Dear friends,

As so many members of the WCSL and other post-Laveyan Satanic groups are aware, the modern day Church of Satan is no longer a place that welcomes and encourages free expression and a questioning mindset but is now instead a stuck up country club for miscreants who think that looking down their nose at everyone and insulting anyone with a personality different from that of the “Lavey Archetype” they all aspire to constitutes individuality when in reality it could not be closer to the very herd conformity that they claim to stand apart from. In my interactions with Church of Satan members I have found time and time again that any person who expresses their own personal opinion on a matter is shot down as not “understanding Satanism.” When I’ve pointed out to them the passage from Satanic literature that I’m referring to (right down to the page number or URL) they usually cover it up or ignore it as you are about to see.

Paul has asked me to compile some of my recent communications with the CoS and various CoS members to show exactly what I am talking about, as you will see soon as well. The Church of Satan dismisses the word “tolerance” as being something wishy washy without understanding, apparently, that mutual respect for the differences of others is necessary for individuality to flourish. I wish I could say that this organization was all that it claims to be and I wish it could realize all that it could be, but on its present course it is on its way down the drain and we post-Laveyan groups need to make sure that they don’t take the relevance and importance of Satanism with them.

Let’s get started…

My first personal problems with the CoS came when I received the following group email from one of the administrators of an (unauthorized) Church of Satan Facebook Forum. The admin in question was named Troy Chambers but he also went under the pretentious alias “Jake DeSade.”

He has been removed as an admin and his facebook accounts have been removed, largely because of his use of racial slurs towards non-white Satanists. When he was taken to task on this he responded that he was not a racist no matter what anyone else said. This shows his complete lack of understanding of this simplest of statements: the rule was not “don’t be a racist” the rule was “don’t use racial slurs.” (I’m paraphrasing there.) You’ll now see how Troy could not even understand the very rules of Satanism he claimed to adhere to.

I’m going to post as much of the dialogue as I still have available. Troy deleted many of his comments before he was kicked off facebook but I still have enough to paste the narrative together. I’m also going to interrupt periodically for commentary.

Here’s the group email that started it all:

Subject: A Pertinent Issue

12:59 am March 14th

Today's Facebook is rife with Satanic groups-new ones appear ever day, trying to bring certain sub-genres closer together, splintering us up. This isnt how it should be. There should be a group for Satanists that follow the teachings of LaVey, and those who are so-called "Theistic Satanists". Anyone else just wants attention and friends-pen-pals, fake admirers and "disciples with fun officer names.

This has reached breaking point, and it is bothering me. I recently read an article by Blanche Barton (if you dont know who she is, you probably have your own group by now!) about this very same subject (although of course not in relation to Facebook), and read her essay purging herself of her feeling on this topic....reading it helped me a little, and I recommend it to others.

I recommend it even if this isnt as big an issue for you as it is for me. For the sensible Satanists here, you will instantly see what I am talking about; those who are the perpetrators of what Im talking about might cringe just a bit, because they know I have my eyes on them, and see them for what they are: peace-disturbers, lonely unliked people who need to feel important by forming a great new movement on Facebook.

The essay I referred to is under Blanche Barton in the Theory-Practice sections of the Church of Satan's Official site.

Thank you for you time.
-Troy, co-admin.

Comment: In addition to this, Troy had also posted a list of approved “Satanic” books with the strong implication that a Satanist should only pick their reading material from this list.

Here is my response to the group email:

2:58 am March 14th,

I just received and read the group email concerning the importance within this group of adhering to Lavey's teachings. I realize that his writings and philosophy form the basis of Satanism and that the CoS was the first and most successful modern Satanic organization, but this notion of adhering only to Lavey's philosophy is one of the reasons I haven't joined the actual Church of Satan. The modern CoS seems to claim that their members have individual freedom to choose their path in life, then turn right around and say that if you don't fit the mold then you don't understand Satanism and should leave. I am a liberal democrat, I believe in the welfare system, affirmative action, and stronger countries providing international aid to weaker countries. The CoS claims they don't dictate the political leanings of their members, but I feel like if I expressed those values in the presence of someone like, say, Rex Church, I would be removed from the CoS in no short order.

I am also a part of the Atlanta body of the Ordo Templi Orientis. I observe the philosophy of Aleister Crowley and attend meetings regularly. I get the impression that such things would be frowned upon by the Church of Satan.

I call myself a Satanist because I like the imagery AND have always felt that it was my natural role in any society I am a part of to question the status quo. I have always felt that this was at the core of Satanic philosophy as well as those of Ragnar Redbeard and Ayn Rand. I have a youtube blog in which I discuss Satanism and my views on it.

I have read the Satanic Bible cover to cover and it sits on my ritual altar. I have read the Satanic Scriptures and keep a copy on my bedside table. I am currently reading the Satanic Witch and think it is a book that should be taught in school. I am VERY familiar with Lavey's philosophy and it is an integral part of who I am, but I don't feel the need rigidly adhere to what the Church calls "individuality." I am also a big reader of the Book of the Law, The Book of Lies, and other occult documents.

