Customer Reviews

The Satanic Bible

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1 star:		(21)

 

 

The Satanic Bible certainly makes for an entertaining read. If nothing else, LaVey was an intelligent and highly talented author and humorist. He also sets forth a reasonably compelling argument for a life of pure egoistic hedonism. And let's be honest: from a contemporary scientific standpoint, it is very difficult to mount any rational counter argument as to why we should not live our lives in this way.

However, LaVey combines this position with a number of magical rituals. And while there are times when he speaks of these rituals simply as psychodrama, there are also times when he speaks quite clearly of them as having real, physical effects. This is where things get tricky.

If you believe that we are just animals in a universe that is pretty much the one described by modern science, then the idea that magical rituals actually work is self evidently absurd. On the other hand, if you believe that magical rituals work, then there is clearly far more to the universe than is even dreamed of by our science. If that is the case, then the scorn that LaVey unceasingly pours on any kind of spiritual approach to life becomes far more open to question.

Of course, the idea that "there are more things in Heaven and Earth" does not necessarily imply that any of the mainstream religions are actually right. But it does at least open up the door to the possibility that values like forgiveness and self sacrifice may not be pure hokum. LaVey simply ignores this rather obvious line of reasoning.

On that basis I am inclined to see Satanism, or at least the form of it expounded in this book, as ultimately a matter of faith. As much as LaVey or any other religious leader may ridicule the views of the competition, at the bedrock all we are left with is raw assertion.

On a more down to Earth level, we must also deal with widespread reports that LaVey ended his days in a state of real poverty. Given that he quite openly claimed to have wholly materialistic aspirations, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that his rituals simply don't work.

I also have other qualms about the Satanic Bible. Specifically, as to whether the author really believed in its contents. From a strictly philosophical point of view this is technically irrelevant: any given claim must stand or fall on its own, irrespective of the views of its proponents. But in the real world, most of us would like to know if those arguing for a given position truly believe in what they are saying. And if we are to take the Satanic Bible in its broader context (by which I mean remarks made elsewhere by both LaVey and by current and estranged followers) there are inconsistencies.

In the Satanic Bible, LaVey expounds what is now known as "atheistic Satanism". In a nutshell, this means treating Satan as no more than a symbol of certain fundamental truths, or of certain aspects of our own nature. In atheistic Satanism, there is no belief in a personal devil. Yet if you do a bit of Googling on your own, you'll discover that it's quite easy to find many, many reports of LaVey speaking of Satan as a real entity. These reports appear to come from sources ranging from estranged follower Michael Aquino (founder of the Temple of Set) to LaVey's own final wife and authorized biographer Blanche Barton. I should make it clear that I haven't checked out the sources of these claims carefully. But I can definitively tell you that if you care to look on YouTube, it's very easy to find footage of LaVey himself speaking of Satan or "the devil" as if he actually exists.

Given the current schism between theistic and atheistic Satanists, I for one would find it ironic if the chief architect and advocate of atheistic Satanism was a theist at heart. If you are interested in doing a little background research on your own, you might like to start by viewing the documentary "Satanis" (Satanis the Devil's Mass / Sinthia the Devil's Doll). This is available for sale here on Amazon, but you can also view it for free on YouTube - or at least, most of it. The reviews of the DVD do speak of some nudity, which I didn't see in the version on YouTube.

Another incongruity that comes out in Satanis is that while in the Satanic Bible LaVey speaks of man as "just another animal", and the current Magus of the Church of Satan has been widely quoted as saying that "we are just tissue", in Satanis LaVey accepts the existence of the soul. Strangely, he then goes on to dismiss it as of little worth or value; a curious position indeed. It is because of inconsistencies like these that I question whether the Satanic Bible really gave us the whole story when it came to what LaVey himself believed, or what his church stood for.

Of course, these very questions presuppose that LaVey took the enterprise seriously. There are certainly plenty of people who believe that he didn't: that the entire thing was either a complete con or a giant practical joke, and perhaps a little of both. When considering this possibility, it is hardly irrelevant to observe that the schism that saw the defection of much of the priesthood of the church of Satan, and the founding of the temple of Set, was sparked by LaVey selling the higher degrees of the church to whoever would pay him enough money.

One must also bear in mind that evidence suggests that LaVey was very far from being a scrupulously honest man. To my knowledge, ALL independent investigators who have examined LaVey's account of his own life, including specifically his claims regarding his ancestry, career, and education, have concluded that his account was almost entirely a work of fiction. You can decide for yourself whether you want to chalk this one down to harmless carny hucksterism, or whether you want to apply Einstein's famous adage that "whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters".

Finally, one must also deal with the fact that it is now quite openly accepted, even by the church of Satan itself, that some pages of the Satanic bible are "take from" Ragnar Redbeard's infamous tract MIGHT IS RIGHT. A more cynical person might say plagiarized.

And yet... Even given all this, heck, I find that I like Anton LaVey. Another major advantage of doing a little research of your own by watching the videos of LaVey on YouTube is that you get much more of a sense of the man. Many of the head-shots he seems to have released of himself depict an individual positively incandescent with supernal malignity. But to see him speak he is far more real, and yes, far more likeable than most might expect. Truth be told, he even comes across as something of a geek, although I mean that in the most affectionate possible way. Had he been born into a different generation, I could easily imagine sitting `round the kitchen table playing Dungeons & Dragons with this guy.

And I'm quite certain he would've made an awesome DM.

Theo.

