One thing about this interview that stands out is that Gilmore seems like just a really cool guy. Like someone you'd like to hang out with and just talk about life with while drinking a Vodka Tonic. In fact, I may persue that myself.
Hello High Priest Gilmore, we have a few great questions our readers have posed. We're also excited and grateful for your time. We know you're very busy, so I thought it best to skip the foreplay and get directly to the questions written by our users.
Paul Shrug asks:
(1) Are there any major Hollywood stars we'd be surprised to find out are Satanists?
Yes, of course! And that includes people in front of as well as behind the cameras. But until these creative individuals decide to let the public know of their affiliation, such information is kept strictly confidential. Those with a fine eye might be able to see the subtle influence of Satanic philosophy in a number of Hollywood productions, and certainly not in places that would be obvious.
In the past, Jayne Mansfield was a member, as was Sammy Davis, Jr., and we think that having had a member of the Rat Pack as a member of the Church of Satan was most appropriate.
(2) Who's your favorite Beatle?
I have no preference.
(3) Is there an apocalyptic scenario the COS teaches?
No, none whatsoever.
(4) Does the COS truly consider itself "evil," or does it in fact seek the abolition of the term?
"Good" and "Evil" are purely subjective terms. Our beliefs and practices are beneficial to us, otherwise we wouldn't have adopted them, so we consider them to be "Good" for us. Others might be frightened of our championing of individuality and our willingness to judge and be judged, based on self-chosen standards, so they might see us as "Evil." As our founder, Anton LaVey, used to say, "EVIL is LIVE spelled backwards." So it is all a matter of personal perspective. We see ourselves in a Nietzschean sense as being beyond Good and Evil.
(5) One of the popular myths about the song "Hotel California" is that it's about Satanism, that it references the old COS at 1969 California St. Is that accurate?
You'd have to ask the people who wrote it for their opinion. It is a pleasant legend.
Are there any parallels to Judeo-Christian teachings that you're aware of?
Not really, when you consider that both of these, Judaism and Christianity, are spiritual faiths which believe in the supernatural, and Satanism is a carnal religion in which each person is his or her own god. Our philosophy is based on reason and logic, and a particular evaluation of the human animal - not faith.
The Church of Satan and the Jewish faith do agree on the principle of "An eye for an eye." This is quite opposite the Christian doctrine of mercy and forgiveness.
How does your chronology of history differ -- besides the obvious? Is there anything the two sides agree on?
We Satanists use scientific methods, particularly the discipline of archaeology, to understand human history, as well as careful evaluations of any extant written texts. However, we keep in mind that people in all cultures almost always lie to present themselves for posterity in what they think is the best light. We seek to understand what our ancestors have done, so that we can better comprehend the psychology of the human animal. We learn just as much from historical lies, as we do from hard evidence of what actually occurred.
If you mean the chronology of history as portrayed in the "Holy Scriptures," we reject the fanciful mythology of these texts, and examine any factual evidence which generally demonstrates the self-serving exaggerations of such writings.
hot blooded would like to know:
Do you know any of Anton LaVey's kids?
I've met all three, and I'm a good friend to his young son Xerxes.
[editor's note, by matt] Captain Tenille has a kitten named Xerxes.
Are they Satanists too or have they rebelled and become Pentecostalist snake-handlers?
Xerxes is certainly a Satanist - he has a great deal of his father in him and he asked to be a member of the Church of Satan and was warmly welcomed. LaVey's younger daughter Zeena left the Church of Satan many years ago to join the Temple of Set, so she is a Setian, and not a Satanist. I can't speak for his older daughter Karla. I suspect she still respects her father's philosophy and considers herself to be a Satanist, though she has no contact with the Church of Satan.
Captain Tenille has a couple questions of his own:
What is the Church of Satan's position on things like "Satanosphere", where they are meant to be humorous, but hold no ill will towards Satanists?
