[Chewbacca]

Here is a clear identity. Shamanism in its myriad of forms is the oldest religion in the world. The horned one called satan predates organized religions, and an original viewpoint of this archtype was of the virile masculine force of creation. The horns symbolize authority over powerful lust represented by the phallace. Being closer to the animal side of god and man this personage was commonly depicted with animalman form. As an Archtype of the collective unconscious this idea was born before any organized religion. This Archtype is a spiritual being. In its higher "form" it is viewed as the God, the masculine aspect of creation, Wise and just Father, judge. In its lowert aspect it is acts of rage and uncontrolled lust, battle, destruction by direct force. It only takes a little brainstorming to come up with more traits that are masculine both good and bad.

It was the assimmilation of pagans that the church turned this archtype and associated the name satan to it. The point I am making for myself and on the behalf of Satanists is the the church stole our diety and named it satan. Well dammit we are gonna take satan back and restore the integrity of what we consider a vital force of god, nature, and man. The church may have coined the term, but they stole the mold and ripped out the insides to put in their own.

In my opinion the concepts of hell and of some great and powerful evil being are tools created and used by institutions to control and alter people through fear. It works. The fact that a great many paths of ideology exist and thrive then and today that have no concepts of divine punishment or ultimate evil is testimony that such concepts are unneccessary on a path of spiritual growth.