Tuesday, August 05, 2014

The Satanist thesis

Lucifer, the bringer of light, the morning star; not an allegory but a direct translation of the origin of the term, even Jesus has that nickname. Satan, the opposition; what the corresponding word means in Hebrew, keep in mind that the idea of hell does not exist in Judaism. Beelzebub, Ba‘al Zəbûb, Baal of the flies, the god of the opposing tribe being derided by the followers of El. The devil, diábolos, diabolus, the accuser, the slanderer, the adversary. Evil, origin uncertain: transgression. Is it just me or is there an obvious pattern here?

Satan, as the Christian interpret it, the serpent that talked Eve into tasting the fruit of wisdom causing the downfall of man. The fallen angel, why fallen? The serpent, a symbol of evil power and chaos, and an Egyptian deity in its own right. Why is wisdom evil? Why this portrayal across history? Is the tribe of El and Asherah simply portraying "the other side" as the bad ones and the Catholics even extended the name to the same descriptor they gave Jesus? Is this simply "the other side," perhaps even the side of science? Are the satanist up to something? (And what in the name of all that is unholy happened to Asherah?)

Well, the Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case has made me see this whole silliness under new light. The Satanists, by being quite unreasonable, are making a lot of sense on this one. My Catholic upbringing had made my conception of the devil simply as evil incarnate, another myth, nothing more nothing less. But now I see there is considerably more than that, much more history, subtlety, and detail. Vilification and propaganda has a long tradition indeed.


Satanists not only have religious beliefs, which happen to be scientifically-guided beliefs, but the part that is not are beliefs that are supported by the same book than the religious nuts. They do not have the problem that mock religions face, denying their faith is denying the bible itself, or at least the Christian interpretation of it. Fighting christian stupidity with the fires of hell has some glory to it. In this case intolerant stupidity with intolerant reason.

The Hobby Lobby case has put religious interference under new light, it has illuminated the cracks in the system—as if the system needed any more illumination. In this case, as in several similar cases across the U.S., the followers of Lucifer are providing a guiding star that should be followed out of this mess. By making it messier, they can provided the sorely needed counterbalance.

Love your enemy, opposition, those that transgress against you, that is a lofty goal of any religion, but it is a tenet of Christianity. Doesn't that tell you to love Satan? Maybe we all should and one day we might even get a Satanist in the Supreme Court. Perhaps then the Atheist position might not look that evil after all.

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