The Church of Satan

"The Black House," original headquarters of the Church of Satan in San Francisco Religious organization founded by Anton LaVey on 30 April, 1966, and the first significant religious movement in nearly two thousand years to state categorically that it was okay to be gay.   Based in San Francisco out of LaVey's home on California Street, "The Black House," the CoS welcomed gays at a time when Wiccan covens were still calling homosexuality "an affront to the Goddess" and before the Metropolitan Community Church even existed.   One of the core beliefs behind LaVey's Satanism was that people should accept and live according to their true nature.  In a general sense, this meant that humans should live as the rational yet carnal animals that they were.   In the particular case of gays, it meant they should accept themselves and not try to pass for straight or consent to attempts to change or "cure" them.   Long before most members of the psychiatric community did so, LaVey and the CoS refuted the notion that homosexuality was a mental aberration.   Indeed, he often expressed his admiration for the way gay men could throw themselves wholeheartedly into "raw, animal sex." An important point about the Church of Satan and Satanism is that it is not based on the literal worship of the Christian Satan.   Anton LaVey sought to develop a new religion based not on the selfless altruism, neurotic abstinence, and "spiritual pipe-dreams" of other religions, but instead on one which embraced indulgence, egoism, secularism, and other aspects of libertarianism and humanism which the major religions and dominant cultures considered to be sinful.   Because the dominant culture he lived in was Christian, LaVey chose to build his new religion around the symbol which he knew was most opposed to and would most outrage that culture - Satan.   Contrary to the sensational claims of conservative Christians and the tabloid press, the sacrifice and abuse of children and animals was never an endorsed practice, as children and animals were seen as sacred embodiments of the natural carnality which adult humans had been taught to suppress within themselves.   Those who did perform such practices were not considered true Satanists but inverted Christians, as well as seriously disturbed. The philosophy and precepts of the CoS were first formalized in Anton LaVey's The Satanic Bible, first published in 1969 and in print ever since.   The Satanic Bible  presented a way of life based on indulgence in the sensual pleasures of the world, "vital existence" through gratification of the ego, and "undefiled wisdom" through an honest assessment of one's self and others.   A chapter on "Satanic Sex" expressed the idea that people should be free to engage in any sexual activity they desired, so long as it was compatible with their true nature and desires and all parties involved consented.   For gays to deny their true sexual desires or to engage in heterosexual intercourse in an attempt to fool themselves or others would be to engage in self-deceit and herd conformity, which from the Satanist viewpoint were sins.   To think they could fool anyone or change was an act of stupidity, the greatest of sins in the Satanic religion. From its inception in 1966, and especially after the publication of the Satanic Bible, the Church of Satan saw a phenomenal growth.  Gavin Arthur, Jayne Mansfield, Kenneth Anger, Robert Fuest, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Keenan Wynn were among the many celebrities counted among the Church's membership.   The Church continued to thrive after the death of Anton LaVey in 1997, relocating first to San Diego and then New York.  Sadly, the Black House proved too expensive to renovate to meet new city codes, and was recently demolished.   Several rival organizations have appeared over the years, but none of them have matched the CoS in either the number of its members or the character of its leaders.  Still, the disgruntled leaders of these rival groups continue to attack both LaVey and the CoS, and are apparently unable to do much else. In 2001 Anton Lavey's widow, High Priestess Blanche Barton, transferred leadership of the CoS to High Priest Peter H. Gilmore and his wife, High Priestess Peggy Nadramia, and the organization continues to thrive and grow and to attract accomplished and talented individuals from all walks of life, in addition to celebrities like artist Steven Leyba, rock musician Marilyn Manson, and Internet radio DJ Honey Hellfire.   It also continues to be a pro-gay organization.   Unlike other religious organizations, which require annual tithings or "love-offerings" for membership, the Church of Satan requires only a one-time fee of $100.   It also chooses to forego the tax-exempt status normally afforded to religious organizations, believing that taxing church property and income is one of the first steps towards removing the yolk of oppressive religion from what would otherwise be truly free societies.   While it cautions that it is not a "lonely hearts club," the CoS welcomes all those who display an informed understanding of, or sincere desire to learn more about Satanism, and who can also  demonstrate an ability to implement its principles effectively in their personal lives, regardless of their sex, race, sexual orientation, income, or political affiliation. Links: Church of Satan Official Site History of the Church of Satan CoS Statement on Same-Sex Marriage The Homosexual Warlock Satanism FAQ Satanism 101 Not Like Most KeywordTitleAuthor