Traditional Satanism, Devil Worship, Diabolatry

Regardless of the false historical origins, in its modern form, Diabolatry is the spiritual worship of the Christian Satan. It is a specific practice that depends on the theology and interpretations of Satan of Christian and Jewish literature, including prayers, and teachings. Diabolists may have an interest in anti-Christian activities and religious blasphemy as a form of spiritual expression, perhaps using Black Mass for worship. They may also have an interest in the reversal of Christian morals, and the use of Christian demonic hierarchies for worship or summoning.

In Satanism, Diabolatry has specific meaning. According to the modern Satanist, Geifodd, "Diabolatry is the religious worship of the Devil. Unlike Christians and people of other conventional religions, Diabolators, or Devil worshipers, do not believe the Devil to be a completely 'evil' entity".3 Theistic Satanist, Diane Vera agrees with these descriptions, but also classified these types of Satanists as part of theistic Satanism, "Other terms for "theistic Satanism" or "traditional Satanism" include "Devil worship," "spiritual Satanism," and "Diabolatry." Some of us may consider one or more of these other labels to be more accurate or otherwise more appropriate".4 Satanists have defined their own identification with Satan that is separate and evolved from Christian beliefs.

Satanism emerged after LaVey in the 1960's. It is a little known fact amongst satanists that Devil worship was promoted by the early Church of Satan. In the book, "The Satanic Rituals', LaVey gives a description of the Yazidi peoples whom he labeled as the 'original devil worshipers'. He also suggested that Satanists should use them for a personal example of how Satanists should relate to Satan. LaVey also characterized Satan as a demon, called upon him during rituals and recommended the invocation of Satan before the use of magic.

In later years the modern church of Satan diverged from this belief and only accepted Satan from a symbolic aspect. This may have been a factor that lead some Satanists to disassociate with ideas of Christian Devil worship. As atheists, they disagreed with the notion that they worshiped Satan. They speak of Satan worship as if it is a disgusting thing, to be done only by those who are weak and mislead. They make this known publicly through disparaging commentary, for example, by the current Church's leader Peter Gilmore characterization of non LaVeyan Satanists as 'kooks'.

They deny the Christian Satan and all Satanists that worship him. By doing this they are denying their association with them, accusing them, and and slandering their own. But, of course they are more than entitled to their own opinion on how their members of their Church should approach the idea of Satan worship.

At the other extreme, some Satanists have a Christian view or belief in Satan. This is a small part of Satanism that is relatively underground and often is on the fringe of accepted Satanic beliefs. Some of these Satanists choose to associate with the Christian aspects of Satanic evil. Others are motivated by greed, lust, desire and similar aspects of sin that some associate with the Christian Satan.

Beliefs of these Satanists vary; some accept Satan as a god, or as a demon. Some accept him as a father god, replacing the role of god with Satan and inverting the values of good and evil, light and dark. Some choose to believe that the Christian god does not exist and that Satan created the earth. Others believe that Satan was not the bringer of evil, but instead he was a bringer of enlightenment and knowledge.

Diabolatry is often labeled by Satanists who practice it as 'Traditional Satanism'. It has developed as a term that contrasts with philosophical, or 'LaVeyan Satanism'. However, there is no real historical tradition of Satanism, because Satanic worship and the social recognition of Satanism has only been freely available to the public for the last 30 years.

The term 'Traditional Satanism' is also a social reaction to Christianity and an attempt to give a historical backdrop to Satanic communities who claim that Satanism existed before the emergence of Judaism and Christianity, while at the same time using the mythologies and teachings of these religions to express Satanic belief. In the end, these varieties of Satanic belief are all a part of Satanic expression.