Satan Worship—in Christendom’s Midst?
TODAY, right in the center of Christendom, there are many agnostics and even outright atheists. Why? Many feel repelled by the hypocrisy they see in the churches, while some are against the “establishment,” in which churches play a major role.
Yet most persons, even atheists, may find it hard to realize that in Christendom there are persons who openly worship Satan the Devil. Nonetheless, it is true.
The religion of Satanism has “churches” in Christendom, possesses a “bible” and has ministers and religious rites.
“The Satanic Bible,” written by the founder of the Church of Satan in San Francisco, is reported by the Miami Herald as saying: “Man is an animal that must serve himself. The so-called seven deadly sins are virtues because they lead to physical and mental gratification.”
“This is a religion of the flesh, not the spirit,” says one “high priest” of a Satanic sect.
Satan worship is patterned to a great extent on voodooism and similar forms of worship widely practiced in Africa and South America. These generally employ sorcery or witchcraft, involving Satan and also other spirits, demons. (1 Cor. 10:20) There are many differing “splinter sects” of Satanism. Nevertheless, all these sects hold to one thing in common: indulgence in fleshly desires.
Spiritistic Worship, a ‘Work of the Flesh’
It is easy to see, therefore, why some persons are attracted to Satanism, with its emphasis on fleshly gratification. But the question may arise: Since Satan the Devil and his demons are spirit persons, not flesh and blood, why are fleshly practices an outstanding feature of Satan worship?
It should be remembered that the demons were once righteous angels, ‘sons of God,’ who became perverted, and desired and engaged in fleshly connections. How?
Before the flood of Noah’s day, these angels left their heavenly locality and the position of service they had with Jehovah God. Materializing for themselves bodies in the form of men, they married good-looking human women. For spirit creatures, whom Jesus said do not marry, this was unnatural, a perversion. Though they dematerialized at the time of the Flood and returned to their spiritual abode, God debased them in disfavor, but let them live until his due time for their destruction. During Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth they were still expressing their perverted characteristics by possessing or inhabiting humans.—Gen. 6:1, 2; Mark 1:32-34; Luke 8:26-34; Jude 6, 7; 2 Pet. 2:4.
How could angels, intelligent creatures, be thus perverted, degrading themselves? This is not so hard to understand when we observe intelligent humans, not only engaging in illicit sex relations, but pervertedly reveling in homosexuality and even bestiality.—Lev. 18:22, 23.
Appropriately, the Bible calls the practice of spiritism a ‘work of the flesh.’ (Gal. 5:19, 20) It is no surprise, therefore, to read, in a report regarding one cult, that the celebration of their so-called “black mass” may be in the form of a “lust mass,” at which the priest may have sexual intercourse with the nude woman whose body serves as the altar. Then each male member of the congregation follows him in the act, after which the men and women of the congregation may participate in a sexual orgy.
Primarily Against God
Statements of Satanist leaders show the desire to do things as shocking as possible in order to make a mockery of the worship of God. This, of course, carries out the will of Satan and the demons. They certainly must delight in seeing God’s intelligent creatures thus degrade themselves. The “worshiper,” however, is certainly treading on perilous ground.
Satan worshipers not only engage in shocking violation of the commands of God’s Word the Bible. They also go contrary to their own human nature and conscience by their perversion. (Rom. 2:14, 15) And they violate the standards of decency of the society in which they live.
Here is how the Bible describes such persons, particularly those who previously claimed to serve God (as many Satanists did, having come from Christendom’s religions):
“Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their unintelligent heart became darkened. Although asserting they were wise, they became foolish and turned the glory of the incorruptible God into something like the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed creatures and creeping things. Therefore God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, gave them up to uncleanness, that their bodies might be dishonored among them, even those who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and venerated and rendered sacred service to the creation rather than the One who created, . . . That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, . . . working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error. And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting.”—Rom. 1:21-28.
A Deadly Danger
It is unwise, yes, deadly dangerous, for anyone to get drawn into contact with such demonic influence, even through curiosity. A person is risking the danger of being ensnared in contaminating fleshly practices. But even worse, he is deliberately associating with those who blaspheme Jehovah the true God, the Creator and Universal Sovereign. The Bible specifically warns that God’s anger will blaze against one thus sharing in such works of darkness.—Eph. 5:3-7.
God cleared out the Canaanites from the Promised Land because of these very same detestable practices, and he told Israel: “You must not walk after other gods, . . . (for Jehovah your God in your midst is a God exacting exclusive devotion,) for fear the anger of Jehovah your God may blaze against you and he must annihilate you from off the surface of the ground.” (Deut. 6:14, 15; Lev. 18:24, 25) Why should anyone want to put himself in such a position with the Almighty God?—1 Cor. 10:22.
On the other hand, a person may not be a Satanist and yet, due to not being informed by a study of the Bible, may unknowingly be rendering worship to Satan. How can this be?