TEMPLE OF SET STATEMENT FOR THE U.S. ARMED FORCES - as of February 17, XXVI/1991CE The U.S

TEMPLE OF SET STATEMENT FOR THE U.S. ARMED FORCES
- as of February 17, XXVI/1991CE

The U.S. Army publishes a book entitled _DA Pamphlet 165-13:
Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups - A
Handbook for Chaplains_. This book was contracted to/prepared by the
Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR), publishers of
the _Encyclopaedia of American Religion_. The first edition of 165-
13 was published in 1978, and it is presently being revised and
updated by ISAR. Following is the Temple of Set's information as
provided to ISAR for the new edition:


1. NAME OF GROUP:

Temple of Set

2. OTHER NAMES OR DESIGNATIONS BY WHICH THE GROUP IS KNOWN:

Within this religion its principles are termed "Setian", and
individual affiliates are termed "Setians". As the original god Set
was later caricatured as the "Satan" of Judaeo-Christianity,
Christians often interpret this religion as "Satanism" and its
affiliates as "Satanists". Setians accept such labels only to the
extent that the Christian Satan represents certain qualities of
individualism and independence. Setians reject any interpretation of
Satanism that glorifies or promotes evil or destructiveness.

3. ADDRESS:

International & United States Office:

Temple of Set
Post Office Box 470307
San Francisco, CA 94147
Telephone: (415) 771-9155
Electronic Mail: MCI-Mail 314-3953
Telex: 6503143953

Temple offices & officials in other countries may be contacted in
care of the International Office.

4. NAME/TITLE OF CURRENT INTERNATIONAL LEADER:

Michael A. Aquino
High Priest of Set

5. NAME/TITLE OF CURRENT UNITED STATES LEADER:

[Same]

6. MEMBERSHIP:

Not published.

7. HISTORICAL ORIGINS:

Together with the Priesthood of Horus, the original Priesthood of
Set was the most ancient of the Egyptian religious orders, dating
(by surviving predynastic images of Set) to at least 3200 BCE and by
the Egyptians' own astronomically-based records to approximately
5000 BCE. The Setian religion played a prominent role in Egyptian
society throughout its development, to include being the state
religion of the XIX-XX dynasties of the New Empire. It appears to
have been eclipsed approximately 1000 BCE.

Thereafter what may be termed the "Satanic tradition" survived in
successive Western civilizations in the form of philosophies and/or
god-figures focusing on "awareness and activity beyond the natural
order". Such range from the Prometheus of the Hellenes and the
Lucifer of Christianity to the individualistic philosophies of
Pythagoras, Plato, and Nietzsche. The Romantic movement of the 1800s
dramatized the Christian Devil as a heroic, Miltonian symbol, thus
setting the stage for the eventual formation of the Church of Satan
in 1966.

The Temple of Set was founded in 1975 by the international
Priesthood of the Church of Satan to supersede that institution
(whose founder, Anton LaVey, had announced intentions to
commercialize it). Simultaneously the anti-Christian mythology and
orientation of the Church of Satan were discarded in favor of the
completely distinct character of the original Egyptian Priesthood of
Set. The Temple of Set was incorporated as a non-profit church in
California in 1975, and qualified for U.S. federal and state tax-
exempt status that same year.

8. BASIC BELIEFS:

The Temple considers itself to be consecrated by and dedicated to
Set, originally an ancient Egyptian deity. One rival cult, that of
Osiris - whose myths were erroneously assumed to be "pan-Egyptian"
by later civilizations - portrayed Set as the god of evil. Setians
themselves, however, did not then and do not now consider Set an
evil figure, nor consider the Setian religion merely a refutation of
conventional religion.

Setians perceive the universe as a non-conscious but ordered
environment within which Set has, over a period of millennia,
altered the genetic development of at least one form of life to
create a species - humanity - possessing an enhanced, self-conscious
intelligence. The techniques and teachings of the Temple are
designed to identify and develop this higher evolutionary potential
in appropriate individuals.

9. COMMON PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS:

While Setians focus on their own individual capabilities, they are
also expected to have an appreciation of and respect for ethical
behavior, to include the ideals of whatever social group - or
political state - they have chosen to identify themselves with.

In addition to conventional means of influencing the environment
about them, Setians also employ "magic", by which they mean
universal forces and psychological influences generally unknown to
or unrecognized by society. Setian magic is referred to as "Black
Magic" to distinguish it from "White Magic" (invocation of non-
existent forces/influences for purposes of self-delusion). The term
"Black Magic" carries no connotation of evil or destructive
intentions or ends.

10. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:

The individual initiate is the conceptual focus of the Temple, as it
is a device for the interaction of individuals as such. It is not a
"mass" organization. Such structures as it incorporates are merely
to enhance personal opportunities.

The Temple as a California corporation is the property of the
international Priesthood of Set, which delegates governing authority
to the Council of Nine (board of directors). The Council in turn
appoints the High Priest of Set, the Executive Director, and other
officers of the Temple.

