[TheBabyEater]

Originally Posted by AnaMZ

I am personally of the opinion that people consider them religions because the people who call them that are usually people who do not participate in the lifestyles, and therefore consider them to be incorrect. In this way, it's easier to criticise them if they are addressed as "just another religion that's got it wrong", rather than having to actually examine what these lifestyles are all about and make a more detailed judgement on whether you agree with them or not.

Originally Posted by AnaMZ

It also has a lot to do with xenophobia, and ways in which these lifestyles contradict the beliefs of the person talking about them. Xenophobia, in that Eastern belief (in comparison to Western Christianity etc) must be inherently wrong because it does not adhere to the stories of the familiar Abrahamic religions. Because they do not match up entirely in -this- regard (i.e. what makes Abrahamic religions distinct from others), they must therefore also be a religion of sorts, just different. I have to say, the name "Satanism" really really doesn't help the Satanist cause. Much as I feel they're unfairly prejudiced against, it was a bit stupid on their part to name a belief system after such a controversial icon of evil and then attempt to go back and say "But that's not what we meant!".

Basically, I put it down largely to ignorance on the part of those who label them as such.

Personally, I believe they're religions but I also believe Atheism is a religion also, because the fact that they don't believe in a God, is some sort of belief, by not believing. Hard to explain

The reason it's called Satanism, is not because we worship Satan of course, as you seem to already know. However, we do often live by a lot of the things that Theistic Satanism also teaches, and a lot of the same principles that it had way back then when the religion first came around. (which, ironically enough, was before Judaism and Christianity were around to make Satan an evil character) You won't often see a Satanist practicing magic as they did in the olden days, but LaVeyan still has similar things like the Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth, Nine Satanic Sins, Nine Satanic Statements... (funny how the number 6 is not in there at all)

Usually if someone mistakes Satanism as worshiping Satan, we try to be understanding, since most of us at one time thought the same thing. Now, if we try to explain the truth and they still can't see that a lot of us don't even believe Satan or the Devil exists... Well, that is annoying.

Though there will always be people who aren't like that, just like there will always be big headed Atheists and obnoxious Christians trying to convert everyone. There's always someone ruining it for the rest of a group
But, people like that are rather hypocrites since a big thing in Satanism is respecting others. (Thanks to Manson, people who don't think it's about worshiping Satan, think it's about worshiping yourself. Which, is not entirely true either...)

But, I will definitely agree with you there that a vast majority of people who consider Satanism a religion, also think so because we're apparently worshiping Satan.
Everyone's got their own opinion on what a religion is, but if someone think Atheism is not because it is a lack of belief in God, I just want to see how they think about Buddhism and Satanism, since those also don't usually believe in a God.
(though, a friend of mine brought up that Buddhism does believe in Karma, which is kind of like a god? It's an interesting point. Still on the border there if I would consider something like Karma, which is a sort of supernatural thing, to be a 'God' so to speak)

And I really do tend to ramble on and on when I’m posting something like. All the time. lol