Satanism

From: Wikipedia

Forms of Satanism
LaVeyan Satanism
Luciferianism
Religious Satanism
Sat/Tan Satanism
Setianism
Associated Organizations
First Satanic Church
Misanthropic Luciferian Order
Church of Satan
First Church of Satan
Order of Mars
Order of Nine Angles
Order of the Left Hand Path
Temple of Set
Symbols and Figures
Baphomet
Anton LaVey
Karla LaVey
Blanche Barton
Peggy Nadramia
Lucifer
Satan
Associated Concepts
Left-Hand Path
Moral Majority
Pentagonal
Revisionism
Suitheism
Survival of the fittest
Objectivism
Books and Publications
The Satanic Bible
The Satanic Rituals
The Black Flame
The Church of Satan
The Satanic Witch
The Compleat Witch
The Devil’s Notebook
Satan Speaks
Satanism is a term that may refer to a religious, semi-religious, and/or philosophical
movement. The term is normally applied by non-Satanists to those individuals who
worship the entity called "Satan," and advocate the triumph of evil forces over good in
the universe; however, members of the Church of Satan, the most organized Satanic
group, reject this common association, as they do not actually believe in a being called
"Satan," and use his name only as a symbolic allusion to certain materialistic and
individualistic values. Adherents of the various forms of Satanism recognize Satan as
either an archetype, a pre-cosmic force, an actual living entity, and/or some aspect of
human nature. Although named for Satan, a name associated with evil and temptation,
Satanism is also the name given to certain spiritual paths which emphasize the Left-Hand
Path, as opposed to the much more common Right-Hand Path. Adherents to the Left-
Hand path (a.k.a. Left-Handers) believe in spiritual enrichment through their own work
on themselves, and that ultimately they are answerable only to themselves, while Right-
Handers believe in spiritual enrichment through the dissolution or submission of the self
to (or into) something greater. LaVeyans do not in fact worship a deity called Satan, or
necessarily any other deity, nor do they follow a principle of evil. This aspect of their
beliefs is very commonly misunderstood due to the presence of theistic Satanists, who
revere Satan as a literal being.

Instead of divine laws or naturistic principles (such as in Wicca), Satanism generally

focuses upon material or physical advancement of the self with guidance from external
higher beings or external principles, instead of submission to a deity or a set of moral
codes. For this reason, many contemporary Satanists eschew traditional religious beliefs,
attitudes and worship in favor of more egoistic, self-centering worldviews, natural law,
survival of the fittest and practices such as materialism, individualism and magic.
However, some Satanists do choose voluntary moral codes.

Although a faith in its own right, groups or individuals described in some sense or
another as Satanic can largely (though very broadly) be described as belonging to one of
two strains of thought: Philosophical Satanism or Religious Satanism.
Contents

1 History

2 Satan within Judaism, Christianity and Islam

3 Types and approaches within Satanism

3.1 Philosophical Satanism
3.1.1 LaVeyan Satanism
3.2 Religious Satanism
3.2.1 Setian Satanism
3.3 Satanic cults
3.4 Devil worship
3.5 Other organizations, groups, etc.
3.5.1 Ophite
3.5.2 Early Gnostic
3.5.3 Valentinian
3.5.4 Order of Nine Angles
3.5.5 Order of Mars
3.5.6 Luciferan and Promethean
3.5.7 First Church of Satan
3.5.8 Sinagogue of Satan
3.5.9 The Order of The Black Venus

4 Satanic philosophy

5 Criticisms of Satanism

6 Non-Satanic Sects
History

The concept of Satan has evolved over the centuries, as has Satanism.