The Temple includes a number of Orders, each supervised by a Grand
Master. These Orders may be somewhat likened to the academic
departments of a university, being vehicles for concentration and
cooperation in specialized fields of philosophy and magic.

Setians may also interact in Pylons, which are normally under the
guidance of a Priest or Priestess of Set. Pylons are normally
geographically localized, but also may extend over international
distances.

11. NATURE AND ROLE OF THE MINISTERIAL LEADERSHIP:

The Priesthood of Set is not understood to be a "leadership" or
"pastoral" function in a structural or organizational sense. It is
rather the direct, specific, and willful consecration of a
particular individual by Set himself, formally recognized as such by
the Temple of Set. Each Priest or Priestess of Set thus exercises
the full religious authority of the entire Temple, subject only to
the guidance of the Masters of the Temple. One member of the
Priesthood is determined by the Council of Nine to serve as High
Priest or High Priestess of Set.

The Priesthood of Set is responsible to Set for the care of his
Temple, and for reasonable guidance of and assistance to individuals
who enter the Temple. The Priesthood is also responsible for
dismissing from the Temple any person who cannot or will not uphold
its initiatory or ethical standards.

12. WORSHIP:

There are no regularly-scheduled, group "services" in the Temple.
Nor would individual Setians be comfortable with the term "worship"
- conveying as it does admiration of or devotion to a god or gods
based on fear and faith. What the Setian performs instead are
Workings of "Greater Black Magic" (as distinct from LBM discussed
above), in which the personal consciousness is raised to direct
association with that of Set. Collective GBM Workings involving any
number of Setians may take place over great distances, or at
gatherings called Conclaves.

13. DIETARY STANDARDS:

It is the individual consciousness that is sacred within each
Setian. Therefore any substance which impairs or distorts the
consciousness, such as hallucinogenic drugs or excessive alcohol, is
disapproved of by the Temple. Other than this there are no dietary
guidelines.

14. FUNERAL OR BURIAL PRACTICES:

The center of self-consciousness of each initiated Setian - the _ba_
of the ancient Egyptians - is perceived to separate from the
physical body when that body ceases to be serviceable to it. The
bodily remains themselves are then not considered to be sacred in
any sense, though they may be cared for in any memorial way desired
by the individual and his or her relatives.

The _ba_ itself does not separate from the consciousness of Set, nor
from those of other Setians via GBM Workings. Therefore no
ritualized mourning is necessary. Nor are non-initiates of the
Temple, whether officials of conventional religions or not, able or
expected to perform any ceremony affecting the _ba_.

15. MEDICAL PRACTICES:

The Temple has no prohibitions concerning medical practices save
those that would be offensive to the ethics of the individual
Setian.

16. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

--- a. BELIEFS OR PRACTICES WHICH MIGHT CONFLICT WITH A MEMBER OF
THE GROUP SERVING IN THE MILITARY OR OBEYING AN ORDER OF A DULY-
APPOINTED SUPERIOR:

As an institution the Temple of Set has no policies which in
themselves prohibit or inhibit an individual Setian's national
military service. Mention should again be made, however, of the
Temple's strong emphasis upon individual and social ethics. If a
Setian in the military of any country were given an order which he
or she determined to be unacceptably unethical (not merely
unpleasant or dangerous), the Temple would endorse that Setian's
decision not to comply. The Setian would, of course, be expected to
explain precisely upon what ethical grounds such a refusal appeared
necessary.

This expectation that any ethical refusal be explained is essential.
Merely citing affiliation with the Temple of Set would not suffice.
On the other hand, the mere fact that the Temple of Set did not have
a written prohibition against some specific act would not prevent
the Temple from endorsing a Setian's refusal to perform it if that
refusal were precisely and conscientiously articulated.

--- b. ATTITUDE TOWARDS PACIFISM:

The Temple of Set deplores violence or harm to any living being
unless necessary for personal self-protection or preservation. Where
an individual Setian's service in a national armed force is
concerned, the Temple accepts this as a device for the security of
political states which humanity has not yet outgrown. If a Setian
accepts citizenship in a particular state, then along with that
social contract come certain obligations of citizenship, military
service perhaps among them.

--- c. RECRUITMENT OF NEW MEMBERS:

The Temple of Set considers a metaphysical philosophy to be an
intensely personal decision, and that the Setian state of awareness
and being cannot be "advertised" or "merchandised" in any way. An
individual either inclines to this state or does not. Therefore the
Temple does not "recruit"; rather it simply makes the fact of its
existence known and explains enough about itself when approached to
interest persons with Setian potential and disinterest those without
it.

17. AUTHORIZED CONTACT PERSON:

The Temple of Set does not participate in, or accept representation
by the Corps of Chaplains in any branch of the armed forces of any
nation. Inquiries may be addressed to the Executive Director at the
Temple's office, and will be forwarded as appropriate.

18. BOOK-LENGTH WORKS CONTAINING AN ACCEPTABLE DESCRIPTION OF THE
GROUP:

Annotated reading lists of published works in many categories
relevant to the Temple of Set may be obtained through the Temple
office.