A Lake Elsinore couple hasn’t let their vastly different religious beliefs get in the way of raising a family and building a future.

She’s a Christian. He’s a Satanist. But Jeff and Lee Ann Lieberman say their unconditional love trumps their religious differences.

They met through mutual friends. He lived near her, and they talked and planned to meet at a fall celebration.

"We made plans for him to come over for a Halloween party," Lee Ann, 26, said during a recent interview. "Jeff came over, and we have been together ever since. The third day that we were hanging out he told me that he was Satanic. I said I was Christian, and we moved on to talk about other things."

The couple has been together for eight years. They have been married seven years, and have four children who range in age from 2 months to 5 years. Two dogs, two hamsters and eight fish blend in around the edges.

Proud to be a family man, Jeff said he’s grateful for the religious freedom he has in his household.

"I try to respect my wife enough not to do my satanic things in front of her," he said.

His Satanic "things" include writing death metal music along the lines of Gwar, a famous band in that genre. He makes music under the name Fleshbeast. Jeff has turned an extra room on the side of their house into a soundproof studio and private sanctuary.

There are few opposites that have existed throughout written history that are as prominent as God and Satan.

Satan first appeared in the Hebrew Bible as a fallen angel who challenged the religious faith of humans. Satan is scattered throughout Scripture, appearing before Eve in the form of a snake in the Garden of Eden and before Christ as he fasted in the wilderness.

Like many couples, the Liebermans squabble from time to time. But "when it comes down to it, we are both peaceful, loving people who care a lot about each other, so we don’t let religion get in the way of our feelings for each other," Jeff Lieberman said.

He said that not subjecting his family to any religious influence helps keep them stitched together. He said he will never force his beliefs on his children, and wants them to grow up and decide for themselves if Satanism, Christianity or another religion is right for them. He said he will support their decisions.

An Episcopalian priest who serves as a liaison with other faiths for the San Diego diocese, which serves about 50 congregations as far north as Lake Elsinore, said he had not previously heard of a couple with such diverse religious beliefs.

"It’s very interesting," said the Rev. Canon Wayne F. Sanders, who is the priest in charge of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Fallbrook. He applauded the couple’s decision to not impose their faiths upon each other and to let their children decide for themselves.

"God knows," Sanders said in a separate interview. "We don’t know. God will judge. Man shouldn’t judge."

Jeff Lieberman said many misconceptions surround his beliefs.

He said the common stereotype portrays Satanists as profane, blood-drinking fiends who engage in orgies and perform animal sacrifices.

"The Satanists who mutilate animals and hurt innocent people are a bunch of scumbags looking for something or someone to put blame upon for their own sick actions," he said. "Satanism is about individuality, compassion and respect, common courtesy, and living life the best way that you see fit to live it, without breaking any laws or hurting anyone."

He challenges Christians, Catholics and members of religious denominations to examine Satanism. The Satanic Bible can be found in many local bookstores and is available in the Riverside County library system.

"I’ve never known a religious person who had a negative opinion about Satanism to ever read up on it," Jeff said. "If you study what it’s truly about, then you have a right to preach for or against it."

Jeff said he was introduced to Satanism when he was 12 years old.

"I was still very young, and curious about life like most average teenagers," he said. "I was given a copy of the Satanic Bible by a close friend."

He thumbed through the book casually. At that time, it didn’t spark a strong interest.

"One day when I was 17, I decided to give it a read," he said.

The Satanic Bible was written in 1969 by Advertisement

Mountainview Small Animal Hospital Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan, an organization dedicated to the carnal self that began three years earlier. Sanders said he knew LaVey’s son and helped steer him toward Christianity.

LaVey, who did not worship the Devil or other evil entities, was often asked, "Why use the word ‘Satan’ in describing your religion? Why not call it humanism?" Like Satanism, humanism is a human-centered philosophy that upholds reason, ethics and justice and rejects, supernaturalism, pseudoscience and superstition.

Satanists are described by the Church of Satan as those who "find more strength in images of defiance, fortitude against all odds and self-determination than we do in the image of the guy hanging on the cross."

Peter Gilmore, the Church of Satan’s high priest, elaborated in "The Satanic Scriptures" section of the book "Satanism: The Feared Religion."

Gilmore wrote, "There are no elements of devil worship in the Church of Satan. Such practices are looked upon as being Christian heresies. Believing in the Christian world-view of God vs. the Devil and choosing to side with the Prince of Darkness is pointless to the Satanist as neither exists. Satan is not a conscious entity to be worshipped, but rather it is a name for the reservoir of power inside each human to be tapped at will."

Jeff Lieberman said he is a member of the Church of Satan, but he doesn’t congregate with other Satanists. He does not know many other Satanists in the Lake Elsinore area. He said he has one friend who shares his beliefs, but he does not talk or hang out with him very much as Lieberman is more involved with family activities.

"The Satanic Bible is meant to be a guide to teach you how to be a creative person in your own lifestyle," said Lieberman. "It’s not a book to live by word for word. It’s an example of how to see yourself as the ‘god’ of your own life."

Years ago, he tried out for a vocalist position in the famous metal band Slipknot. He wasn’t familiar with the group at the time. The group is known for wearing dramatic masks during its stage act. At first, Jeff felt they were insincere because they hid their faces behind masks. He didn’t get the vocalist job, but he has since become a fan.

"I got into their music later rather than what they looked like," he said.

On his MySpace page where he promotes Fleshbeast, Jeff has photos of himself wearing a black hooded cloak and silver mask. But he’s not reluctant to remove the mask for the world to see.

In his youth, Jeff claimed to be a professional skateboarder for 10 years. These days, he hopes to continue what he calls his dream job of being a machinist. But due to work-related injuries to his neck and back, he has been unemployed for the past two years.

"I’ve had a doctor tell me the surgery that would help me is life-threatening," Jeff said. "Then, I had a second doctor say that (other) doctor was crazy."

Jeff said he is in the process of figuring out the correct treatment for his health problems. But he doesn’t know which doctor, if any, to trust.

Lee Ann, who is not a member of any particular church, sticks to her Christian beliefs with strong conviction. She also stands firmly by her husband’s side even though some members of her family have expressed concerns over his religious choice.

"My brother is a little iffy about it, but he doesn’t let it bother him because he sees that Jeff does not push me or the kids to believe in what he does," she added. "But, my sister-in-law has gotten to the point where she does not want Jeff to come around her daughters’ birthday parties and things like that."

Lee Ann said it takes true love to make their marriage work.

"I am able to express my beliefs to Jeff just like he is able to do in front of me," Lee Ann said. "The Bible says the Lord will be the only one to do the judging. So, in a sense, every one of those people out there who judges my husband and feels that he is a bad person and is sinning needs to look in the mirror and realize they will be going to the same place that they wish on him."

Assistant editor Ashley Cook contributed to this story.