Regarding a Satanist group holding a black mass at Oklahoma City's Civic Center Music Hall
“Even though tickets are being sold for this event as if it were merely some sort of dark entertainment, this satanic ritual is deadly serious,” Coakley wrote.
“I am especially concerned about the dark powers that this satanic worship invites into our community and the spiritual danger that this poses to all who are involved in it, directly or indirectly,” the archbishop said in his letter.
“Since it seems this event will not be canceled,” he said, “I am calling on all Catholics of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City to counteract this challenge to faith and decency through prayer and penance.”
31 comments
Ironically, Satanists don't believe in Satan, most are atheists who have fun at religion's expense. The Oklahoma Satanists have been unusually confrontational. They had that whole Baphomet statue thing and now this. I heard an interview on NPR with another Satanist group's leader who thought what they were doing was inappropriate; that Satanism is a private thing.
You superstitious people are so easy to frighten, I can't really fault a few pranksters for not being able to resist temptation...
BTW, Satanism, as opposed to Satan- Worship, is a philosophical stance.
I wouldn't call this fundie, really. I mean all he did (unless there's more to the story than is conveyed here) was ask his fellow catholics to counter-pray and make amends for their own sins. Of course it's all stupid from an outside perspective but he's not asking his fellow faithful to protest or block the event's entrance or send the attendees hate mail.
Granted that, a few melodramatic teenagers aside, Satanism is atheistic and merely elevates the ideas of spreading knowledge and breaking away from gods entirely but of course most christians aren't going to understand that. They're christian because they worship christ. It's only to be expected that they're going to assume Satanists worship Satan.
This one is a meh. If they want to fight the black mass (which will have no effect on anyone) with prayers (which will have no effect on anyone) then have at it. At least they aren't turning to censorship or, worse, violence. Let them have their magic battle.
I submitted this because all the Catholics around here are in a tizzy over this. Which is probably exactly what the Satanists want. If they'd just ignore it then they'd take all the wind out of the Satanists' sails.
But, freedom of religion bitch. If you're going to be allowed to openly practice your religion, then don't complain with other religions are afforded that same right.
And I think it's fundie because of the belief that the event is inviting "dark powers" into the community... as if Satan couldn't tempt people otherwise, according to their dogma. Basically it's like saying "If you let this happen, the boogeyman is going to get you!" That, and the fact they've made repeated requests to city officials to stop the event.
Satanism covers a spectrum of beliefs, from secular to theistic. There are Satanists who believe humans are Gods, and those who literally put their faith in Satan as deity.
Either way, their ritual is in no way a danger to anyone else, either in that community or anywhere else.
“I am calling on all Catholics of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City to counteract this challenge to faith and decency through prayer and penance.”
Yeh like that's going to keep the lid on the cauldron of evil spirits...
Tell you what, why don't you both take your little pissing contest to it's logical conclusion and have yourselves a little pray off? The Satanists can beseech their unholy master to open the gates of Hell and destroy the Earth while the devout Catholics can beg their own morally ambiguous God for exactly the same thing. First side to bring Hell to Earth (or realize that Hell is the company you keep) wins.
through prayer and penance.
Granted, that is better than threatening violence, bombs, guns, etc.
If the Branch Davidians in Waco had depended on prayer and penance instead of their arsenal, they'd still be around.
You're not supposed to make the Satanists look like the good guys! Oh too late.
What Apatheist said is true. Those nice Catholics (and I was one myself) usually just nod and smile before grabbing some more birth control or helping the "unclean" by doing more than just praying and throwing the bible at them. Which just makes the kerfuffle over this that more hilarious.
the spiritual danger that this poses to all who are involved in it, directly or indirectly,”
More likely he's worried about the very real danger that people will realize his form of mass is no more important than the Satanic one.
Someone obviously doesn't like religious freedom.
@ 1695735:
Only LaVeyan Satanists are atheists. While the majority of us are LaVeyans, they're not the only Satanists out there. I'm a Luciferian and we actually do worship Lucifer as the justified rebel against a tyrannical god.
@ Ebon
If we're talking the Vincent Cheung God here I will fucking convert.
I wasn't kidding when I told him he was the single most potent advertisement for the other team I had ever seen in my life.
I don't really believe in God or the Devil but if someone's going to pull the old "what if you're wrong?" shtick on me I'll follow the less egotistical and/or morally reprehensible one with the least glorified track record of Chronic Backstabbing Disorder. If VC wasn't such a smug prick that would tell him something rather bowel wrenching.
And if I were wrong about the side I picked for all the right reasons then hey, a Just God would laugh it the fuck off and explain the clusterfuck He left for us to sort.
Ebon & Passerby: Considering these dolts don't understand that Satan and Lucifer aren't the same entity, any explanation would be lost on them. Especially considering they're not likely to do any research because learning about other religions is sinful, primarily due to the fact that they fear being pulled away from their own.
Granted, that may be at least a slightly legitimate concern; people who dig into the origins of christianity see it for the plagiarist nonsense it is and either go elsewhere for spiritual fulfillment or abandon religion entirely.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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