{"id":1397,"date":"2015-11-18T18:12:55","date_gmt":"2015-11-18T23:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/?p=1397"},"modified":"2015-11-18T18:27:06","modified_gmt":"2015-11-18T23:27:06","slug":"church-of-lucifer-an-analysis-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/church-of-lucifer-an-analysis-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Church of Lucifer: An Analysis, Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago, the \u201cGreater Church of Lucifer\u201d (GCOL) opened its doors in my community in Spring TX. Not coincidentally, they opened their doors to the public during the festivities of Halloween. This event brought an onslaught of media frenzy and alarm from concerned citizens. In fact, there were protests<\/a> and even acts of vandalism<\/a> against the GCOL.<\/p>\n

What this tells me is that people are\u00a0uninformed<\/u><\/em><\/strong> about what this group believes and miss out on what should be the correct Christian attitude<\/u><\/em><\/strong> towards them.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, I decided to write about them, what they believe, an analysis of their philosophy and finally, some practical points about the attitude a Christian should have towards these folks. This will be done throughout multiple posts.<\/p>\n

To understand \u201cLuciferianism\u201d we have two main sources: the GCOL Web<\/a> site and the philosophy of Luciferiansim contained in the Wisdom of Eosphoros by <\/em>Michael W Ford.<\/em>1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Nobody likes to be misrepresented, and so I will try to present the philosophy of Luciferianism as faithfully as I understand it, and then I will do a critique of such philosophy\/beliefs.<\/p>\n

But before we go there, let\u2019s see how and why the average \u201cJoe\u201d would even want to join the Church of Lucifer. From their page, these are the conditions of membership:<\/p>\n

How to become a member [of the GCOL]<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Must be at least 18 years of age. If under the age of 18 then the new member must of the age of 16 with written parents or guardians permission. At least one parent or guardian of the minor must be members of the Church and can be spoken to for verbal permission confirmation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Must have read Wisdom of Eosphoros<\/em> and understand the Church\u2019s core philosophy and be verbally confirmed by leadership that they know about the Church and our goals.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Must agree with a majority<\/em>2<\/a><\/sup> of our philosophy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There are a few issues with these conditions of membership, but leaving that aside, let\u2019s analyze the Wisdom of Eosphoros<\/em> to understand their \u201ccore philosophy\u201d since that is where “the rubber meets the road” in the realm of ideas.<\/p>\n

    I noticed first that this is a fairly recent book (2015) by \u201cSuccubus Productions\u201d in Houston TX. The symbol of the editorial is a female demon. It is quite obvious that this is a self-published book.<\/p>\n

    If you read a book, always read the introduction (and foreword). This was sound advice I received from Dr. Clay Jones from Biola University. The introduction will give you (hopefully) a great overview of what follows. For me, if a book is optional reading, I often decide if I will devote my time to it after reading the intro. There is a \u201cforward\u201d by the author. No, I did not misspell it, it is written \u201cFORWA<\/u><\/strong>RD\u201d with an \u201cA.\u201d The correct spelling\u2014at least in the US\u2014is FOREWORD.3<\/a><\/sup> But let\u2019s see what\u2019s in the \u201cforward\u201d by Michael W. Ford\u2014the author.<\/p>\n

    Before the \u201cforeward\u201d you can see the following image representing the emblem of the GCOL:<\/p>\n

    \"GCOL_LOGO\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    And following the image is a sort of poetic prose titled, \u201cThe Adversary,\u201d in which the author equates the many names of Lucifer with the idea of \u201cenlightenment\u201d through the \u201cblack flame.\u201d This is very vague. I think the core idea is that man has within self the power to be \u201cenlightened\u201d\u2014whatever that means\u2014and that Lucifer is a symbol or image of the standard of knowledge\/wisdom to attain. An interesting bit is this:<\/p>\n

    \u201cMany have called me the Devil or Satan, This does not insult me for I am the enemy of the slave-religions and deathworshipping cults of Jehova<\/em>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    We can already sense an anti-religious tone. Never mind the issues with punctuation\u2026<\/p>\n

