LONDON (AFP) - A technician in the Royal Navy has become the first serviceman in the armed forces to be officially recognised as a Satanist, the defence ministry said.

Chris Cranmer, 24, has been given the go-ahead by his captain to perform Satanic rituals on board the HMS Cumberland and is reportedly lobbying his employers to register Satanism as an official religion in the armed forces.

"There is a guy who has asked to practice his (Satanic) beliefs on a Royal Navy ship," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP. "His request was treated sympathetically by the ship's commanding officer."

Cranmer holds the rank of leading hand -- the naval equivalent of corporal -- and in line with naval tradition will be permitted to have a funeral carried out by the Church of Satan should he be killed in action.

He realised he was a Satanist nine years ago after stumbling across a copy of the Satanic Bible written by Church of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey, according to a report in The Sunday Telegraph.

"I then read more and more and came to realise I'd always been a Satanist, just simply never knew," he was quoted as saying.

The Church of Satan was established in San Francisco in 1966 and LaVey was its high priest until his death in 1997.

Followers live by the Nine Satanic Statements, which include "Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence", "Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek" and "Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification".

(Yahoo News)

:rolleyes: or as we Dutch say.... lekker belangrijk.

Heh.. I couldn't care less about the news. But I was curious as to how other people felt about this. Is Satanism even a real religion?

[ 10-25-2004, 07:24 AM: Message edited by: Dreamer128 ]

To quote the article :D -- "The Church of Satan was established in San Francisco in 1966 and LaVey was its high priest until his death in 1997."

Basically, it's about as real as any religion can be on a government checklist. It's a registered NPG in the US: You can get tax breaks for donating to Satan...

... considering our government, it seems appropriate :rolleyes:

I think it's a real religion, in that it has the scriptures and people willing to believe it, but I think it's abominable that he's allowed to practice Satanic rituals on a ship of our navy. Crazy government - there has to be a limit to equal opportunities, and I for one think it's been passed...

<font color=skyblue>By trying not to get into religion, I would like to ask why he wants to serve his country...being that it would seem to me that his beliefs are in opposition as to what it means to serve one's country or for that matter serve anyone but himself. That is what I thought satanic faith was..."nobody first before me". That is not a quote...it is a term I am using to elaborate my argument.


By the way...this thread has the potential of getting locked without notice just for it's content...unless we can find a way to stay out of religious debate. </font>

<font color = lightgreen>Although it is classified as an established religion, I think it more appropriately qualifies as a philosophy, a way of thinking rather than a faith. </font>

Well, it gives the expression "Give'em hell" a whole new meaning.

I've heard it described similarly Azred by some who seem to know about it. A military life certainly doesn't seem like it would suit the me-first hedonism present in the philosophy/religion.

And I say good for them. It's not exactly going to mean much to many people, but it does speak for the tolerance in the organization (or at least its personnel policies). Given a choice between tolerating cultural values of others or remaining intolerant of them, I know which choice I'm going to make every time. But that's my own cultural value. ;)

and LOL Stratos.

<font color = lightgreen>There's more to me than meets the eye. [img]graemlins/firedevil.gif[/img] </font>