My Loyalty

My Church of Satan page explains some of the benefits or reasons for a person officially joining the Church of Satan - this page is more a declaration of loyalty and a call for Satanic unity.

The Church of Satan is the only organisation I feel is stable, sane and worthwhile within the Satanic community - the only one that throughout its existence has stood up and got things done. It is with this Church that I wish to conspire with my most cherished, long term plans.

Satanic Unity
This Unity movement always appears once a school of thought has had time to develop factions. Although I am all for the _benefits_ of unity, I am not sure I wish to be associated with some of the lunatics that Satanism attracts from time to time. Having said that - these can be weeded out or ignored - I do believe in unity. Which means I have to choose A) how to deal with those groups in the Satanic community with whom I do not agree, and B) a banner under which to unite.

A. The Church of Satan represents the most well established and certainly the largest Satanic organisation - so it is under this original Satanic Church that we should unite.

B. No two people will ever agree on issue of belief beyond mere linguistics, but there are probably some quite major ideological differences between those who feel the Devil exists as a discrete being, and the Church of Satan who find the image of rebellion, human potential and self gratification in Satan. An answer is just to ignore these differences and concentrate on the more practical, useful things in your life.

So in short I am saying that even if you do not agree entirely with the Church of Satan's ideology you should join, it is advantageous for your own image (to be seen discarding your quarm and diving in with the rest of us) and for your own options, in that you can present your membership only when it pleases you to do so. And the whole Satanic community will benefit from a renewed, streamlined and less abrasive atmosphere.

Church of Satan as the Body of Satanists₁

C of E: The State It's In

"Gerald Arbuckle, a member of a Roman Catholic religious order, writing with feeling about the struggles in his own church, has coined the useful phrase "loyal dissent". Dissent, says Arbuckle, is vital for a living church since it 'proposes alternatives' and it is only by looking at alternatives that a body can evolve creatively"

"The C of E: The State It's In" by Monica Furlong, p8

Arbuckle's term was employed to describe some individials within the Church who think differently. The Church of Satan differs in that nearly all its members are of the loyal dissenter type, so much so that it is only ever noted when a person seems to lack this quality, rather than commented on when someone possesses this common Satanic trait. It is taken for granted within Satanism that dissent is a vitality!

"Disputes amongst Satanists" by Vexen Crabtree 2001 July 16