Martial Tucker said:
I respect your opinion, but it leads me to a couple of questions:
1. The idea was created by who, and, why would they bother?
2. If there is no heaven and hell, then you could argue that there is really no right or wrong in our actions. We only act in a civil manner to each other because otherwise, we would go to jail. These are the rules that society imposed upon us long ago. (Maybe the same people who came up with the notion of heaven and hell) If there is no afterlife, then there are no repercussions from uncivil actions, e.g. murder, stealing, etc...
This being the case, I would like to ask you if, given a chance to steal, kill, or whatever, in a situation where you were 100% certain you would not be caught, would you do it? If not, why not? The premise is that you are certain you will not be caught, so under your belief system, there will never be any repercussions for your actions. If you say no, because it goes against the "good" of society, then I ask who first came up with the concept of "good" or "not good", and would this be the equivalent of someone coming up with the supposedly bogus concept of heaven and hell?
Please do not take this as an expression of disrespect or hostility. You are
entitled to your beliefs, just as I am. I'm just trying to find the "core" of the logic behind your belief.:asian:
1. The main creator of heaven and hell is Jesus Christ. There were a few religions before Christ that had stories of afterlife. There was even a a Devil in many other philosophies before Christ had walked the earth. Why would they bother you asked? Well I'm not sure what they thought, but I think that it was a idea to make people lead better lives, because as long as you dont get caught, its ok. But all that changes when heaven and hell are around, because god is always watching.
I think it was a good idea for those times, but now I think people should be doing the right thing because its the right thing, not for the personal gain of going to heaven. Thats kind of selfish in a way, only doing the right thing because you might be punished for not doing the right thing. I also see the idea of heaven and hell as unrealistic. But please dont think I am trying to say you are stupid or wrong in a roundabout way. Finding it unrealistic is just my personal point of view because I think more like a scientist than one of the faithful.
2. As a Satanist, I also try to live by certain rules. As far as not getting caught for something and still doing it....that would all depend on the situation and the act itself. I am a big supporter of the law, so breaking it is not a good thing in my book, but I also realize that there are some possible situations that might require the law to be broken for the greater good. I know this is a corny example but have you ever seen beverly hills cop, if so then you know what I mean. He broke the law for the greater good, to get a bad criminal off the street that was an expert at slipping through the cracks of the law. I dont like violence, and I avoid it at all costs. I fear my government and I dare not cross it. If I could compare with the god fearing individual in any way, its in the way I fear my government. Here is a small portion of my religion. If you want to learn more then I suggest you visit the churchofsatan.com, because Im not going to fill up 10 pages about why I feel this way or that way. This is the nine Satanic sins
[SIZE=+4][FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]The Nine Satanic Sins[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1987[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]1. Stupidity—The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid. [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]2. Pretentiousness—Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not. [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]3. Solipsism—Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point. [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]4. Self-deceit—It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit! [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]5. Herd Conformity—That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many. [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]6. Lack of Perspective—Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist. You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world. [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies—Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society. [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]8. Counterproductive Pride—That first word is important. Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it. [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]9. Lack of Aesthetics—This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied. [/FONT]
