You would think folks would understand the word “Atheist”, but to my complete astonishment some sections of the media don’t. Jesse Bogan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports …
“Halfmann, essentially an atheist,” writes Brogan, ”testified that he needed the book [the Satanic Bible] to practice his religion, which, he said, primarily meant following the ritual of ‘self-happiness’ and having fun on the main holidays — one’s birthday and around Halloween.
“With Satanism, there ain’t no sin,” testified Halfmann, who is serving a sentence at the Centralia Correctional Center for predatory criminal sexual assault.
He told the court that Satanists aren’t supposed to break the law. In fact, he said that he can’t be a card-carrying member of the Church of Satan, which stresses individualism, because he has a criminal record.
So apparently the word “Atheist” equates to the word “Satanist” – Since when? We have a couple of choices here, either somebody redefined the word “Atheist” and forget to tell us all, or Jesse Bogan is a theist who believes that anybody who does not believe in his specific God is an Atheist.
Lavey’s satanism (the church of satan) is essentially a weird amalgam between atheism and mysticism. They do not worship Satan.
ps: I am an atheist, not satanist ;-)
My Mother thought the same thing when I told her that I was an atheist. Her first response was : “so what do you worship the devil or something!?” then after I said no to that she thought I was into Scientology because I said something about science.. ugh..