Originally in Judeo-Christian traditions, Satan was seen as a part of creation, embodying

the principle that one could choose contrary to God's wishes, and thus empowering the
potential for free will and defiance. (In this context an ancient Jewish commentary notes
that only when the potential to contravene God's will arose, could creation become "very
good" as opposed to merely "good".) Over the centuries this concept of Satan came to
embody all that was evil and against God, a change attributable to two main influences:

The view that everything had its opposite, and that God, all-good, must have His
opposing deity too (many preceding multiple deity religions also had their evil gods as
well as good gods, Set of the Ancient Egyptians being one example)
The spreading of Christianity, followed by Islam, both religions which gained a wide
number of adherents, placed a high premium on salvation and the afterlife, and within
which Satan grew as an embodiment of all that was trying to undermine God in this
theological world-view

As European society evolved from the reformation into the enlightenment onwards (17th
and 18th centuries), people began to question the nature of evil, and Satan gradually
evolved yet again in response to this, so Satanism came to signify a tradition which
denied traditional religious paths in favor of a self-oriented path, rather than a path which
favored evil.

In an older sense, Satanism also refers to unorthodox practices within Abrahamic

religions deemed by an orthodoxy to be in opposition to the Abrahamic God. The earliest
recorded instance of the word is in "A confutation of a booke (by Bp. Jewel) entitled An
apologie of the Church of England", by Thomas Harding (1565): ll, ii, 42 b, "Meaning the
time when Luther first bringed to Germanie the poisoned cuppe of his heresies,
blasphemies, and Satanismes." As Martin Luther himself would have denied any link
between his teachings and Satan, this use of the term Satanism was primarily pejorative.
Many Satanists find such use of the term offensive.
Satan within Judaism, Christianity and Islam

The concept of "Satan" originated with Judaism and was elucidated further by Christians
and Muslims. This Judeo-Christian-Islamic view of Satan can be broken up as follows:

Jewish: Satan ?(???)? in Hebrew, means "adversary" or "accuser", and is also the name
used for the angel who tests believers. Satan is not considered an enemy of God, but a
servant whose duties include testing the faith of humanity.

Islamic: The Arabic word for Satan, "al-Shaitaan" ?(???????)? means transgressor, or
adversary, as in Judaism. It is a title which is generally attributed to a being called Iblis,
who is a Jinn that disobeyed God and was condemned consequently by God to serve as a
source of misguidance for mankind and the Jinn to test their faith in God. Iblis is said to
be the proper name for the devil-like figure named in the Qur'an whereas there are many
Shaitan.

Christian: In most branches of Christianity, Satan, originally Lucifer before he fell away
from Grace, is a spiritual being or angel who was once in God's service. Satan is said to
have fallen from God when he surrendered to his own vanity and refused to take his
proper place in creation (In Christianity, the fallen "son of the dawn" of Isaiah 14:12 is
identified with the "adversary" of the Book of Job.) It is said to be Satan who whispered
to man that he could become as God, negating his creaturely position, which led to man's
original sin and his being cast out of Eden. Satan is also referred to as the Devil from the
Greek "diabolos" (??aß????), meaning "slanderer" or "one who accuses falsely" (derived
from the verb "dia-ballô" (d?a-ßa???) which most literally means "to throw across" or
"carry something over"). Reportedly, LaVey made the claim that the word "devil" was
derived from the Sanskrit "devi", meaning goddess (though this is thought to be an
incorrect etymology).
Types and approaches within Satanism

Philosophical Satanism

Largely considered to have been unofficially founded by Anton Szandor LaVey, with his
creation of the Church of Satan (the first above-ground organization to use the term),
Philosophical Satanism views one's self as the subjective centre of the universe, and the
highest aspirations and virtues are those which seek the elevation and improvement of the
individual Satanist over others. Philosophical Satanists generally do not recognize a
theological deity or a metaphysical afterlife, though this is not to say that one must not.

To the Philosophical Satanist, a person is his own god. He disdains rationalist, secular
humanistic beliefs, seeing them as abhoring the existence of the supernatural, only to
thereby promote a sterile life grounded in the 'real world' alone and sees them as working
towards the altruistic advancement of his fellow man while neglecting due attendance to
one's own gratification and fulfillment. Obviously, philosophically Satanic thought has
had a long history before LaVey's Church. Though it was the notion of Satan as the
conceited, self-seeking black sheep, acting falsely of his true position which inspired the
title in spite of Judeo-Christian theology, which views Satan as evil because of these
qualities.

