Talk:Mike Warnke

The truth
I have included comments about my changes to Mike Warnke. The real evidence is out there although it is hard to see in one place I suppose. 64.251.168.209 (talk) 13:12, 17 May 2015 (UTC)
 * The truth is that Warnke's timeline as reported in his books does not work. The truth is that people who knew him during the period when he claimed to be a Satanist high priest say he wasn't. The truth is that he is a great story teller and he crossed the boundary. Walter Görlitz (talk) 14:42, 17 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Isn’t the point, of being in a SECRET satanist cult, to keep it a secret? Being a satanist in the time period he claims, was not a popular or well accepted “religion” operating as “science” like it is in 2023. I imagine secrecy was a top priority until such a time that society was more accepting. 192.24.31.160 (talk) 13:20, 30 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Aside from Warnke being unable to provide any evidence the "secret Satanist cult" he describes actually existed, he's made claims that can be shown to be untrue. Probably the most famous example from the Cornerstone exposé are Warnke describing himself as having had six-inch painted-black fingernails and a head of hair extending to his belt, whereas the exposé showed a photograph of a very normal-looking Warnke during the period in question, with friends interviewed confirming his physical appearance wasn't what he subsequently claimed it was. That's just one example. --Ismail (talk) 11:11, 1 October 2023 (UTC)

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But Mike wasn't an expert on Satanism
The sites I've checked out are pretty upfront that Mike was a fake and a fraud, just no other way to put it. This includes Christian sites, with some members angry at Mike, understandably so, since he lied to them. Now, a couple have said, Christians are the only army who kill their wounded, which is not really strictly true on either count. Plenty of groups have in-fighting. And, Christians are pretty good at forgiving, although they have very high standards.

Plus. ..

It is not our job to just reflect widespread views. Instead, it is our job to use a variety of good references to present what is actually the case. And Mike is not an expert. And yet, we currently say, one of evangelical Christianity's best-known experts. . .  discredited in 1991 by the Christian magazine, Cornerstone. Why do we go through the first part only to take it away? And the article in Cornerstone was '92, although perhaps there were murmurings the year before.

If ever there was a case for scare quotes around expert, this would be it. Although I tend to think we can phrase it better. FriendlyRiverOtter (talk) 17:13, 7 October 2019 (UTC)

Did Mike Warnke actually serve in Vietnam?
If he did, how much of what he says he did and what happened to him in the military is true or false? Bizzybody (talk) 11:03, 17 January 2021 (UTC)
 * The authors of the book Selling Satan note (pp. 119-120) that Warnke served "as a hospital corpsman with a moving combat unit" and that naval records show he was awarded seven medals, notably a Purple Heart and a Combat Action Ribbon. But they also write, "Mike was in Vietnam only six months, an awfully short amount of time to have been involved in the long and gory list of events he later claimed." The book notes Warnke's dubious statements and gives evidence contradicting some of them. --Ismail (talk) 01:47, 18 January 2021 (UTC)

Mike moved to California with his (half) sister not aunt
Been seeing this error for a long time, but did nothing about it. Per "Selling Satan" Mike lived with his aunts before finally moving out to California to live with his half-sister Shirley Schrader who was much older than Mike.

Quoting from the book,  After Al Warnke divorced her mother, Shirley's mom remarried and the family moved to California. It then talks about how Shirley met her father (Al) again after she had turned 30 and her, her husband and son moved back east to work at the truck stop. (pp.26-29 Internet archive). It seems in some people's quest to go on the Warnke which hunt, some facts have been ignored... 50.88.229.139 (talk) 20:58, 10 August 2022 (UTC)

Take another look
I read this book back in the 80s, it was outstanding! If he wasn’t in the satanic church he certainly had a lot of facts about it! One of the specific points I remember the most is (paraphrasing) how the satanic cult planned to infiltrate every social aspect of society; government, health/medical, education, main stream churches, entertainment, etc. so I say again, take another look, because that is EXACTLY what has happened! He’s either the most honest “fraud” or he just made up a bunch of crap that just coincidentally is exactly on point! 192.24.31.160 (talk) 13:11, 30 September 2023 (UTC)