Baphomet

Okay we know Anton Levay used the image of Baphomet as a symbol of the "Church of Satan" but its also seen by Christians as the Devil and some people who believes in the left handed path will use him as a symbol unto Lucifer but not in a bad way.
Any Pagan can tell you Baphomet is the sexual deity of fertility and the beginning of spring and rebirth.
Do you think its possible that the Christians has it completely wrong? that the church tried to blot out Baphomet like they did many holidays and rituals and basically turned him into the enemy of God?.
Also if that's the case why has the slander lasted so many years and why do many Christians don't even want to consider Baphomet being nothing more then the enemy? Why does Baphomet's image conjure so much fears to some?
Thank you I look forward to your responses on this subject.

Any Pagan can tell you Baphomet is the sexual deity of fertility and the beginning of spring and rebirth? Huh? I don't know of ANY Pagan that regards Baphomet as a deity to begin with. It's my understanding that this icon was originally fabricated by the Church as a "pagan" deity to more solidly make their case that Paganism = Satanic. I've never heard of anyone regarding this figure as a legitimate Pagan deity, much less paying it honor and reverence through worship. You've kind of lost me at this point.

For your consideration.

Baphomet (English pronunciation: /ˈbæfɵmɛt/, from medieval Latin Baphometh, baffometi, Occitan Bafometz) is an imagined pagan deity (i.e., a product of Christian folklore concerning pagans), revived in the 19th century as a figure of occultism and Satanism.

Originally Posted by Quintessence

Any Pagan can tell you Baphomet is the sexual deity of fertility and the beginning of spring and rebirth? Huh? I don't know of ANY Pagan that regards Baphomet as a deity to begin with. It's my understanding that this icon was originally fabricated by the Church as a "pagan" deity to more solidly make their case that Paganism = Satanic. I've never heard of anyone regarding this figure as a legitimate Pagan deity, much less paying it honor and reverence through worship. You've kind of lost me at this point.

For your consideration.

My thoughts exactly. The Baphomet has much more to do with Medieval quasi-Christian occultism and romance than with any kind of actual pre-Christian pagan deities.

Originally Posted by Quintessence

Any Pagan can tell you Baphomet is the sexual deity of fertility and the beginning of spring and rebirth? Huh? I don't know of ANY Pagan that regards Baphomet as a deity to begin with. It's my understanding that this icon was originally fabricated by the Church as a "pagan" deity to more solidly make their case that Paganism = Satanic. I've never heard of anyone regarding this figure as a legitimate Pagan deity, much less paying it honor and reverence through worship. You've kind of lost me at this point.

For your consideration.

I see him as a deity but to each there own. But the thread was mostly about why Christians see this image as evil. I see him as a demi deity of rebirth of nature plants animals and spring. Not a "devil" .. What I meant by any pagan is that anyone of us dont see this image as the devil I might have worded it better but I am sure you understand.

[Morpheus]

How is the devil typically imaged and depicted?

Well, there are the horns... there is, the cloven hoof...
A goat, (with the Biblical reference to being rebelliant,and troublesome)...perhaps even as a swine.

Also. in popular culture, as a human with any or all of these desgnations, and, one who is sensual, and immersed in the material, and, in opulence? Obsessed with power and control, also?

We've all probably seen the depiction of a devil one one shoulder of an individual, and an angel on the other?

It becomes apparent the Ego in the physical and organic realm is to be equated with the devil, and, as related to the "Survival Instinct" of the same.
Not just in evolved Humanity. But in all the organic realm.

Do we see Ego in the savage and wild beast as related also to the survival instinct? Of course we do.
In the insect, of course...
Involving reproductivity, sex, territory, food, etc.

Humanity has this lower carnal, and evolved organic aspect, in a "construct" of "Space/time", and but also a higher and true aspect, regarding that which is apart from time and space, involving the Spirit, or, the,"Angelic".


One path leads downward. The other involves transcendence and,
Eternal Life.

http://www.angelsghosts.com/angels_what_are_they.html

Originally Posted by Morpheus

How is the devil typically imaged and depicted?

Do we see Ego in the savage and wild beast as related also to the survival instinct? Of course we do.
In the insect, of course...
Involving reproductivity, sex, territory, food, etc.

Humanity has this lower carnal, and evolved organic aspect, in a "construct" of "Space/time", and but also a higher and true aspect, regarding that which is apart from time and space, involving the Spirit, or, the,"Angelic".

One path leads downward. The other involves transcendence and,
Eternal Life.

IMO, many people Christian, Pagan, or Other tend to demonize those aspects of our nature, hence they are perceived as "bad" whether that takes the form of a Devil, a Sex deity, or a Personal Shadow.

Also, IMO transcendence can be reached through the carnal and organic aspects.

Originally Posted by Morpheus

How is the devil typically imaged and depicted?

Well, there are the horns... there is, the cloven hoof...
A goat, (with the Biblical reference to being rebelliant,and troublesome)...perhaps even as a swine.

Also. in popular culture, as a human with any or all of these desgnations, and, one who is sensual, and immersed in the material, and, in opulence? Obsessed with power and control, also?

We've all probably seen the depiction of a devil one one shoulder of an individual, and an angel on the other?

It becomes apparent the Ego in the physical and organic realm is to be equated with the devil, and, as related to the "Survival Instinct" of the same.
Not just in evolved Humanity. But in all the organic realm.

Do we see Ego in the savage and wild beast as related also to the survival instinct? Of course we do.
In the insect, of course...
Involving reproductivity, sex, territory, food, etc.

Humanity has this lower carnal, and evolved organic aspect, in a "construct" of "Space/time", and but also a higher and true aspect, regarding that which is apart from time and space, involving the Spirit, or, the,"Angelic".


One path leads downward. The other involves transcendence and,
Eternal Life.

http://www.angelsghosts.com/angels_what_are_they.html

Yes sweety but they got the image from Baphomet not the other way around.

Originally Posted by Occultist

I see him as a deity but to each there own. But the thread was mostly about why Christians see this image as evil. I see him as a demi deity of rebirth of nature plants animals and spring. Not a "devil" .. What I meant by any pagan is that anyone of us dont see this image as the devil I might have worded it better but I am sure you understand.

Ah, okay. Thanks for clarifying. In my mind, there is no place the divine is not so Baphomet can rightly be viewed as a deity, but I've not run into folks who give this figure a place in their personal practices. Now I know better!

I haven't really given the figure much thought, so I'm not sure what else of contemplative use I can contribute to the thread.

Shouldnt anton levay of known better? lol

I swear I get visons of these sort of images, the devil, baphomet, etc.

Generally speaking --
Christianity: Horns = Devil
Christianity: Devil= Big, scary evil, beastie (generally advocates sex as sin)

Pagan: Horns= Horned God (generally advocates sex as celebration)
Pagan: Devil= ????

Smush them together... and, Poof! You've got that cute little dude with the cool name.

Early Christianity tended to demonize a LOT of things, not just pagan gods. It also had whimsical interpretations... when it didn't outright make stuff up. And Anton LaVey had whimsical interpretations... when he didn't outright make stuff up. Still along with the bits of badness that some people take from them, there is merit to christianity, paganism, satanism... so on and so forth.