LaVeyan Satanism

This type of Satanism is based on the philosophy of Anton LaVey as outlined in The
Satanic Bible and other works. LaVey was the founder of the Church of Satan (c.a. 1966).
LaVey was influenced by the writings of Aleister Crowley, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ayn
Rand, Marquis De Sade, Wyndham Lewis, Charles Darwin, Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain
and others. "Satan", in the view of LaVey, is seen as a positive influence, while the
"divine" actions of the church are to be mocked, and the mundane is held in the highest
disregard.

A LaVeyan Satanist views himself or herself as his or her own god; the LaVeyan Satanic
rituals are quite similar to Crowley's magick, with an eye towards furthering the Satanist's
ends. The LaVeyan Satanist maintains that those who find themselves naturally aligned
with Satanism should not adhere to "herd mentality" and assume there is something
ethically wrong with them, but should instead adopt an individualistic attitude, and
consequently should strive constantly to stand head-and-shoulders above the so-called
"Moral Majority", and not hesitate to exploit their "misguided and naive" altruism as
necessary.
Religious Satanism

Religious Satanism is often similar in outlook and attitude to Philosophical Satanism,

though it is generally a prerequisite that the Satanist accept a theological and
metaphysical canon involving one or more God(s) who are either Satan in the strictest,
Abrahamic sense, or specially created to identify with or represent the practitioner. A
Satan represented in the latter group may be entirely of the practitioner's mind, or may be
an adoption from another (usually pre-Christian) religion.

Depending on the Satanists in question, this God (or gods) may be any in a variety of
deities, sometimes taken from ancient faiths; with common ones being Set of Egyptian
theology, any number of ancient Mesopotamian Gods or Goddesses, sometimes Gods of
Greek or Roman mythology (Mars, for instance). Others claim a largely original God,
although it is usually said by those Satanists that their deity is in fact very old, perhaps
from ancient pre-history and often being the first God worshipped by humans (though
such claims are unverifiable at best).

Others worship a stricter interpretation of Satan: that of the fallen angel featured in the
Christian Bible, though unlike many who see him as being evil as defined by the
Christian Church, they instead believe him to be correct in his rebellion against God. All
these faiths hold in common, however, with each other and with Philosophical Satanists,
that man, and specifically the self are the highest priorities. This view is often supported
by Satanists' view of the god, who is seen to encourage individuality and freedom of
thought, and the quest to raise one's self up through means such as magick and similar to
Nietzschean Will to Power. A common Satanic maxim to this effect is that, "Any
worthwhile God would rather have a Partner-in-Power than a prostrate and grovelling
slave."

One example of this would be the Abrahamic Satan, such as the Serpent in Genesis
encouraging mankind to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,
saying "Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then
your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.", with the
clear implication, coinciding with the beliefs of all Satanists, that mankind should know
what is better for itself than any God which would forbid knowledge and self-
government. Because of the common position that their faiths are in fact very old, or the
oldest, Religious Satanists sometimes refer to themselves as "Traditional Satanists" and
Philosophical Satanists as "Contemporary Satanists".
Setian Satanism

According to this sect, the Egyptian deity Set, is the real Dark Lord behind the name
Satan. They have their own concept of the Black Flame.

This type of Satanism maintains that the Hebrews ran into an adversary in Egypt who
was the Pharaoh of the Seti Dynasty, when Set was the principal pharaonic Deity. After
the Pharaoh expelled the Hebrews from Egypt, the Hebrew Bible scribes wrote "Exodus",
demonstrating the enormity of this event to the Hebrew people. However, there are
apparently no Egyptian records to back up any of the Hebrew claims except a passing
mention of the Pharaoh kicking many foreigners out at that time — not just Hebrews.
Setian Satanists theorize that "Satan" is a wrong or slanderous label for a legitimate
Egyptian God, the God Set.

