Is America the United States of Satanism? The Brutal Truth

 

The Almighty Dollar and traditional spiritual devotion are in a dead heat for universal focus in the United States, where intense competition is often the name of the game.

— Gerald B. Lorentz

The United States, often hailed as the land of opportunity and freedom, is known for its dominant economic system of capitalism. Its foundation involved the displacement and violence against native peoples, the cultural appropriation of pagan holidays, and continuous global conflicts. Despite these aspects, it has provided a path for global citizens to seek economic mobility and autonomy.

I have no conflict with America’s historical rise to power, as it follows the natural pattern observed across societies. The real issue I highlight is the contradiction between Christian principles and the concept of American strength—'might is right'—along with the continuous presence of pagan and Masonic symbols representing the country, like the Egyptian Obelisk and the pagan Statue of Liberty.

The Statue of Liberty has been linked by some esoteric traditions to figures like Semiramis, the Pagan Queen of Babylon. Her torch is interpreted by some groups as representing the light of reason and Gnosticism.

Where are the  statues of Jesus in government buildings, and why is the Statue of Liberty not Mother Mary?

But is America a country primarily driven by Christian values (turn the other cheek, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you), or by principles of self-advancement? Capitalism is often based on the principle of intense competition. It reflects a social Darwinian ethos. This philosophy of economic self-interest stands in contrast to the core Christian promotion of “selflessness.”

Despite the “prosperity evangelist” who may ignore the poverty of Jesus, there is a tension between the pursuit of wealth and traditional Christian teachings. Yet we see religious ministries raising significant donations, sometimes for lavish purposes. And the very currency they use is filled with esoteric symbols such as the All-Seeing-Eye atop an Egyptian pyramid, which they consider Satanic.

Philosophies emphasizing self-interest, such as Capitalism, center on the individual, highlighting personal power and success. They tend to focus on the influential and successful, with extreme individualists often paying less attention to the broader population and more to those who help their own success or survival. I don't oppose Capitalism in its ethical form, but I am inclined to criticize the 1% who remain detached from the housing crisis.

The relentless competitor seeks the easiest targets. Those with less power or resources can become natural targets in a high-stakes environment. This is often how a fiercely competitive form of capitalism operates. Capitalism is designed for an environment of intense self-interest. Societies with communal economies may restrict those who seek excessive profit. Capitalist societies often admire economic success.

— Gerald B. Lorentz

On the other hand, traditional Christians are called to be a force for good in the world. They are here to serve their faith and share their gospel. They are not called to prioritize wealth, judge others, or act like an elite class. However, some do. They project an image of their God as being judgmental, punitive, and superior.

Experiences of feeling judged or condemned by some religious individuals are not uncommon. Challenging certain doctrines can sometimes lead to dismissive reactions. Furthermore, some Christian traditions teach children the concept of original sin until they are baptized into the sacrifice of Jesus.

Capitalism can be seen as an intensified form of natural competition, codified by economic laws and principles. Advertising and salesmanship are tools used in this economic competition. Marketers use various techniques to attract customers and sell products and services, sometimes needed and sometimes unneeded. Claims, ranging from slightly exaggerated to genuinely misleading, are often part of sales pitches, the goal of which is the transfer of wealth from consumer to seller.

— Gerald B. Lorentz

And yet, some proponents insist this is a Christian country. This is historically inaccurate. While many Christians are involved in the political process, which sometimes infringes on the separation of church and state, the United States is officially a secular nation. Its foundational documents do not endorse a specific religious principle.

“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims]; and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

— The Treaty of Tripoli: Ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1797.

Cultural Celebrations with Ancient Roots

Some of America’s major holidays have origins in the agricultural and astrological cycles of ancient traditions. Many individuals who practice esoteric or pagan traditions acknowledge these roots.

Let’s look at the ancient origins of some major American celebrations:

• Halloween (Samhain): This time marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that during this time, the boundary between the living and the spirit world was thin, allowing spirits to cross over. For some modern individualistic philosophies, this is a time to explore one’s own nature and desires.

• Christmas (Yule): The Winter Solstice marks the death and rebirth of the Sun. Yule is also associated with the birth of various Sun Deities, such as Mithras of Persia. The Church historically aligned the celebration of Christ’s birth with pre-existing ancient festivals.

• Easter (Eostre): The term “Easter” may originate from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring and fertility. It has been linked to Chaldean and Assyrian roots, sometimes connected to goddesses of the heavens. It represents a powerful fertility and nature rite.

• May Day (Beltane): Beltane, named after the Celtic Sun God Bel or Bal, is an ancient fertility festival. Historically, various cleansing and blessing rituals were performed, sometimes involving fire jumps and divination practices.

• Valentine’s Day (Lupercalia): Valentine’s Day has roots in the Roman pagan astrological and fertility rite known as Lupercalia, a festival focused on purification and health, often involving blood rituals and offerings.

Historical Actions of European Colonizers

When Christopher Columbus first encountered the Taíno people in 1492, they were described as generous, leading him to state: “So tractable, so peaceable, are these people that I swear to your Majesties there is not in the world a better nation. They love their neighbors as themselves, and their discourse is ever sweet and gentle and accompanied with a smile, though it is true that yet their manners are decorous and praiseworthy.”

Despite this initial impression, the European colonizers proceeded to displace and harm the native populations — actions often seen as the brutal side of a resource-driven, expansive system.

“I don’t know how to describe it . . . We could not walk without treading on the bodies and heads of dead Indians. The stench was so bad that no one could endure it.”