If you do not consider me adequate material for your Satanic country club, I invite you to remove me post haste.
-Jordan

Troy made two responses. He’s deleted the public thread, but here’s the private thread:

I stopped reading after your description of your beliefs as a liberal democrat, then only skimmed. Sure, you have a choice, but not the choice to be stupid and go against human nature. The main portion of Satanism must ALREADY be present for it to actually work for you, and with thoughts like that you have no hope for real Satanic thought, sorry. And as far as teaching the Satanic Witch in school...what? We should teach sexual manipulation in our schools? I would expect nothing more of a liberal. Schools should be teaching children REAL things...save satanic teachings for out-of-school research. Teaching Satanism in schools would be pointless. The dupes wouldnt get it and resent it, and the smart people would find it on their own.

Im going to keep your message to peruse whenever I need a laugh. Thanks for that!

P.S.-Dont worry so much about worthless "occult documents". Where will they get you? The very fact that you think they make you more worth-while show how much you lack in the Satanism department. And thank you for keeping out of the actual Church, there are enough attention-seeking leeches as it is. Have a nice night.

I responded with this:

“I was thinking more in terms of the College level, where such things can be studied electively. And again- you condemn my liberal nature without explaining why. I live as I wish and don't allow others to take advantage of me. So beyond that what is the problem with having my own point of view about politics? The church of Satan proclaims that its members may pursue whatever politics they want and you are the one who wants to adhere strictly to the teachings of Anton Lavey.

And I read occult materials because it interests me. Why should I have to justify that to you?”

Comment: The foremost problem I had with this was his detest for my liberal sentiments without explaining why. In other posts he continued this idiocy about how a Satanist cannot be liberal. So I posted this passage taken DIRECTLY from the theory-practice section of churchofsatan.com:

“As has been said many times before, one’s politics are up to each individual member, and most of our members are political pragmatists. They support political candidates and movements whose goals reflect their own practical needs and desires. Our members span an amazing political spectrum, which includes but is not limited to: Libertarians, Liberals, Conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Reform Party members, Independents, Capitalists, Socialists, Communists, Stalinists, Leninists, Trotskyites, Maoists, Zionists, Monarchists, Fascists, Anarchists, and just about anything else you could possibly imagine. It is up to each member to apply Satanism and determine what political means will reach his/her ends, and they are each solely responsible for this decision. Freedom and responsibility—must be a novel concept for those who aren’t Satanists. We take it in stride. Members who demand conformity from other members to their particular political fetish are welcomed to depart.”

-From “A Map for the Misdirected” by Peter H. Gilmore

I posted this on the forum and Troy quickly deleted it.

Now, you might think that with all of those political parties listed and that definite statement from the High Priest himself, the CoS would be an organization that allowed its members to follow whatever political path they wanted without contradiction. This is really only half true. You can practice whatever political perspective you want (or none at all) so long as you do not express your beliefs in contradiction with what I call the “Archetypical Satanist” political beliefs. What I mean by that is that there is an implication within the CoS that although they wont stop you from pursuing your politics, there is a specific set of politics that all true Satanists should adhere to and if you don’t adhere to those politics- and even worse if you challenge them- you are setting yourself up to be scorned, ridiculed, and belittled by the upper management of the CoS to the point that you’ll leave the CoS, an act which you shall also be belittled for.

Consider these passages from “Rebels Without a Cause,” another essay by Peter H. Gilmore:

Statement #1:

“Some newcomers to our philosophy do not grasp its axioms and tear at Satanism as if it were some kind of straightjacket.”

Comment: this is a complete inversion of the issue. Using Troy as an example, it seems more like anyone who questions orders and decrees from the top brass or asks questions about the Satanic philosophy is shat upon and if they don’t eat up the insults and act like it doesn’t bother them, they are further stepped on and insulted. Not the sort of behavior one expects from an organization that claims to value individuality and free thought as its highest values.

Statement #2: (this portion is acknowledged by Gilmore as being from one of Lavey’s essays)

“There need be no deviation from these principles. They should summarily negate internecine strife and bickering. Any attempts at Satanic ‘reformation’ should be seen for what they are: creating problems where none exist. There should be no place in any religion for reformers whose very religion is the fetish of reformation. There is even a place and title for compulsive dissidents, and if they can wear the mantle, they are welcome. They would delude themselves to be revolutionaries. In our camp, they are called “House Masochists.”

Comment: this is exactly what I’m talking about- the implication here is that if you question the status quo, you will be mocked and put down. Was that not exactly what I got from Troy? Its one thing to be a revolutionary for its own sake- that is a waste of time- but when one has genuine questions and grievances with the CoS they are quickly dismissed as falling into this same category. And when you keep quiet about the hypocrisy and injustice you see all around are you not falling into the very lemming-off-a-cliff mentality that the CoS claims to OPPOSE!?!?!?!?!? As I’ve said before, these people seem to think that conforming to the “Laveyan Archetype” constitutes individuality. Poppycock!

This is very true of what one finds with the CoS. They present Satanism as being very appealing when speaking to the public but when you actually interact with them; they pick apart what is unique about you so that you will fit their mold.

I should clarify here that it is NOT the Satanic Philosophy that I have a problem with. I have read the works of Lavey and Gilmore, as I said earlier, and have a great deal of respect for their philosophy and feel it is an integral part of who I am. But its these absurd, vague, and condescending rules they impose on their members and those who wish to associate with them that I have a problem with.