    In the foreword, the author explains that,<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u201cE\u00f4sphoros, \u2018 \u0395\u03c9\u03c3\u03c6\u03bf\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2\u2019 (pronunciation: eh-aw-s- fOR-aw s) is the Greek name for the Latin Lucifer, \u2018Dawn Bringer\u2019; the planet Venus was known by this name along with Hesperos \u2018\u1f19\u03c3\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2\u2019, known in Latin as Vesperus, \u2018Evening Star\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Mr. Ford then explains that Lucifer is a symbol of Luciferian philosophy and that applying such philosophy in everyday life will \u201cbegin a series of life-changing moments\u2026igniting the inner-torch of the Black Flame.\u201d The essence of the philosophy is to reject \u201cblind faith\u201d and instead be encouraged to \u201cquestion everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

    It is obvious that the Luciferian belief also accommodates neo-darwinism, for he says that,<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u201cThe primal instinct which was a gift of our \u2018reptile brain\u2019 during the long process of evolution served us well; we became the self-conscious species which has both the potential for our greatness or complete destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Luciferians don\u2019t try to deny individuality, and instead promote it: \u201cwe are unique and have deep unconscious instincts which may be beneficial or malicious depending on how we control and guide them.\u201d He ends the foreword affirming that the \u201cimage of the adversary\u2026is far more an ideal model of human possibility than, say, Jesus or Buddha. Luciferians don\u2019t escape the world, we wish to possess it and all that we can influence.\u201d<\/p>\n

    What have we learned so far?<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Luciferians are not devil-worshipers. There is, instead, an emphasis on individuality and self-grandeur. Luciferianism is essentially a self-worshiping and self-aggrandizing philosophy.<\/li>\n
    2. Luciferians (or at least Mr. Ford) are neo-Darwinists.<\/li>\n
    3. They are against \u201cblind faith\u201d and religion in general.<\/li>\n
    4. Human individualism is a high value to be attained to \u201cpossess\u201d the world.<\/li>\n
    5. Liciferianism, according to their emblem, is to bring \u201cthe light of truth to all who seek it.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Analysis of Foreword.<\/p>\n

      Without a desire to be offensive, it is clear this is not a scholarly, peer-reviewed, or even a properly proof-read text. There are punctuation and grammar errors and we haven\u2019t even reached the introduction! Reading the foreword should provide us with\u00a0a clear idea of the core philosophy or thesis of the book<\/em>. I still don\u2019t have a grasp of it. I am deeply tempted to stop reading, but for the sake of understanding I will continue.<\/p>\n

      \u00a0I sense much disdain towards religion, hints of humanism, and a profuse use of undeciphered symbolism\u2014it is still unclear to me what all the \u201cDark Flame\u201d language means. That will likely be clarified in the book I hope?<\/p>\n

      There are\u00a0hints of relativism and pluralism since Luciferianism is \u201ca modern assimilation of many ancient pre-Christian\u201d beliefs. So it seems that Mr. Ford promotes a trip to the \u201cbuffet table\u201d of ancient pagan religions and use them as Lego bricks to \u201cbuild your own\u201d self-promoting and individualistic philosophy of life. He pretends that we do all this without denying our \u201cinner darkness,\u201d but this Darkness should not be viewed as \u201cevil.\u201d This last bit has a strong scent of relativism.<\/p>\n

      Some conclusions so far about\u00a0the Luciferian worldview:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. It is self-promoting humanism.<\/li>\n
      2. It is relativistic (no good and no evil)<\/li>\n
      3. It is neo-Darwinian in nature<\/li>\n
      4. It is pluralistic<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Every worldview needs to be able to answer the following four questions adequately. It also ought to be logically consistent, rooted in reality, and essentially relevant. Let\u2019s start filling the answers with what we know about Luciferianism:<\/p>\n