The practices and theology of the Set sect are very oriented towards cultivating selfhood.
They reject the dissolving of the individual into oneness with existence, and celebrate the
separation of the individual self from the rest of the universe. Some followers believe in
Set as a real theistic conscious being that appears in revelations and delivers messages,
while others revere Set as a principle. How historically correct their picture of Set is
might be considered debatable.

Satanic cults

The existence of large networks of organized Satanists involved in illegal activities,

murder, and child abuse is occasionally claimed. Those claims have not been
substantiated, and it has been labelled by many Satanists as an example of a moral panic.
Such practices are generally thought to be covered-up by the Government.

Devil worship

The term "Devil worship" has a wide variety of associated meanings, but in its most
objective sense, it simply refers to a religious belief in and worship of a Devil or devils.
Devil worship can also be referred to as Diabolatry (from the Greek "diabolos" - devil -
and "latreia" - worship), or as theistic Satanism. It is a controversial term, since it has
been used by LaVeyan Satanists as a term for those criminals who commit crimes citing
Satan or Satanism as part of their justification.

Despite some Satanists' attempts to distinguish these terms, there is widespread

assumption that Devil worshippers, Satanists, and criminals conducting abhorrent acts
under the name of either of these terms, are the same. The reasons such a belief is so
widely held include:

Some Satanists do, in fact, worship the Abrahamic devil; when some such individuals
commit violent crimes, their religious beliefs are brought to the forefront of the story due
to their normally taboo nature.
Some criminals who commit horrible or abhorrent crimes, claim to do so in the name of
"Satan", or as part of "Satanic rituals" which require such actions. Such claims may come
from criminals who truly consider themselves Satanists of some kind, or from criminals
who are "dabbling" in what they wrongly believe to be "mainstream" Satanism, or from
criminals who are (legitimately or otherwise) claiming mental disabilities to avoid
prosecution.

Many devout religious groups, particularly fundamentalist Christian groups, classify any
non-Abrahimic religious worship as "Satanic." In this view, there are only two beings
powerful enough to warrant worship: God, and the former angel Lucifer. Any worship of
beings that are not God is, by default, worshipping Satan. In the most extreme cases, such
groups will classify belief systems as "Satanic" that otherwise have no connection to
Satanism, including nearly all pagan beliefs, Wicca, other Abrahimic religions, eastern
religions, and even non-religious groups such as the Freemasons.

For people who are not Satanists (in any sense), the attempt by Satanic groups to define
Satanism and Devil Worship as completely separate concepts is often interpreted as
"splitting hairs," or worse, intentional deception.

Part of the reason why many Satanists disfavor the term "Devil worshipper" is because of
the LaVeyan teaching that worshipping a deity is a sign of intellectual weakness. It is also
commonly claimed that anyone who worships the Devil is necessarily constrained by
Christian theology and dogma, whereas Satanism is "freed" from such. In fact, most
forms of contemporary Devil worship tend to divorce themselves from strict Christian
theology in any event. The Joy of Satan is a good example of Devil worshippers who
identify their idea of Satan with Sumerian mythology rather than the Bible, and the
Church of Azazel practices a polytheistic form of Devil worship that combines elements
of Deism and the African-based Diaspora religions (e.g., Vodou, Santeria, Umbanda) and
emphasizes the importance of philosophy and intellectualism to its adherents.

On his website ("Your Friendly Neighborhood Devil Worshipper"), Geifodd ap Pwyll, a

self-described Devil worshipper, defines Devil worship as "the expression of ardent love,
devotion, and reverence toward a cultural scapegoat figure, and the reclamation of said
figure as a slandered divinity." There is nothing in this definition which necessitates
either criminal activity or a strict adherence to Christian theology. Devil worshippers can
be monotheist, duotheist, polytheist, or even pantheist. There are various different ideas
of just who and what Satan is among Devil worshippers as well.

