Any philosophy must, as a matter of course, at least imply a code of moral ethics for its followers to espouse. Satanism, as a philosophy and as a religion, can do no differently. However, the nature of that moral code will seem entirely alien to those who have been raised on the ages-old idea of a “good versus evil” world view. All of the major world religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism) are rooted in moral absolutism. That is, there is a definite and objective set of behaviors which are “right” and which are “wrong” for an individual to practice. The differences between these religions come to the fore when the exact nature of those behaviors is defined, as well as the latitude afforded the individual in regards to a choice between them.
For example, Christianity is very specific in its list of moral behaviors which it considers right and wrong (exemplified in the Ten Commandments and other Old Testament strictures), and is equally specific regarding the consequences of failing to observe “right” behavior (cast into the lake of eternal fire, etc.). Buddhism, on the other hand, still recognizes a set of behaviors which are right and wrong, but says that the individual is given full freedom of choice… but is expected to choose the correct behaviors. There is no punishment in Buddhism for choosing wrong behaviors, other than being once again incarnated on the Earth.
It is significant to realize that all of the rewards and punishments offered by religion are mythic. Their existences are, by their very nature, impossible to prove. However, they are designed to play upon the gullibilities and fears of the Masses, and in this way something which may not actually exist at all has a definite impact upon the real and observable world (by means of modifying the behaviors of the people of the world).
Satanism, too, offers a list of do’s and don’t’s, codified in several places, including The Satanic Bible. However, Satanism does not presume to cajole its adherents with either vague promises of eternal reward for good behavior or veiled threats of eternal punishment for bad behavior. Rather, the Satanist is encouraged to look upon every action in a unique light, and weigh the consequences of the various possible decisions. In this sense, Satanism offers a very relative (rather than absolute) moral code. To the Satanist, ‘morality’ means doing what is best for yourself.
Note that this is not the wholly self-centered, selfish, and myopic world view that some would like to portray!. By following this code, Satanists are not encouraged to go out and steal, lie, cheat, and murder merely for the slightest material or emotional gain. Rather, the Satanist is encouraged to look at the consequences of his actions in a cold and rational light. He must take into account not only the short-term gains which are possible from a given action, but also the long-term ramifications which follow any decision. The Satanist must be wholly logical in determining his actions; there can be no other factors to be taken into account in making the determination.
This attitude stems from the Satanists’ reverence of intellectual freedom. By following the path of the intellect, rather than blindly obeying the Will of another (or even succumbing to his own emotional dictates), the Satanist forges for himself a path of true morality; doing what is best for himself. No creature can be expected to do anything less than that.
This runs contrary to the current conventional wisdom that self-sacrifice is, in some way, noble in and of itself. True, there are instances where self-sacrifice (either material or psychic) is the most reasonable course to take. But under no circumstances would the Satanist (or any other rational being, for that matter) undertake a self-sacrifice unless the benefits to be gained eventually outweighed the cost of the self-sacrifice. In such instances, the sacrifice can be considered more to be an investment.
This egalitarian attitude, which states that self-sacrifice is a worthwhile action for its own sake, has been incorporated into Western society at every level over the last few decades. It used to be that every individual was responsible for himself; this rugged individualism and self-reliance was the cornerstone upon which people relied. Now, however, the idea has been introduced that somehow each person is owed a living-- food, shelter, and even luxuries-- merely because that person is a citizen. This has been expressed socially in the prevalence of begging in major metropolitan areas.
‘Charity’ used to be the province of the private sector. If an individual wanted to give money to a particular charity (be it a soup kitchen, an individual beggar, or whatever), then that individual could make a conscious, informed decision to do so. Whole organizations were set up to facilitate the transfer of funds derived from these self-sacrificial urges, such as the Salvation Army, and various religious groups.
Today, this idea has been corrupted. Rather than making charity an object of a personal decision, the State has taken it upon itself (especially here in Canada) to oversee the collection and disbursement of money from those who have it to those who do not. Hardly any notice is taken of the individual worth of the people receiving such funds, and certainly far less notice is taken of the desires of the people from whom the money is being taken! In essence, the profits and produce of that section of society which actually contributes to the nation are being stripped from them without so much as a consultation. The beneficiaries of these funds are often those segments of society which are unable or (even worse) unwilling to contribute to the nation’s prosperity. They exist merely for their own sake, and their only function in the web of society seems to be to act as a weight on the more productive segments, dragging them down to the same level. In this way, the egalitarians see the fulfillment of their wildest fantasies; a world in which everyone is entirely equal on every plane; economic, social, intellectual, etc. It does not matter to these would-be do-gooders that the method they have chosen for this work does not raise the humble to the level of the lofty, but rather drags everyone down to the same, lowest common denominator.
What, then, would be the answer to this frightening conspiracy of mediocrity? Before it is too late, the rising tide of egalitarianism must be halted. Once more, humanity must realize a simple truth and come to terms with it; some individuals are simply better than others.
(sarcasm) Look at where we are today compared to 500 years ago. The overwhelming majority of people living today if transported back in time would be considered geniuses by the yokels! So we’re going in the right direction, it’s your elitist outlook that blinds you to this. 500 years time they’ll look back at people like us and think, “LOL, aren’t they all just so stupid!†Or worse we may start to practice overly selfish and ultimately self destructive forms of morality which will lead us all back to being the village idiots out planting our corn amidst the runes of our cities.
