Nope, mine are tested in the forge of logic. Religon can never say that.

It may be contrary to common sense, but there is a growing sense in the US and in Britain (as well as in large areas of Europe) that Islam is a violent creed. The media doean't say 'all moslems are terrorists' it doesn't need to. It just needs to focus to a morbid degree on Islamic stories in order to give that impression.

Which is the point of her book {note opening post :)} and why the points she makes are extremely valid.

While it doesn't require an afterlife rationalization to be a good person, it does work, and has worked for a very long time.

Every religion with the probable exception of the Church of Satan -- finally, a congregation where the sociopathic can feel right at home!* -- is full of instructions on how to be nice to people, and statements of how it finds ethical behavior holy.

Actually, it can, and without speaking nonsense. Consider for one the Anglican tradition. They speak metaphorically of a three-legged stool, the three legs being Scripture, tradition, and reason -- or logic. Lose any of these and the stool lets you down pretty hard. Religion does not require rejection of nor departure from logical, reasonable thought. That some unreasonable people get a chance to take the bit in their teeth is unfortunate -- but we don't have to go along on their ride, either.

Ethics get tested in the forge of experience. Moral behavior is survival behavior, and is often very closely reasoned survival behavior -- again, tested by experience. Looking at the biblical story of Onan from that point of view, you can see the case that repealed that tribal law -- you need some other way to look after a widow if the decedent's brother simply cannot get along with her. That was an experiential test that caused a shift of the paradigm.

*The stuff the CoS writes in their various newsletters will creep you right out. Honest, it will.

I've gotten along with all the Satanists I've known.

Not to throw a wrench in the works, but should this thread or some portion of it be moved to Philosophy?

I've "gotten along" too -- but only by suppression of certain topics. Since the Satanist I know is now a former Satanist, having taken up the Egyptian pantheon nowadays -- her Satanist then-boyfriend was nobody to invite over for supper, running the gamut as he did between the twisted and the pointless -- I'm relieved.

Still, those newsletters... gah.

Most satanists are actually atheists and do not worship the Christian Satan but use Satan as a symbol for opposition to the Christian church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Satan

Satanism's ethical standards are about being more or less realistic than the very unpractical standards of other religions.

But the Goat Leggings are so cool.

Well, I can't prove there is an afterlife. I also cannot prove there isn't one. As far as I know, there is no scientific evidence either way, and no one has ever come forth and said..yeah, I've been there and here are pictures. So....

I kinda like the idea of moving to another plane after my existence on this one ceases. I don't know if I'll be in some beautiful kingdom in the clouds with angels, or if I'll come back as a worm, or if I'll be reincarnated into another human body here on earth. Maybe there really is nothing else, and my remains will simply turn to dust where ever they end up. In any case, I choose to be the best person I can be, during this life. If there is more, great! If not, I don't want to have wasted my short, precious time on unimportant pursuits and hatred for my fellow mankind.

Simplistic maybe, but I don't mind not knowing what comes next. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, never mind the hereafter.

:D

Stormie

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