The Satanic Bible

Very earthy stuff.

As fascinating as I find Lavey's ideas, it's hard for me to get through the misogyny thinly veiled as a hatred for witches (which is VERY prevalent in the satanic rituals as well). Intellectually stimulating but definitely not perfect :)

Glorious

I have owned this book for quite some time and have read it several times through. When i first purchased it i wasn't looking for a religious experience, nor did i find one. I have always been an Atheist and i like reading about the world;'s many religions so i can offer a non-biased view of this book. Most christians would have you believe that the Satanic Bible is a 'set of rules' one would follow on the pathway to Hell, yet it is not. On the contrarty, a 'true' Satanist' does not indulge in the many wicked practices church-goers would have you believe. Of course, that is because they are only repeating what they have been told by the preacher of their said church. Satanists hold the ohysical body of man and woman on high as a temple, much like christianity, and do NOT perform rituals of bloody sacrafices at night in the nude. Just as christians are bound by the 7 virtues, Satanists hold the so called 'seven deadly sins' high up to keep their way of life a good one. Here is a part from this very book for reference about this: "The seven deadly sins of the christian church are: greed, pride, envy, anger, gluttony, lust, and sloth. Satanism advocates indulging in each of these 'sins' as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification. A Satanist knows there is nothing wrong with being greedy, as it only means that he wants more than he already has. Envy means to look with favor upon the possession of others, and to be desirous of obtaining similar things for oneself. Envy and greed are the motivating forces of ambition--and without ambition, very little of any importance would be accomplished. Gluttony is simply eating more than you need to keep yourself alive. When you have overeaten to the point of obesity, another 'sin'--pride--will motivate you to regain an appearance that will renew your self-respect. Anyone who buys an article of clothing for a purpose other than covering his body and protecting it from the elements is guilty of pride. Satanists often encounter scoffers who maintain that labels are not necessary. It must be pointed out to these destroyers of labels that one or many articles they themselves are wearing are not necessary to keep them warm. There is not a person on this earth who is completely devoid of ornamentation. The Satanist points out that any ornamentation of the scoffer's body shows that he, too, is guilty of pride. Regardless of how verbose the cynic may be in his intellectual description of how free he is, he is still wearing the elements of pride. Being reluctant to get up in the morning is to be guilty of sloth, and if you lie in bed long enough you may find yourself commiting yet another sin--lust. To have the faintest stirring of sexual desire is to be guilty of lust. In order to insure the propagation of humanity, nature made lust the second most powerful instinct, the first being self-preservation. Realizing this, the Christian Church made fornication the 'Original Sin.' In this way they made su

If you're interested in Satanic philosophy, then this is the place to find it. Regardless of what you've heard on the media, you're not going to read about virgin sacrifices, black cats, bloody alters, et al, or any of the other silly crap the media loves to purport in its everlasting campaign of subjugation as to the true content of this highly controversial book.So, here's what you will find: essays about social darwinism, indulging in the happiness of love, self-improvement, independance. Doesn't sound very Satanic to me, you say?It is.As far as I can see, this is one of the most misunderstood books ever written, maybe even more misunderstood than the "Holy Bible" itself (and that's saying a lot).Today, LaVey's Satanic philosophy of hedanism and self-discipline (admittedly a curious combination) is more prevelant than ever before, which is good for Satanists, bad for Christians. Contrary to popular (i.e. false) belief, the Satanic religion, or, philosophy, is not about worshipping some idiot with horns and cloven feet....What is"Satan" to a Satanist? For most, he's simply a symbol ofpower, lust, and genteel romanticism. The reason their philosophy iscalled Satanism, when they don't even recognise any supernaturaldeities, such as god or the devil, is because Satan is a representation of the powerful concept of stratification and elitism- hence, the "productive outcast". Just read this book if you have not. Whether you are Satanist or not, it is enlightening and always interesting.PS: keep an eye out for LaVey's outrageously comical humor- this guy could have done standup!...

"The Satanic Bible" is the basis of contemporary Satanism and offers a refreshing and powerful philosophy. Portions of the text are based on sources other than Anton LaVey, for example "Might is Right" by Ragnar Redbeard and the Enochian Keys from a biography of John Dee. Although some readers have criticized LaVey for incorporating other authors' ideas into "The Satanic Bible," I think it's marvellous to find a religion which was developed from research, experience, and logic instead of a lunatic's "divine revelations." Here you will find a religion based on good common sense, the law of the jungle, and human nature. Whatever your beliefs may be, I strongly recommend that you read this book. You'll learn what Satanism is really about, which you won't find in any of those old episodes of "Geraldo" or in fairy tales about ritual abuse. However, be warned! Reading this book might just change your outlook on life. Hail Satan!