I see all the talk of making informed decisions and not being indecisive. At the same time I see that the only way to decide to join is to read the books and agree with the philosophy. No back and forth communication. While to a certain degree that makes sense, it seems counter intuitive. This church was founded by the author and is now run as far as i can see by his apointee. So I see why the system is the way it is. Now I havent read the book yet as I've just found out about all this tonight but why is it that once Ive read all the material that I cant discuss the philosophy behind it all.

I ask this because to join you pay $200 for a card. Sure that opens up the doors to other members and what not but it seems that if this is truly about following philisophical ideologies surrounding the carnal self then shouldnt this exchange be free? Or rather free to an extent? I understand quid pro quo but Im not going to read a book and then just decide to join a religion that forms around it. If that were the case Id have been part of the jediism movement. I would require dialogue once it reaches that point.

>> I understand quid pro quo but Im not going to read a book and then just decide to join a religion that forms around it.<<


Then don't.

Where did you get the silly idea that one has to be a member of the Church of Satan in order to discuss Satanism with anybody?


If you think registered membership in the Church of Satan is no different than buying "a card", then it seems that the whole concept of membership in an organization, never mind lifetime membership, is beyond your mental understanding. Which brings us to:


Your argument makes no sense. Again, you don't have to be a member of the Church of Satan in order to be a Satanist, just as you don't have to be a registered member of the NRA to own a firearm, or be in a yacht club to own a boat, or be a member of Mensa to have a high IQ. But to think that these organization serve no constructive purpose, or nobody should join them, or that they're going to get their funding from thin air, would simply be moronic.

Furthermore, I don't see how you get from "ideologies surrounding the carnal self" to "membership should be free". Being a freeloader is antithetical to Satanism.


No, you don't. Otherwise you wouldn't be expecting organizations to run themselves for free.


And you really think that ALL of us went from reading The Satanic Bible, to joining the Church of Satan the same day? Just like that? Without giving it any thought or discussing ideas with other Satanists? Boy, you sure make some incredibly silly assumptions!

I see that I misunderstood what I was reading. My bad. Its a new concept to me and I really do want to understand.

Very well then.

As I have stated so many times before, to those who have said the same as you over the years: immerse yourself in The Satanic Bible. Study the Church of Satan website.

That's your starting point.