postmodern Satanism

Middle Eastern religions: divine omniscience, temptation, covenant,directing world affairs, divine pedagogy, divine commandments,reward for good deeds.2:1 I requite the descendants of Adam, and reward them with variousrewards that I alone know.Comment: According to Yezidi tradition, they were the descendantsof Adam alone, rather than of Adam and Eve.2:2 Moreover, power and dominion over all that is on earth, boththat which is above and that which is beneath, are in my hand.2:3 I do not allow friendly association with other people, nor do Ideprive them that are my own and that obey me of anything that isgood for them.Comment: Here is a twofold theme derived from Judaism: the ideaof being a people separated from the rest of the world by a divinecovenant, and also that by honoring the covenant, mundane rewardswill be bestowed.2:4 I place my affairs in the hands of those whom I have tried andwho are in accord with my desires.Comment: This verse indicates an initiatory sequence of trial andacceptance/rejection. As such, we can see that the religion of theYezidis, though definitely Semitic/Abrahamic in character, also sharessome commonalities with esoteric systems such as Gnosticism andSufism. In fact, Sufism is probably the closest belief-analogue toYezidism, and a proper understanding of the former will cast thesystem of the latter in a more proper light.2:5 I appear in divers manners to those who are faithful and undermy command. I give and take away; I enrich and impoverish; I causeboth happiness and misery.Comment: Here we can discern two connected themes: diversity ofdivine communication, as well as the omni-providence of divinity.Whereas the first of these is rejected by the exoteric “revealedreligions”, who each believe the diversity of theological opinionsignifies the error of the “unbelievers”, the latter of these - theprovidential dual nature of divinity, is common to nearly alldeveloped theologies (for an understanding of this developeddual-theology, see chapter two of this volume), including the religionsof the Far East.2:6 I do all this in keeping with the characteristics of each epoch. Andnone has a right to interfere with my management of affairs.Comment: The first half of this verse exhibits a much more