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“New Satanism” Filling America’s Moral Vacuum
Townhall.com ^ | February 6, 2019 | Bob Barr

Posted on 02/06/2019 9:54:33 AM PST by Kaslin

You could say Satanism has undergone a “rebranding” since the 1980s and 90s, when devil-worshipping occultists were supposedly to blame for a series of disturbing crimes – both real and imagined. Since then, in large part due to the founding of “The Satanic Temple” seven years ago in Salem, Massachusetts, Satanism has entered the mainstream of contemporary culture. The clever marketers of this movement have traded notions of goat sacrifices and Black Magic for feel-good sophistry about equality, social justice, and personal freedom.

In fact, in a bizarre non sequitur The Satanic Temple claims its mission is not to worship the Devil. Instead, its self-proclaimed mission is merely “to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people.” If this rings somewhat contradictory, remember the Apostle Paul’s warning in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

The Temple’s strategy appears to be bearing fruit. Its enticing -- almost reasonable – repackaging of Satanism has made it a seductive “philosophy” in today’s tumultuous society. If a Sundance Film Festival feature documentary on modern Satanists is any indication, Satanism 2.0 is on the rise, and even without the literal devil worship, this cleverly marketed ideology provides the perfect cover for the actual Satan to entrench himself deep within our society.

All this should come as no surprise. America (indeed, much of the western world) today is fertile soil for such snake oil sales pitches. The modern church is constantly mocked and demonized in the media, with regular attendance down across the board (a situation not helped by the continuing and highly publicized revelations about pedophilia within the Catholic Church).

The nuclear, two-parent family has become more and more the relic of a bygone era, fostering an environment in which children are increasingly less likely to attend regular religious services. Add to this equation the fact that any hint of religion (or patriotism, for that matter, as in required recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, with its reference to “one nation under God”) is categorically banned in schools, and the current moral drift of today’s young people is easy to comprehend.

Not only are churches feeling the pinch of this phenomenon, but secular social organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis are as well; with the median age of such organizations increasing significantly. This reflects the reality that many Millennials have little interest in joining anything or anyone outside the orbit of their electronic devices.

Whereas the Church once provided a social and emotional support system, especially for young adults, our crumbling religious foundation has given way to a moral vacuum filled with vices like our “hook-up” culture (lust), decaying social skills and standards of decency (gluttony), and hollow “slacktivism” that seems to have bred a perpetual state of politically-motivated hate and rage in young adults against their peers and their elders (sloth, wrath, and pride).

This deficit of moral centering makes individuals struggling with personal identity easy targets for the siren song of the new Satanism. In exchange for a sense of belonging and purpose, Satanists work to detach those drawn to its melody even further from the moral foundations that for centuries served as the bedrock for a liberated and progressive society.

If you doubt the impact of this evil thinking, look no further than the abortion bill passed recently in New York, and another proposed in Virginia; both of which essentially legalize infanticide. In New York, lawmakers cheered and celebrated its passage, with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordering New York City skyscrapers to light pink as a sign of the Big Apple’s progressivism. Meanwhile, Virginia’s Governor echoed the sentiments of his liberal colleagues to the north, suggesting newborn babies be “kept comfortable” (whatever that means) following delivery, while doctors and the mother discuss their options, including, as Gov. Ralph Northam implied, that the baby be left to die.

Comments such as this illustrate a culture completely untethered from basic decency and compassion. Yet, this is swiftly becoming the new norm, as seen in the way people rushed not to criticize New York and Virginia lawmakers, but to defend them. The warped world that considers such extreme abortion “rights” as these to be benign presents the perfect breeding ground in which Satanists can call new sheep to their flock.

The Devil does not need to be literally worshipped in order to be effective in his mission on Earth, which is to separate people from God. Liberals, who constantly chip away at America’s religious and moral foundation, and Satanists, who fill this vacuum with promises of community and purpose, are doing his bidding, and doing it well. The moral abyss into which it is drawing us, however, is cold and dark.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: devil; evil; satanists
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1 posted on 02/06/2019 9:54:33 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

For a guy who couldn’t figure out that Borat was a fake, that’s pretty good work.


2 posted on 02/06/2019 9:55:47 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Kaslin

The "D" party is going full-Moloch.

