Hi i am new to this forum, but a reader and believer in Dr.LaVeys doctrine and philosophy since roughly 1985. My questions are not of really concern, they are just my personal beliefs from things in life i have encountered with all my senses. One like i mentioned i follow what Dr. LaVey wrote and believe with full heart and mind, BUT i do have a belief in some "sort" of supernatural energy/beings. NOT Biblical mumbo jumbo, but some sort of inteligent non physical energy/entities (calling it this as i have no other term right now to mind). I have never thought of my experiences with this energy as good nor evil, it is just there and i guees to each person it would be something different to there mind and body. Mr. Gilmore states in a interview i read "The CoS" does not believe in supernatural beings of any kind! Not his exact words but along those lines. I have undertood CoS doctrine to state that this is a individualist religion, no two members may ever agree on anything outside of they are both members of the same organization with the same foundation as there belief, BUT may very well have very different thoughts, as my belief in supernatural non physical energy/entities. I will finish with i search for everything and question everything, i am not swayed easily i do not just buy into things without thought, as was the same with the CoS i investigated and liked very much what i saw. The same goes with my belief in a supernatural existance. Am i breaking or outside or wrong and going against CoS doctrine by my belief here? It should not concern me but i have been dwelling on this issue for sometime now and i figured this is the place to go for the answers i am looking for. I am not looking for a debate on who believes in the supernatural or who does not, that would be contrary to what i am asking here. And would take this topic absolutly nowhere. I want to know if i am wrong for what i believe in with connection to my belief in CoS doctrine.Thanks for any input and time spent! Brian

Satanism is based on doubt not belief.

Most people believe in supernatural entities such as God and Santa Claus. (I rather lean toward Santa myself, but that's another story ).

However Satanism asks you to dispense with all that and strive to be street smart. What if there were no supernatural beings at all?

The advantages in taking this perspective are many, not the least of which is the advantage of not being duped by the many religions that would happily accept your donations and services for life.

I am not going to split hairs here on the issue of "supernatural" versus "preternatural". I think I understand the sense in which you are asking this question.

The biggest Big Ju Ju of all is usually God and Satanism asks you to consider yourself as God, which also has a number of advantages. (You can awaken in the morning, look bleary-eyed in to the mirror and mutter, "Oh God!" and be right! ).

This issue is a little like asking a Victorian lady if she has orgasms when she has sex. In a sense we don't talk about such things in public.

In the same way, in ritual the Satanist shelves his disbeliefs and indulges in directly interacting with any and all supernatural beings he so desires.

The trick is, in both places, both inside and outside the ritual chamber, to not con yourself with regard to why you are doing what you are doing. Beliefs can sometimes make good servants but are always poor masters.

Doubt can enable you to test and discover truth.

Belief, however, can lock you into the cellar of delusion.

It is not so much a matter of doctrine, in my opinion, as it is a matter of using these ideas to produce desired results.

Just use your head and remember why you are doing whatever you are doing.

That's how I see it.