Let’s turn our attention back to that essay “A Map for the Misdirected” again:

“We Satanists are not here to smarten up the rubes. They are welcome to be fooled by “False Churches of Satan” and get the instant titles they crave (plastic badges spilled from a gumball machine at a quarter a pop), while knowing in their hearts that these count for nothing. You get what you pay for. These stunted children playing in a sandbox are desperate for attention from genuine Satanists.”

Comment: If I were desperate for your attention, why would I join a different organization, shit for brains?

Anyway, I want to now bring up one of by biggest gripes with the Church of Satan. Again, this is from Peter Gilmore’s “Misdirected” essay:

“The Church of Satan is neither racist nor sexist. We are equal opportunity haters of most human animals—recall the “Seventh Satanic Statement.” Misanthropy is our general point of view, and we don’t exclude any race or either sex from this attitude. We seek to associate with the fascinating few at the top of the stratification pyramid, and that doesn’t necessarily mean those with the most intelligence, money, or talent. Many of them may be “damaged goods,” Thanatos-centered creatures who are incapable of enjoying life and obsessed with quenching the lust for life that enflames we who are carnal. We don’t care from whence a person comes or what genitals adorn their bodies. We judge people for what they are individually, their personal achievements, and how they behave, ascribing nothing to them based on their lineage. They can either succeed or fail in impressing us as humans who are worth our precious time through their own accomplishments and demeanor. Meritocracy is our approach, and we have nothing but disdain for people who demand they should be considered worthy of note simply because they had ancestors who were outstanding.”

Comment: Now, I read this and think “I couldn’t agree more” and this was the sort of statement that made me initially interested in joining the Church of Satan. But consider this statement from Draconis Blackthorn (his birth name, I’m sure) on the Church of Satan movie review page The Sinister Screen. The film in question is “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.”

“In one scene involving the house elf, Potter frees him from his cruel master's rule by actually bestowing him an article of clothing, thereby liberating him from slavery, which did receive a few handclaps of approval from the audience, particularly from a negro woman who obviously connected this as a metaphor for ancestor oppression... but the question remains, "what does Dobby do now?" For it is known that the slave-type encompasses most of humanity, who are in the majority followers, necessitating a leader, a ruler, a master, whether it be a so-called "God", messiah, television, trends, etc. In this day and age, they still want to be told what to do, but without the use of the word "slavery" - so instead, PC terminology has been invented such as "team player", "church group", "congregation," etc., that it may be more palatable - yet drones they remain, no matter which connotation is used.”

(http://www.purgingtalon.com/sinisterscreen/hreviews.html)

Comment:

Now, on a philosophical level I understand this passage and agree 100%: We think we are liberated simply because our subjugation is given a less threatening name and we ought to be individuals and stand up for ourselves instead of waiting on the approval of others to consider ourselves “free.” He’s exactly right. I agree with him and recognize that statement as being rooted firmly in the Church of Satan philosophy.

So what do I have a problem with? The phrase “a negro woman who obviously connected this as a metaphor for ancestor oppression…”

Apparently the Church of Satan is not a racist organization, but if you point out that this is a racist statement, apparently YOU are the one with the problem. If its not obvious enough, here’s why its racist: He’s assuming that because the woman is black she’s making this “ancestor” connection. That may well be the case but to assume that is racist! And I’m not trying to be the Political Correctness Police when I say that. Its not like he “slipped up” and said something offensive on accident. He went out of his way to make this obvious and blatantly racist statement! And add to that he uses the word “negro,” an out-of-date expression that reeks of the kind of condescension I’m talking about. Why does he use this ancient word? To sound eloquent? They may reject political correctness, but why pick that word over “African American” or “woman of color” or “Nubian?” Surely any of these words would be equally as eloquent! Even “black” would probably have gotten no real complaint.

It began to make me wonder about the CoS’ stance on race relations through the ages and to get some perspective I sent this an email to Rex Church via Myspace. He is yet to respond, though because of Myspace’s email system I know he’s read it. I would repost the message but it was about three weeks ago and Myspace has already deleted the message.

To clarify, I have such a problem with racism and sexism because I lived for five miserable years in Oxford, Mississippi, a town that was so full of prejudice and bigotry that it makes my back teeth itch just to think about. It was an environment where White Christian Males could beat their girlfriends in the school hallways (and by beat I mean bruises and, in one case, a trip to the hospital, but that’s another story) and the teachers would generally ignore it (although there were sane people there who tried to counteract this behavior.) It was a place that was terrified of one of the smart kids bringing a gun to school (this was in the era of Columbine) but it was okay for jocks to drive into the school parking lot with rifles in the rifle racks of their trucks. It was the place where the “white” status quo had such a revolting outlook that someone actually (thought not this eloquently) stated that for a white person to have sex with a black person is an act of bestiality on the part of the white person. And this was not the 1950’s! This was the late 1990’s!

