Living the kind of life I live, which is pretty normal "despite” my Satanic attire, people have asked me, “why Satanism?” Sometimes I’ll answer honestly and sometimes I'll answer with something a little more fun.
But the answer for me being a "nontheistic" Satanist is this: I believe in myself as being the highest power in my life, full control being mine, and subject to the situations I put myself in, NOT being under the control of some mysterious being and subject to his wrath. That always seemed silly to me, let alone highly unlikely (LOL).
I myself also do not believe in Satan as an actual entity. I use Satan as a sign of expression of self. Satan is known as the adversary, the opposer, opposing the ways of God, which I wholeheartedly believe in after reading what I have of the Christian Bible.
Lines supporting slavery in Ephesians 6:5:8—
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
Yeah, just off of that passage alone I oppose the teachings of this awfulness. It goes on to say:
Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, etc., etc. More bullshit.
Or this bullshit in Ephesians 5:22:1—
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord for the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is head of the church; and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ.
So, let the wives belong to their own husbands in everything.
Or this, in Deuteronomy 22:28:29—
If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed and seizes her and lies with her, (rapes her) and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife because he has violated her, he may not divorce her all his days.
That's just three passages of what's in that horrible book (The Holy Bible).
To get on with it, I was given this horrible book as a gift from a great aunt of mine at the age of 13, so I decided to read it. Even at the age of 13, I could see that this was not as great of a book as people were trying to make it out as and I was finding many things that did not make sense, or just were fucking horrible.
Did others not see these things? Why is this considered "The Good Book" when it promotes misogyny, slavery, even verses that tell how to kill children?
Matthew 18:6— Drowned in the sea, with a weight around neck
Lamentations 2:20— Women eating offspring
Ezekiel 5:10— Father eating son
Genesis 9:24
Leviticus 10: 3
Exodus 12:29
Deuteronomy 21:21
Joshua 10:36
Nahum 3:10
Matthew 19:29
Revelations 2:23
Deuteronomy 32:24
and more.
Tell me again how the bible is a good book? Fuck off with that shit.
Anyway, about two years later, I was Introduced to The Satanic Bible, and after reading that for the first time, I came to the realization that I was a Satanist. Finally, it was something that I could line myself up with. Although I didn't believe— or should I say agree with— all the writing of Dr. Anton Szandor LaVey, I felt in line with most of the writing within. I also studied a lot of other Pagan teachings during this time, and for the next 20 plus years.
Many years later, TST started and I did my homework and looked into the beliefs and teachings of The Satanic Temple, which I was a member of for a couple years. I technically still am, being that I have never officially left. TST shaped my path as a Satanist, so it will always be part of me.
At that time of my life, a year or more ago, I found Coven of Satan Ministries. In looking into that for a while I decided to join, being that their Ethos fall very much in line with how I currently live life and my current beliefs. That, along with a good community of like-minded individuals, and an abundance of educational material is why I stay and I haven't looked back since.
I have worked my way to becoming an ordained minister in the Coven of Satan Ministries by working my way through their reading materials and completing the mandatory materials and tests. I have also taken a role as Coven of Satan Ministries Historian, where I record the Coven’s history.
All of the this together is the reasons I choose Satanism and live my life as a Satanist.
Hail Satan.
Signed,
Rev. Black