Atheists - how do you feel about magic / demonism? (page 3)

bohm

EOM: Im not sure i understand where you are getting with that old book.. does it contain a spell you want me to check out?

I can only answer out of personal experience: I am a *lot* more afraid of spiders, heights, the bogyman (ie. if i have seen a horror movie and walk down a dark street) and a number of other things than i am of the devil.
I have never been conditioned to fear satan, i have never heard an adult express fear of satan when i was a kid, nor have i heard any scary stories about satan - for those reasons i see satan as a comical character, i really do. I vision him like the devil from south-park or a talking snake.

And why should we fear satan anyway? in the bible i dont really see him do that many bad things, and one must remember that the bible claim to be written (inspired) by a guy who hate satan. You must admit that if one leave out crucial details, certain actions of God (like drowning pretty much everyone) could be constructed as God being evil. And correct me if i am wrong, the problem God has about satan is that he want worship, but God is really, really petty in the "worship"-department himself.

I think a better attitude would be to wait untill one hear from satan, and then listen to what he has to say. It might be that he is not a bad guy at all.

or is this the demonic bacon talking?

cantleave

BTW what ever happened to weeping - she was our expert on Devil worship.

mrsjones5

What do you mean exactly, magic, or magik, or wicca?

Nathan Natas

Endofmysteries asked, "would you feel completely at ease performing a summon demon ritual, or using ancient magic words, that absolutely nothing would happen? Or deep down would you have a 'what if' restraint preventing you?

I own a copy of the Necromomicon (human skin covers - my own skin, btw, so it's OK), and several books on demonology and the Satanic Bible, in addition to other occult literature. I have a statue of Cthulhu in my home, tarot cards and a ouija board.

I created an audio file that recites the Lord's prayer backwards in both English and Latin. I have skrying mirrors and crystal balls, skulls, mojo bags and amulets.

Each day I read a text from the books aloud the way I used to read the Yearbook texts when I was a Dub.

Just as then, nothing happens.

BOOGA BOOGA! Did I scare you?

EndofMysteries

PrimateDave - I don't think the "Testament of Solomon", atleast as it is available today was written by him. Look at the references to Jesus, but I think historians claim it was written first few centuries AD. H. P Lovecraft got the name from "Testament of Solomon" not the other way around.

It is one of the oldest magical texts attributed to King Solomon, dating First to Third Century A.D. Translation is by F. C. Conybeare, Jewish Quarterly Review, October, 1898 (translated from the codex of the Paris Library, after the edition of Fleck, Wissensch. Reise, bd. ii. abth. 3)

I wouldn't be surprised if parts of it were from other works related to Solomon though. Azazel (I think that's how it's spelt) in the Old Testament, one of the goats was sent to him, in Leviticus. No other mention of it in the bible though. In book of Enoch, it's a demon. At the least, and gotta take these things w/ a grain of salt, as either it's how they were understood, or people took unexplained things in the bible and attempted to make their own definition or answer to them. (Dead sea scrolls, etc, least know what may have been the common understanding of things that today have been forgot.)

changeling

Raised as a JW I was very fearful of the demons. I had dreams where demons were after me most of my life. I left the WT at the age of 46. Realized that all religion and the very concept of a supernatural being (god) was ridiculous. A few months after wrapping my head around the fact that I was an atheist, I suddenly realized I no longer had demon dreams. Getting rid of god allowed me to lose my irrational fears.

I can now watch "spooky" movies late at night, walk into my dark bedroom and drift off to sleep w/o nightmares. Imaginary beings have no control over me.

All supposedly supernatural occurences can be explained as either natural phenomena, delusional thinking or errors in perception.

I am free and I am happy. :)

PrimateDave

I think bohm and I are addressing two different ideas.

EoM is conflating Witness/Fundamentalist Xtian teaching on Satan and demons with a broad array of beliefs involving practical magick, mysticism (Kabbalah), meditation (Zen, Transcendental, Dervish, Yoga, Taijichuan, Qigong, etc, etc, etc.), Neo-druidism, Neo-paganism, etc, etc, etc! Of course, there is plenty of BS to go around when it comes to things like astrology, but what is the harm as long as it's just for fun? Ritual meditation, for example, is much healthier than ritual cult recruitment, and no belief in a deity is required.

PrimateDave

gotta take these things w/ a grain of salt, as either it's how they were understood, or people took unexplained things in the bible and attempted to make their own definition or answer to them

Basically, yes.

Gregor

I don't believe in so called "spirit creatures" and those who swear they have experienced such encounters are:

-mentally ill

-seeking attention

-have a vested interest in promoting belief, such as organized religion or ghost hunter/fortune teller/seance types'

Unfortunately, many confused people can be "mentally masturbated" into believing.

The real shame that this shit exacerbates the problems of the mentally ill.

aquagirl

Ehhh.Ive had some amazing things happen to me,seen things,etc,but somehow,I have zero fear of it.The devil,or the idea of the devil,is sort of amusing and not at all scary.Except,when its Al Pacino!!!!!!!!!lol

Atheists - how do you feel about magic / demonism?

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