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OK. This is something I've taken an interest in for a while because I find it to be rather infuriating that Satanism has actually developed "factions"

I've looked as much as I can. I read the literature and the philosophies. Yet still I can see no real difference between the First Satanic Church and the Church of Satan. There must be a difference or Karla LaVey wouldn't have felt so strongly as to found a new organisation.

Now I realise this forum is much more affiliated with the First Satanic Church but I'm much more familiar myself with the Church of Satan myself and even then I'm not a member and have not read all the literature linked with it. I can't really see any differences between the organisations myself and would appreciate if someone could tell me what the area of dispute is that caused the separation.

Thanks for your time and expertise to anyone who answers.

No hey I have Satanist friends who feel a lot of these offshoots have strayed from Lavey's philosophy. I met Anton a while ago and we talked quite a bit. He'd be very upset at some of these offshoots, believe me.

Have you been to the Satanic International Network?

There are videos by Anton Lavey on Youtube that are very enlightening

LaVey didn't invent Satanism. It existed before him. He just had his own philosophy. He applied for church status because someone told him it would be cost effective. His version is 20th Century. He may have drawn some of his ideas from older ones but what he formed together was distinctly his and modern. A lot of the side groups were due to power struggles after his death and some prior. He had a strong presence because he dealt a lot with the media. Then you now have the theistic groups and the names for everything gets twisted around. It's not that they didn't exist before because they did by different names and somewhat different ideologies that boil down to actually similar beliefs in a way. Go with the one that seems right to you but unfortunately LaVey is gone and people can change (improve is probably the word that would be used, lol) in any way they like or take some of his ideas and reject others. His writings were not on stone tablets you know and they weren't all his quite frankly. :)

There were Satanic groups before his and entirely different. They argue, lol, about some of this here:

http://www.the600club.com/topic45843.html

It's a matter of perspective and belief. I have read a lot of things long before the advent of the internet at least in the concept of logging on with your pc. LaVey was part of that San Francisco mania.

Dr. LaVey clearly stated, that you didn't need to be a member of any group, including CoS, to be a Satanist, however you wish to fill this, so follow your own path.

Only when you make alive what you have learned, it will be of value.

For as long as Humans seek power and control over others, there will always be factions created by new would-be leaders. Why would anyone suppose Satanism, which to my view espouses the most inherently selfish of philosophies, be expected to act any differently?

Very true!

As long people hunger for power or money, divisions will arise in all kind of religious, esoteric an knighthood groups.

With high sounding titles men and women wish to impress others and make themselves feel more worth, as such to leave reality behind and flee in a self created illusion.

There are even some factions engaging in property destruction and advocate burning churches. I was shocked. As bad as my christian past was, and how I'd like to see less churches, there's no way I'd do that.

So...like Christianity, there are denominations here too, it seems. Kinda' funny when you think about it.

Yes and even as a Pagan in my community there seems to be that as well, although what I'm discovering is that some are becoming very hjard core, and that's a damn shame.

What's really bad is that paganism is becoming the same way

Mel,

That's all because of marketing plan and simple.

When the brand loses that umpf they repackage some tenent and rewrite "sacred" text.

I have nothing against market. People of alternative lifestyles should outreach to a point. What people do to subvert the meanings, intent and convince others to do sop is the problem source, in my opinion.