Talk:Satanic ritual abuse/Definition

Corrections; CZ format and neutral language

Both for CZ style and neutrality reasons, I replaced the previous text,

Satanic ritual abuse (SRA) is the use of rituals used to prolonged the extreme, sadistic abuse usually of children normally in a group setting.

First, CZ definitions do not repeat the title of the article.

Second, the definition, as it stood, was of generic child abuse, with nothing whatsoever linking it to Satanism. In looking at some contemporary Satanic writings, a case could be made for nonconsensual ritual, but at least some Satanic writers emphasize that the goal is to make the Satanists more powerful. Various kinds of ritual magic, involving power transfer, involve taking it from the powerful; the sacrifice, sometimes voluntary, of kings was a repetitive pattern reported by Frazer. Children, by definition, lack power, which would suggest that ritual abuse for purposes of power transfer makes no sense.

The previous definition used "extreme" and "sadism". Extreme needs some referent, and sadism is a specific term. Is there evidence that Satanism is directly coupled with the infliction of pain for individual sexual gratification?

If one wants to define "sadistic ritual abuse", the earlier definition might fit, once edited to CZ style. As written, however, it conflated the emotional topics of child abuse and sadism without any clear linkage to Satanism. Howard C. Berkowitz 22:01, 22 March 2009 (UTC)