Most Satanists are atheists or agnostics. Most atheists and agnostics are not Satanists.
I think this has to do with the continued wild misinterpretations of Satanism and the erroneous belief that its practitioners actually believe in and worship Satan. Not a theistic system at all, actually.
You can't win with theists. If you say you're an atheist, they try to cram you into some other faith box. If you say you're an agnostic, they take that to mean you're willing to listen to their sale's pitches. If you say you're a Deist, they think that means 'Christian'.
I like to use the word 'rationalist' instead. Most of them have no idea what it means, but it sounds nonthreatening to them.
Christians have always feared Satanists. So, therefore they accuse everyone non-Christian as Satanists, because they don't know any better. You are correct in that it is equally nonsensical.
Possibly because modern LaVey Satanism is an atheistic religion. Although that's probably not the reason because many Christians think Satanism is devil worship.
free inquiry1965,
I believe that to the Atheist, whom we see a lot more of here than Satanists, are equally misguided by the same persuasion as Satanists. Satan seeks whom he may devour and deceives the whole world.
Yet in order to come across to the Atheist coherently, I must set aside that connection for the moment, and address the issue of the Atheist.
Sorry, you're a bit wrong there. Satanism is not a "belief". It is a philosophy. A way of living. We are actually atheistic and some are agnostic. We do NOT WORSHIP SATAN or anything but ourselves and nature. We use the mythological Satan as a symbol for Wisdom and Human Nature. We do not believe in a devil/god/heaven/hell.
I don't equate Satanism with atheism. Atheist don't worship anything ,where as Satanist worship Satan. I believe Satanist believe in God and Satan but choose to worship Satan, and directly oppose God. Therefore is against God. I think there is hope for atheist, where as Satanist seems rather blasphemous
A better way to ask it would be: "Why do SOME Christians insist on equating atheism with Satanism."
As an atheist who views things critically, you should have known that not all Christians consider atheism and Satanism equivalent.
As an Agnostic, I consider atheism to be equivalent to any other belief which is based on an article of faith. In your case, you have essentially declared that there is no god - something you could not possibly know one way or the other. Therefore, you must have "faith" that there is no god, since knowing that there is no god is impossible.
Knowing that there IS a god is equally impossible. That's why I'm an Agnostic.
Cuz we are not too bright (God loves even us who are not too bright) and becks our leaders are too busy tell in us what we want to hear instead of important stuff like how to witness to different types of people. Then there is the possibility that if one is an atheist one might actually be falling for a lie of Satan and thus unwittingly be following Satan and thus actually be a Satanist and becks of pride getting in the way and thinking that thinking actually makes a difference in what actually is have been used.
But what do I know??
Because basically religions claim to hold the truth. So, whatever defends a different opinion is by definition NOT the truth. So, every thing that is not Christianity is essentially wrong for them, and they don't care much the internal differences within everything that is wrong.
It isn't Christians that are doing it, it is the Satanists themselves. Read some of the past answers and you'll see examples of this.
Many Satanists say they don't believe in God or Satan, but that they worship themselves. That would make it hedonism, and in effect, atheism, since atheists basically do the same thing. Many Satanists will tell you they are atheists if you ask them. Satan they will tell you is merely a symbol of the "dark side of nature", symbolizing, lust, greed, etc. Some believe in magic, and some at least claim not to.
The view of most Christians (amid the generally public) is that Satanists worship Satan. And there are some Satanists who do believe Satan is a literal entity. The Temple of Set is might be one example. After the publication of the Satanic Bible, many Satanists began to realize the magic spells didn't work, and then tried started to say "Well, it's really a philosophy. It's humanism, yeah, that's the ticket!" But the Satanic Bible gives details for 3 spells, for revenge, sex, and getting Satan's compassion (!) It is quite specific about timing of rituals, instruments to be used, clothing, etc. It seems from this, LaVey was implying results could be achieved through magic. There is a chapter in the Satanic Bible called "On The Choice of Human Sacrifice" which Satanists claim means a victim is to be killed by a curse, not by actually murdering them. But therein lies a problem for the Satanists who don't believe in magic, because then how can they kill their victims with a curse?
You might want to ask "Why don't Satanists become Ayn Rand atheists and forget the weird label and mystical nonsense? No one will ever take them seriously if they call themselves Satanists." But then they wouldn't have the shock value of being a Satanist that simply being an atheist wouldn't bring! No ones scared of atheists. Satanists occasionally do make the headlines for nefarious acts, however: http://usminc.org/crime.html Plus being a Satanist allows them to feel persecuted for a cause(the "Satanic Panic" media scare), much the Wiccans do about the "Burning Times". It's also a way to escape boredom.
The real question is why would anyone want to be a Satanist anyway? Anton LaVey couldn't make it work for him. He was a man who beat his wife, pimped out female followers, lied about all his accomplishments, practiced cannibalism on at least one occasion, and died bankrupt. He wasn't a philosopher/role model or a sorcerer.
I don't know what Christians you are talking to but I have never known any that equate atheism equal to satanism.
Christ did say you are either for me or against me. But that doesn't mean that an atheist is the same as a satanist. It does mean they are both against him though.
Why do Christians insist on equating atheism and Satanism?
