Santa Satan and Stuff
22 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Church of Satan, Research, The Religious Studies
Grad school and civilian life have saturated my time this semester, so the posts here have been meager. But in keeping with my chosen area of “expertise” (that is, my prime area of academic interest is Satanism, specifically the Church of Satan), here are a few interesting updates on popular depictions of the Church of Satan.
To begin, the following article by TMZ titled, “Church of Satan: Tim Tebow’s Delusional … BUT IT’S WORKING“. This short piece is concerned with the recent attention received by Tim Tebow, an athlete in the midst of football winning season, who attributes his team’s winning streak to a direct link to God’s favour. TMZ, most likely assuming that they would get a response pitting God versus Satan, contacted by email the Church of Satan for commentary on Tebow’s position as a divinely blessed athlete. Peter H. Gilmore, the high priest of the Church of Satan, instead provided commentary on how useful the idea of a god can be to one with talent and drive. Full article below, comments in brackets are my own:
God is not helping Tim Tebow … this according to a rep for The Church of Satan [Small correction: throughout this text the reporter presents Gilmore as a representative, that is, one of many. But more accurately he is the sole high priest.].
But there is a devilish twist … the rep tells us Tim’s faith COULD actually play a significant role in his success on the field.
TMZ spoke [emailed] with Magus Peter H. Gilmore — a [the] high priest in the Church — who tells us it doesn’t make sense to say God is helping Tim win games … because that would mean God’s actively making other teams lose … and why would God do that?
But what does make sense is Tebow’s mental state — Gilmore tells us, “Those who have a winning attitude tend to do better, and whatever fuels such team spirit, be it religious fervor or simply an overwhelming desire to succeed, is the real source for success.”
Gilmore adds, “Satanists are atheists, and we would consider any triumph to rely on a combination of skill and luck – most certainly not in any form of supernatural intervention from either Heaven or Hell.”
Gilmore highlights the Church of Satan’s atheistic worldview, but with the additional qualifier that the notion of divine interference helps mentally. That is, fervently believing that you are divinely gifted can enhance your performance. The idea of a god is a tool. A tool to be used to achieve your goals. It is a theistic twist on having a positive attitude that helps with winning, as any sports psychologist will insist.
Another tidbit of popular representations of the Church of Satan comes from the comedian John Hodgman – entertainer, Daily Show correspondent, the “PC Guy” from the Apple adverts, and author of the book, That is All. Promoting his book on the Craig Ferguson show, Hodgman details his correspondence with the Church of Satan.
There is a fantastic essay by Anton LaVey titled, “The Whoopie Cushion Shall Rise Again”, from The Devil’s Notebook, which speaks to the emphasis on humour within the Satanic worldview. In it, LaVey concludes:
“Too long have curses and anger been wasted on deserving victims whose most devastating insecurities could be brought forth by a harmless practical joke — one which a more secure person would accept with mild annoyance at worst and amusement at best. Those who deserve ridicule have been living in a climate that provides relative immunity while their pomposity has gone unchallenged and even encouraged. Satanists are anathema to the pious, the sanctimonious, and the hypocritical. They should also be the nemeses of the pompous. Satanists — Atten-shun! Right shoulder Whoopie Cushions!To the rear — harch!”
I am not surprised that the Church of Satan championed Hodgman’s sense of humour. Many times I have come across Satanic literature that laments self-righteous and sanctimonious attitudes. Life is serious enough. Find humour wherever you can.
Finally, the Church of Satan has recently updated their online presence with a Tumblr News Feed, and an Official Church of Satan Facebook Page. There are many FB pages claiming to be the Church of Satan – none are in any way affiliated with the CoS except the one linked here.
As far as popular representations of the Church of Satan go, the past month has demonstrated some rather accurate portrayals. Internet feedback being what is it, grossly uninformed or downright ridiculous commentary is always present. It cannot be avoided, but it can be relegated to the category of essentially useless data.
To conclude, in the spirit of the season – that is, gluttony and greed and sloth, those wonderfully indulgent mortal sins – Merry Christmas!
