Much to my annoyance, I am hearing this time and time again in discussions of Satanism. People write Satanism off as a legion of unhappy mopers whom cluster together and think they can cast magic spells like something out of Dungeons and Dragons players' basement fantasy.

I like to call myself a reasonable man. I considered the statement (Let us ignore the ignorance pertaining to what Satanists deem magic to be). Was it true? Am I just an unhappy moper who hated life and became a Satanist to spite the world?

I declare no. I admit that I was raised in a single parent household. But one must wonder; if a troubled childhood is what causes one to become a Satanist, then why aren't there more of us? The last I heard, something along the lines of 70% of today's children have what is deemed a dysfunctional home. Whether or not that percentage was pulled out of the ass of an analyst, one needs only look at society to see the misery.

Unhappiness with one's life causes one to seek happiness. When a person is not happy in a society defined by religions of the right-hand path, he or she is inclined to seek happiness from another source. Now, if this person is intelligent in that they don't limit their search for happiness by pre-assumptions (ex. "Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism are the only paths to happiness because they are the only ones I see on the table") then this person is a cantidate for a "conversion" to Satanism or Free-thought Atheism.

I had a very happy childhood with two wonderful parents. My life is what I have made it and it has been a very good life. I am a born Satanist. I never had doubts growing up how I felt about myself and others around me. I do not feel that one's upbringing has much to do with it. I know from my own life that it is what is inside or inherent in a person that has everything to do with being a Satanist.

Personally, I don't care what "the other" people say--because "I" know what is fact.

Hail Satan!

Well this is true in my case but instead of complaining and trying to get sympathy from others I took matters into my own hands. I found Satanism.
Most people with troubled childhoods tend to end up as born-again christians and suddenly see the love everywhere. I know quite a few old friends of mine who turned to christianity because of their 'trauma's'. All they do is whine and complain and try and get sympathy from whoever will give it to them. They tried to convert me too and the phrase that jesus loves me got very annoying, very fast.
Instead of looking back I moved forward. I have put my past behind me and feel better then ever. So I am not an unhappy troubled person, in the contrary, I am content with my life as a Satanist.

Since traumas of the past shape us to no small degree, I believe everything I've been through was good for me, because I like the person I've become.

"Satanists are just people who had troubled childhoods"

This statement is an all-inclusive, dismissive phrase used by those who are either too lazy or too inept to understand Satanism.

It reeks of pop psychology at its worst. It paints the picture that a Satanist is that typically moping "goth" teenager waiting to shoot up a school.

Of course, this is not the case.

I didn't have a troubled childhood. I had both parents around, an active imagination, and never ran afoul of the law.

You need not waste your time with anyone who would tout this mindset as truth.

I knew what I was from early on.

My parents had their problems but did not follow me on through life.

I made sure at an early age to isolate my self from my families problems so I would go and hang out in the woods with my animal friends.

I just learned that there was more to life than the adults were showing me.

As a teenager, I found my own way in life too and watched always from the outside looking in.

I did not like what I seen in my own household so I made my self-scarce to not be in the way.

I found music, dance, and other things to keep me busy as well as my animals, which I learned from an early age to watch, listen too, and enjoy.

As an adult, I also went my way to the beat of a different drum.

I was who I was because of me not because of my parents.

I never had to look for love because I did not have it which was quit the contrary because I had loving Grandparent and other relatives that did love me.

I never searched for love either because it always found me.

This is why I can say, “I was born a Satanist and not made”.

I was responsible for who I was and who I have become. No one did this for me but me and I will continue on this path until the end of time.

I agree, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger..
I've been through some hefty traumatic experiences, I'll spare the whining and say that instead of falling apart, I'm actually stronger from my past, and I feel at Home with the CoS in my life, and yadda yadda...Anyways, trauma or not, I've grown and I realize that the Satanic Belief mirrors my own in many ways, and intrigues me in others.

