Was the "Satanic panic" of the 1980s-early 1990s a legitimate concern?

[Scam of God]

This, I think, is one of the better introductory videos regarding the early history of this strange phenomenon on YouTube.

I know a few Satanists, all of the non-theistic variety. Most of them are far too catty (they would call it 'individualistic') to ever come together in groups larger than three or four - they're certainly incapable of forming any sort of coherent conspiracy that reaches into the highest halls of power, as the Evangelicals believe. Moreover, I believe there's a reason that most of the instigators of the movement in its beginnings - those who supposedly "came clean" - had all been former hippies.

So, no, I don't believe it to have been a valid concern at all. What I believe it to have been instead was merely one manifestation of the same root tribalism that, for instance, drove the Salem witchhunts and McCarthyism.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Of course not, but the only reason it was so big was some hucksters wanted the money and attention from promoting it. There was no grand anti-Satanist conspiracy.

[Scam of God]

Of course not, but the only reason it was so big was some hucksters wanted the money and attention from promoting it. There was no grand anti-Satanist conspiracy.

"Conspiracy"? No. An open crusade against an entire subculture? Most certainly.

[dead0man]

The religious folk sure made some hay with it.  No of course it wasn't a legitimate concern.

[Bo]

No.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     No, & if there were a big Satanist conspiracy, who cares? I've never seen any reason to believe that Satanists actually engage in the activities that their persecuters attribute to them.

[k-onmmunist]

My answer should be obvious.

[Scam of God]

So who voted "Yea"? Out yourself.

[Vosem]

I voted yay by accident. My vote should be nay.

[JSojourner]

No.

It was an exercise in delusion.

[Torie]

No.

It was an exercise in delusion.

Do you think Satan exists JS?

[JSojourner]

No.

It was an exercise in delusion.

Do you think Satan exists JS?

Of course.  You've met him.  He also goes by the name, "Grumpy Gramps".   

::: runs & hides :::


I do, actually believe Satan (Lucifer, Bellial, Beelzebub, whatever) exists.

I scoff, though, at the for-profit enterprise that swept through part of the Evangelical (and larger) culture in the 80's where tales of human sacrifice, Satanic cults and Satan-worshiping rock stars gripped millions of the faithful.  If anyone was exposed by the scam, it was not Old Scratch.

I'll never forget this nabob...   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Warnke

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

If Satan isn't controlling me through pop culture, then where did my soul go?

[afleitch]

Reading up on the whole thing it seemed one step away from old fashioned 'Catholic bashing', method wise. Interesting.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

[k-onmmunist]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

Your answer surprises me.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

Your answer surprises me.

it shouldn't...there seems to be a lot of stuff in Christianity that I am not aware of...heck, I haven't even heard of a lot of the things I been accused of being apart of.  I may just be the twelfth man on the deal team - the last to know.

[Scam of God]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

Of course you did. That's where most of your favorite hyper-eschatological theology comes from.

[Gustaf]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

Of course you did. That's where most of your favorite hyper-eschatological theology comes from.

I don't suppose you ever tire of making up what other peoples' views are.

[Alcon]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

Of course you did. That's where most of your favorite hyper-eschatological theology comes from.

I don't suppose you ever tire of making up what other peoples' views are.

That's exactly the sort of thing your Judeo-Christo-authoritarian-Calvinist slavemasters tell you Gustaf, isn't it?  Huh?  Huh?!

[minionofmidas]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

Your answer surprises me.

it shouldn't...there seems to be a lot of stuff in Christianity that I am not aware of...heck, I haven't even heard of a lot of the things I been accused of being apart of.  I may just be the twelfth man on the deal team - the last to know.

It also was hardly an exclusively Christian thing. More a Meeja thing than anything else.

[Gustaf]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

Of course you did. That's where most of your favorite hyper-eschatological theology comes from.

I don't suppose you ever tire of making up what other peoples' views are.

That's exactly the sort of thing your Judeo-Christo-authoritarian-Calvinist slavemasters tell you Gustaf, isn't it?  Huh?  Huh?!

No, Alcon, you imbecile. Continue to sell out your libertarian principles to the GOP reactionaries like this and you  will end up against a wall!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

no, and I didn't even know there was a "Satanic panic" going on.

Your answer surprises me.

it shouldn't...there seems to be a lot of stuff in Christianity that I am not aware of...heck, I haven't even heard of a lot of the things I been accused of being apart of.  I may just be the twelfth man on the deal team - the last to know.

It also was hardly an exclusively Christian thing. More a Meeja thing than anything else.

To say nothing of the likes of Bea Campbell.