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[Fred Miller]

23 October, 2004, 23:52 GMT 00:52 UK  
British Navy approves first ever Satanist
 
 Mr. Cranmer will be allowed to perform Satanic rituals 
 
 The British Armed Forces has officially recognised its first registered
Satanist, according to a newspaper report. Naval technician Chris Cranmer,
24, has been allowed to register by the captain of HMS Cumberland. 
 
 The move will mean that he will now be allowed to perform Satanic rituals
on board the vessel. According to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Cranmer
realised he was a Satanist nine years ago. 
 
 Religious values 
 
 At the time he stumbled across a copy of the Satanic Bible, written by
Church of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey. He said: "I then read more
and more and came to realise I'd always been a Satanist, just simply never
knew." 
 
 Mr Cranmer, who is from Edinburgh, is now lobbying the Ministry of
Defence to make Satanism a registered religion in the armed forces. 
 
 A spokesman for the Royal Navy said: "We are an equal opportunities
employer and we don't stop anybody from having their own religious
values." 
 
 The Church of Satan was established in San Francisco in 1966.  LaVey was
its high priest until his death in 1997. 
 
 Followers live by the Nine Satanic Statements, which include "Satan
represents indulgence instead of abstinence", "Satan represents vengeance
instead of turning the other cheek" and "Satan represents all of the
so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional
gratification". 

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