        The \u201cFour Questions: are:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Origin<\/u><\/em><\/strong>: Where do humans and the universe come from?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Luciferian Answer (LA):<\/strong> Humans and their consciousness are the result a \u201cprocess of evolution\u201d from a \u201creptile brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Meaning<\/u><\/em><\/strong>: What is the Purpose of Life?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            LA:<\/strong> Not clear yet. The way they put it is to \u201cpossess\u201d the world and be of influence to it in order to \u201cchange your life in ways you could never have dreamed.\u201d Again, this sounds\u00a0more like a line taken from a villain in\u00a0Walt Disney movies than a serious philosophical work.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Morality<\/u><\/em><\/strong>: How do we know good from evil?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              LA:<\/strong> There is no good or evil.<\/p>\n

                \n
              1. Destiny<\/u><\/em><\/strong>: What happens after death?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                LA:<\/strong> Unknown.<\/p>\n

                It is not difficult to see that this worldview will result in incoherent and illogical traits, but, it is clear that these people are not devil-worshipping and human-sacrifice-making cultists. This is a group of relativist-humanist, self-promoting, pluralists with hints of new-age occultism. I will continue the review of the introduction in a subsequent post\u2014and modify the answers to the worldview questions as needed. In the mean time, I am strongly tempted to call them and ask about their membership requirements, not because I am interested to join, but because they seem illogical: they claim that one has to agree with the \u201cmajority\u201d of their philosophy. I wonder what that means and what parts are \u201crequired\u201d beliefs, especially since they are so against \u201cdogmatic\u201d beliefs! Is there such a thing as a Luciferian-Buddhist or a Luciferian-Mormon? I wonder\u2026<\/p>\n

                Appendix<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

                I have used some terms in this post that some readers may not be familiar with:<\/p>\n

                Worldview<\/strong>: A worldview is simply the way someone thinks about the world. It is a “Philosophy of life.” There are many worldviews to choose from: Buddhism, atheism, naturalism, Christianity, Islam, spirituality, “new age,” among others.<\/p>\n

                Relativism<\/strong>: The relativist believes, in short, that you have your truth and that I have my truth and that there is no truth with a capital \u201cT.\u201d So prevalent is this thinking disease that according to Barna, only one-third of adults believe in absolute [or objective] moral truth. \u2013Dr. Clay Jones<\/p>\n

                Pluralism<\/strong>: Religious pluralism generally refers to the belief in two or more religious worldviews as being equally valid or acceptable. More than mere tolerance, religious pluralism accepts multiple paths to God or gods as a possibility and is usually contrasted with \u201cexclusivism,\u201d the idea that there is only one true religion or way to know God.<\/p>\n

                Humanism<\/strong>: An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.<\/p>\n

                Neo-Darwinism<\/strong>: The mechanisms which account for evolutionary change. Darwin appealed to natural selection operating on random variations in living things in order to explain the adaptedness of organisms to their environment. With the development of modern genetics, genetic mutations came to supplement the Darwinian mechanism of natural selection by supplying an explanation for the variations on which natural selection works.<\/p>\n

                <\/a><\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                \n
                <\/div>\n
                  \n
                1. Michael W. Ford, Wisdom of Eosphoros<\/em>, (Houston, TX: Succubus Productions, 2015). ↩<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
                2. Emphasis mine. I truly wonder what \u201cmajority\u201d means\u2026 ↩<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
                3. \u201cForward\u201d may still be used in some parts of the United Kingdom but the convention in the US is \u201cforeword.\u201d ↩<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  A few weeks ago, the \u201cGreater Church of Lucifer\u201d (GCOL) opened its doors in my community in Spring TX. Not coincidentally, they opened their doors to the public during the festivities of Halloween. This event brought an onslaught of media frenzy and alarm from concerned citizens. In fact, there were protests and even acts of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[140,476,475,579,31,675,488,561,71],"tags":[441,717,716,715,720,719,494,307,718],"class_list":["post-1397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apologetica-2","category-ateismo","category-ciencia-y-religion","category-escepticismo","category-maldad","category-ocultismo","category-pluralismo","category-relativismo","category-sectas","tag-atheism","tag-church-of-lucifer-spring","tag-gcol","tag-greater-church-of-lucifer","tag-luciferianism","tag-luciferism","tag-pluralism","tag-relativism","tag-what-does-the-church-of-lucifer-believe"],"views":1115,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/veritasfidei.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}