Give the Devil His Due 

With how many scientists and engineers are in hell, the place probably has air conditioning, a swim up margarita bar, and wifi

No one ever expects the Satanists of Oklahoma.

Allow me to add a joke. An atheist goes to hell. On his descent he thinks "Damn, looks like the religious were right after all...", but he didn't have much time to ponder because just as he hits rock bottom, a tall man arrives in a puff of smoke. "Hello, welcome to hell, me, I'm the devil, this is hell, your room isn't done yet but you can have your welcome drink at the bar where you get directions to the various activities, over there is the tennis court, back there the swimming pool, the spa is round that corner and if you look over there...", the man goes on and on about various anemities and activities and our atheist starts to ponder... hell doesn't seem that bad a place. "But", he interjects as he spots something, "what's behind that grey wall over there?" "Oh that", the devil said, "doesn't concern you". The atheist sprints over to the wall and looks behind it. And goes pale as he sees various people crying and lamenting as they are pushed into pits of molten sulphur, with sub-devils pushing those trying to get out back into the torture pits with pitchforks, throwing glowing coals at the sufferers. "Ah, I see! You show me all that and what I could have had, and THAT is waiting for me, right?" "Oh no", the devil says, "far from it". "Then what is that?" The devil shrugs. "Beats me. I don't really get it myself, but that's the corner for the Christians. They like it that way".

"If you want your life to mean something, try to make someone else's life meaningful" - AronRa. Great quote

"They can't maintain their own delusion if they allow you to question it." Great statement.

"If you want to make your life meaningful? Try making someone else's life meaningful" That is beautiful.

I want to see the Flying Spaghetti Monster monument.

When I started playing D&D in the early 80s, it was in the middle of the "Satanic Panic". My mother decided to play the game with us, just to see what all of the fuss was about. She didn't much like it herself, but she understood why I did. From that point on, she staunchly defended me and my friends from religious family members, friends, coworkers, and even the parents of the friends who played with me. I believe she changed some of their minds and let us continue to play a game that we loved. She often said: "I'd rather have them using their imaginations and playing a harmless game here, than hanging out at the mall." Thanks, mom. :)

If Satan punishes evil people, doesn't that make him a good guy?

At 45 years, I've awakened from my religious coma, feeling sad that I've wasted half my life living in fear and condemnation... Aron Ra and my fellow free thinkers, thank you for real truth!

“God literary doesn’t give a damn what happens to you after you die, because then neither of you exist.” - AronRa

"If you want your life to have meaning, then make someone else's life meaningful." Wow, what a quote!

if satan did exist, he actually helped adam and eve escape mind control.

There is a type of Christian (like my aunt) that define "Satanic" as "Not Directly Christian". So Star Wars, ice cream, Fallout 3, Buddhism, technology, puppy dogs and peace to be satanism. There's no neutrality. "You're either with me, or you're my enemy." My aunt didn't know what Norte Dame was so she assumed it was satanic. I didn't comment.

0:16 "And I know everybody in this room probably knows the whole story but I have to preface it for people who will be watching it on video." Aron cares about us.

The greatest trick God ever pulled was making you believe Satan was the evil one...

I remember when I was at Sunday school the teacher of the class was describing Hell. I commented that there would be a lot of people I know there that I could talk to. He said everyone would be in compartments. I thought, "you just made that up". Which he did.

17:51 - "God can't do anything by himself. He's so pathetic that he needs the aid of superstitious minions who can't even write at the 8th-grade level." Gold!

Aron- "Lilith and Adam were created at the same time, and so were equal. Adam wanted to dominate her. However Lilith knew the secret name of God-" Me: "So she blackmails God, or pulls some mind control magic." Aron-"So she flies out of the garden." So knowing God's name... means flight? And they say atheism makes no sense.

AronRa always does a superlative job of delivering the plain truth in simple terms. It is for this reason that I support him and I would like to see him doing more and more public speaking as well as video productions. He is a champion of reason deserving of the broadest possible support.

I don't believe in your Magic Sky Daddy, why would I believe in your Ground Troll?

A simpler and more fundamental paradox: If Satan is the enemy of God, why would he run Hell, in which he allegedly punishes those who disobey God? Surely he would commend them for doing so, not punish them?

