Satanism is Americanism. We’ll explore what this means as we look back at a 1971 essay from Anton LaVey on the topic. Also, I’ll be answering some listener mail.
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Magister Bill M. here with Satansplain. As I record this, it is the week of July 4th. Here in the United States, July 4th is celebrated as Independence Day, and is considered the day of the country’s founding when the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776. Now obviously not all Satanists are FROM the United States. The Church of Satan has always been headquarted IN the US, but has members worldwide. But I myself am both a Satanist and a proud U.S. citizen. So I thought I would begin by reading a piece from Anton LaVey from 1971.
This was from the column he was writing for The National Insider, called “Letters from the Devil”. It was a column where he would write responses to public letters and say a few other things as well. He did that from 1969 to 1972. A compilation of those writings was eventually published. I think you can find that for sale through UnderworldAmusements dot com.
One PARTICULAR answer he gave to one letter was posted to Church of Satan dot com, sometime around Independence Day 2017. Reverend M. Hunter prefaces it as follows, quote: “On this upcoming Independence Day some of us will look back at these words by our founder Anton LaVey and reflect on what’s changed and what remains the same. After being confronted with the factions vying for influence over our society, many conservatives have unfortunately chosen God over The Flag, betraying the clear secularism of our Founding Fathers. Our nation again finds itself in a struggle between partisan extremes from which I trust a new clear-thinking generation will arise to cut through and find a Third Side, embracing and continuing the progress we’ve made towards individual freedom while questioning hypocritical religious morality.”
Now before continuing with this, as some of you listeners already know, I did address the topic of politics on Satansplain episode number FIVE, and I’ve reiterated the point here and there. There is no specific political party or politician that the Church of Satan officially endorses. The biggest reason for this is pretty simple: Satanism champions the individual, and with Satanists showing up in all sorts of demographics and regions and social classes and professions, well it means that not all Satanists are going to come up with the same conclusion on what’s in their best political interest, whether it’s voting for this party, voting for that party, not voting at ALL, or whatever the case may be. Some Satanists live in countries where there essentially ISN’T any voting.
ANOTHER point on that, is that Satanism is not a religion that claims to be the solution to the world’s problems. It’s not. How could it be? How can ANY ideology be, really? Personally I believe in what George Carlin said, in the introduction to his 1997 book brain droppings: If you think there’s a solution, you’re part of the problem. As a Satanist though, I have to say that I have a hard time imagining much prosperity for the rest of humans if the INDIVIDUAL is not allowed to grow. A theme which LaVey alludes to, as you’ll see.
Having SAID all of that, let’s think about where the world was in 1971. The Church of Satan is right in San Francisco, the hotbed of counterculture. The War in Viet Nam. There’s quite a division going on between the hippies and the non-hippies. And here you have the Church of Satan which was rejecting both of those collectives.
I’m now going to read you the original letter and LaVey’s response. As published on June 8th, 1971.
“Dear Dr. LaVey, I am currently in the US Army, and although I consider myself as rather conservative and definitely feel America is the best country in the world, I sometimes find myself questioning the motives behind many political policies. It is extremely difficult to want to help one's country by risking one’s life and figure in a war that I frankly don’t condone. I go alone with it only because I think someone has to make the decisions for the country and if I am to support the country in general, I must support its leaders, even though I sometimes disagree with them. After all, who am I to play the “big shot” and think I am more knowledgeable in POLITICAL matters than politicians are?
The point of my letter is to ask you what your official stand is on politics: are you conservative, or liberal? I agree with the moral code of the Church of Satan and would like to join, but I don’t know if you are for or against our country. Is your use of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” at the end of the recording “The Satanic Mass”, for real, or is it a put-on?
I want to be a good American and support our country’s policies, but most of the super-patriots whose POLITICAL views I agree with are so awfully narrow-minded when it comes to MORAL ethics -- things like sex, etc.
Why can’t people just be people and have a fair sense of what is really right and good? They’re either one way or the other; if they’re very liberal in their personal matters they’re liberal (“peace freaks” as I call them) about political matters, and if they’re all for their country, they’re also all for the nonsensical, puritanical moral doctrines that the so-called liberals have emancipated themselves from. I really hope your Church is what I would like it to be, that is a nice compromise between the two sides. Please let me know as soon as you can, because I am badly in need of some sort of belief I can cling to during my remaining seven months in Viet Nam.
Yours Truly, PRivate Ernest C.W., APO New York
LaVey replies,
Dear Private W,
I can sympathize with your predicament and I trust I will be able to offer some encouragement.
To sum up our political doctrine: Satanism IS Americanism in its purest form, with only the outdated moral codes altered to fit the times, and with recognition of the fact that only if man’s most basic instincts are satisfied can a nation receive his best. When it becomes common knowledge that we do not advocate or even approve of denial or desecration of such sacred American traditions as home, family, patriotism, personal pride, etc., but instead champion these things, our one-time opponents in “The [so-called] Establishment” will not have a leg to stand on.
Actually, in view of the vast numbers of religious leaders defending and expounding the extreme liberal philosophy of the hippie or drug culture, conservative organizations will (and already do) find Satanism far more compatible with their doctrines than they now think it to be. I feel rather sorry for (but, I must admit, amused, by) the poor old “dyed-in-the-wool” conservative who considers The Flag and God to be inseparable institutions, because the “New Christianity” is composed of the drug-befuddled wretches they find totally reprehensible. It looks as though one is going to be forced to choose between God and The Flag, or else become part of a dying society. I realize most would think me far too optimistic, but I can simply see the change coming.
I think back just five short years ago, when I formally founded the Church. How many theologians were admitting to the irrationality and inconsistencies of their religions? Practically none! And once the stern, unyielding Christian Churches have admitted their errors, they might as well admit to defeat.
It is in young people such as yourself—proud walkers of the Left-Hand Path—whom I place my faith for the future of this, our fair land. America shall, indeed, have a bright future, once she has “weathered the storm” of those two opposing factions who respectively hate and love her, but would see her torn asunder in order to prove their respective points.
Love for one’s country must be shown in much the same way as love for another person. We must be able to see her faults and work towards changing them, without robbing her of all pride and dignity in the process. On the other hand, we must not blindly accept her faults and constantly make excuses for her, for that is not love—it is infatuation!”
