Remembering the Satanic Panic - D&D

Dungeons and Dragons was one of the first "satanic" things I learned about and, I must admit, that made me so curious that I was determined I'd check it out at some point. After all, through D&D, we were told that Satan would grant earthly power and magic. It wasn't that I wanted to do evil but that I really wanted to see magic done. Christianity talked about miracles but showed none. I hoped Satan could do better.

Now after 25 years, I consider D&D to be very close to my heart. It's brought me hours of joy and creativity with people I cared for. It gave me a rich, imaginative outlet for my frustration and anger at the real world. It taught me the practical application of probability and helped my math skills. It continues to bring Nathan and me together as we listen to the Forgotten Realms books on audio during our long, nightly drives. Overall, D&D has been a positive influence in my life.

Below are some videos from the 80s and 90s damning D&D as evil and Satanic. You'll likely recognize Bob Larson, Sean Sellers, and others of that day who gain notoriety for their "knowledge" of Satanism and the occult.

The only thing that is true is that D&D can make you turn away from Jehovah. After all, I've been a priestess of Lolth for years. I haven't managed any sacrifices or spells yet but I'm sure that's just a matter of time. (That's supposed to be funny for those who don't know my writing style well.)

This is how Pat Robertson and the 700 Club thought D&D was played:

And a snippet from "Pagan Invasion" here:

And a new clip from a recent Pat Robertson show as featured on Secular Talk's YouTube channel: 

Remembering the Satanic Panic - He Man

Many of us who grew up during the "Satanic Panic" saw everything we loved as children derided, vilified, and condemned as evil. Certain movies were off limits because the local AFA station warned that they contained witchcraft that was cleverly packaged to entice kids. Certain cartoons represented the occult or communism. Certain music encouraged kids to worship the devil and cast spells.

It might be easy to laugh off those days but we still have those people among us: people who burn copies of Harry Potter and demand that schools remove certain books from the library. There was also real damage done to a lot of innocent people who were accused of molesting children and sacrificing them to Satan.

Lest we forget our past, I'd like to present a small series that will remind us just how powerful these fearmongers can be. For today's consumption, I give you: He Man.

From the 1984 hit "Deception of a Generation:"