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I’ve learned over the years that many, if not most people think that anyone in the real vampire community is a Satanist. While some of them are, most of them aren’t. It’s an ugly stereotype perpetuated by uneducated people.
Much the way people often lump Pagans and Satanists in the same category, Vampires and Satanists are being lumped together as well. They are in no way the same thing, and being one does not automatically make you the other, but uneducated people with religious bias keep spreading this ugly misconception.
In a way, I understand why people think all vampires are Satanists. People perceive vampires as evil, and if one is engaging in and professing to be something evil, then they must be worshiping Satan. (Interesting side note; most Satanists don’t actually worship Satan, they believe in self over any deity.) The thing is, Real Living Vampires are no more evil than any other person. They are human, and they are capable of the same greatness and atrocities as any other human.
The truth is, there are vampires who are Satanists, but there are also vampires who are Pagan, Christian, Catholic, Buddhist and a slew of other religions. They’re people, and people believe in a variety of things. It’s been my experience that very few RLVs are Satanists. I’ve found more of them to be Pagan, Spiritualist or Atheist than anything else. Many real life vampires, being something outside of the norm, do explore various religions, and may convert to a different path than that of their families and friends. However, their choices are as widely varied as that of any other subculture group.
Another reason for people assuming that vampires are Satanists stems from the fact that many young people come to a rebellious stage in life, and things like vampirism and Satanism become temporarily alluring. The thing is, these kids are lost and striking out against parents and society, and most of the time they know nothing about the lifestyles they’re playing at. Their spiteful and violent activities done under the guise of being a vampire or Satan worshiper simply make real vampires and Satanists look bad.
Cults are another reason for the stereotype. Cults often use things that will be appealing to lost, scared teens and other people. Vampires and the power of Satan seem wonderful in comparison to their miserable, mundane lives. Unfortunately, we hear more in the media about Satanic and Vampire cults than we do about the real thing, and it makes everyone look bad. The sad truth is that these cults are just using a part of reality in a twisted way to lure the vulnerable into their trap.
People should really do their research when it comes to both real life vampires and Satanists. I have been involved with people of both types, and they were some of the best people I’ve ever encountered. If you didn’t ask what they were, you’d never know that they were any different from anyone else. You could very well work with or live next to a real vampire or Satanist, and you’d never have a clue.
