Sunday, August 11, 2019

Satanism

Satanism is not "leftism," it is essentially libertarianism taken to extreme.  Perhaps you could call it "libertinism."

The Satanist churches of the 1970's and beyond worship personal success and violence.  The political views of Satanists has been described as usually similar to American Libertarians, or more extreme, such as no taxes at all, and certainly no government welfare or healthcare programs.

In the Satanist view, anyone poor or sick or who loses a fight deserves it.

There is some evidence these churches were created by and for spooks as a bed for recruitment and fun, and/or possibly surveillance.

Does that make it right wing?  American Libertarians would create a 2-dimensional matrix to show where they are, instead of left right.  But in the more traditional left/right, American Libertarians lean right on things of importance to society, such as taxes and government spending, and are generally considered to be on the right more-or-less.

A right centrist but anti-corporate and anti-prohibitionist friend of mine used to think of himself as Libertarian until he attended a Libertarian meeting.  He decided they were too uncritical of corporatocracy, and henceforth he would call himself a Conservative.  He almost always votes for Democratic candidates basically because the Republicans are Movement Conservatives who are nuts.  But he hated Bill Clinton, who he saw as immoral, believing the allegations of Jennifer Flowers.  So no amorality for that once self-described Libertarian.

The Dayton shooter does not appear to have been inspired by his allegedly favorite Presidential candidate.  He did not use her words.  He could hardly be more different on matters such as gun control.

Basically, his thinking appears to be incoherent, and the fact he preferred Warren reveals nothing but the popularity in his circles.

Warren herself is not exactly a leftist, a better description would be left liberal.  There is only one Leftist among the Presidential candidates, Bernie.  There was a second Leftist protest candidate Gravel, but he withdrew and endorsed Bernie.  The other Democrats are centrists, with Biden being center right.

Satanism is also not associated with Athiesm, despite many religious right trying to make this association.

Athiests do not believe in supernatural entities, divinity or divinities, god or gods, etc.  Satan is a supernatural entity who, when he appears at all, is always part of a Christian story, as the antithesis of Jesus.  Satan is not found in the worldview of other religions, or in Atheism.

Athiests are not free of moral or ethical values either, just because they don't wrap such things in the language of revealed truth.  They get their morality and ethics from Humanism, Rationalism, Utilitarianism, Stoicism, Mutualism, or similar schools of human thought, which would not allow you to hurt another if it could be prevented, and would mandate giving aid to those hurt by others if it would not create an equal or worse problem for yourself.  There is nothing uniquely Christian or even uniquely religious about such ideas, and especially, they don't require a belief in God (and/or Satan).

To be clear, it is unlikely the Dayton shooter was actually a Satanist church member, and shouldn't be associated with them either.  He just chose Satanism as one name for his identity.  A devout Satanist would traditionally disapprove of a shooting spree unless somehow you could get away without being killed or captured.  Mass shooters who shoot themselves or get captured are losers.

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