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l n Italy, black
magic is thriving,
as thousands of
soothsayers, clair–
voyants, and astrolo–
gers continue to do
a booming business.
According to the
French pu blication
Lectures Pour Tous
(May 1971), "a dis–
tinct renewal of sor–
cery and Satanism" is
occurring among
Frenchmen. And in
West Germany, tradi-
tional land of witches, spells, and
hexes, upwards of sorne 10,000
people are actively engaged in this
neocultism.
Sorne devil worship groups have
even incorporated themselves into
regular, full-ftedged churches boast–
ing memberships ranging into the
thousands.
Of course, most people become
acquainted with devil worship
through sensational newspaper ac–
counts detailing grisly cult-related
slayings - sorne involving such ma–
cabre atrocities as cannibalism and
human sacrifice.
lsn't it time we found out why this
phenomenon continues to exist in
our modern world? Is it because a
Literal devil has retumed under the
18
guise of the cults wbich
bear bis name?
Basic Beliefs
First, understand
what Satanism is - and
wbat the general beliefs
of its followers are.
The
PLAIN TRuTH
re–
cently sent severa! staff
correspondents to in–
terview Anton Szan–
dor La Vey, founder
of the San Francisco–
based First Satanic
Church. La Vey's organization is
perhaps the best-known devil wor–
ship group, claiming a worldwide
membership of well over 20,000. Its
teachings reftect the beliefs of many
other Satanists.
Here are its most significant
teachings:
No literal devi/.
Contrary to what
one might expect, most devil wor–
shippers don't believe in a literal
devil- that is, in a devil as opposed
to a Creator God. Instead, they feel
that the convent ional Satan and the
God of organized Christianity are
actually one and the same being.
They feel obligated, therefore, to
worship this being, since he, as they
see it, is both creator and ruler of
society. "He is the lord of this
world," says Anton La Vey, "so we
might as well recognize him and
give him his due."
No afterlife.
Most Satanists tend
to discount the idea of any afterlife.
They show particular contempt for
such theological teachings as
heaven, hell, and other concepts
pertaining to reward or punishment
for conduct in this life. As Anton La
Vey explained, "We emphasize the
'here and now' - not the unreal,
intangible hereafter."
Spurn Organized Religion
"Christianity," says Anton La
Vey, "is nothing more than a dia–
bolical plot which was designed to
keep mankind entrapped for severa!
thousand years until a better
mousetrap could be invented." His
words mirror the way most devil
worshippers view the religious es–
tablishment.
Most Satanist cult traditions and
rites mock the dogmas of conven–
tional theology. Members of the
First Satanic Church, for example,
are admonished to learn and in–
dulge in the "seven deadly sins of
Christianity" - namely lust, greed,
gluttony, envy, jealousy, pride, and
slothfulness. They are also urged to
read and study La Vey's self-created
Satanic Bible,
which is a sort of up–
side-down satire of the Gospels,
containing such passages as "if
someone bits you on one cheek -
smash him on the other."
Satanic Church leaders also poke
fun at the conventional "Satan im–
age" during cult rituals when they
dress up in red and black garb,
complete with horns, tail, and pitch–
fork.
"Do your own thing."
The philos–
ophy of gratifying the physical
senses through whatever means is a
major part of most Satanist groups.
Cult members regularly indulge in
illicit sex, drug usage, and other
forros of permissive behavior as a
normal part of cult-related activity.
Of course, there are a few twisted
individuals who "do their own
thing" by committing heinous crimi–
nal atrocities under the guise of
PLAIN TRUTH March 1974