3 posted on 02/06/2019 10:01:42 AM PST by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
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To: Kaslin

One recent example of this new attitude was excerpted in FR a few days ago. Writing for a New Jersey newspaper, a writer said that Mike Pence is a “kook” for believing in one-man, one-woman marriage. Within a space of five years, the norm that existed in most world cultures for a millennia has been deemed “extremist” and even pathological.


4 posted on 02/06/2019 10:04:07 AM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: Kaslin
FYI: Decline in belief in God masks rise in superstition
5 posted on 02/06/2019 10:08:21 AM PST by Heartlander (Prediction: Increasingly, logic will be seen as a covert form of theism. - Denyse O'Leary)
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To: Kaslin
So Satanism is really all about "equality, social justice, and personal freedom"?

Isn't that also what liberals say Christianity is all about?

A new ecumenical movement coming perhaps?

6 posted on 02/06/2019 10:09:50 AM PST by Salman (Democrats. The other religion of peace.)
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To: Kaslin
Can anyone identify the Democrats in this photograph?


7 posted on 02/06/2019 10:10:06 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: Kaslin

Barr wasn’t perfect, but we could use more curmudgeons like him in the party today.


8 posted on 02/06/2019 10:11:00 AM PST by The Pack Knight
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To: Kaslin

9 posted on 02/06/2019 10:20:38 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: Kaslin

THE Upside-Down/Back@$$wards world.....
Gunny G@PlanetWTF?
SemperTRUMP.45!
***********************************


10 posted on 02/06/2019 10:22:55 AM PST by gunnyg ("A Constitution changed from Freedom, can never be restored; Liberty, once lost, is lost forever...)
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To: Steve_Seattle

Last year, I saw a screed against Billy Graham on Facebook just after Graham died, because Graham supported a North Carolina constitutional amendment against gay marriage in 2012. That amendment passed with more than 60% of the vote.


11 posted on 02/06/2019 10:23:28 AM PST by The Pack Knight
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To: Kaslin

The failing churches present something of a mixed blessing (if you will) for the Left. They infiltrated the churches to subvert them for their own purposes. Bad theology and/or social theory, which nearly always bad. This caused many to leave those same churches. The most liberal ones are losing the most people. As more people are no longer getting their weekly dose of Hippie Jesus (at best), the Left loses one of its weapons. The more conservative churches are doing much better, despite their own fair share of really bad theology.


12 posted on 02/06/2019 10:25:12 AM PST by cdcdawg
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To: fishtank
One of the leaked SPirit Cooking emails


13 posted on 02/06/2019 10:26:13 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

“Can anyone identify the Democrats in this photograph?”

L -Lady GaGa
R -Marina Abramovic (Ms Spirit cooking ) at a WaterMill Charity Benefit


14 posted on 02/06/2019 10:33:15 AM PST by Polynikes ( Hakkaa palle)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
For a guy who couldn’t figure out that Borat was a fake, that’s pretty good work.

He isn’t exactly tilling new ground here.

He does put together his words well. But you should expect that from a politician.

15 posted on 02/06/2019 10:53:10 AM PST by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit)
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To: Polynikes

The white haired fellow in the back is state director obert Wilson
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2380274/Lady-Gaga-snuggles-performance-artist-Marina-Abramovic-haystack-Hamptons-benefit.html


16 posted on 02/06/2019 10:57:15 AM PST by Polynikes ( Hakkaa palle)
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To: fishtank
Your cartoon is wrong. Moloch worship happened in Israel, not Babylon, and was part of what caused Israel to go into exile in Babylon.

I should mention that, according to what I read here, I don't know anything about the Bible because I'm a Catholic. Let's just say I don't believe everything I read here.

17 posted on 02/06/2019 11:26:28 AM PST by Campion ((marine dad))
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To: Campion

OOPS.

Thanks,
I was honestly just trying to find the right cartoon....

GOOD CATCH!!!


18 posted on 02/06/2019 11:44:51 AM PST by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
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To: Campion

Dr. Woodhead would flunk me...

I am more than halfway done with his Ezekiel sermon series....

https://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Daniel_E_Woodhead


19 posted on 02/06/2019 11:46:24 AM PST by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
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To: Campion; fishtank

Yes, but seeing as that panel is from an anti-semitic cartoon from the notorious “A. Wyatt Mann” (who actually was a member of Anton LaVey’s “Church of Satan”), I wouldn’t expect it to get Biblical facts straight.


20 posted on 02/06/2019 2:31:49 PM PST by Boogieman
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