A few years ago, before I started freelancing full-time, I got pulled into a quick meeting with my immediate supervisor. These types of meetings were common. The company I worked for at the time was big on friendly relations between management and their direct employees, so I typically had a one-on-one meeting with my supervisor once a week, if not more than that. The topic of our discussion that day was my Satanism.
Back then, I was very open about it, as I am now. As you can imagine, that rubbed some people the wrong way. While the company I worked for at the time was not explicitly a Christian company, the demographics of its workers and executive suite skewed heavily toward Christian philosophy, and they were very much the type to throw it in your face. When that happened, I naturally protested and offered an alternative viewpoint.
Apparently, I had said something on our work chat that ruffled some feathers.
While I wasn’t in trouble, my supervisor felt it was necessary to talk with me about how and why I’m so open about my Satanism. I don’t remember exactly how the conversation went, but I do remember that he tried to close the meeting out with a reminder to respect others’ beliefs.
Let me tell you, that rubbed me the wrong way.
My first thought was why I should respect the beliefs of those who won’t respect mine, and I do recall telling him that. While I have no problem respecting people who have earned it, I feel it is hardly appropriate to insist that I respect a belief system that has harmed me and so many others before me. In fact, I would go so far as to say that no ideas or beliefs are inherently deserving of respect.
What I’m talking about is, of course, blasphemy. Blasphemy, and its protection, is something we should all be aware of and grateful for, especially in the US right now with fascist theocrats in control of the government. For those not clear on the subject, blasphemy is an insult or expression of disrespect regarding the sacred, usually concerning religion (though there are also political blasphemies as well). In the realm of Christianity, many Christians consider the mere criticism of their religion or god as blasphemy.
Why is Blasphemy Important?
While many Christians view blasphemy as a threat, the ability to blaspheme safely is essential for a free society. In fact, I would argue that religious blasphemy in particular is the first line of defense when it comes to protecting democracy and free speech. Religious organizations, particularly when they are allowed to govern large numbers of people, are notorious for restricting free speech and other essential rights, and the ability to blaspheme against them keeps them in line.
Now, some people would argue that blasphemy is offensive. I have two counterarguments. The first is that being offended is not the end of the world. In fact, it is inevitable. No matter what you do or where you go in life, at some point in time, someone will do or say something that you find offensive. They may do it deliberately to get a rise out of you, or it may simply be a minor social faux pas. But it will happen. My second counterargument is that you, and only you, are really in control of your offended feelings. You can be mad about it, which is the option many unhappy people choose, or you can pause and take some time for personal reflection and think about why you are offended. This is ultimately the purpose of blasphemy: to provoke thought.
Somewhat counterintuitively, a society that blasphemes is a more thoughtful and considerate society than one that tries to restrict such expressions. People who blaspheme know that no religious or government institution is truly sacred. When people are free to blaspheme, they are free from tyranny and authoritarianism. After all, it’s hard for a wannabe tyrant to take control of people who are constantly calling them on their bull shit and mocking them.
Blasphemy is so important, we even have an international holiday celebrating it. International Blasphemy Day was established in 2009 as a reminder of how necessary it is to have open and honest discussions around religion. And yes, that does include criticism.
Blasphemy and Satanism
Blasphemy and Satanism tend to go hand in hand. Satanism is considered by many to be blasphemous in and of itself. Including some Satanists. I, personally, became a Satanist in defiance of my Christian upbringing, and I know many other Satanists have similar backgrounds and reasons for becoming a Satanist.
More specifically, blasphemy is an essential aspect of my eighth Satanic Principle: Face that which makes you uncomfortable. Blaspheming in a comedic way can sometimes make it easier to face the things that make us uncomfortable. For example, I commit political blasphemy all the time. I’ve gotten to the point where I cannot watch the news anymore because all it does is piss me off. I already know DJT is a piece of shit and that everything he says is a lie, so my inclination is to avoid the news altogether so I’m not overwhelmed by all-encompassing rage at the neverending bull shit constantly streaming from his mouth. At the same time, I need to stay informed so I can protect myself and my loved ones from his policies. By engaging in political blasphemy, such as getting my news from sources like Jimmy Kimmel or drawing dicks on a picture of Trump before turning on the daily news, I’m in a better state of mind to face what I know is coming.
Blasphemy also helps you to understand why something would make us uncomfortable. It forces you to actually confront the source of your discomfort rather than avoid it. To use the example above, I blaspheme against Donald Trump because it helps me understand why he makes me so uncomfortable. He’s a rapist, misogynist, racist, and fascist, among other things, but the world is full of assholes, and I never gave a flying fuck about him except to laugh at his idiocy until he started running for president. Why does he specifically make me uncomfortable, and why now? I can figure that out for myself by looking at how I blaspheme against him. I start by getting my news from nontraditional sources that make light of his activities rather than sources that give weight to what he’s doing. By mocking him, I’m reclaiming a bit of my power, revealing that it’s not just who he is that makes me uncomfortable, it’s the fact that his power to enforce his misogyny and racism diminishes my own that makes me uncomfortable.
Many of the blasphemies I personally commit are more related to Christianity than anything else, but that’s because that’s my background. There are many other types of blasphemies beyond Christian blasphemies. Black Mass Appeal goes into a little more depth on the types of blasphemies in their episode on the subject, and I encourage anyone who’s curious to check it out!
Playing With Demons 