Aron Ra for president.

Ancient Greek historian Polybius 200 b.c. 118 b.c wrote. Since the masses of the people are inconstant, full of unruly desires, passionate, and reckless of consequences, they must be filled with fears to keep them in order. The ancients did well, therefore, to invent gods, and the belief in punishment after death.

When I was in high school, a young girl whom was one of my classmates and I engaged in a conversation. She asked me my thoughts on God. I responded that I did not believe in Christianity, and asked her if she did; as I honestly did not think anyone actually believed in such things at our age. She seemed appalled at my inquiry, accused me of being a devil-worshiper and spread my disbelief to the rest of the school. I was ostracized by my peers, and the facility from that day forth.

I was warned by my friends mum to stop playing Magic the Gathering in the mid 90's because it was satanic. My friend stopped, I kept playing.

"Eternal punishment" is really an oxymoron. Let's say I steal a cookie from the cookie jar. I'm punished by being made to sit on the naughty step and receive a slap on the wrist for my transgression. The whole point of such punishment is that I suffer undesirable consequences for having done the wrong thing and, therefore, will not wish to do the wrong thing again in any hurry, lest reap these undesirable consequences once more. And, yes, we can note that this is essentially Pavlovian training. The slap on the wrist causes pain - but not serious pain, it temporarily smarts a bit - but this makes one mentally associate the transgression with the undesirable consequences of pain. Much like Pavlov's bell would make dogs salivate, as they associated it with being fed, after Pavlov trained them to make this association by ringing the bell before "feeding time". So that the next time you feel like transgressing, this association with the pain you will receive for being caught will make you recoil from committing it. But here's the fundamental problem with the mainstream interpretation of Hell. It's eternal. So there is no "next time". There is no second chance, no rehabilitation. Regret and remorse don't matter as this gig is eternal and you don't ever get out of this never-ending punishment. Eternal punishment is not punishment. It's just sadism, pure and simple. As the punishment achieves no end goal - how can it, as it's to go on forever? It's eternal Pavlovian training - so you will undoubtedly be well trained, but for what, as you never ever leave this training to ever go on to what you're being trained for? So, God roasts all the evil doers forever. But what exactly does that achieve? Indeed, as it's infinite then, by definition, it cannot achieve anything, as it will never ever reach an end state. In our fear of potentially suffering this punishment, we're not asking the really obvious question here. Why bother? What does it achieve? These folks are not going to transgress anymore, as they've been condemned to eternal isolation in their own special realm. Hell is life imprisonment. Well, "death imprisonment", I guess is more accurate, but you know what I mean. They've been banged up in the inescapable cage of Hell for the rest of all time. That'll do it. That'll stop the wrong doers from inflicting their transgressions on anyone else, who're happily sunning it up in the paradisaical plains of Heaven. Job done. So what's the point of all the agonising pain and suffering? It's nothing more than just sadism at this point, surely? Punishments must be finite or, simply, it ain't punishment anymore. It just becomes eternal sadism - no purpose, no end goal, no second chance nor rehabilitation. It's just a never-ending "power trip" for these inexplicably needy beings - whose insecurities and sadism know no bounds, as not even infinite worship - for God - nor inflicting infinite pain - for Satan - is ever good enough to satisfy them, as they demand this for all of the rest of eternity. And still it goes on. Hell makes no sense. And, by extension, how the Hades can Heaven be any better, when you must spend your "eternal bliss" in full and complete knowledge that the other realm exists and, down there, Uncle Billy is being needlessly roasted for all time? Here's the fundamental logical problem - the very entry requirements we're told you need to get into Heaven, as being "a good person", means that there's no way you could suffer knowing that there's billions and billions of souls suffering below you. You're a good person, so there's no way you can just ignore and "tune out" the eternal suffering of infinite souls below you and not care. If you could easily do that, then you ain't so great of a "good person" and wouldn't be let in through the pearly gates by St.Peter for, bluntly, being such a miserable sociopathic cunt. You're clearly not a team player, if this is of no issue to you, so entry to "the giant family" would, indeed, seem like a major mistake for Heaven's social cohesion. Here. I have 72 willing virgins for you. Now, as you spend the rest of eternity seeking sexual gratification - which is totally "mixed messages" on the Pavlovian front as well, as I was instructing you how this was all so terribly wrong when you were alive, but now you get rewarded with it! - just keep that mental image of Uncle Billy burning in eternal torment in your thoughts. Ah, you see. Turns out Heaven is also eternal punishment too. Just of a far more insidious kind. If Hell is the physical torture, then Heaven is mental torture. "Praise the Lord! (Uncle Billy's on fire) Praise the Lord! (Uncle Billy's screaming in agonising pain that'll never end) Praise the Lord! (Billions are suffering infinite pain)" And those nagging thoughts never go away because, of course, Heaven and Hell are eternal. This never stops, this never ends, this never - by definition - achieves anything. Eternal sadism. Some insidious never-ending Chinese Water Torture, tapping away at your soul - be that in Hell or in Heaven, it kind of doesn't matter, as both are working on eroding your soul into nothing, through a death of a thousand cuts. Well, death of an infinity of cuts, in Promethean style, as Hell's fire never actually consumes and Heaven also infinitely restores the boulder to the bottom of the hill again (okay, okay, I'm mixing my mythological metaphors, but you know what I mean). God and Satan are apparently on the same side - and always have been - and, frankly, are just totally and utterly psychopathically insane.

