the payment by Paypal and now on 01/14/10, I am waiting for the right time to personally mail the remaining stuff in the Post Office.

I would drop it in the drop box but I want it to be sent to the administrative office pronto.

I will see some of you downstairs eventually!

Hail Satan!

Congrats!

It was a very powerful feeling when I got my Crimson Card. See you downstairs!

Downstairs is where all the cool people hang out
Congrats Sir!

Congratulations LordOfDarkness!

I received my card on Oct. 31st of last year

See you in the Underworld.

Thank you all!

Well I just gave the rest to the Post Office.

They said it would be sent off after 5pm.

Now I got to wait up to 16 weeks.

Just remember:
"The watched pot never boils!"

I recieved mine (in Iraq!) in less than 16 weeks, so it may be sooner for you.

Don't forget to bring the case of beer when you make it downstairs.

It's a great feeling to see the membership package in the mailbox. Congrats!

Thank you!

I hope it gets here soon.

It's nerve racking because I'm so eager to have it. Lol

Man am I going to party once I get it!!

HS!

Do you get the membership card just by being a Registered Member or do you need to be accepted as an Active Member?

I honestly don't see the point in registering if you don't have the intent on being an Active Member. Being an Active Member means you have something to contribute, and possibly something to gain.

My main reason for not applying is that I currently don't have $200 to spend (currently unemployed).

You don't get it.

It should be more, if anything. Satanists are too generous for their own good. They give too much wisdom away for free, too many podcasts for free, too much music for free, too many essays for free, and they give away membership too cheaply.

Being a non-member, I get a hard on at the thought of how much more I would gain through membership. It's a good job I have my application sorted.

Yes, you get the Crimson card for being a Registered Member, you just don't get the secret decoder ring.



For many people, just registering is enough for them, it is a show of support for a philosophy they hold dear, or they hold off on Active membership until they have something more to contribute.



For some people, yeah, two hundred dollars is a lot, but no one is obligated to join. Satanism is about self-preservation, and in the case of one who doesn't have the money, not joining is the more Satanic thing to do.

Also, think about it: to join the Church of Satan you have to pay a ONE-TIME fee, that's it, nothing more, and you are a life time member. Other organizations, be they churches, book clubs, etc, end up charging a Helluva lot more. So tell me, honestly, which is cheaper?

I never heard anything about Dr LaVey's daughters getting money from his books, as I was of the belief that they were stricken from his will. But that is none of our business anyway, so why worry about it?

Please note that I only speak for myself and in no way, shape, or form, am I an Agent for the Church of Satan.

From the Church of Satan website:

We don’t solicit memberships; however, if you wish to join us to show your support or appreciation you can become a Registered Member. For a one-time registration fee of two hundred dollars in United States currency, you will receive an embossed crimson card declaring you a member of the Church of Satan.

There comes a sense of pride when one shows support for a religious organization that they agree with. Satanists who join the Church of Satan do so because they WANT to and get some sort of satisfaction from it. If one were to deny their desire to join then that would be an application of abstinence and we all know just how un-Satanic that is.



I have long held the point of view that financial freedom is life mastery. If the small ONE TIME fee of $200.00 causes you to sacrifice other personal endeavours then it is much wiser to await membership. Satanism is not a sacrificial religion.

The information you provided about Anton LaVey's daughters I suspect is something you read on the internet. Not everything you read on the internet is true.

Congratulations, LordOfDarkness. I must confess my envy of you (the good kind of envy, of course).

Unknown pretty much hit the nail on the head. It would be quite un-Satanic to pay the membership fee and then have to explain to my landlord why I don't have enough money for rent. That's pretty much why I've decided to postpone registering until I'm back in school, and save active membership until after I've graduated when I'll have more free time to contribute.

$200 is pricey?

*laughs*

Dude I've spent that on just one shirt and I only wore it maybe twice.

that is either a really,REALLY nice shirt,or it came with a handjob.
Which is it?

There's a decorder ring for active members!?

Damn that sounds badass!



It was too much for me for sometime. I had to wait a few years due to bills and financial opportunities.

This time, I was lucky and got $400+ more than expected. I had the excess $200 and if spend either by membership or something else, I wouldn't have any financial issues.

That was my opportunity to spend it on membership.



Thank you! I'll be downstairs when you finally become a member also.