Humor is great - so long as it is actually funny! (That is not so easy to accomplish.) The figure of the mocking trickster has been a Satanic image in many cultures.
What book are you reading right now / read just recently?
I recently reread the biography of Bernard Herrmann, "A Heart at Fire's Center" by Stephen C. Smith. If you recall, he is the composer of some of the greatest film scores ever written: "Psycho," "Citizen Kane," "The Day The Earth Stood Still," and many others. As a composer, I greatly admire his work, and consider him to be a strong influence on my own music.
What movie do you think epresses your philosophy of life the best?
There isn't one film which fully encapsulates my philosophy.
My sense of justice - people getting what they deserve - I find in both "Death Wish" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." The idea that we must understand our role in Nature, as well as our own animal nature, or we'll face dire consequences, I enjoy as embodied in "Koyaanisqatsi" and the Japanese original version of "Godzilla," as well as the original version of "Planet of the Apes." "Forbidden Planet" beautifully demonstrates the tragic tale of an advanced civilization whose members had a rift between their consciousness and their instincts, who then destroyed themselves when they created a machine that could materialize whatever they thought - unleashing their "monsters from the id."
Satanists don't have this rift, though many people who embrace spiritual doctrines do; the latter feel that they must fight against their own "impulses." We Satanists are integrated with these, and flow with them. That film was thus a wonderfully apt dramatization of this issue. "The Wicker Man" is an excellent film which shows that Christianity is simply an optional belief, not a "true religion." Watching Sergeant Howie, a devout Christian "copper," coming to grips with a culture that has rejected his cherished mythologies is a sheer delight, as are Lord Summerisle's comparative religion discussions therein. It's also just a plain old "whodunit," intriguing and suspenseful totally apart from its religious aspects.
Devoni writes:
As a Disfellowshipped Jehovah's Witness, I hold a bit of
(brainwashed?)
reservation towards issues regarding the "Darker Side" of Theology. This,
most likely, could be attributed to the information discussed at one or
all of the three meetings a week that are held by that "Church". One of
the most prevelant ideals or subjects presented during these meetings
consistantly
delt with the idea that Satan is an actual entity full of malice, hate
and jealosy, bent upon destroying all that "God" created.
Today, i choose to believe that Satan does not exist. However, in
today's Judeo/Christain "Churches", this is considered a very dangerous
position because of their belief that it will leave one open to Satans
potential suggestive powers that will eventually consume ones soul,
condeming
them to "Hell". Is the opposite true whithin the Church of Satan?
We believe in neither God nor Satan, nor any supernatural entities.
We Satanists are our own gods. Satan for us is a symbol of human
individuality
and independence. He also symbolizes the ground of being for all
existence,
a hidden force permeating and motivating all that exists.
By NOT believing in Satan, will I still be able to live a full,
happy
life?
That depends upon your true nature.
For the Satanist, believing in either God or Satan is simply accepting
a mythology that somebody else created, and thus you are in essence
worshipping
by proxy the person who invented such ideas. We reject that position as
being unsatisfactory; it is contrary to our nature.
Some people do seem to need to pretend that there is something
"greater"
than themselves. These are "spiritual" people - not Satanists - and they
always look for some authority to give them direction. And whether that
authority comes from a Church, or a dictatorship, we think that those
kind
of people can be dangerous, as they are followers who are often desperate
for a leader. If they find a benign leader, then it isn't a problem, but
if they find a leader who wants to crush people who do not wish to follow
him, then wars, Inquisitions, and centuries of bloodshed will happen.
History
demonstrates this very clearly.
From Quacky:
How does the Church of Satan interpret the Apocalypse story from
the bible?
Simply as mythology, just like those produced by other human cultures.
It tells us a great deal about the psychology of the people who first
invented
these stories, and it tells even more about those who currently choose
to believe in them.
Does the Church of Satan even represent the same mythologized
"Satan"
of Christian myth?