For example, the Order of the Morning Star actually promotes the worship of Satan as he
is depicted in the Bible. The OMS believes the true nature of the Christian God, Jehovah,
is apparent in the Bible as a tyrant God, yet Satan is about enlightenment and knowledge.
The OMS does not shy away from calling him the "Devil" since he in fact would be a
devil and adversary to all that fundamental Christianity stands for.
References:

Cathedral of the Black Goat

Theistic Satanism
Church Lucifer
Succubus Publishing
Joy of Satan
Your Friendly Neighborhood Devil Worshipper
Traditional Satanism
Church of Azazel
Cathedral of Satan (Theosophical Satanism)
The Night of Noctulius
Order of the Morning Star

Other organizations, groups, etc.

Ophite
In the Ophite sect of early Christianity, the Serpent was praised as the giver of
knowledge. Sometimes Satan was also referred to as Lucifer or "the light-bringer", but
others see this as incorrect because they believe that Satan and Lucifer are two separate
entites. Some Gnostics claimed that the being declared God by Christians and Jews was,
in fact, a lesser being known as the Demiurge, whose name is derived from the creator
figure in Plato's Timaeus; very few Gnostic sects identified this figure with Satan; others
(such as the Valentinians) saw Satan as a subsequent creation of the Demiurge.

Early Gnostic

Some early Gnostic sects, such as the Borborites and the followers of Carpocrates, were
accused of horrific acts, including the eating (in imitation of the sacrament) of semen,
menses and aborted fetuses. These acts were committed with the apparent justification of
libertinism; given that the material universe was not God's creation, it could be put to any
use with no moral consequences. Accounts of these barbaric acts are not held to be at all
credible, as the accusations were rhetorical attacks against these groups by such
heresiological writers as Irenaeus.

Valentinian

However, Gnostic sects were commonly more liberal in nature than emergent orthodox
groups; for example, in viewing sexual congress as a good, even a potentially spiritual
act, and in allowing woman priests and bishops to administer sacraments. There is
evidence that Valentinians performed a religious ceremony known as the Bridal Chamber,
in which the physical union of a man and woman was viewed as an earthly reenactment
of God's completeness; the Gnostic conception of the divine was as an androgyne, as
opposed to the orthodox identification of him as male. Such criticisms as Irenaeus' may
be the deliberate exaggeration of these misdeeds (from the point of view of orthodoxy).

Order of Nine Angles

The Order of Nine Angles (ONA) has labeled itself Traditional Satanist and considers
Satanism to be an individual quest that goes far beyond the gratification of the pleasure-
principle and involves arduous achievement in a Nietzschean sense, with the aim of
cosmic wisdom and the promulgation of a new level of consciousness. Their conception
of Satanism is practical, with an emphasis on individual growth into realms of darkness
and danger through risky acts of prowess. In addition, the ONA seek to change, and
disrupt, society itself. They espouse human sacrifice, which they see as the culling of
"Opfers," victims who are chosen via tests that determine the usefulness/uselessness of
the social/cosmic beneficence of their essential character. The use of the term
"traditional" by these Satanists (ONA) is viewed by some as improper because the ONA
refuses to provide any evidence of an old tradition, countering that it is the duty of each
initiate to work things out for themselves. In addition, it is felt that "Traditional Satanism"
as a label applies better, or at least equally well, to parts of the gnostic movement and its
modern remnants.

Order of Mars

In early 2004, John L. Westbrook, a former Oklahoma politician told a Penthouse

reporter that he had formed an "occult fraternity, to finish the work that the Temple of Set
has previously botched." He then displayed a platinum medallion, which he had
commissioned, that resembled a Mars planetary sigil. He has christened this neo-Satanic
fraternity The Order of Mars. He said membership in his "fraternity" is restricted to those
whom he knows personally and that his group does not solicit memberships. He also
stated that this "Order" is named in honor of the Roman god Mars, whom he claims is
closely aligned with Egyptian god Set.

