Yesterday I viewed the film "Devil Worship: The Rise of Satanism." This film basically discusses how people are attracted to Satanic religions or "cults." It also delves into the effects Satanism has on today's youth, from sacrificing animals to sacrificing humans, and from drug abuse to heavy metal music. It pretty much sounded like an after school special sponsored by the Mormons. I couldn't help but notice that the name of the film company that made the production was called Jeremiah Films. There were also constant references to Jesus as the lord, firmly achoring this cult film in a western religious philosphy.
             All of this aside, I did find the film somewhat intriguing. The hosts distinguish between a good witch, or wicka, and a black witch, or Satanist. They put considerable emphasis on school children listening to heavy metal groups such as Motley Crue and Megadeth. We should keep in mind, however, that this film was made in 1989, and those were the popular and influential rock groups of the time.
             There is also a nice little segment on how to avoid Satanism, in which they have everyone from a priest to a police officer guest-speak. The people most at risk seem always to be young and impressionable.
             The part I found most interesting was where they spoke about the factors that lead people to these Satanic cults. For many former Satan worshipers, these were often sex and drugs. People would recieve free drugs, alcohol and even sex at these meetings, and they would often be unaware of, or unaffected by, the horror of some rituals, such as sacrificing their newborn babies.
             Canabalism, suicide, sacrifice and murder are all practices of the non-traditional Satanist. The non-traditional is the most dangerous of all the "types" of satanists. The film's hosts made a chart of Satan worshipper profiles similar to that of drug abusers, beginning with th...