"Satanists are just people who had troubled childhoods"

Identifying with generalisations (particularly one as common as "people") seems anathema to the Satanist. In my opinion, those who feel a need to create a defence against such statements have a personal agenda which is independent of Satanic philosophy.

I am generalising, though.

First of all, "troubled childhood" can mean anything from wetting the bed to being in juvy. What the hell does that mean anyway? I think that since Satanists generally have a hard time fitting in with what society deems the "norm", we tend to be labeled, at best different, at worst deviant personalities. So, yeah probably a lot of Satanists had "troubled childhoods" but that just means we didn't fit in to society. Personally I would rather not fit in to society, thank you very much. Did I have a "troubled childhood"? Depends on what you mean by that. I wasn't like all the other kids that for sure, but I made it to adulthood without being incarcerated. I had two loving parents who made their mistakes and thought like the rest of the herd.

I have another question though, why do most people assume that if you have only one parent in the household you have a troubled childhood? There are at least 50% of families these days that at one time or another were a single parent household. Doesn’t seem like it is all that unusual does it? That would be just another damn stereotype. Single family home = troubled childhood=Satanist. Riiiight


Hail Satan!

Anyone making a such a generalized statement like that does not deserve a reply.

Much as I would like to explain the truth, they would not understand, or even accept it, because the statement considers Satanists to be a group.

Satanists are not a group. A grouping of individuals, maybe.

I agree with PWG. This is a snap judgement, a stereotype, a dismissive escape used by people who aren't necessarily frightened to death of the word "Satan" as your nuttier Christians might be.

People seem to be generally dismissive of everything these days, I find. Apathy and dissociation are "cool". Many people, especially young people I've noticed, seem afraid to associate themselves with anything for fear of being mocked in the same way that they mock others. It's "cool" to make fun of everything and everyone. It's "uncool" to take anything seriously, to be passionate about anything that isn't safe pop culture kitsch. It's more acceptable to collect Tiffany records or to be obsessed with some 1970s television show -- because they are "so bad that they're good" -- than it is to demonstrate a sincere interest in something that you truly feel to be worthwhile.

The idea that Satanists are all geeks that sit around in cheap costumes playing role playing games fits into this desensitized kitsch worldview quite nicely. If we are similar to Trekkies or furries or goths or geeks or people who collect vintage lunchboxes--they can deal with that. These people, many of them "hipsters", are so afraid to take anything seriously (and thereby endure the same dismissive derision of their peers) that the idea that someone is actually passionate about something, that someone takes something seriously, is totally alien to them.

These may not be the same sort of people who you're talking about. But they certainly exist, and they are quite dismissive. My questions for them are:

"What actually interests you?"
"What do you identify with?"
"What is important to you?"
"What are you passionate about?"
"What do you take seriously?"

I think many of them would be hard pressed to answer. They hide behind vapid post-modern irony; all of their pleasures are "guilty pleasures".

The cd I'm listening to right now has a song begins with the lyric:

"People who hide are afriad."

These people are empty.

They are dead inside and they care about nothing.

They may imagine themselves outsiders, but in truth they are just part of another herd minded social group whose members fear being singled out.

They are afraid.

*end sermon*

One more thing...

The idea that we are dysfunctional people from dysfunctional families (what does that mean, anyway) is completely bogus. Personally, I have a great relationship with my parents and all of my siblings. They don't necessarily share all of my interests or approve of everything I do. But we talk often and laugh together about this crazy thing called life. My family is important to me, and I enjoy being part of their lives. Is that dysfunctional? Hardly.

Satanism came into my life for the first time through loud and extreme music, that was 20 years ago,and 10 years later i read the satanic bible for the first time, realizing that everything in the book seemed very normal to me, this is what i am, and this is what i'm gonna call myself with pride untill the day i die. I had a troubled youth and was a school drop-out with no future in sight, my family hated my guts and people around me kept on saying that i was a born loser with no future, in the meantime i started up my own company that i'm running pretty succesfully and i'm living the life that no-one believed i would be living, so i look back and laugh now, this is my ultimate revenge...everything i do now, i fought and struggled for..i don't care and i don't mind if i'm a satanist with a troubled childhood,it's a truth. It didn't kill me in the very end, it only made me a strong men with alot of lessons learned. Reading in the satanic bible is like looking in the mirror, it's a reflection of myself. Hail Satan!

