Satanist Murders?

[Giraffe107]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/632719/satanists-initiated-new-recruit-during-killings
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1056029/Satan-worshippers-kill-eat-Russian-teenagers-stabbing-666-times.html

Allegedly four teenagers were murdered in Russia as part of a satanic ritual initiating a new recruit. However, as this appeared in the Daily Mail I'm a little sceptical- I can't seem to find an original source (probably there's something in Russian).

Any thoughts? Is this genuine? Is it true satanism or just some psychopaths imitating satanism?

[The_Fire]

I vote for option 2.

[Bikewer]

I recall the flap that rose years ago over "Ritualistic Satanic" activities. On the basis of a couple of entirely unsupported books, as well as lurid tales from obviously-disturbed individuals who claimed they had been the victims of "Satanic abuse", there was a mini-panic which at it's height had people believing that hundreds of thousands of people were being abducted and "sacrificed" on a yearly basis, and that thousands of babies born to cult members were also being ritually sacrificed.
Books were written, "victims" appeared on talk shows, "therapists" related in loving detail the horrid things that had been done to their patients, and law enforcement (including me) were subjected to training to enable us to spot the signs of "Satanic activity".

All utter nonsense, of course. The FBI issued a formal statement indicating that several years of research had failed to produce a single case. No bodies, no victims, nothing.
The "victims" were victims of unscrupulous "therapists" who literally in some cases implanted memories of this abuse.
All well written up in the skeptical press; the Skeptical Inquirer had a number of good articles.

Occasionally, the activities of nutty drug-fueled idiots will be described as Satanic because one of them was found wearing a pentagram T-shirt or there's a ratty old goat head in the apartment.

[Cainkane1]

I guess a group of nuts could put on black robes and kidnap someone and kill them. Stranger things have happened.

[RobRoy]

This has always interested me, given that people are capable of believing, well, anything. But there are no instances of actual "Satanic" ritual murders or sacrifices. Yet, human history is rife with blood sacrifices top all kinds of dieties.

Is it possible that there are Satanist ritual blood sacrifices, but they're covering their crimes very well? Or are Satanist just a figment of a Christian us-versus-them mentality?

[moon1969]

I believe that is called Satanic ritual abuse. Many satanists are good and nice people.

[Bikewer]

Depends on your definition of Satanist, I suppose. The thing started by party-boy Anton Sandor LaVey was obviously a tongue-in-cheek sendup of traditional religious values.

No doubt there are a few disturbed individuals who think that they actually worship Satan in some way. If Satan really looks anything like Elizabeth Hurley, I'd sign up....

[Nogbad]

People kill each other for all sorts of reasons so I dare say there must be people who kill in the belief that it will please something or other out there (although why escapes me) such individuals as come to light rarely if ever look desperately rewarded for their efforts.

Human sacrifice has been a feature of societies all around the world through history sometimes it was a great honour to be chosen other times it was a major bummer.

I do not believe there is any religious organisation in this though. Just crackpots drawing upside down pentagrams /and/or crosses and going a bit psycho.

[Ron_Tomkins]

Any thoughts? Is this genuine? Is it true satanism or just some psychopaths imitating satanism?

Genuine or not, it's pointless insane BS.