The Amateur Exorcist

[thessalian]

Ganked from pagan; an Italian university is holding a course on Satanism to follow up a course on Exorcism done last year.

"The university said fascination with satanism is on the upswing and priests need "solid preparation" for it."

Now, according to Dictionary.com, Satanism is defined as:

1) The worship of Satan characterised by a travesty of the Christian rites.
2) Profound wickedness.
3) The worship of devils (especially Satan)

But then again, looking on ReligiousTolerance.org, Satanism can be described by some as any religion that falls outside the Christian faith. After all, if it's not worshipping the One True God, it must be worshipping a devil. See definition 3. However, here's a look at how 'religious' Satanists see themselves. Worshipping a force of nature that represents power, virility, sexuality and sensuality IS NOT THE SAME THING AS WORSHIPPING A DEIFIC FORCE OF PURE EVIL! But of course, given the whole "Christianity as an ideal method of keeping the chattel (women, serfs, etc) in line, I can see why people would want others to think that's evil. Bastards. Of course, further down it puts things like Wicca in the same branch as "Satanic dabbling", which of course is where the problems come in. You can be a rock star hopped up on every psychotropic substance known to man (thanks to dodgyhoodoo for the phrasing) and kill someone because you believe they are the personification of the Virgin Mary, and instead of blaming drug -induced psychosis and just plain laxity of law enforcement, people claim "the devil made them do it". Oh, here again we have the whole deal where most religion basically absolves people of responsibility rather than sin and it just pisses me right the fuck off. You're sorry you sinned? DON'T DO IT ANYMORE! Make it up to the people you hurt and STOP DOING IT!

So here you have a society that is, at least outwardly, predominantly Christian. Satan = Evil to most Christians. Therefore, Satanism = evildoers doing evil. Must. Be. Stopped. Oh, please. I've seen one exorcism (bunch of supposedly Anglican proto-cultist arseholes running David Koresh's idea of a summer camp) and have no desire to be the object of one just because I hold certain non-Christian beliefs. At least it's in Italy and therefore far the fuck away from me, but with Europe becoming more tightly connected ... *sigh*

I think I was a lot happier before I started paying attention to the news again.