A lot of people ask me how I raised my girls in matters of the spirit. What they're really asking me is if I raised my daughters to be Satanists. The thought of passing on the black arts has a tabloid quality to it, I realize. But that's not how it goes, at least not in this family.

Satanism is a philosophy of the self. One must come to it uncoerced and unforced. In other words, no, I didn't raise my daughters to be Satanists. How could I choose their paths for them? I had no business saying that my babies were going to be dedicated to the Satanic way even before they had uttered their first word.

So how did I raise my girls? To be as open-minded as possible, and accept that all paths are valid to the people who believe in them. I told them that when they were old enough, they could select a path, and that I would support them in their choice. If my girls had chosen to become nuns because that was their calling, I would not have argued.

That's not what happened, of course. I can only imagine that it must be difficult to grow up in a spritually open household and then choose a path which would be restrictive.

What's important is not that we impart a strict philosophy on our children, but that we teach them to be decent human beings. We don't teach right from wrong so much as how to weigh the consequences of one action versus another. I'm proud of my girls. They've always been upstanding in our community, caring and compassionate. I don't think philosophy makes one decent. I think it is partially upbringing, and partially innate.

Speaking to other parents who are Satanists, I encourage them to be open about their path but not coercive. Let your kids learn about the world and the universe and the many ways that exist to reconcile the two in thought and deed.