Inspiring Anton LaVey Quotes: Religion, Satanism and Hypocrisy
Considered “the evilest man in the world”, Anton LaVey was the founder of the “Church of Satan”, and was popularly known as the Black Pope. His “Hymn of the Satanic Empire” can send chills down your spine, leaving you feeling a bit unsettled. While some consider his words brilliant, others find it downright offending. Here are some famous Anton LaVey quotes that may have you questioning your perspective on religion.
35 Anton LaVey Quotes That Could Change Your Life―and the After Life
Anton LaVey Quotes on Inspiration
#1. “Be as a lion in the path. Be dangerous even in defeat.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#2. “There is no heaven of glory bright, and no hell where sinners roast. Here and now is our day of torment! Here and now is our day of joy! Here and now is our opportunity! Choose ye this day, this hour, for no redeemer liveth!” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#3. “When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#4. “It is always a villain, however, who becomes the catalyst for change.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Devil’s Notebook
Anton LaVey Quotes on Love and Friendship
#5. “Love is one of the most intense feelings felt by man; another is hate. Forcing yourself to feel indiscriminate love is very unnatural. If you try to love everyone, you only lessen your feelings for those who deserve your love. Repressed hatred can lead to many physical and emotional ailments. By learning to release your hatred towards those who deserve it, you cleanse yourself of these malignant emotions and need not take your pent-up hatred out on your loved ones.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
#6. “You cannot love everyone; it is ridiculous to think you can.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey
#7. “To be loved, feelings must be rationed. To love, the doors of hysteria, fantasy, and madness may be flung open.” ― Anton Szandor Lavey
#8. “What good are friends if they can’t do you any good?” ― Anton Szandor LaVey
Anton LaVey Quotes on Satanism
#9. “Blessed are the destroyers of false hope, for they are the true Messiahs―Cursed are the god-adorers, for they shall be shorn sheep!” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
#10. “Satanism advocates practicing a modified form of the Golden Rule. Our interpretation of this rule is: ‘Do unto others as they do unto you’; because if you ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’ and they, in turn, treat you badly, it goes against human nature to continue to treat them with consideration. You should do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but if your courtesy is not returned, they should be treated with the wrath they deserve.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
#11. “There is a beast in man that should be exercised, not exorcised.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey
#12. “When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.” — Anton Szandor LaVey, Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth Satanism
#13. “Satanism represents a form of controlled selfishness.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
Anton LaVey Quotes on Being a Satanist
#14. “I thought, acted, and thereupon found myself removed.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Devil’s Notebook founding Satanism
#15. “The real satanist is not quite so easily recognized as such.” ― Anton Szandor LA Vey, The Satanic Bible
#16. “Unfortunately for a multitude of occultists, humor is a rare ingredient in their lives. In fact, it is their very lack of humor that has impelled them into the arcane and esoteric.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
Anton LaVey Quotes on Hypocrisy
#17. “On Saturday night, I would see men lusting after half-naked girls dancing at the carnival, and on Sunday morning when I was playing the organ for tent-show evangelists at the other end of the carnival lot, I would see these same men sitting in the pews with their wives and children, asking God to forgive them and purge them of carnal desires. And the next Saturday they’d be back at the carnival or some other place of indulgence. I knew then that the Christian church thrives on hypocrisy, and that man’s carnal nature will out no matter how much it is purged or scoured by any white-light religion.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
#18. “Some religions actually go so far as to label anyone who belongs to a religious sect other than their own a heretic, even though the overall doctrines and impressions of godliness are nearly the same.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
Anton LaVey Quotes on People
#19. “Man prides himself on being the only animal who can modify his nature, yet when he chooses to do so he is called a phony.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#20. “There are many who would like my time. I shun them. There are some who share my time. I am entertained by them. There are precious few who contribute to my time. I cherish them.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey
#21. “The ideal woman to me would be the gun-toting moll. Someone who is true blue and ready to face the world. Open to ideas and suggestions, not stubborn and closed minded.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#22. “If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#23. “Most of the interesting people I’ve ever met have been deviant in one form or another.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#24. “Don’t waste your time with people who will ultimately destroy you, but concentrate instead on those who will appreciate your responsibility to them, and, likewise, feel responsible to you.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
Anton LaVey Quotes on Christianity and the Church
#25. “Behold the crucifix; what does it symbolize? Pallid incompetence hanging on a tree.” —Anton Szandor LaVey
#26. “The only thing Christianity ever contributed to Satanism was the name” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#27. “I visualize the day that tridents and pentagrams are thrust into the sky from church roofs instead of crosses.” — Anton Szandor LaVey
#28. “Even with all their threats of eternal damnation and soul roasting, Christian missionaries have run across some who were not so quick to swallow their drivel. Pleasure and pain, like beauty, are in the eye of the beholder. So, when missionaries ventured to Alaska and warned the Eskimos of the horrors of Hell and the blazing lake of fire awaiting transgressors, they eagerly asked: ‘How do we get there?'”― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
#29. “I asked myself: ‘Where is God?’ I came to detest the sanctimonious attitude of people toward violence, always saying ‘it’s God’s will.'” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
#30. “Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years!” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
Other Anton LaVey Quotes
#31. “It has been said, ‘The truth will make men free.’ The truth alone has never made anyone free. It is only doubt which will bring mental emancipation.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey
#32. “Don’t let that little pyramid with the bright eye fool you. That’s to draw your attention away from the real thing: the big trapezoid beneath it.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Devil’s Notebook
#33. “Why should I not hate mine enemies―if I ‘love’ them does that not place me at their mercy?” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
#34. “I break away from all conventions that do not lead to my earthly success and happiness.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
#35. “There is nothing inherently sacred about moral codes. Like the wooden idols of long ago, they are the work of human hands, and what man has made, man can destroy!” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible
Conclusion
Compelling yet intriguing, Anton LaVey quotes have had a powerful presence in the field of Occultism. His thoughts and beliefs have been an eye-opener to an emerging world that challenges. Even after his death, his quotes and teachings continue to challenge blindly accepted religious dogma, forcing people to question their existing beliefs.
Image source: Anton LaVey photo from flickr.com