Luciferan and Promethean

A completely new movement, active in several European cities, specifically in the

Netherlands, is an offshoot of the GMA (Grotto Magistratis in Amsterdam) in
Amsterdam, calling itself "Luciferans" or "Prometheans". These can be largely classified
as philosophical satanists who have adopted transhuman or extropian notion of a
technological singularity. Luciferans allege a singularity will take place before 2040 and
will be symbolic for the final death of the monotheistic god. Some Luciferans claim the
first artificial intelligence will be, in fact, Lucifer. These Luciferans tend to not believe in
the supernatural but do believe in the creative use of memetics.

First Church of Satan

The First Church of Satan (FCoS) was created by John Allee who was an early member
of the Church of Satan. FCoS is unique in two ways: 1) it is open to a wide variety of
Satanists including LaVeyan Satanists, theistic/traditional Satanists, and dark pagans; and
2) it is far more nonhierarchical than other Satanic organizations. There are several
noticeable differences in the organization of the First Church of Satan (FCoS) compared
to the Church of Satan (CoS). Chief amongst them is the lack of any sort of hierarchy: the
FCoS believes that individuality must be encouraged, and that attempts to bury it beneath
titles is a terrible thing. For this reason, there is essentially no hierarchy within the FCoS,
though there are titles ("High Priest/ess" for the Allees, "Priest" for others). Mr. Allee was
the first to coin the phrase, "Free Thought Satanism" and felt a Satanic organization
should promote personal godhood while maintaining an attitude of sovereignty for all. He
argued that "elitism" should be determined by nature, outside the framework of a political
or religious institution.
Sinagogue of Satan

The Sinagogue of Satan is an organization of "Occult Satanism" an all one religion

founded by Reverend Michael S. Margolin on January 29, 1999, a religion based on the
Ancient and Accepted Rite of Free Masonry's definition of Satanism as described in
Albert Pike's work Morals and Dogma. This religion is not based on those of the popular
Satanists of our day, nor Hollywood and Christian propaganda, except for Aleister
Crowley. The religion contains no dogma in or of itself, and encourages its followers to
believe in whatever they like, as long as they do not attempt to push such beliefs on
others. The aim of this religion is the ultimate destruction of religions through the
advancement of individual freedom and social responsibility. The Sinagogue of Satan
does not promote self-indulgence (in contrast to LaVeyan Satanism), but rather self-
expression balanced with social responsibility.

The Order of The Black Venus

The Order of The Black Venus was founded on the 30th of April 2001, in Estonia, in
Tallinn to represent all views on satanism that do not promote violence or cruelty against
people and animals. The members of OBV follow the 11 rules of satanism by A.S. LaVey.

Satanic Philosophy

LaVey's "9 Satanic Statements", a philosophical outline to defining Satanism in The

Satanic Bible. Matching these, LaVey also identified 9 Satanic sins. He further outlined
11 Satanic rules, which while not exactly a moral code, provide Satanists with general
guidelines for living.

It is interesting to note that some of these rules appear opposite to traits commonly
perceived as "Satanic." Specifically, proselytism (in this case, actively turning others to
the worship of Satan) is strongly discouraged, and the prohibition of harm against
children and animals contradicts reputed Satanic fondness for sacrifice (see Satanic
Ritual Abuse), both of which are often erroneously associated with Satanists.

Criticisms of Satanism

Much criticism arises from the major religions, although most has come from
Christianity. There has been both constructive debate and open hostility, with the latter
sometimes stemming from the Christian countercult movement in books by Lauren
Stratford, Mike Warnke, and Bob Larson.

The claim is sometimes made that Satanism is purely reactionary as a religion and
philosophy, and as such can only be defined by its opposition to what is perceived as the
hypocritical, stupid, tired, weak, and boring failings of mainstream philosophies and
religions. It also draws its whole understanding of the meaning and nature of Satan or
Satanic worship from the literature which it intends to oppose. Rev. D.R. Deinsen notes
that Satanist writers of the internet sound like "enraged, frustrated teenagers who need a
target to pin their angst on and need one now."

