p> Thousands of books have been written about Satanism by now. Most of them condemn this religion. And if you add tens of thousands of criminal cases to these books, it seems that not a single person in their right mind will worship Satan. However, the number of Satanists is increasing.
The origins of Satanism
The image of the Devil was formed in Judaism, later he converted to Christianity. In the Bible, Satan is mentioned more than two hundred times and has 26 different names, each of which reflects his specific identity.
But to recognize the Devil as one of the world principles began only in the Middle Ages in Europe. The first to do this were the Knights of the Knights Templar, who, during the Crusades, learned this idea from Eastern beliefs.
In 1315, the members of the order were arrested and put on trial by the Holy Inquisition. The idea of a bipolar world, where the Devil is equal to God in strength, was adopted by some small sects.
Gradually, Satanism penetrated the upper class, its admirers took up the alteration of Christian writings. Namely, they began to interpret the Bible in their own way: if a bloodless sacrifice is offered to God, then the sacrifice for the Prince of Darkness must be bloody. This gradually led to the birth of the Black Mass ritual. Mass was celebrated at night, in a destroyed Christian church, and during it the Bible was read in reverse. At the end of the ritual ceremony, the high priest made a human sacrifice to Satan.
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Satanism and art
By the end of the 19th century, there were almost no satanic sects. Themes of black magic and the forces of evil remained only in fiction and were perceived as fiction.
The current was revived again in the mid-1960s. On the night of April 30 to May 1, 1966, the American Howard Stanton Levy announced the founding of the "Church of Satan" in San Francisco and proclaimed himself the chief priest. He became the author of The Satanic Bible, whose philosophy was to seek pleasure.
The "Satanic Bible" promotes a complete denial of authority and morality. And since rebellion is peculiar to adolescents, this ideology has become attractive to young people.
In the late 1970s, the rapidly growing musical style of Black Metal contributed to the development of the Satanic religion. Heavy music, lyrics on the theme of praising Satan, stage images of musicians with long hair, leather clothes with chains quickly gained popularity.
Satanism in Russia
Law enforcement agencies say that adherents of satanic sects are not only teenagers, their members are often representatives of the political and business elite who take an active part in the rituals.
Many sects have their own cult temples in which rituals are performed. Russian Satanists hold Black Mass several times a year. The celebration takes place at night without any strict rules, but with obligatory sacrifices.
It is noted that most often Satanists use mentally ill people as victims, so it is easier to go unnoticed and avoid punishment. Over the past 20 years, Russian law enforcement officers have uncovered about a hundred ritual murders. There are many times more undisclosed.
It is difficult for an ordinary person to believe that thousands of satanic sects are the realities of our days. But this is a fact that has long been taken into account by law enforcement officials when searching for missing persons.