Just let your envy be your guide!

Hail Satan! \m/ (I'm presenting my 'horns' also known as the cornu handsign)

Yes, a shame I haven't seen you downstairs yet, you are a Registered Member after all.

Perhaps I wandered down the wrong stairwell also.

Don't worry, It happens from time to time In any case I'm glad you joined, it would have been rather perverse to show that "COS Member" banner on your site if you hadn't.

Well I am super jealous.
Being a poor student does not rock.

Congrats, hope it comes quickly!

The fee was raised because it needed to be raised. And it is still nominal.

For those who may have missed this, do follow the thread for additional observations on the fee.

I actually sat down to do the math, and even adjusting for the current fee, I've worked out that my membership so far has cost me about $1.38 per month. I spend over three times that amount for AAA membership, and I've never had to call them for a tow. Hell, the bottled drink I buy on my lunch hour usually costs more than $1.38.

When I think of all of those things made possible through my COS membership: the incredible individuals I've met, the friendships I've made, the group rituals, the parties, the projects I've created, other members' projects I've gotten enjoyment from (artwork, free message boards, zines, books, free radio programs, etc.)...I have to laugh at people who think the fee is too much. I can only imagine that they've never paid for anything that didn't involve a counter and a cash register.

Originally posted by Rev. Bill_M

Just out of curiosity, where does this money go and what does it do? Is it for upkeep of websites/radio/zines/etc or is there something else?

Administrative costs.

This has all been explained ad nauseum on this board, but if you think about it for three seconds it all makes sense. The Church of Satan pays its taxes. The materials in the membership packets cost money, not to mention the fact that, like Reverend Bill M said, it is ridiculously cheap all things considered.

Especially in comparison to tithes in the Christian Church; and they aren't honest about their money making. The Church of Satan is.

Exactly!

Not mention that all of this is explained on The Church of Satan official website under Affiliation. So when someone wanders in here asking such a question I just kindly role my eyes. Anyone serious about Affiliation would know that.

Very nicely said!

I often traverse multiple stairways unsure if the breadcrumb trails were left for or by me...



( I wouldn't fly the banner if my card had expired )

And I spent more on two Bowlers. One of which I gave my 2 year old grandson because it wasn't exactly what I wanted.

(Side note to you, Callier. The one I gave him was from "Hatsinthe Belfry." If you need another good hat, try www.millerhats.com. They are great quality, and when they say "Delivered in 4 days," that is exactly how long it took mine to arrive.)

Thumbs up on millerhats, good stuff.

Take an old Crysler badge off a car at the dump and wear it upside down on a bit of string.

I have already spent quite a few dollars on literature by CoS members (not just the works by Dr. LaVey). I would also like a few items from the Emporium at some point. I don't know exactly where all that money goes and how it is spent later on (and I don't want to start a gossip thread about that, either)--but regardless, it all comes down to supporting the CoS, even if it's a few individual members and not the organization as a whole.

I do understand the reason for affiliating and I intend to do so when I have the financial means.

Let me place this in perspective, and I am not addressing you in particular.

Does anyone here have a favorite band? Do you purchase their CD's and DVD's? Do you attend their concerts? How much do you pay for that? Before doing so, do you contact them to find out exactly where the money is going? Do you start rumors about it when you don't receive a detailed answer?

How about purchasing items at a retail store? Do you question the cashier as to the nature of the price of goods, and exactly how the monies are distributed?

This has gone on long enough here.

No one is forced to join. The fee is nominal. Take it or leave it.

End of story.

No you don't.

You asked a question and made pure speculation on your ignorance. If you had truly understood why members affiliate then you wouldn't have done such a thing. Stop trying to cover your ass!

I wouldn't care where the money goes to as long as $200 is sufficient for The Church of Satan.

I want them to recognize my appreciation for their existence and how much of an impact they have on my life.

It is also a contribution to keep them going if they ever need that money.

I want to be a member because I support The Church of Satan and I want to pay my respects to Anton LaVey. (R.I.P. Anton!)

Being a member is my way of doing that.

Even if they don't need the money, I still would like to give them the $200 for membership.

So... Here I am waiting for a response.

That's totally unnecessary. I hope you feel like a real big shot now.

Magister Phineas pretty much summed all of this up perfectly, there's nothing left to discuss. Thread locked.