Sorry, but ‘The Satanic Bible’ does Encourage Rape.

A Response to an all too Popular Meme.

Chances are, if you have had any exposure to popular memes in the religious debate community, you have encountered this one,

The claim is that The Satanic Bible is more moral because unlike the Quran or the Holy Bible, it does not advocate rape. However, a cursory reading of the satanic work proves otherwise.

Usually the anti-rape verse quoted is this one,

If you attempt to impose your sexual desires upon others who do not welcome your advances, you are infringing upon their sexual freedom. Therefore,Satanism does not advocate rape, child molesting, sexual defilement of animals, or any other form of sexual activity which entails the participation of those who are unwilling or whose innocence or naïveté would allow them to be intimidated or misguided into doing something against their wishes. [1]

However, if you keep reading, that’s not the end of the story. The Satanic Bible also reads,

A sex ritual is what is commonly known as a love charm or spell. The purpose in performing such a ritual is to create desire on the part of the person whom you desire…Enchantment for self-aggrandizement, when accompanied by ceremonial magic, falls into the category of either the compassion or the destruction ritual, or possibly both. If you want or need something so badly you are sad or feel much anguish without it, without causing hurt on another’s part, then this would incorporate a compassion ritual to increase your power. If you wish to enchant or entrap a deserving victim for your own purposes, you would employ a destruction ritual. These formulas are to be adhered to, as applying the wrong type of ritual towards a desired result can lead to trouble of a complicated nature. A good example of this is the girl who finds herself plagued by a relentless suitor. If she has done little to encourage him, then she should recognize him for the psychic vampire he is, and let him play his masochistic role. If, however, she has enchanted him frivolously, giving him every encouragement and then finds herself a steady object of sexual desire, much to her dismay, she has no one to blame but herself. Such exercises are only ego boosts, borne of an indoctrination of ego denial which makes these little bewitchments necessary. [2]

According the LaVey, compelling someone else to desire you is either an act of compassion to increase your powers, or a good way of getting revenge. I mean, you’re either giving a girl the gift of being the unwilling recipient of a psychic flunitrazepam (roofie) or, you’re getting back at a woman who was really just asking for it. All this is justifiable because our egos need to fight sexual indoctrination.

Now, I’m not saying that this excuses any evil mentioned within any other supposed Holy Book. But what I hope it does illustrate is that people need to read a religious work before taking one passage out of context.

End Notes

[1] Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible, Page 38

[2] Ibid, Page 64