All you need to remember, is, that it wasn't Satan that drowned every living thing on the planet, apart from one single incesteous family, along with their pets.

According to Greek mythology, none of the gods really cared how much you believe in them. And that when you died your ultimate fate (Elysium, Asphodel, Tartarus) would be decided solely by how you lived your life, regardless of if you believe hard enough

"the snake that can not be tamed...." Perhaps it was the snake in Adams pants?

Oklahoma Christians: (makes a statue of the Ten Commandments at the state courthouse) Dakhma of Angra Mainyu: (does the same thing with a statue of Baphomet) Oklahoma Christians: *suprised pickachu meme*

Aron Ra saying, "if you want you're life to mean something? try making someone else's life mean something". that is the most profound quote. I have ever heard for sure.

"He has *_misterious_* ways. Keep *_you're_* family close." _Yup. Shows what kind of people he's messin' with there._

So if I don't advocate for an invisible man living in the sky, I must be an advocate for an invisible man living under the ground; even though my actual position is that none of the invisible men exist?

A friend of mine made this argument If Lucifer is the ultimate deceiver and really wanted to raise hell (pun fully intended) he would create a religion where he was god and was not to be questioned and then create multiple denominations of that religion with slightly different beliefs (sound familiar to anyone?) This is extremely paraphrased the whole argument was even more in-depth then this and it made so much sense

Aron has the talent to explain things so everyone understands.

I always enjoy Aron's breakdowns of other "historical" mythologies that contribute to the bible. It makes sense from a creative standpoint. I always look at movies and games when writing stories, and I believe it's a natural human trait to gain inspiration from outside sources when engaging in artistic practices. Beautiful work, keep it up, Aron!

Those letters from the "true beleivers" (sic) at 17:00 - did anyone else feel a burning desire to go all Grammar Nazi on them?

"If you want your life to mean something, try making someone else's life meaningful."

Wait, so Doom 2016 and Doom eternal wasn’t based on a true story?

Please; the real god of the christian right is the Almighty Dollar

42--of course--the answer to life the universe, and everything.

Heavy Metal Hitch. Love this bloke.

This actually gives me hope for your country. It’s things like this that keeps my faith in people.

The Church of Satan has renounced violence. It would be nice if christianity did the same. No it does not deserve to be capitalized.

15:18 when Aron says “no remorse” i thought the next picture was going to be Metallica’s kill em all

I wish my hair could look that fabulous 😍

"God doesn't care what happens when you die, because then, NEITHER OF YOU EXIST!" Might be the greatest quote about religion.

“The fact is that far more crime and child abuse has been committed by zealots in the name of God, Jesus and Mohammed than has ever been committed in the name of Satan. Many people don’t like that statement, but few can argue with it.” - Carl Sagan That man speaks the TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"You're not immortal! You're not eternal and to believe otherwise is to diminish everything that you really have. Life is precious because it is short and there's nothing after it. There's no destiny and there's no purpose beyond what you give it yourself. If you want your life to mean something, try making someone else's life meaningful." Brilliant words from my favorite atheist

AronRa is one of the best & even most entertaining speakers the secular movement has. I honestly don't think I've seen a presentation of his that was boring.

