"The Elitist Religion"

[forbidden fruit]

Like he originally stated Satanism as he described isn't even a religion, but a satirical representation of Christianity. Therefor by just being yourself and living life in a healthy way your being yourself which is all satanism is really about. Unless it makes you happy to mock what modern Christianity is based upon at its focal point, then its your choice to join a satanist church. But you don't need to be a satanist. Just be you. Labels tend to confuse most people not associated with them anyways.

Couldn't agree more man.
And this isn't directed at you, but I guess what bothers me is the alignment with a term that conjures up certain images for the majority... i.e. "Satanism".
It just seems kinda contrived to me.

If certain types of people will gravitate towards these ideals on their own, why the need to give it a name and a hierarchy at all?... let alone a name that has such widely recognised & negative connotations.
The being 'misunderstood, and an apparent contradiction' thing again seems self-imposed, intentional & frankly; juvenile.

 

[OldScratch]

Why be a Satanist at all then? Seems that the decision to be one betrays a certain desire to be part of a quasi-organised religious group.

Good point. Satanism - in whatever form - is a reactionary belief system/philosophy or what have you. Absent the Semetic religions, what purpose or place does a "Satan" have at all?

Rejection of desert mysticism and it's collective corrosive and stifling ideology makes perfect sense - but one need not quantify the move by clinging to the titular arch-enemy of the same, other than perhaps in the symbolic sense(as commonly seen in metal)I suppose.