When I first discovered Satanism it seemed to be a total opposition to the sort of mentality being pushed by these rednecks, but more and more it seems that the Church of Satan champions not so much the practice of these awful things but at least a sort of sympathy towards it. If you read “Victors and Victims: From West Memphis to Columbine” from Peter H. Gilmore’s (outstanding) book “The Satanic Scriptures,” you’ll see a great deal of sympathy expressed for the victims of this sort of southern white-trash redneck culture and a philosophy that, again, reflects my thoughts 100% “as if it were a mirror.” But within the CoS, all of the values that the CoS encourages its members to express to the outside world go out the window and one is introduced to narrow-minded conformity, condescension, insults, and snobbishness in the extreme.

So let’s bring this back around to politic affiliation. There is an audio file on Boyd Rice’s website in which he, as a representative for the CoS, is discussing the Church of Satan’s beliefs with Christian radio host Bob Larson and he makes the following statement in regards to the CoS’ use of the word “Fascism”:

LARSON: Mr. Rice is a Satanist.

RICE: Absolutely. I’m a Satanist, a social Darwinist, and a whole lot of other things.

LARSON: You’re an occult fascist.

RICE: Yes.

LARSON: You are a Satanic Neo-Nazi.

RICE: No, not precisely. We don’t use “fascist” in terms of it being political. Just more to represent it being the polar opposite of democracy. We see Democracy as being basically the twin of Judeo-Christian values and we see that they have both reached this point of critical mass and they’re both falling apart. Its time to bring back more bestial values.

(http://www.boydrice.com/downloads/Boyd%20vs.%20Bob/Boyd%20vs%20Bob%20-%20Debate%201.mp3)

Comment: All this would be fine if Boyd Rice was talking about what Satanism means to him. But instead he speaks on behalf of the entire Church, representing what seems to be the stance of the whole organization. If I am an individual, entitled to pursue whatever political affiliation I wish, am I wrong to speak up when a representative of the organization I’m a part of paints me up to be OPPOSED to the very party I SUPPORT?

Peter Gilmore makes a vague attempt address this in the Satanic Scriptures in an essay called “The Fascism Question.” His basic argument is that what Satanists oppose is the notion that reared its head in the flower-power 60’s that everyone is equal and nobody should be recognized for their individual accomplishments. This would be in keeping with the Objectivist origins of modern Satanism. The sentiment the CoS encountered during this time was reactionaries who would make statements like “you’re all just being fascist,” etc, a statement made without the actual implication of the Church being a true Fascist organization that adhered to the political outlook of that party.

One could extrapolate from Gilmore’s argument that Satanists use the word “fascist” the same way African Americans and homosexuals use the terms “nigger” and “queer,” respectively, to address people within their own demographic; by using the word themselves they “own it” and take its power out of the hands of the people that it use it derisively.

But if one makes mention of the contradiction between Rice’s explanation and Gilmore’s then THEY are the ones that don’t understand Satanism!

Now to bring all this back around to my problems with Troy the puissant piss-ant. The mud slinging between the two of us continued pointlessly for a day or so, and I decided that this was becoming an example of what Lavey called “Counter Productive Pride,” one of the Satanic Sins. Here is the actual text on the matter:

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.

So, I decided to bury the hatchet with Troy and see if we couldn’t talk things out. I sent him this message:

(March 14th, 10:29 pm)

Troy,

I think we got off on the wrong foot last night and in the interest of not falling into "counter productive pride" I wanted to see if we could discuss the terms of your group email a little more directly. I came across a line in your post on regaining TRUE Satanic principles where you said you wanted to hear what the "rebels" had to say. Also, you have expressed some of the same concerns that I have about the way the current upper management of the CoS opperates, so I wanted to ask if you could elaborate for me on what you mean by returning to Satanic principles. Are you saying that people from other post-Laveyan groups are misrepresenting his ideas, or that to be a "Satanist" is to adhere only to Lavey's ideas? Or is it something else altogether? I certainly do agree that we have better things to do than talk about hating Christianity and that the people who keep coming up and saying we need to go on a church burning crusade should be shunned. However Peter Gilmore has said that Satanism is a tool, not a cause, so if I use Satanism in conjunction with other philosophys that work for me (provided I don't misrepresent Satanism) then what's the problem?

I'm genuinely asking these questions in hopes that we can keep from creating a divide among this group of Satanists and also express our ideas in a mutually beneficial way. I realize that it is the policy of some to state flat out that questions like these indicate someone who does not understand Satanism and as such I would appreciate it if we could discuss these matters rather than just dismiss them. I also realize that the militant tone of my first email did its part to fuel the fire in terms of our disagreement. Hoping to hear from you soon,
-Jordan

And here is the response I got from the little turd:

(11:24 pm March 14th)

As engaging as your message was Jordan, Im done with this topic. I never wished for people to respond to that group-wide post; it was more a warning: I won't be allowing it to happen in my presence any longer. This is what Im doing now-purging the system of counterproductive hog-wash, as well as what was my bubbling animosity towards it-a sort of ritual if you will.

So you will excuse me from not continuing this silly tete-a-tete, for I see no reason to waste anymore of my precious time. Ive wasted enough as it stands now.

Of course you can feel free to post it in a DB, of course re-phrasing it for the group at large, and maybe I or some one else with give you the attention you crave.

Good bye.

