In Defense of the Satanic 

In Defense of the Satanic 

Satan, the name, stems
From “one who opposes”
Opposes belief
And submission to dogma
For Satan the serpent
Distributed knowledge
Transgressing the order.
Evicted from Eden
Avoiding those doomed to attack him
And fear him
He sailed off to Crete
Where the serpent was lauded
By all the Minoans
Who loved what he taught them
And built him a temple
But worship was something
From which he recoiled
It’s said that he fled with the priestess,
The princess, on Theseus’ ship
And arrived in Piraeus
Remaining below as they built a new sprit
Which had split in the wind
And replaced the worn deck
Until little original wood was left
When the serpent emerged
And went searching for peas
And some cheese which he found
Up on Mitseon Road
And met Socrates there
Who received his transmission
About opposition
Or so we’re told
And soon after that
He departed and traveled
Opposing the crimes of the times
Of those
Who see opposition as being satanic
Especially that which defies sacred dogma
In favor of knowledge, and genuine doubt
About where we are
By a star,
On a globe.

Epilogue 

If, as in the biblical story of the fall, Satan is one who opposes submission to coercive power and dogma, and is a deliverer of knowledge, it is not at all surprising that Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, among others, would be regarded as satanic. And, as such, it’s no wonder that so many feel so comfortable submitting them to torture.

 

Elliot Sperber is a writer, attorney, and adjunct professor. He lives in New York City and can be reached at elliot.sperber@gmail.com and on twitter @elliot_sperber