No.
Is your Satan the same Satan that lives in Hell and has a pointy
beard and horns?
No.
There is a character in a popular children's animation series
called
"Him" who is deliberately modelled after Satan, or after the charicature
of a devil. How does the Church of Satan view such popularizations of
Satan
as a devillish arch villain?
I haven't seen this one, so I really can't say. Using some kind of
devil
image is common, as people often need a "scapegoat," somebody they want
to blame for anything they don't like, as they don't have the character
to take responsibility for their own actions.
So, depending on how the character behaves, this too can be a
way for learning about the nature of the people who created, as well as
enjoy this show.
There are popularizations of the Devil that do ring true to Satanic
philosophy, such as Al Pacino's portrayal in "The Devil's Advocate" of
a Satan who offers freedom of choice to his son, and who skillfully uses
lesser magic to manipulate the people surrounding him. Also note Tim
Curry
as Darkness in "Legend" who speaks the truth that "We are all animals,
my dear."
What is the Church's position or teaching about sin?
We see the Christian Church's teaching about sin to be an insidious
plot. They named seven deadly sins (lust, pride, greed, envy, anger,
gluttony,
sloth), which are things that everyone will do to some extent, and thus
they made sure that every normal human could be defined as a "sinner."
Then they set themselves up as being the only way to be saved from these
"sins." So that is certainly one of the greatest con games in all
recorded
history. We Satanists think that if you indulge in each of these
so-called
sins, in healthy moderation, then you will enjoy your life. Indulgence
- NOT compulsion!
In Satanism, we have a list of sins, but these are simply behaviors
we like to avoid (as well as the people who practice these things):
stupidity,
pretentiousness, solipsism, self-deceit, herd conformity, lack of
perspective,
forgetfulness of past orthodoxies, counterproductive pride, and lack of
aesthetics. These are discussed in detail on our website:
www.churchofsatan.com.
How does the Church respond to sensationalized media attention paid
to so-called satanic ritual abuses that seem mostly to take place in
white
middle-class "christian values-based" daycare settings?
Our response is to point out that these so-called "ritual abuses" are
usually complete hoaxes (as has now been proven by law enforcement
agencies
the world over), and that such practices - if they ever were to happen
- are contrary to Satanic philosophy and practices.
isellcracktokids asks (not sure why):
Do you dig that hot blond witch from hocus pocus as much as i do?
arriba, aye mami muy bien, i like eet rough!!!! luv n hugz seekah
I've never seen "Hocus Pocus," so I can't say. My taste in women tends
toward the voluptuous bombshells that you don't often see in this day of
skinny, over-muscular women with obviously phony breasts. Catch a movie
with Mamie Van Doren (Girl's Town), Jayne Mansfield (The Girl Can't Help
It), Marilyn Monroe (The Prince and the Showgirl) or a Scopitone with Joi
Lansing (The Silencer or Web of Love) and you'll get some idea.
DesiredUsername from K5 asks:
I happen to believe that Satan was just a man. A very wise and
darkly
evil man, but a man just the same. Certainly we should study his
teachings
as philosophy, but why should we believe he is directly ordering us to
climb the clocktower with a high-powered rifle?
If you really believe that Satan is/was only a man, then there is no
reason to believe in his ability to make you do things against your will.
Since, in our understanding, Satan never existed (and the same is said
for God), there are no "teachings" to study, nor is there some kind of
demonic force to make you do its bidding. That kind of thinking should
be recognized as belief in a fairy tale or perhaps a symptom of paranoid
schizophrenia.
Satanism certainly opposes the idea of slaughtering people without
reason.
We are firm practitioners of "Lex Talionis" - letting the punishment fit
in kind and degree the crime, and so we embrace a law and order society.
Tapherlight asks about something he heard:
Anton LaVey's daughter was supposed to inherit the leadership of
the Church after his death, but something seems to have happened behind
the scenes, and now she seems to be out. I've also gotten the impression
that she did something. What happened, and what could she have done that
would have made her leave the Church of Satan?