— Bernal Diaz

Here’s a list of actions that contrast sharply with Christian principles, upon which the colonization of the United States was based:

• Massacre and Violence: Conflicts, like the siege of Tenochtitlan, involved intense fighting and brutality, resulting in the deaths of thousands of indigenous people.

• Enslavement and Forced Labor: Many surviving indigenous inhabitants were captured and subjected to forced labor under harsh conditions.

• Sexual Violence: There are historical accounts of Spanish soldiers engaging in sexual violence against indigenous women.

• Pillage and Looting: The seizure of cities led to widespread looting of valuable artifacts, gold, and other resources.

• Destruction of Cultural Heritage: Colonizers sought to dismantle native religious and cultural practices. Temples and other important structures were destroyed or converted for colonial use.

• Forced Conversion: The Spanish imposed Christianity on the indigenous population. Traditional religious practices were suppressed, and many were forcibly converted to Catholicism.

• Disease: European diseases, such as smallpox, spread rapidly among the indigenous population, leading to devastating epidemics and high death tolls.

Pre-Columbian Conflict Among Native Americans

It is important to acknowledge that conflict and violence existed in pre-Columbian societies as well.

Individuals capable of violence are present in all human groups regardless of their culture. Before the Europeans invaded America, the Native American tribes engaged in conflicts common to human societies. Their practices, while culturally unique, also involved extreme violence and rituals of warfare.

• Intertribal Warfare: Native American tribes engaged in conflicts over resources, territorial disputes, and cultural differences.

• Raids and Counterraids: Some tribes engaged in raiding neighboring groups to acquire resources, captives, or prestige items. Retaliation was a common practice.

• Sun Dance Rituals: Some Plains Indians, such as the Lakota, practiced the Sun Dance, a ritual that included voluntary acts of self-inflicted pain, such as piercing the flesh. This was done to demonstrate spiritual strength.

• Warrior Societies and Trophy Taking: Some tribes engaged in warfare to earn prestige and honor. Capturing enemy warriors or taking scalps was considered valor in certain cultures and could enhance social status.

• Ritualistic Cannibalism: Among certain tribes, there are historical accounts of ritualistic cannibalism linked to warfare, often symbolic and intended to absorb the spiritual power of the defeated enemy.

The United States of Extreme Individualism

“The history of the United States has been marked by periods of intense violence and war. We are a society that often glorifies violence. Media and entertainment frequently feature conflict to succeed. If they featured solely intellectual themes of philosophy and science, they might not achieve the same widespread success. Humanity often prides itself on being rational, but our actions often prove us to be capable of irrational, aggressive behavior.”

— Gerald B. Lorentz

Individualistic philosophies and capitalism share similarities, particularly in their emphasis on personal empowerment and pursuing self-directed goals. While they are distinct concepts with different foundations, they exhibit points of alignment that have come to define the American spirit:

• Emphasis on the Individual: Both focus on the importance of the individual. Individualism encourages personal exploration and the pursuit of one’s own desires. Capitalism strongly emphasizes individual autonomy, promoting the right to make choices that suit one’s own interests.

• Personal Empowerment: Individualistic philosophies promote self-empowerment and asserting one’s own will. Capitalism, at its core, allows individuals to shape their financial and economic destinies through their choices and efforts.

• Merit-Based Systems: Both ideologies often advocate for systems based on personal accomplishment and strength. Capitalism often operates on the principle that success is achieved through individual effort and merit.

• Freedom of Expression: Strong individualism values the freedom to express one’s beliefs, even if they challenge societal norms. Capitalism can foster the flourishing of diverse ideas, products, and innovations.

• Pursuit of Desires: Individualism encourages individuals to pursue their desires within an ethical framework. Capitalism, in its consumer-driven form, aims to satisfy people’s desires by offering a wide array of products and services.

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Both celebrate innovation and the drive to create something unique. Self-expression and individuality are key qualities often associated with entrepreneurship in a capitalist framework.

• Critique of Authority: Both can lead to questioning traditional authority structures. Individualism often challenges religious and societal norms, while capitalism’s proponents may critique excessive government intervention and advocate for free markets.

The Final Irony

As discussed, both an extreme individualistic philosophy and the foundational narrative of Christianity can be interpreted in ways that involve violence or extreme measures. Individualism celebrates human agency and nature. Christianity, in contrast, often presents a message of love while masking a violent core with a doctrine of salvation through sacrifice.

When comparing divine violence described in the Bible, some scholars argue that the acts attributed to the main deity, Jehovah, overwhelmingly outnumber the actions of the rebellious figure, the Devil.

It is important to note the specifics of modern philosophical movements. For instance, the Church of Satan, founded by Anton LaVey, promotes a specific ethical code that discourages harming children or animals. Furthermore, they are atheists; they do not believe in a literal Devil or a spirit realm. Their philosophy centers around the archetype of the rebel and human self-determination. LaVey also clearly distanced his philosophy from criminal acts. This distinction separates their intellectual movement from malicious interpretations of the archetype.

On the other hand, the Christian narrative is centered around the human sacrifice of God’s son, who was tortured and killed to appease a divine wrath against humanity — all for the initial sin of disobedience in the Garden of Eden. The Old Testament of the Bible includes stories of massacres, genocide, rape, famine, infanticide, and various human rights abuses.

Most Christians are highly ethical and generally good people. The core tension lies with the complex and sometimes contradictory doctrines. The path to a better world may lie in collective human awareness and dealing with reality on its own terms, rather than relying solely on external, supernatural explanations.

So, where does this leave us? The world is not always what people believe it to be. Deeper inquiry often reveals complexity. Knowledge raises our awareness, illuminating the shadows and inspiring us to act in a way grounded in reality rather than assumption.

Personally, I think that kind of clarity is good for the world…

— Zzenn