It has been said by the philosophers that God is dead. Yet Satan lives.

It occurred to me yesterday that many people are more deeply affected by their fear of black magick, are more convinced by the possible reality of 'demons', and more influenced by the perceived powers of "satan," than they are affected by another mainstream or off-beat spiritual system.

Case in point, I know atheists who laugh at the idea of a "God" or other spirits, but who become very afraid at seeing a copy of The Goetia or The Satanic Bible. I also know Catholics who don't take their "religion" seriously, but who take "evil black magick" very seriously; one's prayers may be completely ineffective, but be sure that anything incanted by mean Mr. Crowley or Anton Lavey and their followers will be sure to have real outcomes.

The dynamics of deliberately using the threat of black magick, to gain worldly influence aside, I'm very interested in what this means about us as spiritual seekers who grow in a climate where these factors are often true. For if Satan has all power in the world, and can be relied upon to answer at the worshipper's beck and call by our power to fear, feel, and thus invoke him, is Satan then not God?

"...there is an old parable which relates how the hound that had tempted man the whole length of his perilous journey, devoured him on the Summit of that Mystic Mountain; and how that Ancient DOG was indeed GOD himself." (Temple of Solomon the King).

...would a rose by any other name smell just as pungent?

...especially if the black magician tricks himself into following God!

In sum though, the question remains...where does the pied piper lead if he is followed? I look forward to your responses...

p.s. This would be more an example of a "Theistic" sort of demonology or Satanism than otherwise.

This post has been edited by monkman418: Jan 18 2011, 11:17 PM