What's in a Name? | Forum

Quote from PlasmoticJezebel The average Joe dumbass as not a dumbass for thinking some incohate vagueness concerning robes, candles, sacrifice of animals or people, and worshiping the devil when you say "Satanism" anymore so than one is a dumbass  for thininking some vagueness concerning multi-armed deities, dots on the forehead, saris  and worshipping some god with the head of an elephant when you say "Hinduism"

Aside from those who practice some form of Hinduism, only academics, kooks, and lonely isolated pedants on the internet have any idea that Hinduism is pretty varied - closer to the word "Paganism" than an actual cohesive religion. Same applies to those odd-balls who have even read the Satan Bible or give a rat's ass about Bloom, Rand, or about philosophy in general. It's boring to the over-whelming majority of people. Fortunately, they aren't required to have an in-depth knowledge of boring topics in order to understand you when and if you use the appropriate word or phrasing you're trying to communicate (if, and that's a big if - communicating with the masses is at all a concern of yours. That if is another open question) This goes for countless words and phrase: "Particle physics", for example. I can say the word or phrase and you have a pretty good idea what I'm talking about - there's no danger of miscommunication - even though you may not know even the first thing about it. That's how language is supposed to work: it's supposed to inform and convey meaning with very little by way of noise or ambiguity. Anyone's free to play games with that and push those boundaries, but that does come with some consequences.

If we had to deconstruct the semantics of each and every single word we've used in this conversation the way we expect others to do of Satanism, this thread would consist of just two posts as long as the Twin Towers were tall. Literally. Frankly, I wouldn't expect anyone to read. I don't even think I would.

This "well Satan technically means adversary, and technically anything opposed to the Church, and historically it comes from the Protestant reformation" Listen: nobody talks like this. No one holds conversations like this outside of forums or a lecture hall.

I will give you, though, that the internet is amazing at warping and distorting one's perspective - in some cases severely. Such as this one. 

Seriously, average Joe dumbass is only average Joe dumbass by the heady, cerebral, and socially awkward standards of bookish Karen pedant.

The image they have in mind for Satanism - as vague and nebulous as it is - is sufficient. In many cases it's spot-on. He doesn't check his dictionary. He doesn't have to. The dictionary is there for you to check, in case you forgot in your rabbit hole of esoterica, obscurantism and/or liberal social activism the language the rest of the world is speaking.

*Incidentally, I doubt you know a single Devil Worshiper. Your whole sample of anything relating even remotely close to a "Satanic community" exists exclusively in cyberspace. As it turns out: rational atheistic Satanists have a hard enough time taking this forum / WordPress nonsense seriously enough to bother participating - that goes doubly so for theists who frankly don't feel the need to discuss - much less defend - their beliefs to you or anyone for that matter. They're not going to win a rational debate concerning what they full well know to be faith. They don't get off on giving acerbic psuedo-intellectuals a reason to feel smug at having a lack of anything better to do.

@PJ

And your sample is what? A few acquaintances.

 I'm not even sure what the fuck it is that you're arguing. I didn't say anyone is required to know the etymology and a full meaning of the word. But being unaware of it makes someone ignorant. In this case this is the ignorance of Satanism. Using your Hinduism example, it's the lack of knowledge about Hinduism. Ignorant people use their preconceptions and stereotypes about every religion.

And if the internet has warped anyone's perspective... seriously, Mr Kettle just go back and reread your nerdy posts.

@PJ

Even if most people are unaware of the etymology of the word, that doesn't change anything. If I'm imagining the covens of black-hooded figures worshipping the Devil, organizing orgies and sacrificing virgins and babies, that doesn't yet mean that my imagination reflects the reality.

@T.Volt

Hyperbole is simply that. Definitely, not my favorite literary device but people can use it for the variety of reasons. I could, for example, call my debate with AK a War of Words too but that doesn't have to mean an emotional investment, at least not to the point of losing one's sleep over it. Blogging is creative writing. No need to get bonkers over what is no more than mere rhetoric.

As simple as categorization. 

That categorization and something Anna didn't say.

Taking a satanic label (before TST and Swedish metal went and sanitized society from a 1988 rerun) was more reprehensible than walking around with a Hitler Mustache, depending on where you were for a long while. 

In my mind that's THE point of the label. Satan doesnt really scare outside the Bible Belt like it used to. 

Today it is about racism. The most transgressive thing is walking a nice liberal California boardwalk with a red temporary ink swastika and menacing face tattoos. The jollies from using a reprehensible label is the moral indignation it garners. 

And in that instance you are using the "Neo Nazi" label. A rebel with or without an apparent cause, is that so different then the kid dragged to church their whole life seeking that what chaps the ass of their religious folks?  

Why such the pejorative towards labels anyway? Labels reflect the way of society.  What  is better then to seek that which subverts or antagonizes? 

What, you can't even acknowledge a norm exists now?

STILL CASE AND POINT: 8-8-88 Rally For Satan. At the apex of The Satanic Panic, no less. 

It must do something internally to walk a path of greater resistance. Like playing life on "legendary". 

But pay no attention to me, I do it spineless and wrong. 

I thought the greatest offence was fucking kids? No?

Racism seems to be a bit passe, I think.