Church of Azazel > Internet congregation

Church of Azazel
Internet Proto-Congregation

• Basic information about the Internet proto-congregation
• What kind of people we're looking for
• How to join

Basic information about the Internet proto-congregation

We'll soon be re-launching the Internet proto-congregation of the Church of Azazel, for people who don't live near a local Church of Azazel group. It is intended primarily for people who will eventually lead, or assist the eventual leaders of, future local Church of Azazel congregations.

Members of the Internet proto-congregation will both (1) participate in coordinated solo rituals (to be discussed in a forthcoming private forum) and (2) write public posts, on blogs and in public Internet forums, on Satanism and related matters. The coordinated solo rituals will be rituals which we all do by ourselves at agreed-upon common times.

The purposes of the Internet proto-congregation will be:

• To bring together a cadre of people who will eventually form local congregations of the Church of Azazel in cities other than New York.
• To help members acquire knowledge about comparative religion and about those aspects of science, history, mythology, occult practices, etc., that are relevant to the Church of Azazel's paradigm.
• To develop new rituals and spiritual practices for the Church of Azazel.
• To address the personal needs, desires, and goals of members by sharing information and practical advice, as well as through coordinated solo rituals.
• To develop strategies to defend our rights and oppose the Christian religious right wing.
• To enhance the public Internet visibility of the Church of Azazel.

Please note that one of the purposes of the Internet congregation will be to bring together a cadre of people who will eventually form local congregations of the Church of Azazel in cities other than New York. Hence the Internet congregation will be in some ways more demanding than a local congregation will be in its requirements of its rank-and-file members.

In particular, rank-and-file members of local congregations will not be required to promote the Church of Azazel itself or to help raise its public visibility. On the other hand, all members of the Internet congregation are asked to help raise the public visibility of the Church of Azazel, at least indirectly, via participation in the Theistic Satanism blog network and relevant message boards.

What kind of people we're looking for

The online congregation is intended for potential core members of the Church of Azazel, i.e. potential leaders and those who can assist leaders in various ways. Core members are expected to be knowledgeable, not only about Satanism but also about religion and occultism in general, and are expected to work actively to oppose, in one way or another, the Christian religious right wing. Potential core members are expected to have a deep and sustained interest in learning about those relevant matters they are not yet knowledgeable about, and in at least preparing to oppose the religious right wing in some way and on some level (not necessarily political).

Thus, members of the Church of Azazel's online congregation are expected either to be knowledgeable about or to have a strong, sustained interest in learning about all of the following:

• The various different kinds of Satanism.
• Occultism and its history.
• Comparative religion and today's major religious trends.
• The history of religion.
• Various poliitical and social issues relevant to freedom of religion and the separation of church and state.
• The activities of our main enemy, the religious right wing, and the religious movements behind it.

In addition, members who are deconverts from fundamentalist, charismatic, or traditionalist forms of Christianity are expected to spend time learning about the evidence and arguments against traditional Christian beliefs, with the aim of engaging in counter-evangelism. Such members are also expected, more so than others, to spend time learning about various non-Christian religions and forms of occultism, to broaden their spiritual horizons.

On the other hand, those members who are not deconverts from the more aggressive and theocratic-minded forms of Christianity are expected, more so than other members, to spend time learning about those forms of Christianity and the dangers they pose to the rest of us. This is a matter on which most people who live outside the Bible Belt are blissfully ignorant. And even many people who live inside the Bible Belt are unaware of the ways that Christianity has been mutating over the past few decades.

If you do not have a deep and sustained interest in learning about these matters -- if all you're looking for is a cozy little Satanist coven -- then the Church of Azazel is not for you.

We are (albeit in a strictly law-abiding, metaphorical sense) "warriors" of Satan/Azazel and our five rising Gods. See the affirmation of our common purpose.

How to join

If you would like to be considered for membership in the Internet proto-congregation of the Church of Azazel, please do all of the following:

1. Start a blog on Wordpress, LiveJournal, and/or Google/Blogger (see The blog hosts we use: A comparison) and join the Theistic Satanism blog network. After you have made at least one substantial post on your blog, you may contact Diane Vera for technical advice on improving the appearance of your blog and (if you haven't yet figured this out on your own) satisfying the technical requirements of the Theistic Satanism Blog Network.

Your blog posts may be on any topic relevant to the Church of Azazel, or to Satanism in general, occultism in general, or our concerns about the religious right wing. Especially welcome are posts containing intelligent commentary about specific pages on the Church of Azazel website. But posts about the Church of Azazel itself, or its paradigm, are not required. Other relevant topics are welcome too. What is required that your blog have links (as part of a "blog roll" or "links list," usually on a side panel) to both the Theistic Satanism blog network page and the Church of Azazel main page. It is preferred that your blog also use "tags" and/or "categories" and/or "labels" and display a list of these too (usually on a side panel), to help enhance your blog's own search engine rankings.

2. Join the Meetup site, then join each of the following New York-based Meetup groups and wirte at least one substantial post to the message board of each group:
• Church of Azazel proto-congregation, New York City (message board)
• NYC Satanists discussion group (NYC Satanists, Luciferians, Dark Pagans, and Left Hand Path Occultists) (message board)
• New Yorkers Against Religion-Based Bigotry (message board)

On each of the above message boards, your post may be either a new thread or a reply to an already-existing thread. If a reply, please make sure it's relevant to the thread you're replying to. If a new post, please make sure it's relevant to the group. (Posts on topics specific to the Church of Azazel, or to Diane Vera's Theistic Satanism site, should be posted on the Church of Azazel message board. Posts about Satanism in general, or about occultism in general, without specific reference to the Church of Azazel paradigm, should be posted on the message board of the NYC Satanists discussion group. Posts about the religious right wing and its attempts to impose Christian theocracy should be posted on the message board of New Yorkers Against Religion-Based Bigotry.) Please keep it civil, please avoid hate speech, and be careful to avoid copyright violations or other illegal content.

3. Stay in touch with me by posting comments on my various blogs (listed here).

After at least three substantial posts on your blog, plus at least one substantial post on each of the three Meetup message boards, you may then ask to join the Internet Proto-Congregation. You'll then be asked to contact one of us by phone, as a last step before you join our private forum.

The ideal Church of Azazel member is one who agrees with the basic perspective of the Church of Azazel and shares our goals but who is also capable of thinking for oneself and giving us constructive criticism. We're not looking for blind followers.

To remain a member in good standing, once you've joined the Internet Proto-Congregation of the Church of Azazel, please then: (1) write at least four substantial blog posts every three months, (2) write at least one post (at least a brief comment) on each of the three Meetup message boards every three months, and (3) write at least one substantial post per month to our forthcoming private forum, once it gets started.

Please note that these are minimum participation requirements. More participation is preferred.

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