What is satanism-?

Answer 1

In The Bible's original language, the word for "adversary" is Satan (from which we get our "Satan") and that is just what it means. In short, "Satan" means any adversary in the Bible.

Answer 2

Satanism refers to several concepts, some of which are entirely mythical and others which are actual religious traditions in practice today. By referring to Satanism or a Satanist one can mean:

• LaVeyan Satanism, its practitioners, and those affiliated with the Church of Satanism, the First Satanic Church or the offshoot Temple of Set based (more or less) on Anton LaVey's written works, including The Satanic Bible, published in 1969. Focus of LaVeyan Satanism is on the power and authority of the individual, and not on a deity or pantheon. In contrast to Christianity, Satanists believe there is no universal redeemer (such as the Christ) and that each individual is capable of and responsible for his or her own redemption. Satan is respected more as a principle than a being. As with all contemporary religions, LaVeyan Satanism commands a respect for life and reciprocity and the pursuit of truth.
• The dabblings into the Occult as practiced by rebellious teens who have been raised Christian, presumed (erroneously) to be an organized institution based on the experiments of Aleister Crowley and the Order of the Golden Dawn
• By conservative Christian sects, any non-Abrahamic spiritual or religious practice. Wiccans, Pagans and New Age Spiritualists are commonly associated with Satanism, even though they are nothing alike. Part of this is due to the statement Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus (No salvation outside the church) ergo any other belief system, including rival denominations must be a deception by the Adversary. Contemporarily, atheists and agnostics are regarded as similarly deceived and hence guided by Satan.
• The Freemasons and similar esoteric societieshave been accused of being satanic in origin, sometimes as far back as their inception, often creating a conflict of interests, when their duties included maintenance of cathedral iconery.
• Gothic Satanism, as defined by the Malleus Maleficarum or The Hammer of Witches a treatise concerning witches and witchcraft written in 1486 for the Holy Inquisition. In this text witches are ascribed to have entered a compact with the devil selling their souls in exchange for supernatural powers. They would kidnap or even farm babies either to consume their flesh in ritual or boil them in a soup to use their bones as instruments of magic. They flew through the air on broomsticks, took black cats as familiars, organized into covens of thirteen persons and met at midnight in unholy grottoes. This interpretation of witchcraft is considered the greatest contributor to the Burning Times, in which panics would lead to outbreaks of witch burnings. While none of the practices in the Maleficarum are backed by history or archeology, its allegations are still accepted today in some circles.
• Satanic Ritual Abuse, presumed to have happened based on Recovered Memory Therapy, memories that resurface through hypnotic therapy, and confessions from children acquired through spurious interrogation techniques. The whole SRA scare erupted with the release of Michelle Remembers published in 1980. There are rare incidents of sexual predators who use a satanism motif as a tool to control their victims, but these are more based on media interpretations of Satanism and are used for their dramatic effects.
• Theistic or Spiritual Satanism. This is when someone worships a literal being known as Satan. The Joy of Satan Ministries is one such example.

There are basically two types of satanism, Theistic and Atheistic. Theistic Satanism believes on Satan as an entity, while Atheistic Satanism views Satan as an aspect of human behaviour.

The most popular form of Satanism is LaVeyan Satanism, founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey. Its teachings are based on individualism, self-indulgence, and "eye for an eye" morality, borrowing philosophically from Friedrich Nietzsche and Ayn Rand, and drawing from the rituals and ceremonies of occultist Aleister Crowley.

THE NINE SATANIC STATEMENTS1. Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence!

2. Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe dreams!

3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit!

4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates!

5. Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek!

6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible, instead of concern for psychic vampires!

7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his "divine spiritual and intellectual development", has become the most vicious animal of all!

8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!

9. Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years!

'Satan worship' has been around for many many centuries, until 1966 when it was codified by a man named Anton Szandor LaVey in 1966 on Walpurgisnacht.

Note

Satanism is usually the worship of man as he is in real life, a lustful & carnal being. For the most part, it is not in fact the worship of or belief in an actual entity named Satan. However, there are some deistic practitioners of Satanism.

Answer 3

Satan entered post-Exilic Judaism as the 'adversary' but under the instructions of God, as we see in the Book of Job.

In Christianity, Satan evolved to become the evil opponent of God, seeking to cause the faithful to deviate from righteousness and to destroy God's kingdom. Satan continued to evolve throughout much of the Middle Ages, at time as a figure of fun and sometimes with changes in how he exerts his wicked powers.

Answer 4

Satanism refers to any kind of devil worship. It is a broad and ambiguous term.