75 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
75 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
This file is an exerpt from The Book of Darkness, an official work
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of the Ordo Templi Satanis, P.O. Box 1093, Atwater, CA 95301. It is
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copyright 1991. All persons are hereby given permission to make
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copies and/or distribute this exerpt, so long as in so doing the
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contents of this work is not altered in any way, including this
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paragraph.
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Dealing with Other Satanic Organizations
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(From the Book of the Order)
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There are a number of different Satanic organizations oper-
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ating in the United States and across the world today. It can be
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truly said, however, that most of them derive the core of their
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philosophy from the Church of Satan, founded in A.S. I (1966
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C.E.) by Anton Szandor LaVey. The Ordo Templi Satanis is no
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exception to this.
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The major differences in the various Satanic groups would
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seem to lie in two areas; cosmology and organization. Cosmologi-
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cally speaking, for instance, the Church of Satan is a materially
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oriented group which does not believe in a literal Satan, but
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which does profess belief in the powers of ceremonial magic. In
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these respects the Church of Satan is much like the Ordo Templi
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Satanis. Other groups, however, such as the Temple of Set, do
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indeed believe in a literal figure, which they name Set (from the
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Egyptian deity) and have a very involved cosmological explanation
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of the universe, drawing on the works of Crowley and a purported
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"infernal revelation" from Set to Dr. Michael Aquino, founder of
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the Temple of Set (and a former member of the Church of Satan).
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Organizationally, however, groups such as the Church of
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Satan and the Werewolf Order (founded by Nicholas Shreck and
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Zeena LaVey, daughter of Anton LaVey) are decentralized to an
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extreme, saying that no organization is necessary or desirable.
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Each Satanist, they claim, should follow his own Satanic path,
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and eventually the goals of Satanism will be achieved by a con-
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fluence of individuals working separately, but with a common mind
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set. Other groups, such as the Ordo Templi Satanis and the Temple
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of Set, have retained a much more organized structure (the Ordo
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Templi Satanis is perhaps the most rigidly organized among them),
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stating that such organization fosters the growth and development
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of the membership along Satanic lines of thought, and that commu-
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nication between members strengthens their commitment to Satan-
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ism.
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This very diversity among Satanists is indicative of the
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depth of the Satanic philosophy, which is a big enough tent to
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harbor many diverse groups. No group should claim any sort of
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spiritual, moral, or political superiority over the others; such
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claims are self-defeating and such dissension only plays into the
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hands of Satanism's enemies.
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How then should the Ordo Templi Satanis deal with these
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other Satanic groups? Obviously we have much more in common,
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philosophically, cosmologically, and politically, than we have
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differences, and we are certainly closer to one another than we
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are to any other religion. The Ordo Templi Satanis should there-
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fore attempt to cultivate friendly and cooperative relationships
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with the various Satanic groups and the major individuals who
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represent the shining stars among Satanists today. All groups
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have little to lose by such association, and everything to gain.
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However, there will always be groups and individuals that
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will, for whatever reason (usually pride) refuse to have anything
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to do with others, claiming an exclusive lock on the truth or
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some sort of inherent position of leadership which sounds more
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like Christianity than Satanism. If such individuals and groups
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persist in their hostility towards the Order, then by all means
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the Order should react if necessary. In this (as in all things)
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we should strive to apply the Fifth Satanic Rule of the Earth:
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"If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and with-
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out mercy."
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