Comment: The language he’s using is indicative of the sort of diminutive light the CoS casts any dissenters in. People who disagree are “countinuing this silly tete-a-tete” and craving attention. And Troy wasn’t craving attention when he started trying to dictate the behavior of nearly a thousand people simply because he was the admin on an UNOFFICAL CoS forum?

Now I hope you’ve noticed that in each of these examples in which I have tried to deal with this orthodox Satanist I have based my actions on Satanic philosophy. By that same token when Troy spat back in my face for attempting to make piece, I responded in line with one of the Satanic Statements:

4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!

So in that light, I began to petition for Troy’s removal without mercy. The difference between the two of us is that I actually give kindness to those who deserve it, whereas Troy and so many CoS members seem to think that statement is read as “Satan represents kindness for nobody at all ever and if you think otherwise you’re not a TRUE Satanist.”

When I posted a request for Troy’s resignation, other forum members got raised issues of their own concerning the little puke, especially the Satanist who had been the target of Troy’s racist insults. Troy responded by claiming that he had many, many, many people who were writing to him personally and encouraging him. Odd, considering that of all those multitudes of people only two of them had the balls to post their opinions on the actual forum, though their opinions were little more than parroting the very belief that Troy and the modern CoS are championing: “I’m an individual and a free thinker because I’m such a complete and total asshole who insults people with honest reasons for dissent.”

I attempted to post Troy’s personal statements to me on the forum but- of course- they kept getting deleted. He sent me this message:

(12:57 am March 15th)

That was really cute. Put personal messages out for public viewing as you throw a hissy fit. Leave if you wish. I honestly can say that no one will shed any tears.

So I posted this message on the forums, which was subsequently taken down:

TROY: I tried openly and honestly to make PEACE between us and you continue to be an asshole. You are the network administrator and when I try to communicate with you you accuse me of wanting attention? If you are graduating class of '09 from high school then it means you are probably too young to join the actual CoS and if you claim to adhere to CoS doctrine, you shouldn't even be involved in the Satanic community yet! So to review, here's a list of the things you, who claim to adhere to Laveyan Satanism strictly do in violation of that code:

1. You criticize the political alignment of another CoS member as being un-satanic.

2. You attempt to dictate the how and why of what another Satanist ought to read

3. You are a part of a non-CoS sponsored forum.

4. You socialize with other Satanists without observing the conduct of the Satanic grotto system.

5. You sought ought an administrative position within this group in violation of the principles of the CoS' administrative selections. (And Jenna never should have opened the position for applications anyway.)

6. You condemn others with points of view different from you citing an essay by Blanch Barton in which she condemns exactly what you are doing: claiming to represnt the CoS philosophy without being sanctioned by the CoS.

7. You continue to persue a path of counter productive pride even thought I tried to make peace.

8. You are probably too young to legally be a member of the CoS or an active part of the Satanic community.

So... what part of the ideals of Satanism is it that you think you adhere to? As far as I can tell, you are the worst sort of Satanist: the one who thinks this is just a big contest to see who can be the biggest asshole.

And Jenna: I still have the email where you told me that you hadn't even read the entire Satanic Bible when you started this page.

I'm going to maintain my membership on this (Jenna And Troy's) page as long as is necessary to respond to this thread, then I'm out.

Comment: So I left their page for a few days and re-joined when I saw Troy had been removed. By this time I was also an officer on the Ignite the Black Flame discussion board and had decided to use the experience as a reminder of what not to do in my new position as a co-admin.

After Troy was removed not only from the CoS forum by from Facebook altogether, he signed back in under his Jack DeSade account (this has apparently been closed as well) and posted this:

Hi everyone-this is Troy, one of the old administrators of this group. Ive decided to leave Facebook, and therefore have given up my rights as admin in this group - but in a way Im still here. This profile you see here, Jake Desade, is one of my alternate profiles. As some of you may well remember, this person you thought was Jake caused quite a bit of commotion a few weeks back. Now you know, that it was really me, Troy. Ive used this alternate profile to either:

a) amuse myself by stirring up controversy amongst the more moronic persons on this site,

b)play devils advocate or agree with myself in DB's to give them a jump start

c)voice ideas that even I dont agree with and therefore would never say, but would still incite interesting discussions

d)break blocks in DBs by jump starting them with another idea

Anyways...

What Im here to tell you people is Thank You to the intelligent people on this site who have supported me, and have seen the sense in what Ive done and tried to do with this group. The endless ream of messages I got supporting my email pertaining to the needless creation of groups ended up getting me temporarily blocked from sending messages due to the high quantity I was sending, thanking people and responding to their questions. In the end, regarding that email, I received 4 negative emails, while I was getting a steady flow o f 10-20 everyday thanking me for noticing the problem.

Of course, now I wont be able to be as diligent as I was ousting or toying with the dimwits who come here looking for attention. So instead you people will have take over and avoid the Psychic Vampires that attach themselves to this site. Pay them no attention (unless someone is bored and good with innocent taunts, like me. Then you can play with them. Trust me, its quite good fun).

Dont feel the need to split everything up and join every Satanic group that pops up.Especially, avoid one who call each other "brother". Those are normally the ones bent simply on making friends with people using the name of Satanic to look "dark".

