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Question for Discussion: Satanism and Furry
12 years ago
It must be emphasized that:
We are not an official Church of Satan group. We are not here on behalf of the Church of Satan. We are not a "Satanic Community."
We are a group on FurAffinity that are made up of individuals who follow the Church of Satan and the works of Anton LaVey. Greetings, all!
Submitted for your approval:
How does your practice and interpretation for Furry inform or shape your practice and interpretation of Satanism, and vice versa? Or, are they two separate, discrete domains?
Do you identify primarily as a Satanist, primarily as a Furry, both, or neither? That is to say, when someone asks, "Who are you?" which label (if either) do you or would you say first?
And, perhaps the most interesting two-pronged question:
What can Furry bring to or teach Satanism? How can Furry be used to enhance Satanism?
What can Satanism bring to or teach Furry? How can Satanism be used to enhance Satanism?
Submitted for your approval:
How does your practice and interpretation for Furry inform or shape your practice and interpretation of Satanism, and vice versa? Or, are they two separate, discrete domains?
Do you identify primarily as a Satanist, primarily as a Furry, both, or neither? That is to say, when someone asks, "Who are you?" which label (if either) do you or would you say first?
And, perhaps the most interesting two-pronged question:
What can Furry bring to or teach Satanism? How can Furry be used to enhance Satanism?
What can Satanism bring to or teach Furry? How can Satanism be used to enhance Satanism?
I agree that Furry is not a "philosophy," in the sense that Satanism is a philosophy.
However, Furry does have its own culture and ethos, and that's what interests me. Furries are different from otakus, gamers, footballers, and other types of hobbyists in terms of their values and ethics, tastes, interactions with "outsiders," self-perceptions, and interactions with each other, among other things.
One way Furry might enhance one's practice of Satanism, I think, is by providing the Furry Satanist with additional opportunities for play, spontaneity, and wonder, and allowing/encouraging one to be vulnerable when at play. Traditionally, Satanism has talked a lot about power and strength, but there are also times in life when it is appropriate and good to be soft, gentle, and vulnerable. Furry allows for that.
One way Satanism can potentially enhance Furry is through the application of principles like discernment and stratification. The furry community tends to be extremely tolerant and accepting of people, lifestyles, and ideas, and this turns out to be both good and bad in practice. It means that benignly or positively eccentric or "weird" people can finally find a home and a safe space, but it also means that people whose eccentricities are less benign aren't ever confronted or corrected for doing things others find troubling, upsetting, harmful, annoying, or just plain bad.
Satanists sometimes lean too far in one direction, and Furries tend to lean too far in the other, so synthesizing the best elements of both approaches in some way might help one to find the middle path.
Well, and given that there does seem to be a "furry community" that shares values and ethics in common, I don't see furry as a purely valueless label. Certainly, it carries or implies values in *other* people's minds.
Even if you go outside of that community, liking cartoon animals, or enjoying pretending to be an animal, or enjoying entertaining people through fursuiting is something that would seem to appeal to certain types of people, and not appeal to others.
I agree that Furry can serve as an excellent "sandbox" for a lot of experiences and sensations. The same might be said for, say, cosplay and gaming, but each hobby's sandbox is definitely different and unique.
So, to clarify is "Satanism" positive and "furry" negative for you personally, or is that how you think they're generally viewed from the outside? And, why the different valences for each?
Hey, I browse without breakfast, too. It's understandable :).
Actually, discovering furry has created an interesting ongoing "coming out" dilemma for me. With Satanism, I pretty much know that most people will not be down with that sound, so it's off the table. This is fine with me, because Satanism is largely a private, personal thing that I don't feel especially compelled to share.
Furry has so many shades and gradations, and not everyone's mind immediately goes to that infamous CSI episode, so when talking about myself with someone, I do find myself weighing what, if anything, to divulge or discuss. Additionally, I think Furry has some interesting cultural and psychological aspects that I'm actually keen to discuss with people just as a social scientist.
What's interesting is that "Satanist" and "Furry" mostly seem to carry opposite connotations, *except* when it comes to popular urban legends and misconceptions around sex. There may also be a common assumption that furries and Satanists are both just in it for the attention and "drama."
So, it'd be really fascinating to see what the Average Joe pictures when he hears the words "Furry Satanist."
But, I'm musing without having had brekkies, either!
And, hey, it's good you can check yourself when you think you're being hypocritical and/or pretentious. That's a vital skill most people seem to lack ;).
Seriously, I'd still be interested in your thoughts on the valences of these terms---that is, why they're negative or positive, and according to whom.