# Did your parents tell you Satan was real when you were little? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 10, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993 "2013-12-10T17:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/41 "2013-12-11T01:04:45Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > You mean besides the people who actually believe in that stuff? Even then, it might be better to keep quiet about it. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/42 "2013-12-11T01:31:46Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Even then, it might be better to keep quiet about it. I am a church going agnostic person who tries to follow Christian teachings in the philosophical sense. For a board that is dedicated to fighting ignorance, it still attracts a disproportionate number of people spout off things that they think apply to most people of any religious beliefs (Christianity in particular) when they have no idea what they are talking about. That is unacceptable because it simply isn’t true. You can go to almost any Episcopal, Methodist, Quaker or Unitarian church (I am sure there are others, I just don’t much about them) and all you will get is fellowship, offers for personal help if you need it and virtually no force to believe anything in particular. They have their doors open to anyone in need no questions asked and there are always plenty of volunteers. You won’t hear much about Satan, Hell, eternal damnation or even Heaven for that matter. It is almost all earthly and practical. You can believe in Jesus as a historical figure and a philosopher or the one earthly incarnation of God. You can even not believe at all. It doesn’t matter. It is just a group of people that formed a service congregation based on a loosely shared philosophy. They have saved my sorry ass a few times in real ways and I don’t mean spiritual ones. Who would be against that? There are fundamentalist and evangelical churches out there who take a completely different approach but they are not the majority. I made a hobby of going to as many different ones as I could in high school with friends that belonged to them just to see what they were all about. I did see some strange stuff but the people were generally sincere and kind if not the most intellectually brilliant. Unfortunately, I think those churches are the ones people are using to base their stereotypes on even though they aren’t in the majority even in the U.S. let alone worldwide. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/43 "2013-12-11T02:07:58Z")
I was raised Catholic and taught that God and Satan were real and I believed that they were indeed real. By the time of summer break after my 8th grade year I had become an atheist. I wouldn’t say it diminished my childhood maybe it even enhanced it by making movies like The Exorcist more frightening, I don’t hold on to any anger or resentment over it. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/44 "2013-12-11T02:22:29Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > … > I was raised Catholic and expected to learn and do all the rituals. We didn’t talk about religion much in our house. I think I was expected to learn through osmosis. Or Milton. My mother taught me Lucifer was the Light Bearer, and the favorite of God before his (Lucifer’s) fall. Women have always had a complex relationship with Catholicism. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/45 "2013-12-11T03:05:28Z")
I was brought up by a Catholic and an agnostic. The Pentecostal neighbors were the ones who scared the bejesus out of me with the Satan talk. That knowledge didn’t enrich me whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/46 "2013-12-11T03:35:20Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I’m pretty sure Satan is real. He used to post here, and then was banned…I think. GaWd used to post here too, but he doesn’t even speak to us through his prophets anymore. I can understand why a lot of people don’t believe in GaWd anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/47 "2013-12-11T03:38:14Z")
I was raised to believe that he was real, but it wasn’t really focused on much. I don’t feel that it enriched my childhood, but I don’t really feel it diminished it either. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/48 "2013-12-11T03:38:45Z")
> [@missred](#): > > I was brought up by a Catholic and an agnostic. The Pentecostal neighbors were the ones who scared the bejesus out of me with the Satan talk. That knowledge didn’t enrich me whatsoever. Son, is that you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/49 "2013-12-11T03:40:33Z")
Sadly, I had to wait for Hank Williams III to tell me that [Satan was real](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrUk1ua8ZqI). ---
**Author:** ![scratch\_llll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@scratch\_llll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch_llll)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/50 "2013-12-11T03:41:12Z")
Did somebody call me? I could have sworn… ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/51 "2013-12-11T07:01:17Z")
My parents were church-goers, and I was raised to believe in the reality of bibilical characters. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/52 "2013-12-11T07:02:03Z")
I was raised Jewish, so the only mentions of Satan were from other kids. Actually my father was Satan, but I tried not to believe in him. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/53 "2013-12-11T09:10:32Z")
No, I didn’t hear [Satan Is Real](http://www.allmusic.com/album/satan-is-real-mw0000184474) until I was an adult, but I know I heard some covers of Louvin Brothers songs when I was a child. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/54 "2013-12-11T11:09:32Z")
Yes absolutely we were told he was real and he was the cause of many problems, the worst of which was leading people to not believe in God anymore. Basically I was taught that Satan’s entire operation was just to lead people away from God, trick them into not believing in Him anymore, etc. Not many memories about Satan tempting people with things. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/55 "2013-12-11T13:51:55Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I used to think he was real, but then I found out that he was just a guy dressing up in a red suit every year. > > Wait…was this about Satan or Santa? In Austria, there is little difference. 😃 [http://www.ajc.com/news/news/world/krampus-story-austrias-terrifying-christmas-tradit/ncFSX/](http://www.ajc.com/news/news/world/krampus-story-austrias-terrifying-christmas-tradit/ncFSX/) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/56 "2013-12-11T14:15:43Z")
I was raised Mormon, and they definitely believe in Satan, although no damnation or hell fire. My life was much, much worse off for it, although having an abusive father who was a strict Mormon probably added to it. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/57 "2013-12-11T14:19:43Z")
No. No mention of Satan. It was West Texas, but my father was from California and mother from Arkansas, so mine was not a redneck household, whatever its other faults. We weren’t very religious at all. I recall we tried out different churches – Baptist, Methodist, always Protestant – and I never thought anything about why we kept switching. Then one week, we just slept in instead of going to church and never went again. I was so glad not to be bothered with that crap that I never asked why. It’s like my father just gave up. His siblings, who all stayed in California, were all very religious. Maybe that has something to do with why he left, dunno. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/58 "2013-12-11T19:47:30Z")
I was raised Methodist but we would go to Grandma’s hellfire and brimstone southern Baptist church whenever we were there, which was all too often. Loud, graphic, spittle flinging descriptions of flesh torn from bone and pits of fire for infractions as simple as dancing or disobeying parents. Hell yeah there was a Satan, he is right there on your shoulder and God isn’t going to do a damned thing about it except punish you for all of eternity if you make a mistake. Scared the living shit out of me as a child. ---
**Author:** ![JacksMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@JacksMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacksMom)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/59 "2013-12-11T23:02:02Z")
I was raised Southern Baptist and my family was very involved in church. We were at the church or doing something church-related every day. There was definitely more talk about Satan and God’s wrath and Hell than God’s love. I had a childhood full of night terrors and anxiety attacks, to which they responded to by having me sleep with a bible to keep the devil away. So not helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993/60 "2013-12-16T20:23:31Z")
I grew up attending a Southern Baptist church, but not one of the festering cesspools of hate others seem to be describing. I was taught about Satan in church, along with Jesus and God. Satan never really seemed real to me, but then Jesus and God were rather distant and intangible as well. I can’t say it played a major role in my life. Later, I learned my dad’s ideas on the matter were decidedly less concrete than the standard Southern Baptist fare. My parents were actually fairly liberal in religious ideas, and they didn’t fit in with the standard SB doctrine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-parents-tell-you-satan-was-real-when-you-were-little/675993.md?page=4)