Something that was talked about a lot in Sunday school back when I was still a Christian was the concept of worldliness. Like many other school kids, I didn’t fully grasp what being worldly meant. To be fair, neither did my teachers. They never had a truly adequate explanation for what worldliness meant and why it was a bad thing, but they were adamant that the Bible was clear on it. Back then, I followed blindly, but now, as a Satanist, I have a different opinion.
In doing my research for this post, I’ve found that the confusion and vagueness around what worldliness even means to Christians hasn’t changed much since I was a kid. The most common definition of worldliness I’ve seen is “thinking and behaving like unbelievers do,” which, besides being vague as hell, is kind of alarming when you think about it. I’ll get into that further down, but for now, let’s examine another definition of worldliness I’ve found, which is a hell of a lot more comprehensive. According to The Protestant Reformed Churches in America’s official website, worldliness is “an attitude of the mind and heart in which the heart of a person is fascinated … by those things which gratify the sinful lusts, and … giving over oneself to serve those things instead of God.”
Even that definition is incredibly vague, and the article acknowledges this. The article doesn’t really give a satisfactory definition of what sinful lusts even are, but a few examples the article gives and some of the things I remember from my Sunday school classes include:
- TV,
- video games,
- money,
- politics,
- homosexuality specifically,
- sexuality in general (especially for girls),
- porn,
- fashion,
- literature,
- technology,
- alcohol,
- marijuana,
- sports,
- literature,
- and art.
So, basically, sinful lusts are pretty much anything you enjoy or that interests you more than your relationship with God.
As much as this deserves an eyeroll, the article does make an interesting point regarding many Christians’ quickness to condemn other people’s activity as worldly. The article doesn’t explicitly state it, but it’s pretty heavily implied that fascination with these so-called “sinful lusts” includes the policing of that activity in other people. The article calls Christians who do this legalists, and there are far too many of them in the US. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they are a big part of the reason the US government is currently under the control of literal fascists.
Whenever I think of worldliness, I no longer think of Sunday school and Bible study classes. Instead, the word calls to mind the scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers movie where Merry and Pippin are trying their best to convince the Ents to march on Isengard. This is, of course, something Peter Jackson added to the movie to create tension, but Merry’s frustrated cry for sure resonates:
Whether they like it or not, Christians are very much a part of the world that so many of them insist on looking down on. The difference between them and the Ents of the movie is that legalist Christians are determined to do something about things they don’t understand but don’t directly affect them, while the Ents refuse to do anything until it directly affects them. But what’s especially disturbing about Christian legalists is that their practice of avoiding worldliness looks awfully similar to a cult tactic called cult supremacy. That’s especially true when you look at the people who wrote Project Blitz and Project 2025. These are people who are so fascinated and concerned by their “sinful lusts” that they feel they must mandate what godly behavior is not just for themselves but for people who aren’t even Christian!
There is another definition of worldliness, and it’s much more specific and useful than Christianity’s. Merriam-Webster defines worldliness as “possessing or displaying significant experience and knowledge about life and the world.” According to this definition, it is my duty as a Satanist to be worldly. This ties in with my Satanic Principles: Face that which is uncomfortable and object to that which affects you and your loved ones negatively. The things that happen in the world affect me, whether directly or indirectly. Sometimes, those things are hard to face, and while it hurts, it’s important that I do so that I know how to keep myself and my loved ones safe. In the same vein, I can’t object to the things that are hurting me and my loved ones if I don’t know what those things are, so I must remain knowledgeable.
What’s more, I value knowledge and the process of obtaining it. I enjoy learning about new things, especially things I’m actively interested in. Worldliness comes with the territory when one makes it their goal to be as knowledgeable as possible. I take pride in the fact that I’m usually the first one in my family and friend group to pull out my phone when trying to solve problems, or when the conversation turns to a topic we don’t know much about. This habit of mine has helped me make necessary repairs at home without calling specialized technicians who’ll charge me hundreds of dollars for a simple fix—or shady contractors who’ll charge me hundreds of dollars to make things worse. There’s always more to learn, and I enjoy keeping my mind sharp.
But when it comes to Christians’ warnings about worldliness, there’s really no danger to be had—unless you happen to fall for their promises of spiritual elitism. The practice of avoiding worldliness has nothing to do with what is and isn’t godly; as I’ve grown and evolved, I’ve learned that the practice is all about control—what you’re allowed to watch, read, or even think. As a Satanist, worldliness to me is more about gaining knowledge and experience, and engaging with the world around me. If Christian legalists want to isolate, that’s their business. Maybe they should do a better job of it and leave the rest of us out.
Playing With Demons 