From:    Diane Vera                             Area: Base of Set
To:      Dirge                                   8 Jun 92 18:49:16
Subject: OTS                                    Sent UpdReq 

On May 25, you wrote to "All" in a message titled "OTS":
.       D >  Thought everyone should know that I have resigned my
       membership and all offices in the Ordo Templi Satanis.
       Specifically I have resigned my role as spokesman for the
       group. This is in no way a condemnation of the Ordo Templi
       Satanis as a group, the membership in general, or any
       members in particular, nor is it a condemnation of the
       Satanic religion in any way. This message is posted by
       agreement with the Ordo Templi Satanis and represents my
       last communication in connection with that group. I'll be
       happy to discuss Satanism with everybody, but the Ordo
       Templi Satanis has become a non-issue for me. Thanks all.
.So I guess that means we aren't going to have our debate about the
OTS's political views.  That's fine with me, since I really don't
have time for it.
.Has your own personal view of Satanism changed in any way?
.On another subject:  the origin of "the Baphomet".  I recently
ordered all the back issues of BRIMSTONE.  In BRIMSTONE  Vol.2, #1
(July XXV A.S.), there was a letter by Michael Aquino to Kevry
Bolton, in which Dr. Aquino said, regarding the Church of Satan's
claim that "the Baphomet" is a CoS trademark:  "the exact design
used by the Church of Satan appeared in several commercial
witchcraft books years prior to the Church's use of it in 1966. 
Indeed the emblem used by the Church was not drawn by Anton La Vey
nor any other C/S artist, but was copied directly from a commercial
book."  I've written a letter to Dr. Aquino asking whether he
remembers the titles, authors, and years of publication of any of
those older books.  I'll let you know what he says, if anything.


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From:    Diane Vera                             Area: Base of Set
To:      Ammond Shadowcraft                      8 Jun 92 18:50:46
Subject: reverse-Christian Satanists?           Sent UpdReq 

Back on May 4, you wrote to Lady Byron, "nature vs The Gift...":
.          LB >  Satanism does not work within the Christian
          mythology.  We do not see any "final battle" coming --
          Satan, to me, represents individuality and
          egocentricity.  This is not the same as sin.
.       AS >  Setianism works that way, but midway through my Navy
       hitch (as a BAC) I ran into 6 Satanists on a Navy
       sub-rescue ship. Their pitch was infact a reversal of
       Christian eschatology.
.Could you tell us more about these Satanists and their beliefs? 
Who/what did they believe Satan was?  Who/what did they believe the
Christian God was?  Did they essentially accept Christian theology
except, perhaps, for a belief that Satan was going to win?  Did they
consider themselves to be "evil" and, if so, what did they mean by
"evil"?  How did they believe they were personally benefitting by
being Satanists?


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