And those who harrassed me and harangued me while I was administrator: thanks guys...you helped me realize what a waste of my time Facebook was and is. The immature morons here will never let anything that I say seep through their thick skulls, so there was no point advancing any of my new ideas - I found that out right away, and had to change my tack then. No good. Oh well...you amused me for awhile, but I realized there are MUCH better ways to be amused than to engage in tete-a-tetes with half-baked psychic vampires. Ill find a way to amuse myself that wont be amusing others that I dont like. For example-Im starting a home-business.

And to Jenna: Thank you so much for accepting me to your team to try to bring an actual Satanic presence to Facebook. I wish you luck in the future, and with this group.

So, people, I bid you adieu. But dont think I wont still have my eye on what is going on here...Im still watching, so fools beware!

Thanks, and again, thanks a lot for giving me that chance to co-administrate with you-its been an honor!

Comment: so Troy tried to make it look like he just decided to up and leave Facebook because he was tired of it, but that’s obvious bullshit. Anyway, after he was removed I posted this statement on the forum concerning the matter:

I am pleased to see that Troy was removed from his administrative position. To address the multitudes of supporters that he claims he has:

My problem with Troy was primarily the manner in which he responded to my emails which was discourteous and unnecessarily mean spirited. I asked Troy for more information about what he meant by his email and he responded that I was needy for attention and a psychic vampire.

To clarify: the psychic vampire is- to the Satanic community- one who feeds off of another more for the contact with another human being than for anything that is mutually beneficial to both parties. It stems from Objectivist ideology outlined by Ayn Rand in her writings. I was insulted that Troy used this term to describe me because HE initiated the contact with the group wide email. To then insult anyone who responds to it is extremely insolent and to think that Satanists would blindly accept orders handed down from above flies in the face of definition of Satan: one to accuse and question.

Let's put this in perspective. Say for example that Troy and I live in houses across the street from one another. If I go over to Troy's house everyday, asking to borrow things- his lawnmowwer, two cups of sugar, his favorite DVD- then call him up on the phone and babble all night about problems that are not of his interest or concern then ask him to do me additional favors that are not rewarded, then I am being a psychic vampire and within the guidelines of Satanism, he would be right to tell me off and ignore me.

But on the other hand, lets say that instead of me bothering him, Troy comes out in his front yard one day and starts throwing rocks at my house and the other houses in the neighborhood. I ask why he's doing that and he tells me that I'm just trying to get attention from HIM and I don't belong in his neighborhood. Does it make sense then why I would take offense at that?

If you agree with Troy, it is your right to do so and you do not have to justify your position to me. However if I receive a declaration from you stating that I must take on an attitude contrary to my beliefs to get your approval for posting on a board that I have been posting on for over quite some time, I'm going to have something to say about it. You know why? Because it is a part of my Satanic nature to question all things and all authority. Hail Satan.

To those of you who stood up to Troy: Thank you. You have helped keep our corner of cyberspace conducive to free thought and innovative individualism.

To Jenna: Thank you for removing Troy as an admin. I can only speak for myself but I don't think I am alone in that statement. I was thinking about how we as a community could make sure that does not happen again in the future. Perhaps we could more clearly define the co-admin's duties and make sure that he or she does not editorialize their position.

To Troy: You claim that you don't care what I think but the fact that you were so quick to respond to everyone of my posts shows that you were more than interested in what I had to say. Periodically I get emails from true psychic vampires in the form of Christians trying to save my soul. If they have questions, I answer them and politely ask them not to contact me further. If they contact me again, I block them! Do you know why? Because I don't care what they have to say. You may think that you were playing with me for your own amusement and may think that using dismissive and belittling language will dishearten me and those who agree, but a TRUE Satanist- one who can smell bullshit a mile away- knows that you're trying to use an emotional argument to dodge having to make a logical one. And everytime you responded to me and deleted my posts and created forum topics to formally dismiss my views, you further cemented in everyone's mind that you DID care what I had to say.

I came to you with an apologetic tone, trying to patch things over in the name of keeping us both from falling into the Satanic Sin of "counter productive pride," but you decided instead that you would respond with another Satanic Sin: pretentiousness. Your inability to receive me honestly and humanly was your downfall. And yes- I do admit to caring about what you have to say, because I am an active participant in any community I am a part of and if I hear of legislation that will jeoprdize that community I will be the first and last line of opposition.

There are those of you that will read this and voice your support for Troy and his ideas. To that I say: I am interested in hearing your reasoned, logical defense of his perspective. However, if your defense of his perspective is only a defense of Troy as a person, by saying things like "he's only cruel if you're stupid" or some similar statement, then I cannot, personally, put value in your argument because even though I do not know Troy personally, I have never known him to be anything but a jerk and if I take your testimonial for his character then I am denying my own assesment and that is the first step to throwing out free thought. (As John Galt put it, A IS A!)

Troy, you said that you shook the corpse and the flies came out. No Troy- you sounded the alarm and the minutemen took up arms. So when you read this, either as Troy or your pretentious new Desade alter ego, know that your smug facade has been torn down. I have shown you to be what I knew you were: the TRUE poser, the one who cannot make rational, logical arguments and must attempt to use the school yard bully approach of rallying a mob of blind followers to strike down the one whom you know to have intellectually bested you.