I liked the book when I first read it. But behind its nice writing style, its spooky language and its dark cover, at the end, what you get is a book that uses the name "Satanism" to gain attention and promote a pseudo-philosophy of egoism.
LaVey very cleverly uses the contradiction within the Christian history and movement to promote his own trash, by explaining how he understands human nature, magic, and so on. The book itself is largely taken from other authors like the peculiar Ragnar Redbeard who wrote Might is Right, so I actually can't see how this book is even credited as an original work of LaVey. It is also beyond me why people believe that this book is an actual work of theistic Satanism, as LaVey clearly states that his movement is atheistic, and that they use Satan as a symbol.
In all its mystical atmosphere, Satanism at the end is but another irrational movement or "religion", promoting itself as the true answer.
If you want to read this nonsense, go ahead, but if you want a decent understanding of human nature, go for some known philosophers, or study a bit of psychology.

The only reason I can consciously review this book as having any merit is for the fact that LaVey was a very clever, witty, and frighteningly charasmatic figure. Plus the fact that a book giving such a poorly thought out philosophy could manipulate thousands of weak minds into near worship of the author, which is, I suggest, all LaVey wanted.
Instead of going to one extreme of Roman Catholic-stereotypes of Christianity as a mind-washing, dominating relgion, LaVey simply suggests the reader go to the other extreme of a state of mind-washing one's own self. The whole thing is certainly very appealing to the teenage audience at which it is aimed. But the whole philosophy of being one's own God is too self-orientated for a society-based organism. One can not have a life worth living if all one ever considers is one's self. It's all just a giant rebellion no better than that which it is going against.
Of course, I think LaVey knew all this. Yet he continued to live only for himself, which is why, with the exception of a pathetic minority, the world will remember LaVey mainly as the guy who dressed up in a devil suit and appeared in Rosemary's Baby for all of five minutes. He built himself around Hollywood, not a thousand or so dedicated followers who meant nothing to him except his next paycheck.

I read the book.
It's amazing.
It came in a good condition, the print and paper are ok.
Praise Satan

This book I found to be most enjoyable in the reading - it contained some sound philosophies which can be adopted even if the idea of Satanism still appalls.

Anton Szander Lavey created a brilliant masterpiece when he wrote The Satanic Bible. Before the time of this books initial publication (1966), few people had ever touched on the subject of Satanism as a full-fledged religion. Of course, there was Crowley, but this wasn't exactly Satanism - it was mereley a misunderstood concept called Satanic by the masses. However, The Satanic Bible touches on the TRUE issues of Satanism and sheds light on the REAL subculture, not the assinine people slaughtering animals, each other and desecrating gravesites. Once you read this book, you will discover a new meaning behind the title "Satanist" and it will forever change your outlook on what the term means. I have been a Satanist for more than 12 years, and have reffered hundreds of people to Anton's literature.

When one first hears the word 'Satanist' or 'Satanism', the instant thought of this 'man wearing a spiked-choker', and 'sacrificing several men in order to satisfy Satan' appears. I too had this thought, before I purchased this book.

LaVey is wise in his quick effort to point out that Satanism is hugely against pretty much everything that it is generally said to believe. At times it seemed like it was reading my life, and exactly the way that I do things, with emotional-attachment to the situation as well. There was one unnerving bit when he refers to the destructive side of Satanism, but I won't spoil.

When you -first- venture into the mind of LaVey, you begin to see such elegant levels of logic unfold. When I received it, I was delighted to learn that it was actually a fairly lengthy book (see pictures attached to the image-thumbnail at top), and not some rip-off that would give only a few paragraphs of useful information.

This book is the opposite. Worth the money, and it -is- a value-changer. It is pointed out that this book has changed lives before from the pure truth and philosophy in it. Naturally, I was a bit sceptical of this; however after reading the full book, I can say for a fact that I do look at things differently.

It does not teach what you would think 'Satanism' would be about from how Christianity has defined it over the years. To be completely honest- For the most part of the book, you could just hide the cover of the book, and it'd just be a pure book of brilliant observations based on the human way of living.

My only criticisms for this book would be regarding the content about 60% of the way through. Once you reach about 60% of the way through the book, it does seem to stray a bit from logic and lean a bit more towards the way of rituals with altars, et cetera. Being honest- I'd say that this is really the only thing I can think of that was disheartening.

Also- A warning- This book, especially towards the start has a very, very diverse vocabulary. I found myself reaching for the dictionary on several occasions. Though saying that- It only expanded my own vocabulary.

I really liked this book. Im no satanist but the realistic view and the subject matter captivated me. One of my hobbies is reading religious texts and this has to be one of my favourites. I recently bought this book for my collection. I strongly suggest this book to any satanist, non satanist and a person with a sterotypical view of the Dark Prince himself.
Great Book!

The Satanic Bible is NOT as some people seem to suggest, the perfect book for the occultist. It is a guide to the philosophies of Anton Lavey, founder of the Church of Satan, with some rituals included.

Satanism has been completely misunderstood by most of the world, but these people have obviously never read Lavey's (completely sensible and not at all related to the sacrificing of children) writings on self indulgence and human nature in general.

Arguing that the 'seven deadly sins' have been chosen specifically because they are natural traits in human beings, Lavey presents a devastating attack on organised religion today and in the past. By instilling guilt in people for committing natural acts ("sins")such as lust, the power of religion has grown at the expense of peoples' happiness ("it will be better in the afterlife").

Forget the cod satanism of youth culture, and ritual murder: Anton Lavey's advice on self-empowerment and happiness in freedom is invaluable to anyone with an open mind and the will to think for themselves. Buy this book now.

I had always had a passing interest in satanism until I read this book. Now I realize that I have always been a satanist without realizing it. If you want this book bc you think it will describe demons and encourage your beliefs in a god do not buy it. Satanism is the religion of self love and preservation and I would recomend this book to everyone that wants to lead a rewarding, respectful life.