Analysis of Concept
It has come to my attention that the subject of Devil Worship has once again become a heated debate in some corners of the Satanist scene. I would like to take this time to voice my thoughts on just what I consider Devil Worship to be, and what my position in this long-standing debate actually is.
Now I consider myself a Satanist, for a variety of reasons -- I agree with a bit of Crowley, a bit of LaVey, a bit of Aquino, and even a bit of King Diamond -- but I identify with the term first and foremost because I believe in a supernatural being named Satan, and I religiously worship Him as my god. To be true, this definition of the term "Satanist" is not entertained by the majority of Satanists, as most would seem to have a problem with the tricky subjects of theism and "worship." Hence, in this context, I am perhaps more specifically described as a Theistic Satanist (theistic meaning "to believe in a deity"). But even though I accept the term "Theistic Satanist", I actually prefer the term "Devil Worshiper." This automatically brings up two very important questions:
(A) Who/what is the Devil, and
(B) How does one worship the Devil?
First, I will explain my understanding of what the word "Devil" means. Naturally the word can have many possible meanings and is often used to refer to any number of things. The word itself is etymlogically derived from the Greek "diabolos," which means "One who throws across," describing a person or thing that creates obstruction for someone or something else. When it is spelled with a lowercase "d," it can be used to describe more than one mythological character (e.g., the Egyptian Set, the Persian Ahriman and the Buddhist Mara can all be called "devils"). However, when the word is spelled with a capital "D," then more often than not it is being used to refer specifically to the spiritual entity that Christians have traditionally referred to as Satan, Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, the God of this World, and the Devil.
Now many
Now I consider myself a Satanist, for a variety of reasons -- I agree with a bit of Crowley, a bit of LaVey, a bit of Aquino, and even a bit of King Diamond -- but I identify with the term first and foremost because I believe in a supernatural being named Satan, and I religiously worship Him as my god. To be true, this definition of the term "Satanist" is not entertained by the majority of Satanists, as most would seem to have a problem with the tricky subjects of theism and "worship." Hence, in this context, I am perhaps more specifically described as a Theistic Satanist (theistic meaning "to believe in a deity"). But even though I accept the term "Theistic Satanist", I actually prefer the term "Devil Worshiper." This automatically brings up two very important questions:
(A) Who/what is the Devil, and
(B) How does one worship the Devil?
First, I will explain my understanding of what the word "Devil" means. Naturally the word can have many possible meanings and is often used to refer to any number of things. The word itself is etymlogically derived from the Greek "diabolos," which means "One who throws across," describing a person or thing that creates obstruction for someone or something else. When it is spelled with a lowercase "d," it can be used to describe more than one mythological character (e.g., the Egyptian Set, the Persian Ahriman and the Buddhist Mara can all be called "devils"). However, when the word is spelled with a capital "D," then more often than not it is being used to refer specifically to the spiritual entity that Christians have traditionally referred to as Satan, Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, the God of this World, and the Devil.
Now many