Many Satanists identify with Satan as a rebellious force. However, it is claimed that such
identification relies on the acceptance of a supreme being, authority, or creator to rebel
against. It is claimed that if one has accepted the presence of such a being, that only
falsehood on the part of the will can lead to rebellion against it.

Christian theologians argue that it is impossible for a human being to indulge completely
in Satanic evil, for they believe that all human evil is a corrupted attempt to do something
good (eg. to further the gratification or security of one's ownself, even if this is at the
expense of others). Even a hedonist attempts to seek that recognised as good, if only for
himself. These theologians claim that only pain, confusion, isolation and disappointment
can result when such attempts are not in accord with the laws of God (i.e. vices or sins).
Satanism is "philosophy light" and "rhetoric heavy." Anton LaVey’s greatest skill is said
to have been that of a rhetorician. Satanism, so it is argued, proves to be an intellectually
shallow glamourisation of human divinity.

The argument that "people need people". Some claim that Satanists misunderstand
independence and that while individually, independence may make you stronger, it is
impossible to be independently a god. They claim that declaring oneself a god, while
beneficial for self-esteem, can lead to a denial of the reality.
An alternate form of the criticism points out that while Satanism usually presents itself as
a necessary cure for a passive herd mentality promoted by mainstream religions, its
emphasis on the merits of independence and individualism can itself lead to abuse of a
different kind - and, according to some critics, it usually does. Due to its own
individualistic nature, Satanism tends to be deficient in the social feedback and regulation
that traditional religions often employ to correct their own excesses.

Non-Satanic Sects

There are many groups which are commonly misconceived as Satanic. There are two
common definitions of a Satanic religion:

Any religion that consciously recognizes and worships "Satan," usually referring either to
a "dark" deity (similar to the Christian Satan, though usually lacking the evil or
unnaturalness associated with it) or a conceptual Satan, often referring to a so-called
"true" nature of Mankind.

Some religions that do not follow the Christian religion or recognize Jesus as explained in
the Christian creeds.

The second definition is most commonly used by fundamentalist Christians, and is the
source of much disagreement about whether a religion should be considered Satanic or
not. The most common targets of these claims are Neo-Pagan religions, such as Wicca
and Ásatrú.

Occasionally, some Christian denominations or even Judaism and Islam are referred to as
Satanic, based on interpretations of the second definition. Among these Christian groups
are usually the less traditional ones, such as the Mormons and other smaller sects. Also, it
is not unheard of for Catholics to refer to Protestants as Satanic, and vice versa, though
this is more uncommon. In the 1950s, Mormons commonly referred to the Roman
Catholic Church as the "Church of the Devil" because of its elaborate ceremony.

Another movement which is wrongly associated with Satan is heavy rock and metal
music. Although there are some music groups that intentionally use Satanic imagery for
one reason or another (for example the Gorillaz whose bassist Murdoc is a Satanist, or
Iron Maiden who popularized the imagery with their album "Number of the Beast") the
vast majority of metal/rock bands have no connection to any sort of Satanic philosophy.

The Process Church is an example of a group that has been labelled Satanic but rejected
that label. The Process Church worshipped Satan, but they believed that he had repented
of his misdeeds and had become reconciled to God and to his brother Jesus Christ. Their
concept of Satan-worship is so different from that of other Satanists that the label does
not apply to them.
Another group is the Kurdish religion Yazidi. They worship the angel Melek Taus,
sometimes also called the "peacock angel". Christians and Muslim identify this angel
with Satan; the Yazidis themselves are very unclear about his status, sometimes
identifying him with the Christian/Muslim Satan, othertimes denying that he has anything
to do with their Satan, but commonly naming him as the very first being created by god.