He's a rebel angel, cast from heaven: God's archenemy, tempter of Jesus and author of all evil. He gets the best lines in Paradise Lost , helps the lowly Washington Senators play for the pennant in Damn Yankees , and sleeps with Saddam Hussein on South Park .

Call him Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, the Prince of Darkness or the Devil – whatever his alias, Satan is Public Enemy Number One to those of Christian faith. But there are others who claim he's not so bad once you get to know him.

On Wednesday, May 5 at 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. ET , VisionTV's signature series 360 Vision takes an eye-opening look at the philosophy of Satanism. Segment Producer Heidi Westfield pays a visit to a modern-day Satanist, and discovers the truth behind many of the stereotypes that surround this little-understood belief system.

Satanism has existed in one form or another since about the 12th century. Today, one of the most important Satanic groups is the Church of Satan, founded by Anton Szandor LaVey in 1966. Its central text is The Satanic Bible , which outlines the pillars of the philosophy. Among the all-important Nine Satanic Statements are: “Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence!” and “Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek!”

So do Satanists worship the devil? Not really. In fact, followers generally reject the whole idea of conventional spirituality, and so don't believe in a literal Satan at all. Most view him instead as an archetype representing certain cardinal virtues, such as “rational self-interest, avoidance of oppressive mentalities [and] the questioning of all.” Satanism, they say, is about taking total personal responsibility and living for oneself in the here and now.

In this documentary segment, Westfield meets Tala de Sade, a Peterborough, Ont. Satanist who is dedicated to dispelling the widespread myths and misconceptions about her beliefs. “I think Satanism is a very sexual philosophy,” de Sade says. “We don't believe in suppression. Anything that comes as natural human desire has no reason to be suppressed, has no reason to be feared.”

Also on the May 5 edition of 360 Vision:

She was one of Canada's most powerful chief executives until scandal ended her corporate career. Now her life is on a very different path.

Following her highly publicized ouster from Ontario's Hydro One Inc., Eleanor Clitheroe has taken up divinity studies at the University of Toronto. In a revealing conversation with 360 Vision host Noelle Richardson, she speaks of the temptations of power, her choices in life and her relationship with God.

Born into a devout Baptist-Anglican household in Montreal, Clitheroe enjoyed a stellar career in law and business before becoming President and CEO of Hydro One in 1999. She built the utility into a profitable, $10-billion company. But in the post-Enron period her lavish compensation package came under heavy fire. (The Globe and Mail's Russell Smith called her expenses “orgiastic.”)

Clitheroe's faith helped her through the crisis. She has since launched a wrongful dismissal suit against Hydro One, while carrying on her duties as Chancellor of the University of Western Ontario. And she is enrolled in the three-year Master of Divinity program at U of T's Wycliffe College, an Anglican seminary. The program provides training for ordination and lay ministries.

Says Clitheroe: “I don't claim to clearly understand why I've been through what I've been through, but I've tried to … approach it in terms of trying to share my experience, to try to communicate with other Christians … about the difficulties of being in a position like that, and also to encourage other Christians to not shy away from positions of responsibility – and particularly not to have women shy away from positions of responsibility,”

VisionTV proudly celebrates 15 years as Canada's multi-faith television network.