Tag: Religion

Varieties of Satanic Blasphemy

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 8 Comments

Of all the challenging aspects of Satanism, blasphemy is perhaps at the top. I have known people to literally weep with horror when they first encounter the concept of the Black Mass, and others to simply shut down and say, “I can’t do this,” when they are confronted with the full breadth of Satanic blasphemy. 

Blasphemy can be an important part of Satanism. But there are many different types of blasphemy, and I believe that understanding them might help outsiders better engage in inter-religious dialogue with the Satanic community. (It’s also important to note that there are many Satanists who don’t connect deeply with the notion of blasphemy at all.)

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The Bound and the Unbound: Religion and Transcendence

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 14 Comments

I recently listened to a fascinating conversation between the Catholic writer Arthur Brooks and the atheist Sam Harris about the role of spirituality and religion in a healthy life. You will need to get a subscription to either the Waking Up app or to Harris’s private feed to listen to the section in question. I leave your support of Harris up to your own discretion.

For the time being, let’s set aside the political and ideological differences I have with both these men. I’d like to focus on a fascinating difference between Brooks and Harris. 

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Sacred Tension: Vehicles of Transcendence | Levi Walbert

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 2 Comments

In this episode of Sacred Tension, I speak with Buddhist Minister Levi Walbert about his recent thesis on the theology of The Satanic Temple. We discuss the similarities between Buddhism and Satanism; Satanic aesthetic, practice, and philosophy as vehicles for transcendence; the nature of religion, and much more.

Levi Walbert is a Minister with the Bright Dawn practicing Jodo Shinshu. 

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Reactions to Satanism: A Field Guide

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 6 Comments

I’ve been a Satanist long enough now to notice some patterns in how people react to the news that I’m a Satanist.

What I find most fascinating about these reactions is how inflexible they are. They seem to be manifestations of buried beliefs that are incredibly resistant to change. With very rare exceptions, I haven’t seen any of these attitudes shift in response to new information or perspectives.

Without further ado, here is my field guide to reactions to Satanism.

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Sacred Tension: Intersectional Demonology with S. Jonathon O’Donnell

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 1 Comment

In this episode I speak with religious scholar and intersectional demonologist S. Jonathon O’Donnell. We discuss their new book Passing Orders: Demonology and Sovereignty in American Spiritual Warfare, which is an examination of how American Evangelical beliefs about spiritual warfare intersect with transphobia, racism, and homophobia. Buy the book here.

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Guest Post: Reinforcing Evangelical Fear

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 1 Comment

This is a guest post by Warden Sif. Warden Sif has been interested in religion his whole life, and obtained a degree in history and theology. He has identified as a Christian, Deist, Agnostic, Atheist, Apistevist and, at this point, a Satanist. He began following TST’s efforts in 2015 and officially joined a few years later. His Twitter can be found here. He can also be found on BaphoNet Antisocial Network, its associated Discord server and the Sacred Tension Discord server.

After reading Mr. Morehead’s guest post titled “Why Are Evangelicals So Afraid of Halloween?” I was inspired to write further on something he touched on at the end of his article. I’ve tried in the past to emphasize his final point, but I consistently get push back from a fair number of other Satanists:

But understanding the psychological underpinnings of Evangelical prejudices and stances in popular culture toward others is helpful in formulating appropriate responses. Responding in-kind with fear, prejudice and alienation will only exacerbate our tensions in an extremely polarized environment. If you’re angry with Evangelicals over any number of things, including their stereotypes of Satanists, I get it. But I think we need to try to understand their fears rather than reinforce them.

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Seven Satanic Dichotomies

~ Stephen Bradford Long ~ 8 Comments

As I’ve developed my personal Satanic Philosophy over the past few years, I’ve received a number of questions from the non-infernal. Questions like: how can you be religious if you don’t believe in God? How do you reconcile Satanic individualism with our human need for community? What’s the point of ritual if you don’t believe in the supernatural? I’ve used these perceived contradictions and questions as a way of establishing a sort of meta-structure for my Satanic practice.

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