I don’t believe for a second…

…that Zachary King was a “satanist high wizard”.

Sorry, but I just don’t buy such claims without firm documentation. I hail from the world of Evangelicalism and I remember the career of Mike Warnke, which you can read all about here:

I also hail from the Catholic world and I remember the credulity with which the fabulisms of John Corapi, massive liar, were defended.

There is a streak of popular piety that loves to credit tales of lurid sin and dramatic conversions. Some of these tales are true, to be sure. But a lot of them are bushwah. And when those tales reinforce culture war narratives while telling the faithful “You were so right and They are so wrong and evil” be very cautious and demand copious documentation. Con men tell you what your itching ears long to hear.

I don’t buy this guy’s stories of occult sacrifice of the unborn. They tell a tale culture warriors desperately want to hear about themselves and their enemies. I don’t buy claims of “high priest’s” for the same reason I don’t buy supposed tales of reincarnation since the Reincarnated One was always an “Egyptian princess” or “warrior king” and never a peasant who died of toothache at 17 after a brief life of back-breaking labor on the Russian steppes. Why is every single “former satanist” a “high wizard” or “high priest”? Are there no satanists who are just laymen and accountants?

If I could have God grant just one prayer for the American Church, it would be for Catholics to learn from the credulity of the Satanic Panics of Evangelicals in the 80s and 90s instead of imitating them. Practice the prayer “Documentation please?” when this sketchy stuff is drawing crowds and don’t turn guys like this into Folk Heroes and Experts without making *certain* of their bona fides. It will likely end in tears.

Could I be wrong? Of course. But… documentation, please? Proof. Evidence beyond this guy’s word and the word of people he has managed to convince of his yarn. Let’s see it.