The Real Satanism

"Man needs ritual and dogma, but no law states that an externalized god is necessary in order to engage in ritual and ceremony performed in a god's name!  Could it be that when he closes the gap between himself and his 'God' he sees the demon of pride creeping forth- that very embodiment of Lucifer appearing in his midst?  He no longer can view himself in two parts, the carnal and the spiritual, but sees them merge as one, and then to his abysmal horror, discovers that they are only the carnal- AND ALWAYS WERE!  Then he either hates himself to death, day by day- or rejoices that he is what he is!

...

"When all religious faith in lies has waned, it is because man has become closer to himself and farther from 'God'; closer to the 'Devil.'  If this is what the devil represents, and a man lives his life in the devil's fane, with the sinews of Satan moving his flesh, then he either escapes from the cacklings and carpings of the righteous, or stands proudly in his secret places of the earth and manipulates the folly-ridden masses through his own Satanic might, until that day when he may come forth in splendor proclaiming 'I AM A SATANIST!  BOW DOWN, FOR I AM THE HIGHEST EMBODIMENT OF HUMAN LIFE!'"

from

The Satanic Bible

Anton Szandor LaVey

1969