Satansplain

Bill reads some listener mail, covering topics such as Satanists joining non-Satanic organizations, the Church of Satan's policy regarding illegal activity, and oh yeah, why The Satanic Temple sucks.

With Christmas approaching, Bill reflects back on the 2015 Starbucks "red cup" controversy, which may offer a Satanic lesson on the zeitgeist, including the recent media hoopla on "Ye" Kanye West.

Freemasons, Illuminati, and Satanism, oh my! Why do so many idiots continue to conflate these three things? Bill digs deeper into the origins of these mix-ups in this follow-up episode to Satansplain #025. 00:00 - Intro 02:30 - Recap of Nigeria (episode #025) and continuation of "part 2" 04:01 - The "TL;DL" Summary 06:10 - The "Eyes Wide Shut" ceremony... 08:31 - ...was not "a Satanic ritual" 10:20 - A closer look at "Eyes Wide Shut" 12:06 - The problem with the "Duck" test 13:54 - The Hurricane Katrina "Satanic Symbol" conspiracy theory 14:32 - Robes, robes, robes; theatrics, theatrics, theatrics 17:35 - To the holy rollers who are incapable of having an objective conversation on this topic 18:39 - Fraternal orders 20:56 - ...which are not religions 27:13 - Origins of fraternal orders 31:19 - College fraternity experience and why jesus freaks hate fraternal organizations 35:05 - The element of secrecy 42:27 - Skull & Bones vs. (social) fraternities 45:05 - Conspiracy vs. conspiracy theory. Clique vs. secret "Satanic" cabal. 48:10 - The Illuminati 49:58 - "Da Joooos!" 55:19 - Leo Taxil and the origins of Satanic accusations against Freemasons 57:30 - Why the (superficial) similarity in symbols?

Why do so many people from Africa, especially Nigeria, mistakenly believe Satanists are the Illuminati? And that we're hiring? Satansplain investigates. Selected sources: - Nigerian church scams: https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2017/06/14/time-tax-nigerias-churches/ - The 419 Scam: https://www.newsweek.com/origins-nigerias-notorious-419-scams-456701 - USCIRF 2020 annual report: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/USCIRF%202020%20Annual%20Report_42720_new_0.pdf 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - A special message to residents of Africa (especially Nigeria) 03:04 - Joining a Satanic organization will not guarantee you wealth 05:10 - We don't want you if you don't already understand Satanism 05:32 - We do not tolerate scams (and neither should you) 06:36 - We don't have branches/chapters and don't need them 08:23 - Summary 11:59 - Dealing with messages from Nigeria 15:51 - It happens offline too  17:11 - ...and is older than the Internet 18:07 - People conflating Freemasonry / Illuminati / Satanism / wealth 19:53 - Satanism and Freemasonry (and propaganda) 20:16 - Freemasons, the mythical Illuminati, and the defunct Illuminati 23:31 - The ironically Satanic take 24:52 - Why Nigeria? Some not-so-great explanations. 27:00 - "Mud huts" don't have the Internet, dummy 29:30 - The 419 Scam 37:54 - Nigerian "church" scams 42:33 - Why Nigeria? Some statistics 45:00 - Freedom of religion vs. state religion 46:00 - Religiosity in Nigeria 47:05 - Nigeria and language 47:55 - Nigeria GDP vs. Human Development Index 49:02 - Summary

Learn the truth about Satanic baptisms in this episode of Satansplain. Also, Bill shares his reflections on this past Halloween.

Church of Satan responds to Russia officials' call for the "desatanization" of Ukraine. Also, Bill summarizes his recent time as a guest on the nationally syndicated Coast to Coast AM radio show. Special thanks to Bogues; check out his music project Zogthorgven on Bandcamp. 

Satanic ritual! Are too many Satanists rejecting its formal practice, based on misconceptions? Is it as daunting of a task as some newcomers to Satanism perceive it to be? Addressing the choice (not) to ritualize, plus Satanic Altar tools 101.

Satanic commentary on conservative Matt Walsh and anime. Also vandalism, "caring what people think", Satanic ritual, and more.

Bill thoroughly answers questions about Artificial Human Companions as well as objective reality, and expecially on how each relates to Satanism.

Hear a full, uncut 2016 interview from Harvard University radio on the topic of Satanism and the Church of Satan, covering the basics and beyond.