Since I have a copy of all major Bibles here in the house (and various… study guides, and supplementary materials, that go along with them), I want to actually take the time to read all of them cover to cover. Whenever the time does come that I actually commit to that and start it, I want to post about it here — I’m not sure when I’ll schedule the posts, as I’ve begun to get back into the habit of scheduling some posts to go out in advance, although it would be ironic if I scheduled some of these posts to go out on Sunday mornings.

Although it is said, and is generally true, that non-believers have read more of and know the Bible(s) more than their believing and worshiping counterparts, I want to go one(, two, or three…) further. I can see this actually causing migraines, having to read and stomach the contents of these — with the exception of LaVey’s The Satanic Bible and counterparts — although I already know in advance that it’s not going to convert me anywhere else other than to more fortified Satanism. I’ll post more about it here when I’ve committed to a starting date to this and have begun to plan out in what order I will read what “holy” text.

When I first began to explore Satanism, I was drawn to the Church of Satan because I had (well, I should say have, heh) friends who are members of varying ranks of that… denomination? Church? However you accurately word that. Knowing that it was the first true religion devoted to Satanism founded and that I did have several friends that were members initially drew me to it, although the initial cost to join — even if it would only have to be paid once and it was good for life — put me off. However, engaging with various… dissidents of Jake Eakin’s on his Facebook wall, and also having friends who were members of The Satanic Temple, also introduced me to them, and I began to do some research on The Satanic Temple after their documentary, Hail Satan? was referenced (which, I’m not even going to lie, intrigued me in an extremely good way… because not only do I now have a copy of that, I’ve been watching it in piecemeal after the boys are in bed during the evenings, and I am making progress getting through it given our sometimes downright busy daily schedules). I realized that I appreciated The Satanic Temple’s more left-leaning politic stances and the fact that they were not afraid to get political or litigate in court over matters that were important to them as a whole, and I found their members more personable and easier to talk to (at least those I’ve spoken to).

I also have a copy of the book that was written about them that I was given as a late Mother’s Day present.

I’m not one of these who is going to go “my denomination is better than your denomination,” even though some people… do that, I guess. The Satanic Temple is just the… branch, or denomination, of Satanism that best meets my personal needs. Personally, I feel that Satanists have more common ground than they have things that drive them apart. And Baphomet is adorable, especially when he’s drawn and colored in pastel. As I’ve mentioned before, some people see joining “the proper faction” as a prize to be won — I see that reminiscent of Final Fantasy X-2, and I’m more content to find that someone actually is a Satanist and that person to be one less person that I have to worry about aggressively trying to evangelize me into theism, especially Christianity, who has denominations that are particularly notable for their apologetics. If that makes me a bit of an eccentric Satanist, well then so be it. Being a Satanist is eccentric enough. I don’t mind.

I think it might have been around the part where I mentioned that I was happy and relieved not to have to attend Mass with my ex’s family any more (it’s been almost a full decade now), and that when his family was literally forcing me to attend church functions with them that I was literally telling him that I did not want to go to, I was bringing my PSP with me and playing it on silent in the arm of my sweater when I was not caring for our child, ignoring everything that was going on the entire time to the point that I had to Google what actually goes on in Mass a decade later. I was “immersed” in Catholicism. I went to Masses with his family and various church functions and get-togethers (that I did not want to attend either). It didn’t make me believe in God or “see” that his church was “the one true religion” in any way, shape or form. I felt apathy toward attending, was bored at the idea of it bar the fact that I played video games to relieve that boredom and tune out what was going on around me, and was incensed and irate that I had to attend these things that I saw no point in attending since I was never voluntarily converting or following the doctrine of.

And I was right. I never did convert, none of us did, and we’re still not following the doctrine today. So…