Criminal Minds

Last night's episode dealt with the agents investigating a so-called "Satanic" crime. On behalf of people waiting to catch the episode during the rerun season, I'll limit my description of the plot. Basically, dead people are found in a forest near a tree where Satanic symbols have been carved. The FBI agents are called in to assist.

I was very pleased to see the agents disabuse the police (and the viewers) of several myths. They described the "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s that spawned a number of urban legends about Satanists sacrificing people, abusing children during rituals, etc. The agents identified these legends as such, explaining that oftentimes the investigators/therapists inadvertently provoked the sort of 'recovered memories' they were looking for. They concluded by stating that there has yet to be a single proven case of Satanic human sacrifice. In contrast, there have been several non-Satanic cults that did perform murders.

Sadly, they did do the usual Satanists ='teenagers listening to heavy metal' bit. Maybe there is a grain of truth in the description; I'm sure that many self-described Satanists fall into this category. At least they didn't do the "Dungeons and Dragons is connected to Satanism" bit.

I found the interview with the leader of the "Satanists" to be the most interesting. He explained that all the word 'satan' means is 'opposer' (or 'enemy'), and that he viewed himself as opposing God, and His religion. He opposed the hypocrisy, the telling people how to live their lives, the restrictions.

He described Satanists as atheists, though, which is inaccurate. In order to oppose something, you generally need to believe it exists. I think mistheist might have been a better term. I notice that his intellectual world view didn't stop him from wearing black mascara, drawing inverted pentagrams, listening to thrash metal, or collecting a group of high school 'followers'. I think there might have a little bit of 'scare the mundanes' in his brand of spirituality, too. ;-)

I realize that Satanism really isn't a 'Pagan' topic, but Pagans do often get lumped in with them as a group. Anything that busts the 'you sacrifice babies, don't you?' mentality helps. I was pleased with the episode, even though they didn't get things 100% right.

Sarah G