House of Heretics

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ Leave a comment

This week, instead of my regular Sacred Tension podcast, I’m releasing my Patrons-only podcast House of Heretics. It’s blasphemous, unedited, and a lot of fun. Justin and I drink coffee and discuss pop culture, religion, science, and whatever else strikes our fancy.

If you like what you hear, please consider becoming a patron by going to Patreon. Finances are tight, even though I’m working full time, and I need your help to make sure my work has a long life.

You can listen to this episode on iTunes, Podbean, your favorite podcast app, or on the player below.

I Won’t Leave the Church Because I’m a Satanist

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 24 Comments

Note: If you have been following my work for any amount of time, you know that I do, in fact, consider myself a Satanist. I’ve written a great deal on the subject, and you can read that wealth of information by following the Satanism category. If this is the first time you are encountering my work, I suggest exploring that category so you will (hopefully) be less confused.

Despite my self identification of Satanist, I don’t leave the church. Many of my dearest friends are devout Christians, I still interview Christians, I still review Christian books, and I still work at a church (which shall remain nameless, so they don’t get hate mail about me.) Why?

Continue reading “I Won’t Leave the Church Because I’m a Satanist” →

Giving Up On Calling Myself Christian

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 5 Comments

I love Christianity. I love the symbolism, the myth, the ritual. I love Augustine, and Chesterton, and C.S. Lewis, and T.S. Eliot, and Thomas Aquinas, and the Saints, and the story of the cosmic Christ who came to earth to save us all. To my very core, I love it. But I feel it’s time to let go of the label Christian altogether, primarily because I’m exceedingly tired.

Continue reading “Giving Up On Calling Myself Christian” →

Why Satan?

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 10 Comments

After my recent article, I Don’t Care What You Think About My Satanism, I received this email from reader and listener Pyrrole Crimson:

Hi Stephen – I’m sticking with you. But, I’ll be honest, the enthusiasm for Satanism gives me pause. OK… creeps me out, actually. But, as is the case with each topic you explore, I am learning things I did not know. I did not know, for instance, that the Satanic Temple is non-theist. Nor did I know that the Church of Satan is a separate & different organization from TST. I had assumed that anyone who affiliates with any Satanic group is doing so to worship Evil & Chaos. No Thank You! But, you are informing me otherwise. Yet I wonder, why Satan, a word/entity that elicits fear & revulsion in many people, myself included? If TST doesn’t worship Satan, indeed, doesn’t even think he exists, why use that name?

This is an excellent question, and this is the sort of conversation I want to have. As we move deeper into an interconnected, multi-cultural world, conversations in which our divergent views collide is necessary. It is paramount that, even if our intuitions and convictions don’t change, we understand where our fellow human beings are coming from.

This is the question I get asked the most: why Satan? Wouldn’t it be easier, more effective, more expedient to use a label that doesn’t fill the public with revulsion? The answer is probably yes — it would be more effective. And that speaks to how this is not a ploy or strategy, but rather a deeply held religious identity.

Continue reading “Why Satan?” →