[Buddha-l] Re: Magic

[Chan Fu]

On 6/23/07, Joy Vriens <joy at vrienstrad.com> wrote:
> >My experience is that most satanists are young, unhappy, working-class
> >heartland men who have been raised negatively in a Christian environment
> >and want a way to express their hostility towards the religion of their
> >parents and towards authority in general.  The vast majority of
> >satanists are not violent people; just miserably unhappy ones.
>
> Perhaps an answer to boredom then. But the needs of contemporary young satanists seem to join those of the satanists described by Jyles Michelet.

Sounds reasonable.

I'd start with "raised negatively in a Christian environment" and wonder
what the Hell I'd just said.

After that, I'd wonder about describing so-called "satanists" being
"miserably unhappy"
and ask for the poll results.

> >From Wikepidia:
>
> "Satanism and Witchcraft (La Sorcière) is a book on the history of witchcraft published in 1862 by Jules Michelet. According to Michelet, medieval witchcraft was an act of popular rebellion against the oppression of feudalism and the Roman Catholic Church. This rebellion took the form of a secret religion inspired by paganism and fairy beliefs, organized by a woman who became its leader. The participants in the secret religion met regularly at the witches' sabbath and the Black Mass. Michelet's account is openly sympathetic to the sufferings of peasants and women in the Middle Ages. "

Rebellion seems a good way to get things done. I'd have to agree with him
even though we have no evidence that it was effective. But when you can't
muster enough reason, simple "shove the opposite in your face" rebellion
seems to be a good substitute. That's what kids do - illustrative rather than
discursive. Very 'buddhist' of them, eh?

> I don't think de Sade considered himself a satanist, but he shared the same need of rebellion against the Christian environment. As did fictional (but expressing real opinions) characters as Dr. Faustus and Don Juan.

I think I don't think about how dead people consider themselves, ideologically.
But I'm quite sure that ideologists enjoy it, from current evidence.