“If you want your life to mean something, Try making someone else’s life meaningful”.

Outstanding, informative and quite moving. Thank you for your work and for sharing your work with us.

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was helping God's slaves escape the dungeon of Eden. Consequences be damned; he did the right thing, and sacrificed himself for Humanity's freedom. Hail Satan, Lord of Light and bringer of wisdom. `v`

"... and even worse, I played Dungeons and Dragons." ... instant +1. ^^

This is one of Aron's best speeches. Remarkable.

No one expects *_The Satanists of Oklahoma_*

17:05 As usual, christian zealotry goes hand in hand with bad spelling.

There are 7 deadly sins, if I remember correctly. How many is God guilty of? 😁

The flying spaghetti monster exists! aron is the monster and we are his appendages! and his information flies through satellites in the sky. 😅

Instead of church on Sunday listen to AronRa. He truly knows his bible. Hats off to Oklahoma Satanists.

"The power of Jerry compels you". I'm gonna use that the next time a religiolot tries to convert me.

As usual Aron delivers an amazing and interesting speech, while at the same time displaying wisdom and knowledge most people wish they'd have. I definitely need to read up on all these pre-bible myths and religious texts, I'm especially interested in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Personally I think the origins of these religious characters are more interesting than the characters themselves, especially if you're trying to follow the evolution and adaptations of them into new religions. Its also interesting to see the different traits and features of them being transplanted into new religions and myths, especially those that predate judeo-christian religions.

I rewatch/listen to this every once in a while and that last 5 minutes alway gets to me. Not emotionally but philosophically. If there is or is not a god I don't know but you live life to its fullest. Help your neighbors. Do what makes you happy and do not make others unhappy to the best of your ability

*To all the Atheists out there* .... Don't think of these triggered christians as lesser people that deserve *condescending* critiques of their Bronze age magical fairytale beliefs and ignorance. *To the christians out there* ...... "CONDESCENDING" means we talk down to you.

I remember that when the "cabbage patch" doll craze occurred in the 1980s, some people were maintaining that demonic spirits were inhabiting the dolls. The "Chucky" movie, "Child's Play" was a parody that poked fun at this.

If the devil exists at all and an all powerful all knowing God exists, God for his own evil entertainment created the devil and keeps him around.

I know this is really old video but it will always hold true. Very best thing Aron sad if you want to make meaning to life bring meaning to other people's lives help others.

"If you want your life to be meaningful, try making someone else's life meaningful." Truth!

Nobody expects the Satanic Inquestion!

OMG i was so stupid before this video...i always assumed that religion was just some mad ideas people had, but now i realised that it was just mad people who took other mad peoples ideas and changed the story.

This video has SO MUCH GREAT CONTENT!! I wish all churches had this much information to share for people to know about.

i am Christian and i am fully fully fully behind the separation of church and state.

That was soooo goooood. The beginning was like a stand-up routine, the middle was like a ted talk, and the end was like listening to spoken poetry. I was actually laughing so much at the statue story at the beginning that I went downstairs and told my sister and Christian mum about it (luckily they found it funny).

Fantastic! What a gloriously, concise, reasoned and brilliantly honest performance. I salute you sir!

That was one hella stupendous speech that was so beautiful I shed a tear!

"Hell" is one thing I never feared 😂😂😂

Brilliant! Simply brilliant. Very few people can put it as succinctly as Aron Ra. I'm impressed.

A graven image of the 10 Commandments. Face palm.

The panic was such a thing, and it's still on-going, really - Just not as newsworthy anymore. My aunt was taken by cancer when i was young. Very slow departure. Lost most her hair and most her mind. Yet still on her deathbed, she'd handed me her tarot deck, told me she wanted me to have it. I didnt even get to look at them before my parents threw them away. She spent her final days... Well, not quite here. Somewhere else in her head. She was kinda gone already. I dont know if that was a blessing though. I just remember her talking about the little men dancing on her pillow, coughing up blood as the family prayed around her because "she's possessed". I dont really hold them like she did, but i did buy a deck like hers years later. Didnt know her very well but it felt right to have it.

