 The Satanic Bible has also received a large amount of criticism from people and organizations who find its content to be dangerous . Much of this criticism came during the period of " Satanic panic , " when Satanic ritual abuse was feared to be epidemic . Much of this media coverage , however , has been denounced as " uncritical and sensationalized . " Tom Harpur condemns the book as " blasphemous " and " socially seditious , " and blames it for causing an increase in gruesome violence , ritual abuse , and other obscene acts . Critics have also accused The Satanic Bible of encouraging violence and murder , particularly in young people considered to be impressionable . Dawn Perlmutter criticizes it for providing adolescents with bad messages and messages that can be easily misinterpreted . Possession of The Satanic Bible has been used by some studies to identify adolescents who are antisocial , and some warn that possession of the book is a warning sign of emotional issues . The Council on Mind Abuse took a very negative view of The Satanic Bible . Former Executive Director Rob Tucker warned parents to look for The Satanic Bible in their children 's bedrooms , saying , " You have to help the child fight this obsession like any other addiction " and " It 's like giving drugs to a kid who is already on the edge . " Attempts to ban the book from schools and public libraries have been made in various places around the world , and bans or limitations on the book in prisons have been repeatedly challenged in court . However , opposition to The Satanic Bible has rarely led to its removal ; these bans are rare . The book was banned in South Africa from 1973 to 1993 . 
