From: tyagi mordred nagasiva Kali Yuga 49950222 |Quoting: anonymous | >Mr. Scratch (craigh@gladstone.uoregon.edu) | > This is actually what I resent most about the satanic label. | > Being dumped into a category with people I consider to be a waste | > of human meat. But then this is a recent development, and it is | > possible that Satanism may one day return to its more respectable | > roots. Unlikely, but possible. | |Two ideas that might help Satanism "return to its more respectable roots": 'Respectability' is a term used to co-opt self-empowered people. I can see the value of attempting to reduce the noise in alt.satanism, but as far as I'm concerned those who attempt to 'define Satanism so as to exclude the unwanted elements' are only engaging in trivial warfare and immature feuding. More elitist ORGstuff which compromises the most positive aspects of Satanism as I see it (individualism and self-definition with as broad a range of syncretic absorption as necessary/possible). |(1) John Dewey's/Egan's proposed "Unholy Bible" project, which I |commented on in a recent alt.satanism post. If more people were |aware of the 19th-century literary roots of Satanism, it would |probably attract more intelligent people and fewer idiots. There is not enough attention paid to the emotional element in Satanism, as I see it. Sure, there are Christian noise-makers and various obnoxious newbies who are attempting to make their mark, shitting all over the rest of the newsgroup, but I don't see the point in beginning to describe their activities as 'idiotic' and thereafter excluding on the basis of 'non- Satanism'. In fact, I tend to think that the antagonistic and angry part of the exchange in alt.satanism gives the group (and the movement as a whole) part of its charm. I class many self-proclaimed 'Christians' as acting in very Satanic ways, for example. Let me explain myself more clearly. Anger is too often repressed within the culture I dwell, as is direct confrontation and conflict. We are shown one means of dealing with radical differences by the US govt and media: violence. Wars of words are not violence. They are very important manifestations of the wrathful gods, and it is my job nor my desire that those sorts of exchanges be eliminated. I wish to note that my feelings in this regard have not kept me from using my killfiles to extreme, blocking out everyone but a select group (as I recently illustrated by a post under the name of SPAM in alt.satanism -- in fact if you use that batch of data in your own killfile (amended, I'm sure), then you'll wipe out 90% of the noise). |(2) _GAY_ Satanists (of whom there seem to be quite a few) should be |encouraged to come out of the closet and to be more visible about their |sexuality. I think there is entirely too much emphasis here on what other people do (i.e. whether gay Satanists 'come out' or not) and while I agree that this point is valid, I think that if anyone is serious about reducing the noise in the newsgroup or elsewhere then more direct means are necessary, as I've said many times before (e.g. adequate use of killfiles, newsgroup moderation, creation of alternative forums, etc.). |...It would scare away a lot of the idiots (but would _NOT_ scare away the |intelligent and genuinely individualistic heterosexuals) and would thereby |raise the overall intelligence level of the Satanist scene as a whole. I think that Dr. Aquino and Co. are excellent examples of 'raising the intelligence levels' within 'the Satanic scene'. Generally it leads to an elite of intelligentsia, an uncomfortability with emotional exchange (usually leading to immature aspects that sully the otherwise substantive discourse), and essentially takes the 'umph' and 'angst' out of what I think ought to be a very rebellious, contentious interaction. I don't divide up the individual into discrete elements and attempt to separate them. My hit is that Satanism involves contentiousness, whether emotional or intellectual (or physical! - sex) in nature, and that this contentiousness is not only fit upon a range from obscene to respectable, but also that it is suitably symbolized by the wrathful gods, of which Satan as I understand Hir is the prime and central figure. tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (NocTifer)