Day 1: Introductions, Satanic Statements, Book of Satan

Reading the Satanic Bible in your therapists waiting room will get you some weird looks. Just sayin. So here I am reading this infernal text and, well, it’s off to a weird start. I expected this book to have a lot of ego in it. I didn’t expect it to have THAT MUCH ego.

The opening introduction written by the then High Priest of the Church of Satan, Peter Gilmore, makes an upfront promise: This book could change my life. Okay, cool, I’m open to that. What follows is a re-telling of how both Peter and Anton LaVey came to Satanism. Both were boys that were fiercely atheistic in their childhoods. Anton LaVey eventually worked as a carnie (I had no idea) and started penning his philosophy. At the recommendation of a friend, LaVey started his own church. There’s more details, of course, but it led to this in-your-face modern Satanic movement. Peter Gilmore joined early on and eventually came to lead the organization.

The biographies are interesting, yes, but there’s a statement that caught my eye. Gilmore mentions that only a few people will truly get it when they read this book. There are those who will agree a little, but they don’t have the chops to be true Satanists. Special super smart people will understand it fully. Well, I guess I’m dumb so far.

What I noticed in the Satanic Statements and the Book of Satan was some outright hostility. This isn’t a surprise. LaVey says it very clearly that many of these statements are supposed to be hostile. That this is the opportunity for “Satan” to bite back at God and “religionists.”

There’s a type of Satanic beatitudes in the Book of Satan. It leads to lovely proclamations like “Cursed are the Vanquished!” and “Blessed are the destroyers of false hope!” This early on in the book, I believe the Satanic Bible is trying too hard.

I did feel scandalous reading this book, especially in public. What would people think? What if a member of the congregation sees me?! A friend?! My therapist?! But it’s fine. I survived. Nothing happened. My life hasn’t been changed so far.

There’s a lot here I already disagree with, but two in particular: 1. The call to retaliate against your enemies and 2. The rejection of “Love your neighbor.” This book says it plain: Violence is an option. Hatred is okay and sometimes preferred. Destroying your enemies is acceptable. It’s contrary to everything I believe about this world and the world I dream of.

Anyway, I’m keeping these short. Onward to tomorrow — the first half of the Book of Lucifer (which is a collection of beloved essays by Anton LaVey).

This post is part of a larger series where I read the entirety of the Satanic Bible in 5 days. Take a look at the original post for more info, as well as links to other reflections on this journey.