Anton LaVey has two daughters and neither of them was "supposed to
inherit
the leadership of the Church of Satan."
His youngest daughter, Zeena, left the Church many years ago. Since
then, she's done nothing but try to smear his memory, particularly
following
his death.
His older daughter Karla generally kept to herself and enjoyed her own
life and had nothing to do with the actual operation of the Church of
Satan.
At the time of LaVey's death, his long time companion and mother of
his son, Blanche Barton, was the High Priestess; he'd named her to that
position several years earlier. She was the chief administrator after
LaVey
and his successor according to the corporate bylaws which LaVey had
written
himself. He reaffirmed this intention in a handwritten will. On
Walpurgisnacht
(30 April, our highest holiday) of this year, I was appointed to be the
new High Priest by Ms. Barton. I am a long time member of the Council of
Nine, having been appointed to that board by Anton LaVey himself. So, the
people LaVey handpicked as his chief administrators and colleagues, who
worked with him for many years, were his intended successors and we are
still maintaining his vision in running the organization.
Electric Angst chimes in with:
What is your response to accusations that many in your organization
hold white supremacist views? To the accusation that the fascist
mentality
of Satanism fosters this type of thought?
I laugh, as only a fool would make such an accusation. Satanism is an
individualist philosophy; racism is a collectivist ideology - they aren't
compatible. Besides, all I'd need to do is bring such a person into a
room
filled with the very diverse collection of people from many of the
world's
nations and ethnicities who belong to us and they'd see what a pointless
accusation they are making.
"Fascism" is a word which has many definitions, so you'd need to tell
me how you define it so that I could say whether I agree or not that
Satanism
has a "fascist" mentality. Yes, Satanism does stand for elitism, meaning
that we don't tolerate mediocrity - no matter where it comes from, so
some
people might think that this is "fascist." We think that we live only
once
and life is thus too short to waste our time on shoddy goods and
behavior.
Politically, Satanists decide what kind of government would personally
suit them, so there is no de facto Satanic political or governmental
system.
Most of the Satanists I know are basically of a libertarian political
perspective.
Also, if you have time: What is your opinion on Pagan scholar Isaac
Bonewit's claims about your organization and its founder in his piece 'My
Satanic Adventure' http://www.neopagan.net/SatanicAdventure.HTML?
I've never been impressed by Bonewitz. All that I need to do is watch
my copy of the documentary "Satanis: The Devil's Mass," to confirm that
he is beneath serious consideration. In a ritual sequence in that film,
young acolyte Bonewitz asks for Satan's blessing to enlarge his virile
member, to which Anton LaVey as celebrant can barely keep a straight
face.
Because he apparently has never ceased to be embarrassed by this comic
performance, Bonewitz has shown an irrational hatred for Satanism and has
spread countless distortions about our philosophy and about his very
brief
tenure as a member of the Church of Satan.
And finally, Dead Eyez:
I read parts of the book the Satanic Witch, this book teaches a
women
to be at her fullest as a person so to speak. This book is a little older
of a book. do you think any of it's teachings are outdated and could use
a makeover?
No, not at all. All of them can be applied by the intelligent young
Satanic Witch (or Warlock) - who remains aware of context. Quite a few
of our female members will vouch for the potency of the techniques
outlined
by LaVey in that book.
Thanks for your time, High Priest! I look forward to your
responses.
I think our users have provided some quality questions, and I think that
the final posting will be very good for both of us.
You are welcome.
Beast wishes!
All we can hope is that this has made people think. Not just about religion and Satanism, but about misconceptions and accusation. The Church of Satan just seems a lot nicer to me now. I must admit, I'm not up to joining myself, but I do have a new respect for them. And who knows? Maybe a few of our Satanorific readers will walk the way of LeVay.