Oh.. I think they know how to have fun. We may be talking about different types of people--the folks I'm talking about are anyhing but wallflowers. But they do have fun within a certain set of boundaries. Some of these people are actually laugh riots, and quite fun to be around. They'll do all kinds of nutty things... What they are afraid of (and many only vauguely realize this) is taking life seriously. And I don't mean "seriously" in a sullen, intense way--but in an honest and sincere way. They'd read "Valley of the Dolls" because it's trashy and fun, but they'd avoid a really meaningful book because it's "too deep." It's almost a tabloid sensibility. Much like many Satanists, these hipsters love to laugh at the vulgar foibles of man, but unlike Satanists, they lack any sincere interests. Perhaps my use of the word "serious" could in some cases be replaced by "sincere." I can be one of the most crass people you'll ever meet--but there is something beyond that. I've just had many of these kinds of people as friends and aquaintences over the years, and when you actually try to have a discussion with them that is sincere and revealing...they become uncomfortable quickly.

I think it really is a modern phenomenon. We live in a world where everything is so sensationalized, trivialized. People are desensitized to the point where they don't know how to express emotions. To do so seems too revealing; it makes one quite vulnerable--to actually care about something. I think that because Satanic imagery seems edgy and hip to some people, many Satanists probably find themselves among these folks who find it somehow ironic. Like The Church of the Subgenius. Hip. Underground. Fun. Ironic. But when they realize that you're sincere... they have to find a way to write it off. Or they avoid the topic--which is fine. But a little sad. They just assume that you're emotionally damaged in some way, because Satanism as a worldview is so hard-edged--so NOT a warm fuzzy, like the post 70s/80s/90s ironic humor that they enjoy. I have a good friend who thinks it's hysterical to ask, whenever I mention Satanism, "that's those people you play D&D with, right?" He knows full well what the CoS is--but it's fun and easy for him to laugh it off...because the truth is a little unsettling.

You and I both know that Satanists do know how to have fun.

I like to say that Satanists should laugh louder and cry harder than other people. Life is an intense, real experience; affected people who shut it out and hide behind snickers and crass humor are just watching the movie.

Of course, what these people fail to recognize is that all kinds of people have troubled childhoods or adolescenes.

Just listen to almost any born-again Christian's testimony, and you'll hear SOMETHING sad, tragic, and juicy about when they were younger. I have never heard a "happy" testimonial. But, no one says Christians are just troubled people who had bad childhoods or adolescenes.

So, there's obviously a double standard at work there.

As for me, overall, I had a very nice childhood---lots of ability to play and be creative, two very caring parents, a warm home, food in my belly, and excellent health care. The only dark spots on my childhood are the episodes of teasing, humiliation, and bullying by fellow classmates and certain teachers in middle and elementary school.

Oh, and Jack, does this more or less illustrate what you're describing?(Scroll to first post. ) http://www.satannet.com/lttd/showflat.ph...true#Post232489

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Oh, and Jack, does this more or less illustrate what you're describing?(Scroll to first post. ) http://www.satannet.com/lttd/showflat.ph...true#Post232489

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Kind of, yes. I think the kind of cynicism you're talking about lays the foundation for the kind of cynicism I'm talking about.

Hey now, I'm a depressed mopey asshole with a traumatic childhood. Mommy didn't hug me enough. I'm 2 pounds overwieght, I WANT TO DIE!!! So instead I became a Satanist.

Uhh, for those of you who need the explaination, YES, I'm being sarcastic.

Personally, I think you're wrong when you say...

