Is that you Satan? 5 Alternative Forms of Satanism Around the World

Satanism, as it may seem, is not focused on worshiping Satan and performing dark rituals. According to the Church of Satan - founded in the mid-1960s in the US - there is a whole foundation behind this “religion” and basically it opposes Christianity and relies on freedom, individualism, pride and acceptance of true human nature.

Thus, its practice is based on materialism, self-profit, ego strengthening, questioning taboos and promoting social justice, among other “counter” values. For Satanists, heaven and hell do not exist, as do angels and demons, and followers do not believe that there is a savior God, but that men are the owners of their own destinies.

By the way, followers of Satanism do not see Satan as a deity, but have adopted his figure symbolically because he thinks he represents and personifies their beliefs. However, as Patrick Dunne of the ListVerse portal pointed out, there are alternative forms of Satanism - in the sense of going against a religion and morality affected by groups of Christian origin - and we here at Mega Curious have selected five of them to meet. See below:

1 - Satanic Temple

Would you associate an organization whose purpose is to encourage empathy and benevolence, as well as to defend justice and common sense, with Satan? For these are the goals of the followers of the Satanic Temple, who, contrary to their appearances, do not “worship” the Devil - they only consider him a symbol against authority and tyranny.

Members of the Satanic Temple in New York call the organization a religion and believe it should be based on science and critical thinking as such. In addition, according to followers, their Satanism allows members to perform symbolic rituals, create a sense of self-identity, and form a community of people who share similar beliefs.

The group gained notoriety a little over a year ago when it announced that it intended to install a statue of Baphomet (containing a pentagram and accompanied by figures of two children) at the Oklahoma Capitol. The initiative was proposed after a monument with the Ten Commandments was placed in the building - for if Christians can, why don't Satanists? - and the case generated a great deal of confusion that resulted in the removal of the religious work.

The organization also held a “Rose Mass” near the grave of an extremist religious campaigning against homosexuality in 2013. The meeting involved the participation of several gay couples who kissed before the woman's grave to make her “gay” in the beyond.

2 - Demonology

As its name suggests, demonology is devoted to the study of demons - and is not considered a religious movement itself. However, some demonologists conduct rituals. As they assign specific powers to each of the entities, specific figures are invoked depending on the purpose of the ceremony performed.

It is worth noting that not all demonologists are Satan worshipers, and many choose to adopt a demon - among the huge variety available - as a patron. In addition, followers of demonology have three different interpretations of these entities.

One would be that these specters are gods, since the word "demon" is derived from the Greek daemon, which means deity. Another interpretation would be that they personify energies, and the third explanation would be that demons are sinful entities and specialists in tempting people.

3 - Temple of Set

Founded by Michael Aquino in the 1970s - a US Army lieutenant colonel who was a member of the Church of Satan but stepped down from the movement - the Temple of Set is an organization whose main philosophy is to develop the esoteric potential of each one through personal training, the accumulation of experience and self-transformation.

The members of the Temple of Set do not worship Satan, but the Egyptian god Set, who they believe is the earliest form of the Prince of Darkness known and whose worship dates back to at least 3, 200 BC. It is based on introspective investigation and its main objectives are to honor and preserve consciousness and to understand what makes each person a unique individual and thus strengthen all the peculiarities of their being.

4 - Luciferianism

Luciferianism, as you may have deduced, is centered on Lucifer, not Satan. Unlike Satanism, the doctrine is not necessarily focused on opposition to Christianity, but rather on the pursuit of knowledge, individual development, overcoming personal boundaries, wisdom, self-discipline, spiritual superiority, independence and freedom.

For Luciferians, it is vitally important to question everything and everyone and overcome their own ignorance, as well as taking control of their own lives and using all their personal potential to intensify their chances of achieving what they crave. Moreover, Lucifer does not represent the embodiment of evil - as in Christianity - but symbolizes wisdom and serves as a reference for the attainment of spiritual enlightenment.

5 - Dualism based on Christianity

Christianity-based dualism is a form of Satanism that accepts Christian theology and the notion that there is a war between God and Satan - only this gang is hoping that the evil one will win in the end. The two figures are believed to be the most powerful beings in the universe, and Satan would be strong enough to overwhelm the Creator.

Apparently, the ideas on which dualism is based have their origins in Zoroastrianism - a religion founded in ancient Persia by the prophet Zarathustra - especially in the eternal battle between the god of light and the dark, Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, respectively.

However, the followers of dualism see Satan as the good guy in this story, since it was he who endowed men with freedom and wisdom, while God only wants to see his children as slaves. In other words, this kind of Satanism is a kind of Christianity on the contrary, in which the evil one would be responsible for saving humanity from a tyrant and cruel Creator.

Do you know other forms of Satanism? Comment on the Mega Curious Forum