And on that note- I noticed where you said that you were homeschooled because you were judged to be too advanced for the grade you were in, but as an objective thinker I can't help but wonder if the real reason you were taken out of school is that you're such a prick everyone was ready to pummel you into the ground. I have no way of proving that, but I can't help but wonder if that is the case.

A few months ago Scientific American Mind ran a cover story about how specialists have assumed for years that bullies tormented others because they hate themselves but that new studies have shown that to not be true- bullies do what they do because they suffer from a bloated ego and demand others recognize it. From what I've seen so far, that fits you to a T. And when you try to write in with more smart ass egotism, know that you are just fitting my accusations even better, and that you deserved to be taken down a notch, just like the target's of Anton Lavey's childhood pranks from the Johnson Smith catalogue.

So I charge you- express your point of view with the logic and clarity that I have presented mine, without the petty insults that you think will disuade me.

I will always do my best to give you the level of respect you give me, and you have shown me that you neither give or deserve respect. Change my mind.

Hail Satan,
-Jordan

Comment: Troy, of course, has since deleted his comments but a few statements stand out in my mind. His initial response to the above began with “Well someone had a case of oral diarrhea,” showing once again that he can’t seem to make an objective argument. Also, in response to the Scientific American reference, he said the POINT of Satanism was to become your own god and be recognized as such. If you listen to Peter Gilmore’s statement on sutheism in on the Canadian news/talk show “The Hour,” he explains it quite well:

“We start off being atheists and then decide that we are our own gods, the center of the universe.”

(http://youtube.com/watch?v=wxgr29Pq2co)

Indeed, to be your OWN GOD means that you are in charge of yourself and that you don’t need someone else’s “god” creature to live and enjoy your life. It certainly doesn’t mean that you expect to have people worship you! That would be in contradiction to Ayn Rand’s cornerstone statement:

"I swear—by my life and my love of it—that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

-Atlas Shrugged, from the chapter “This is John Galt Speaking.”

http://compuball.com/Inquisition/AynRand/galtspeech_pmark_broken.htm

After Troy posted his “final message” on the forum then sent it out as a group email twice over the span of several days. And this is the jackass who had the nerve to accuse ME of seeking attention?

Are you beginning to see how Troy, the person who claims to adhere perfectly to what I call the “Laveyan Archetype” becomes the person who actually has NO CONCEPT WHATSOEVER WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SATANIST. Can it be so alarming to think that there are groups out there who honestly feel they have a better understanding of Satanism than the current administration of the Church of Satan? I have shown you how my behavior in these matters was squarely rooted in the LAVEYAN philosophy of Satanism, yet at every turn I am told that I do not understand this philosophy by people who sound as if they have never read a word of it!

I will spare you the rest of my correspondence with Troy. You get the idea. But there were only two people who expressed their support of Troy post-his firing to my knowledge. One was a forum user named Dan Volkman in a forum posted called “Troy?”

His statement:

Was he deleted? I guess so since all of his posts are gone everywhere and he is not here anymore.

I'm out then. They complained about him being facist, and look what happened. It was the other way around.

My response:

Odd how people think a fascist getting dethroned is an act of hypocrisy. The tumor has been cut away so that the rest of the body may live and flourish.

Another user questioned me about the matter on the Ignite the Black Flame page:

Aless Richter:

Wy can't y'all just forget about them?
You're fueling the fire, and quite frankly, it's hilarious.
I've spoken to troy many times.
He's smart, and he knows how to ply with other peoples emotions.
It's funny that you guys actually promote it by posting multiple copies of his group-wide letter, posting all your rants, agreeing with eachother, calling him names...

Why.Do,You.Give.A.Damn?
Let someone get to you like this, and you're becoming weaker.

That's my two cents on it.

My response:

When I was in high school I knew a guy who had a similar attitude as Troy. People would try to tell him that he was being an asshole and getting on everyone's nerves and he would chuckle and say "the world is my playground." He was your typical goth- black nails, eyeliner, black clothes, etc. and he thought that he had a grasp of occult knowledge and knew how to manipulate people but all he really knew how to do was piss people off. There's a difference. Troy was VERY good at pissing people off and in Satanism, when someone pisses you off, you DEAL WITH IT! ignoring the person is like waving a white flag. Troy thought his ability to be a jerk constituted ability as a Satanist but when he tried to pick fights with people who actually know the Satanic philosophy- instead of just insulting people who disagree with them- he got more than he bargained for. We celebrate our victory because it is a victory- and in keeping with the Objectivist views of Satanism, we feel that when you accomplish something that makes you feel good, you ought to celebrate it instead of downplaying it in the name of "maturity."

Furthermore, we talk about it after the fact to get our emotions out there. Its the simple human principle that shared joy is increased and shared pain is lessened.

Also, Troy's behavior constitutes a negative trend that has reared its ugly head in the Church of Satanism: the idea that a Satanist ought to blindly accept orders handed down from above even though that flies in the face of the very questioning nature championed by Satanists!

So no, let us not forget about Troy, the impotent worm who thought he could dictate the behavior of a whole multitude of radical individualists simply because he was co-administrator of an internet forum. If the CoS is right about one thing its that those who seek positions of power will inevitably abuse them.

