How did the Templar god Baphomet become a symbol of Satanism?
I believe Baphomet is the creator god, based on research of the Templar Knights. But how did he become a symbol for Satanism, both LaVeyan and Theistic? I mean I use the Sigil of Baphomet to represent him even though I am not a Satanist (anymore), but it does not make sense why that is even the sign of the Church of Satan, seeing as Baphomet is NOT Satan.
Because historically speaking, Christians like to usurp pagan symbols and rituals and give them new, evil meanings or new, christian meanings. Helps when assimilating the conquered masses.
The Catholic Church, in its effort to rid themselves of the powerful Templars (who were gaining more and more power and wealth to the point of making the Papacy look like a bunch of schmucks), spread lies and accused them of homosexuality and worshiping Satan - when they actually worshiped Baphomet.
Thanks to the Church, that label stuck and Baphomet became synonymous with Satan.
It is likely that the claim that the Templars worshiped Baphomet was a Papal ploy to justify their extermination. The symbols associated with Satan were also thanks to the Catholic church, which attributed traits of competing deities to the devil in order to ridicule and help destroy local traditions. Satan is most commonly pictured as a demonic satyr, with the horns and legs of a goat, but the body and head of a man.
The Templars did not worship Baphomet. That was a false accusation from those who wished to destroy them.
The goat symbol used by the Templars and Freemasons was in reality an alchemical symbol, not an object of worship.
http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/baphomet.html
Since Baphomet as god is essentially a pagan idea, perhaps that is why Christians would associate Baphomet with the devil.
The origins of the "Goat of Mendes" can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. Goats and Rams were worshiped in many cities throughout Egypt thousands of years ago. The Goat is synonymous with Satanism. The horns represent the Horned Gods/Goddesses. Goats also symbolized fertility in many different cultures and times. The Goat as a symbol of fertility and focus of religious rites dates all the way back to Sumeria.
The Goat of Mendes
Ptah the Egyptian God of Magick, knowledge and wisdom (an alias of Satan) *became* the goat, and sometimes a ram in the city of Mendes where he was worshiped as such. The Goat/Ram of Mendes represented the "Ba" which was the Egyptian word for the "soul." Ptah was considered to be a great magician and "Lord of the Serpents."?
There are many false claims, based upon ignorance that the Goat was invented as a reaction to the "lamb" of sanity. The Xian use of the lamb came much later and in truth is based upon the sign of Aries (The spring Easter lamb). A ref="http://www.exposingchristianity.com/">Everything in xianity has been stolen and corrupted from religions preceding it.
The Horned Goat is also directly of Enki (Satan). The constellation of the Horned Goat (Capricorn) is the time of the winter solstice, known as "The Southern Gate of the Sun." ?
?The Goat was known in early Babylonian times as the God ?Ea? (Enki/Satan). Ea was known as ?He of vast intellect and Lord of the Sacred Eye? protector of his people and the bringer and giver of knowledge and civilization to humanity. Represented as a snake, he ended up in the ?Garden of Eden as the Snake in the tree of life, encouraging learning and knowledge rather than blissful ignorance.? Whenever Ea roamed the Earth, he took the form of a goat. Ea was considered the Father of Light" and his celebrations dating back to 15,000 B.C.E., were carried out wearing goat skins.?
Satanism is in truth, the world's oldest religion. Satanism is not an "invention" or "inversion" of xianity.
How did the Templar god Baphomet become a symbol of Satanism?
