Borgman, D. (1992). Satanism. S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

During the mid-1980s, juvenile detectives and police chiefs began warning about the presence of Satanism in high schools across the country. One expert said that he suspects every high school has at least one person deeply involved in the occult. According to Dave Gaerin of San Diego County Sheriff Department, "Satanism is all over the country and California seems to be the leader in the nation."

On June 17, 1984, in Northport, Rhode Island, Ricky Kasso stabbed Gary Lauwers to death screaming, "Say you love Satan." Leaving the scene, he told his friend, "Satan approves of what we have done in his name." Though two other boys witnessed the killing and many friends were told about it and shown the body, the crime was not reported for two weeks.

In Albuquerque, in April of 1986, 15-year-old Jason Kirkman, whose room was filled with satanic symbols and statements, shot his father to death with a bow and arrows because his father tore up his Satanic Bible.

Sean Sellers grew up with little attention from his natural father, mother, and stepfather. He was mainly raised by extended relatives. Unable to adjust in a succession of schools, he turned to solitary drinking and demonology. By the time he was 16, he had renounced God and Christ to serve Satan alone—and led another lad in satanic baptism. Sean wore his left shirt sleeve rolled up, and he displayed a long, sharpened, and blackened left fingernail. He found friends around an occult book store and attended "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." In school, he flaunted his satanic allegiance eating a frog’s leg and drinking blood. His final act in breaking all Ten Commandments was the killing of a convenience store clerk. This was followed by the shooting of his mother and stepfather.

Sean denied his guilt throughout his Oklahoma City trial. In the state penitentiary, however, he converted back to Christianity. He now admits his guilt and wants to die for his crimes. Meanwhile, he is doing all he can to warn kids about the evils and power of Satanism.

The sex crimes, sacrifices, and serial killings of adult Satanists have also made national news. The Dupage County killings of 1981-82 and the Los Angeles Night Stalker of 1984-85 are grotesque examples.

Satanism is a worship of Satan that comes out of a renunciation of the Christian religion. A 10th-century Bulgarian sect, the Bogomiles, taught that Satan and Jesus were both sons of Godin. Other cults from the 10th to 14th centuries across Europe—like the Cathers—were more dualistic, believing that Satan is the god of evil, equal in status with the god of good.

The Satanism of modern England and the U.S. as popularized by Aleister Crowley and Anton LeVey does not hold Satan to be a person at all. Satan is rather a personification of cosmic forces and human "natural" character. It is a glorification of what some psychologists have seen as the shadow side of the human psyche—what those in historic religions would call the baser nature.

Satanism claims to liberate and provide gratification for licentious appetites, full expression of egocentric desires, and power.

The Satanic Bible is a mixture of what many might call positive, humanistic values with lust and libertarianism.

The Black Mass in the late medieval period can be seen partly as a peasant movement against the establishment—and the Inquisition as an attempt to thwart radicalism as much as theological heresy.

Today, Satanism may be viewed as the anti-religion of the underdogs—of those who may be described as "social rejects." These folks may feel that God is too tied up with the rich, mighty, and respectable. They may see themselves as too distant from God to ever reach Him. Some think Christian values are impractical, and a few may believe an evil god is more ready to listen to them than is a good one.

In The Unnaturalness of Natural Religion, G.K. Chesterton concludes,

...some impulse, perhaps a sort of desperate impulse, drove men to the darker powers when dealing with practical problems. There was a sort of secret and perverse feeling that the darker powers would really do things; that they had no nonsense about them...the higher deity is felt to be too far off for appeal in certain petty matters, and men invoke the spirits because they are in a more literal sense familiar spirits. (p. 19)

The Warnke Ministries describes four levels of satanic involvement:

The fun-and-games level. (Conversation, ego-boost, initial interest.) The dabblers. (Half belief, some serious interest, initial involvement.) Serious involvement. (Convinced of supernatural activity, serious attempt at learning, probable joining of a group.) Criminal involvement. (Tends to be two categories of people: those who believe criminal action is necessary to achieve their goals and those already prone to violent crime whose involvement in Satanism provides an excuse.)

"It is not illegal," Warnke Ministries continues, "to be a Satanist, and not all Satanists engage in illegal activities." Yet, many do. Their illegal activities include:

• Trespassing.
• Vandalism.
• Cruelty to animals (such as animal mutilation and sacrifice).
• Kidnapping (either adults or children).
• Rape or sexual molestation.
• Child abuse, sexual or otherwise.
• Murder.

In The Black Arts, Richard Cavendish explains two reasons for literal sacrifices. First, they provide energy for the Satanist, since blood is considered the source of energy released in sacrifice. The second reason is to give the magician or Satanist a "kick." This Cavendish believes is the most important reason for sacrifices. (pp. 247-249)

Young people getting into "the black arts" or Satanism may display the some of the same symptoms as those entering depression, becoming suicidal, or getting into drugs—a change in general attitude and behavior; changes in eating, sleeping, and dressing habits; withdrawal; changes in friendship; and lower grades.

Symbols of Satanism may also be found:

• The inverted or upside-down cross.
• The inverted pentagram (or 5-pointed star).
• 666, The number of the beast.
• The satanic goat head.
• The swastika.

Books and paraphernalia may also be left or hidden in one’s room:

• The Satanic Bible and/or The Satanic Rituals.
• Special clothing—usually black from underwear to robe.
• Altar: table or slab of stone for a naked woman, wood or metal usually trapezoidal 3’-4’ high, 6’ long.
• Candles, most black, one white (sometimes other colors).
• Sword (sometimes a knife).
• Bell, chalice, phallus, gong, parchment, and elixir are further ritual items.

Basic tools for witchcraft may also be used by Satanists:

• Witches’ knife or athame.
• Witches’ cord or girdle—6’ length of flax or river rushes.
• Witches’ censer or thurible—bowl for incense.
• Grimier or Book of Shadows—spells compiled by an individual or group.

IMPLICATIONS

• Satanism may have reached its height among American teens in the 80s. The relative conservatism and compliance among teenagers of that decade may have driven extremely discontented kids into such an extreme. On the other hand, occult interest may continue to grow through the 1990s as there is great rebellion and protest from American youth.
• Avoid extreme reactions assume heavy metal music as the cause of Satanism—or Satanism as the single cause of suicide and homicide. Such reaction or instruction of youth is counter-productive. The connections, however, among drugs, heavy metal, Satanism, and violence should be clear—and need to be discussed.
• Young people who have never gotten enough love—who feel insecure and rejected—desperately want some kind of attention and acceptance. They want to feel that they are somebody special, and they can easily be sold a bill of goods about Satanism. Every extreme or bizarre act among youth is a red flag to a community. Those who would rather not heed will somehow pay.