Responsibilty.

As you drive your car, I wonder if you have considered the importance of the linchpin. The linchpin is what keeps the wheels from falling off of your car as you speed down the highway. The operating system in your automobile is complex; but, without the linchpin, you would not get very far.

I consider responsibility to be the linchpin of the satanic philosophy. Do not make the mistake of turning that statement into an absolute. Some may disagree; but, as I think over issues that have come up, in regards to Satanism, I would wager that 90% of the time, the concept of responsibility is overlooked.

There is the asking of questions that are answered in “The Satanic Bible”. This book can easily be read in one sitting…especially if someone already considers himself or herself a Satanist, which many seem to do without the benefit of reading this core text. This is not a difficult book to understand. If there is a question about the basics of this religion, and whether or not it describes the reader, it is answered.

Once this core text is read, there are several other books written by Anton LaVey that covers a myriad of subjects. Lest one is concerned that modernity poses a problem, our present High Priest has also added to this list, with essays covering issues of contemporary import.

But even beyond that, I am espousing a radical sense of responsibility for oneself. Often, I see people place themselves in the hands of others, whether it is doctors, lawyers or supposed experts in any field, without educating themselves with concerns of personal import. I have yet to deal with a professional when I have not had to intervene on my own behalf…and I am happy to do that. This is me I am talking about. The only person who is responsible for seeing that any and all of my needs are met is myself. Anyone else I involve is a facilitator.

Every Satanist should have an invisible sign on their forehead that reads “the buck stops here”. There is no need to complain about what someone else has not done. If it concerns you, it is your responsibility to see that it is done. If the person you have hired to do a specialized task is not performing, fire them.

This also involves the issue of authority. Who legitimizes the right of you to exercise power in your life? You do. When someone declares himself or herself a Satanist, they are stating that they the God of their life. That is not simply metaphor. They claim full responsibility for themselves, and they claim to be the authority over themselves.

Part of authority is authorship. It assumes a generative power. That is, it indicates the power to generate or produce something. The question of genetics often comes up when discussing Satanism. I deny that there are genetic indicators for Satanism. Genetics determines my physical build, my health and even my personality. But Satanism goes to the essence of who I am. I am totally responsible for that. I have the power to decide on what choices I make and my actions and reactions; and, in doing so I create whom I am. I propose that it is that willingness and ability to be responsible for who we are and what we become that is at the heart of what it means when we say that Satanists are born. Very few are ready, willing or able to do that.

Enough with toying with the peripherals of what it is to be a Satanist. That is child’s play. Satanism is about being a grown up. It is about making our own decisions, for our own reasons. And it is about accepting the authority to make our lives what we want them to be…and being responsible for the results.