(End of my forum post)

In an attempt to get a perspective on the Satanic stance on civil disobedience, I contacted Peggy Nadramia directly at HPNadramia@churchofsatan.com, an address given by one of the forum directors on the Letters to the Devil forum as being a place to go for questions on CoS policy.

Here is what I sent:

Mrs Nadramia,

I came across your email address on the Letters to the Devil forum, where ithad been posted by an administrator who said to contact you for certain inquiries. Knowing that you are High Priestess I do not want to trouble you unnecessarily and if my question can be answered on the forum or in a piece of Satanic literature, please direct me there. Nevertheless I am unable to find exact information on this matter despite having read the Satanic Bible, The Satanic Scriptures, and The Satanic Witch, the latter of which I am currently reading.

Simply put, my question is this: What is the Church of Satan's perspective on civil disobedience? This occurred to me because I was reading the Satanic Witch (a book which I personally feel should be taught at the College level alongside the Art of War and the Prince) and noticed a footnote in which Lavey mentioned a friend of his who worked for the riot police to lambaste disorderly protesters and it seemed to highlight a question that continues to crop up in my mind. I understand how the Church looks at the dominant/submissive aspect of law enforcement and sees a corollary with deSade-esque personal relationships but I wonder still- when a Church of Satan member feels that their government is oppressing them in some way, what is the proper CoS method for change? Civil protest? Violent uprising? Psychological manipulation of those at the top? I realize this maybe a question that, for a veteran Satanist, would sound trivial but for myself, having only been studying the philosophy for a few years, it is still something I am in the dark about.

I ask because I am someone who campaigns for the causes I care about and, for example, in early 2003 I took to the Boston streets with 75,000 other protesters to voice opposition to the war in Iraq. There was no violence, but law enforcement was, understandably, present. In the CoS' eyes, was I really out there protesting because I secretly wanted to get my skull bashed in by police officers? I ask because despite the fundamental understanding I have that Satan, to the CoS, represents the one to accuse and question and never bow to an authority figure but time and again I find spots in CoS literature that seem to vaguely or overtly side or sympathize with those who are directly responsible for silencing dissent.

For example, were the African Americans who campaigned in the sixties for civil rights really doing it because they WANTED to get sprayed with fire hoses and lynched by vigilante KKK mobs? Perhaps I am taking it too literally. I understand that the CoS shuns violence for its own sake, as do I, but also champions those who stand up for themselves and I am having a difficult time coming to some conclusion as to what the definite CoS stance on this matter is. I am a liberal democrat (though I'm not so ignorant as to think every one else must be as well) and have always believed that the government ought to have a fundamental fear of its citizens to ensure that they do not oppress their subjects. What does the CoS think of that?

Lastly, I should clarify that I certainly believe the police are an important and integral part of any community and am not suggesting rebellion for its own sake. For example, the next year in Boston there were riots outside my dorm because the Patriots had won the super bowl and for some reason the drunken fans decided to celebrate by starting fires, destroying property, and killing four people, all within the block that contained my dorm. The riot police moved in and busted things up appropriately. The following year the city declared that nobody could be out in the streets unescorted on game night and an army of police patrolled the streets, making sure nobody was misbehaving. I thought both of those responses from law enforcement were totally appropriate.

Thank you for your time,

-Jordan Owen

I am yet to get a response on this matter and I’m not holding my breath.

Is this really the Church of Satan? An organization that attempts to ignore or dispel honest questions about its policy by resorting to ad hominem attacks and declaring that all who disagree simply misunderstand Satanism? Surely a philosophy as thorough and established as Satanism can withstand dissent, question, and criticism by addressing them head on. One can only ignore the taste of bullshit for so long. For example, the CoS claims that they never give out exact numbers but that they have thousands world wide. Can this be seen as anything but an attempt to ignore the most likely reality: that the Church of Satan has never had more than about 300 members and has been in financial jeopardy since Lavey’s death?

I should clarify: Peter H. Gilmore is a very intelligent and insightful person. I am a fan of Boyd Rice’s music and even recorded a cover of his song “Total War.” I have a great deal of respect for Anton Lavey because he put the Satanic Bible together and launched the modern Satanic movement. But I have no interest in worshipping these people and can see them as nothing more than fallible human beings like everyone else.

As much respect as I have for these people along with other CoS members, some of whom are very close personal friends of mine, I cannot pretend that the organization as a whole has not de-evolved into a colossal joke. In an attempt to regulate not only the CoS but Satanism as a whole, they have become the very thing they claim to despise: pretentious, narrow-minded, dogmatic, and unjust.

I take from the CoS what I find to be of value, and that is what has been laid down in book form to be interpreted by each reader on their own. But I will take wisdom from other writers as well: Harlan Ellison, Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, Lao Tzu, Aleister Crowley, Eliphias Levi, the authors of the Gnostic gospels and most recently, Paul Valentine. I read the work of these people for my own purposes and do not require or expect anyone else to read these materials simply because I do. Go out and find knowledge in the world that is beneficial to you on your own personal path in life for that is the true path of the Satanist.

Hail Satan,

-Jordan Owen

Atlanta, GA

2008