First Blog: The Difference Between LaVeyan And Theistic Satanism

Hi! I wanted to use Spacehey as a way to ease myself into being more open about who I am and to allow myself to talk about stuff I don't usually get to talk about.

I figured my first blog might as well be to talk about the differences in LaVeyan and Theistic Satanism, since I see a lot of misinformation every time the topic comes up. Full disclaimer, I am a Theistic Satanist (if you've seen the About Me section on my profile you probably knew that already - or you saw the ridiculous amount of stamps there and decided not to read any of it, both equally valid), but even with that being the case, my experience is not going to be the same as any other Theistic Satanist's. This blog is just a super abridged explanation of what the two different terms mean.

Firstly is LaVeyan Satanism. LaVeyan Satanism was founded in 1966, by Anton LaVey. Despite the name, practitioners of LaVeyan Satanism don't actually worship Satan at all - or believe in him as an actual deity. Instead, LaVeyan Satanism has a focus on self-worship, with Satan instead being a positive symbol of pride and enlightenment, and as a symbol of rebellion against the Abrahamic religions. This form of Satanism has become more well known over the years, with groups like The Satanic Temple being heavily involved in politics, with many demonstrations of the American government's hypocrisy when it comes to the separation of Church and state.

Theistic Satanists, on the other hand, do worship Satan as an actual deity. Though, what this means will vary wildly from individual to individual. There are a few universal truths in my experience though.

- None believe in human sacrifice, aside from those who have been incredibly mentally ill and not receiving help, and likely would have regardless of their religion.

- Animal sacrifice is also incredibly looked down upon (aside from those who live in rural areas who have to hunt for their food).

- Very few believe in the Devil exactly as he is described in the Bible. Satanism, no matter the branch, is not about the worship and glorification of evil. That is not to say that none believe in the Devil as described in the Bible, but it's certainly not the majority, and even they attribute positive traits to Satan rather than believing him to be evil (fighting for people to have free will, for example, is one trait I hear these sorts of Satanists attribute to Satan).

- Many are not parts of the well known groups of Theistic Satanists. A lot of people use them as resources to build their own paths.

As there are so many types of Theistic Satanism, it is very difficult to pinpoint one exact starting point, or one particular definition. Modern Theistic Satanism and many of the well-known Theistic Satanist groups stemmed from LaVeyan Satanism, with many still incorporating LaVey's teachings into their path today. Some claim that this is where all Theistic Satanism began, with it all being an offshoot of LaVeyan Satanism. This is both impossible to say, and runs the risk of being incredibly dismissive. This claim is often said by those who believe that LaVeyan Satanism is the only correct form of Satanism. The rise of the internet has increased visibility for Theistic Satanists since the early 1990s, but that doesn't mean we've only existed since the early 1990s.

People have been accused of being Theistic Satanists for centuries. Since there's been no time where it has been safe to be a Theistic Satanist in the real world, there could have been several people worshipping Satan who simply didn't feel comfortable openly doing so.

I felt the need to make this post because LaVeyan Satanism is the only form of Satanism gaining any sort of recognition  and acceptance in the outside world. And while this is wonderful - I'm very happy for them, they should gain recognition and acceptance, their religion is just as valid as anyone else's - I've noticed it often comes at the expense of Theistic Satanists. I've noticed the only talking points about Theistic Satanists when the conversations don't include a Theistic Satanist are either "they aren't real, no Satanist actually believes in Satan", "they're just edgy Christians and their believes shouldn't hold any merit", or "they're evil and they ate my father and sacrificed my firstborn son". None of these are true (even outside of the slight exaggeration of that last one).

Many of us are just living our lives. Many of us have many complex beliefs about things. The most heinous thing most of us do is forget to switch off appliances at the wall sometimes. Most of us are just normal people who want to be able to worship in peace.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog if you've read this far. Many of my blogs in this category are going to be a mix of informative and opinion pieces, so, if you're interested in that, keep an eye out. I'll also probably post some more general blogs (with a different theme, so if you're only here for the Satan stuff, you'll easily be able to tell if you've accidentally stumbled across a blog about what I ate for lunch that day).

Have a good day!

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