Satanism

Satanism is a religious, semi-religious and/or philosophical movement whose adherents recognize Satan as an archetype, pre-cosmic force, or some aspect of human nature. Although named for Satan, a name associated with evil and temptation, Satanism is more commonly the name given to certain spiritual paths which emphasize the Left-Hand Path, as opposed to the much more common Right-Hand Path. Left-Handers believe in spiritual enrichment through their own work on themselves, and that ultimately they are answerable only to themselves, while Right-Handers believe in spiritual enrichment through the dissolution or submission of the self to (or into) something greater. Many Satanists do not in fact worship a deity called Satan, or necessarily any other deity, nor do they follow a principle of evil. This aspect of their beliefs is very commonly misunderstood.

Non-Satanic Sects

There are many groups which are commonly misconceived as Satanic. There are two common definitions of a Satanic religion:

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• Any religion that consciously recognizes and worships "Satan," usually referring either to a "dark" deity (similar to the Christian Satan, though usually lacking the evil or unnaturalness associated with it) or a conceptual Satan, often referring to a so-called "true" nature of Mankind.
• Some religions that do not follow the Christian religion or recognize Jesus Christ as explained in Christian dogma.

The second definition is most commonly used by fundamentalist Christians, and is the source of much disagreement about whether a religion should be considered Satanic or not. The most common targets of these claims are Neo-Pagan religions, such as Wicca and Ásatrú.

Related Topics:
Neo-Pagan - Wicca - Ásatrú

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Occasionally, some Christian denominations or even Judaism and Islam are referred to as Satanic, based on interpretations of the second definition. Among these Christian groups are usually the less traditional ones, such as the Mormons and other smaller sects. Also, it is not unheard of for Catholics to refer to Protestants as Satanic, and vice versa, though this is more uncommon.

Related Topics:
Mormons - Catholics - Protestants

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Another movement which is wrongly associated with Satan is the heavy rock and metal music bands. Although there are some music groups that intentionally use Satanic imagery for one reason or another, the vast majority of metal/rock bands have no connection to any sort of Satanic philosophy.

Related Topics:
Movement - Satan - Heavy rock - Metal music

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