Christian parents - Which would be worse...

Thank you. I guess that's what I was trying to get across.

 

glad to help :xyzthumbs

 

Most modern Satanists don't believe in a literal entity. Even those who do see it as something totally different than the pseudo-Biblical/Dantean image of Satan we have today, and it will vary between individuals.

Still, you do have the "cutters," losers, and mental cases who make the true-crime novels by following a literal, Christian cartoon version of "Evil Satan." Satanists who are really "in it" scoff at these failures as wastes of living tissue. Any parent, religious or no, would have reason to be concerned if their family member was a self-mutilator or animal torturer with emotional/social problems, though. But the solution to their problem would lie with a qualified mental health professional, not an exorcist.

 

Where would anyone get an image of satan that was in any way positive?

 

By not just looking at the Bible itself, but also the context of the times in which it was written, and the evolution of the concepts and beliefs regarding "evil" over time through numerous traditions.

For those who question divine authority and don't equate abstinence with morality, the eternal archetype of the Devil/prankster god/libertine is an appealing mascot, a sort of fake symbol for heretical thinking, forbidden knowledge, and indulgence in the pleasures of life. It can also be a refreshing reminder that it's OK to save your love for those who deserve it instead of hypocritically claiming to "love" every shitting moron and chirping bird in a world filled with a-holes. "If thine enemy smite thy cheek, SMASH him in the other," and so on.

For some, Satan more resembles the Prometheus archetype than the depraved god of mindless hate and bloodshed. After all -- according to the Bible anyway -- it isn't Satan who demands blood sacrifice... it's God.

 

So satan worship has nothing to do with satan but rather is simply an act of rebellion against christianity?

 

For some, yes. During the time I studied the subject, I found a similarity to other religions in that there were numerous factions and splits as one group or another differed on what a Satanist should be, who was "true" or not, and the nature of the entity... if one existed at all. It's in a way similar to Christianity in that if I explained the Church of Satan's position, it might be 180 degrees from that of, say, the Temple of Set, the Illuminates of Thanateros, or the Order of the Nine Angles. Another significant portion of the movement is solitary practitioners, who sort of go their own way and develop their own systems, each unique from the next.

Politically, Satanists range from radical "anti-society" types to hard-line law-and-order advocates. And they don't always get along, nor would they necessarily want to. What they do often have in common is a fiercely independent spirit, and the belief that Man should embrace his own nature, warts and all.

From what I've seen and read, Satanism borrows liberally from a number of sources and traditions, not just those from the Bible. Rituals from The Satanic Bible and The Satanic Rituals invoke a wide range of diverse Elder Gods, including Thoth and Sekhmet from Egypt, Loki from the Northlands, Pan of Greek mythology, and more traditional fallen angels such as Azazel and Samael.

So for some people, it is basically a raised middle finger at the Bible and all that comes with it. For others, Christianity is of little if any concern.

 

It seems like the only motivation one would have for joining any of them is a desire to be against christianity or a desire to join something novel and different. Some people probably enjoy the shock value of it. I still have not heard you say or can I think of one positive thing that one would join them for.

 

I'd be heartbroken, because my children would be raised in a Christian home, and taught Christian doctrine. Not that I would be afraid to explore other religions -- I don't plan to parent in that area any differently than I interact on this (or any other) message board. In fact, at some point I probably would go over the doctrines of other major religions, just so my kids could make their own informed decisions.

That being said, if they knew the pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses of the major belief systems (including Christianity) and decided to walk away from Christianity, they'd be damned until they repented and returned to the faith. The Bible says for those who have the knowledge but abandon the faith, "there is no sacrifice left" (Hebrews 10:26).

I have no doubts I could present enough evidence to make a stronger case for Christianity, but I also know that I can't force anyone else to believe. Ultimately, it's still up to the individual, and the individual is ultimately responsible for the choice he or she makes.

 

I couldn't believe I wrote that and actually thought you had edited my post.
I have NO idea why I wrote that.

King JAMES, and I still don't know how I feel about this.