15:50 -- Tbh, Mr Ra, it was your appearance that attracted me when I first found you. I was a "new born" atheist & looking for anything remotely satanic, partly out of intellectual curiosity & partly to freak out my still devout Christian parents. Although you weren't the satanist I was looking for, you were & still are intellectually educational to me. You helped solidify, so to speak, my deconversion. I appreciate you and your content.

This video is old but it summed up a lot of things and Aron was amazing to listen to. The level of education and the fashion in which he articulates the knowledge always keeps my attention. I would love to have his level of knowledge. I'm studying hard so, eventually, I'll get there. Aron and Matt Dillahunty inspire me to learn, to see things as they are and not how one filled with fantastic myths would paint it. Loving every minute of Aron's and Matt's videos when they come out.

Unbelievably honest and brilliant presentation. It was humorous, charming, thought-provoking, sensible, tasteful, responsible and above all honest and respectful. Insightful. Engaging. Intriguing. At the end it delivered one of the most endearing statements I've ever heard: "Learn to live and love life." Well done Aron Ra. You nailed it. :)

Quote of the century "if you want your life to mean something... try making someone else's life meaningful"!!

I am 54, I have been an Atheist since I was 13. I called myself an Atheist from 76.

4:00 No, Lord Ra, you're not entirely correct there. As atheists, we could erect a Flying Spaghetti Monster monument. Pastafarianism was invented for this very purpose.

"Hey come on the devil made me do it, I didn't want him to think I was a chicken"

For me, this is still the funniest lecture he's ever done, with Flintstones Archaeology in a close second.

aron Ra, you are a brilliant light in a dark and confused world.

I want to meet this man so badly or at least sit in on a lecture. He's got it spot on, every word. Keep up the good work man!👍

Honestly, if I got hate mail like that, so poorly written it barely passes the elementary school level, I think I'd laugh more than be intimidated. I dunno if that's because I am not intimidated by such threats or if it's a coping mechanism due to be being really scared, but I'd be far far FAR too tempted to write back to them saying something like: "Perhaps you should pray to your deity for a copy of Hooked on Phonics or even a grammar check on you computer, that way when you write back to me again I will at least be able to take some of your threats seriously rather than laugh as I try to remember I'm reading a letter from an adult rather than a 3rd grader." I know that arguing against someone's grammar rather than what they said isn't exactly the best way to argue with someone, but really, it's hard to take someone seriously when they can't even use the proper version of "your/you're", especially not when they're attempting to intimidate me. I probably wouldn't be any more daunted if the grammar was any better but still, it's too hard to not laugh.

Such a beautiful ending. Almost made my eyes sweat a lil

When in a bad way some years ago, I read the Old Testament. I was appalled by the similarities between Yahweh and Hitler.

"Apistevist=One who rejects faith as unnecessary, unreliable and inherently dishonest" is a great word I shall now dedicate to memory, thanks be to Aaron Ra! :)

Watching this sermon is how I celebrated Easter Sunday, 2020, while quarantined away from Coronavirus. Others should celebrate similarly. Thank you, Ra.

The story of how nergal married ereshkigal is wrong... Just like your description of her and him... If i remember correctly Ereshkigal was trying to trick him into not being able to get out of irkalla... Since if he drank, eat, take a shower, sleep or have sex... He wouldnt be able to leave... So she offered him those... They had sex for 7 days and 6 nights... He sneaked out of the great land... Ereshkigal then told the gods "you either send him back here, or i will let the dead roam the earth... And the dead will outnumber the living" making it the first zombie invasion story in written record...

How can hate mail have any love in it?

As a child, Satan was also the first thing I recall questioning. I heard the story of Job, and I said to my parents, "What if everything bad that happens is just the devil working with God to test us?" And they said, "No, you've misinterpreted the story, that was a one time thing." But that was, to me, a workable solution to this big conundrum about why God allows evil to exist, why he doesn't just smash Satan into bits right now.

Not too shabby it makes sense to me. The book clearly explains it was written by men.

7:56 : The Peace sign being the Norse rune of the harvest is a new one on me. Last I heard, the Peace sign was formed from the semaphore symbols for "N" and "D" -- standing for Nuclear Disarmament. (I.e. it started as an anti-nuclear-weapons symbol.)