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Unhappiness with one's life causes one to seek happiness

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From what I've seen of the general population, when they are unhappy (and 90% of the time they create they own unhappy circumstances to begin with) they revert to self-destructive behaviors such as drinking, drugging, and mental problems. Yes, mental instabilities are self-inflicted sometimes.

Personally I don't concern myself with the wanderings of others, I don't care, I don't worry, it's not my problem. Each person has to choose his own lifestyle. A persons religion means very little to me. I have a good friend that I work with who is a Jehovah's Witness. I think for a group (sect, cult, branch, whatever) that reads the holy bible, they are ass backwards. However, he's a genuine person, he's courteous and honest and has a good work ethic like me which is why we have a mutual respect for one another. I'd rather work with him than the several atheists I've ever worked with. We do talk about religion every now and then, but usually we leave the subject alone since we differ so much in that area.

I disagree with the fact that all Satanists had rough childhoods or troubled pasts. Now, I must say that I did not have the 'perfect' life growing up, but I did not get involved in Satanism based off of that alone. I will admit that there were times I was unhappy when I was younger, but I didn't always sit around and mope in a stupor and get all fussy about it. I learned my lessons from when I was younger that simply nothing fails like prayer, no god is going to get you out of any troubled situation that you have created yourself, and to think that would only set yourself up for disappointment and failure.

What separated me from the many peers that I grew up around was that I kept to myself more, I liked solitude a bit better, hated trends and mindless conformity, and did things because I enjoyed them, not because I wanted to be accepted or in fear of getting picked on.

Looking back at my childhood, I have no regrets about any of the decisions I have made on my own. Have I just relied on parental advice, heresay, gossip and rumors from the mindless peers I went to school with, I never would be the person that I am to this day.

hear, hear



-gypsy-

"Religionists have kept their followers in line by suppressing their egos. By making their followers feel inferior, the awsomeness of their god is insured. Satanism encourages its members to develop a good strong ego because it gives them the self-respect necessary for a vital existence in this life."

-Anton Szandor Lavey pg. 94 TSB

You got it--on all counts.

Exactamundo, as they say.

A sad past can indicate the causes of a damaged psyche, but a sad past is not a flat excuse for a damaged psyche. A sad past does not automatically produce a fiend, just like a perfect past does not always produce a saint. And, I daresay most Satanists, at least once they've grown up, do better things with what happened to them--for good or ill--as kids or adolescents than many other members of society.

But, of course, society will put different interpretations on presents that are wrapped differently on the outside, even if the contents are all the same. That's to be expected by now, but it's still intriguing to observe at times.

I must thank all of you for your excellent replies. Whether you deem what you said as scathingly obvious or not, I am sure I am not the only one that values your thoughts.

Hail me, hail you, hail Satan

It is always wise to return to the source.

Well thank you, Sinister. Glad to be of service.

(And yes, I do I tend to state the obvious or the logical, although it does actually come in handy at times, because some present may not have considered those same ideas yet, and others sometimes forget or get off track. And other times, I'm just a horrendous pain in the butt. . You get the idea. )

But yes, thank you for the compliment.

Im a Satanist cause I chose to be one regardless of my past.Yes I had alot of very bad issues but I grew strong and went on with my life. Due to the so called right hand path they tend to dwell, make you feel wrothless so you can surrender to the so call God of mercy because they feel you did something to provoke it or make you look like you enjoyed it. I on the other hand hated it with a passion. And don't wish this on anybody. For people that do thats there indulgence not mine. I went through many ways to over come it. And I feel much much better cause I went forward in my life and don't look back. The CoS and my life style is my own choosing. And if and when I do get with someone with kids I know damn well I will not repeat my personal past history. My past is dead and buryed. I reborn myself not the christian God.

Again with issues regarding us Satanist like the Satanic Bible says we love children no matter what. They are our future and generation to continue with our legacy when we pass on.

1. Please post your introduction before posting further.
2. There's no need to attach such a large picture of yourself to every post you make. That's what the avatar function in your profile is for.