Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on August 15, 2012 at 11:49pm

To quote Dante (in translation): "Abandon hope, all ye who enter!"

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by onyango makagutu on August 16, 2012 at 12:20am

feel welcome. By riding on shoulders of giants we become like them. Keep reading and welcome to the site. You'll find a lot of interesting stuff and people all the time

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Edward Regis Condon on August 16, 2012 at 8:45am

Welcome! :)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Larry Rhodes on August 16, 2012 at 9:58am

Welcome to Freethought!  Check out my vids (Doubter5) on youtube! :)

"The truth has nothing to fear from investigation"

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Craig Nomazlab on August 16, 2012 at 1:44pm

Welcome to Think Atheist.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Hope on August 16, 2012 at 7:03pm

Hello Andreana..

Welcome to Think Atheist ^_^

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Obfuskation on August 16, 2012 at 7:22pm

Welcome to the site.  

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by matt.clerke on August 16, 2012 at 7:37pm

Hi Andreana,

   Welcome to the site. I'm curious about your previous religion. Theistic Luciferian, as opposed to Satanism. My understanding is that LaVeyan Satanism is a belief that human urges should be embraced rather than opposed like in Christianity, and that it doesn't actually entail belief in Satan as many people would assume. Is that what you meant by Satanism? Conversely, Theistic Luciferian(ism?) is a term I have not come across before. Is that a belief in and worship of Lucifer? Does that also necessitate the belief in the existance of God? In which case, what drove you to switch teams? (from Yahweh to Lucifer and also from Lucifer to Atheism?) I'm guessing it was Yahweh's chronic assholism...

Thanks and welcome again,

    Matt

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Andreana Tarleton on August 18, 2012 at 9:40pm

I originally took on this label after months of feeling that way as it was.  Theistic Luciferians don't worship the deity known as Lucifer.  It's more like how yogis will travel to India to get to the roots of the practice and find a teacher to guide them.  In Luciferianism, Lucifer doesn't like for people to worship him.  He encourages everyone to pursue knowledge.  He's the physical embodiment of the pursuit of knowledge and illumination, as the name means "Morning Star" and he is the light illuminating man and trying to advance us in the fields of mathematics and science.  There's the Theistic Luciferian, who view him as an actual deity, but one that you don't worship more as look to for help and act more like a king or something similar.  You don't worship him, but look up to him.  And his stance is one of searching for truth and science.  Then there's the Atheistic Luciferian, who views Lucifer as simply the symbol of illumination and knowledge.  The symbol of realizing your greatness and looking for ways to increase your knowledge and the knowledge of those around you to create a better human society.  Both ways, it's mainly about improving human existence through developing better technology and learning more about the world around us to help us expand our abilities as a species.

In my case, I viewed Yahweh as the oppressive God.  The one who won the war and our entire account was written from the side of the victor, as all of history tends to be written.  We hardly ever acknowledge the losing side, even if their cause was often a nobler one.

I had been a part of multiple religions over the course of seven years.  I had gone from various new age beliefs, to dabbing in hinduism and buddhism, but I always returned to agnosticism after a time because I started getting apathetic towards it.

Last year, around this time, I effectively brainwashed myself into believing in god and being Christian, but the more I read the bible, the more I disliked Yahweh.  Surely, the other must be more compassionate.  I had a few "religious" experiences during a fit of depression, and the concept of Lucifer having a personal, fatherly relationship with me took root in my mind, and I began to look to him for guidance.  Which led me to my obsession with physics.  I began reading physics books and articles like I felt he was telling me to do, and I came across Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow's book The Grand Design.  By the second chapter, I was convinced there were no deities.  But I fought with myself over it.  I kept digging deeper and deeper into quantum physics and the concept of a deity just became the things of a childish view of the world to me, so I finally let myself be honest.

That ended up being longer than I thought it would be, but I hope I answered your questions. :)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by matt.clerke on September 4, 2012 at 7:43pm

Thanks for the detailed reply. It sounds like Atheistic Luciferianism is quite similar to LeVeyan Satanism. Theistic Luciferianism is a new concept to me, thanks for explaining it.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by U-sef on August 17, 2012 at 4:31am

welcome :)

• ▶ Reply