In the state which has become the latest battleground in the Religious Right’s ongoing effort to remake the country into a fierce Christian theocracy — as I’ve blogged a number of times already — a group of Satanists held a convocation. And some Christians in the Sooner State (and elsewhere) were downright furious about it, as the Oklahoman reports (WebCite cached article):
A Satanist organization held its much-talked-about public event at the Civic Center Music Hall on Thursday as a crowd of Christians from various faith communities prayed outside the building.
About 45 people attended the Church of the IV Crown Princes’ “satanic exorcism.”
Oklahoma City police Lt. Stuart May said he estimated that 75 to 80 people gathered outside the building.
So the protestors almost doubled the participants. Also of note:
The crowd outside came from diverse faith communities, including Roman Catholic, Baptist and full gospel. Several Christians said they came from other states such as Kansas, Texas and Arkansas to pray for the souls of those attending the Satanists’ event and for Oklahoma City as a whole.
It’s remarkable how the presence in Oklahoma City of a few dozen Satanists seems to have forced all these good, devout Christians to set aside all their differences and work together to interfere with their event. How nice of them.
As for the Satanists themselves, I’m not sure how serious their ceremony was, and not only because the name of their organization is “the Church of the IV Crown Princes”:
A heavy-metal band performed for about 45 minutes in the Civic Center’s CitySpace area where the event was held. When the band finished, [James] Hale and a handful of other people went to the center of the stage area and surrounded a large table. Hale told the audience that they would witness a ritual “blasphemy” taken from the Roman Catholic rite of exorcism.
He told the crowd that their parents probably gave them information about religion when they were younger, “but it’s good to get rid of that old garbage that they pumped into you.”
Hale told the audience that they were about to be part of a participatory ritual and warned Christians who may have been attending for educational purposes that they would need to be careful during a certain segment invoking Satan because it was unforgivable to do so according to Christian beliefs.
The lights were lowered, and a spotlight shone on the table.
The scent of incense filled the room and a soundtrack featuring cymbals and heavy-metal music played softly as people in the audience looked on intently.
A woman laid on the table, and Hale and six other Church of the IV Crown Princes members, some garbed in black robes, gathered around her and invoked the name of Satan and demons to exorcise Christianity and religion out of her.
“Depart forth in fear from this soul who seeks enlightenment from Hell’s power,” Hale said.
As one member of the group chanted “Come out Yahweh! Come out Jesus Christ! … Come out, oh foul holy spook!,” other members said “Satan compels you!”
At the end of the ritual, a gong on the table was sounded, and the woman lying on the table sat up, smiled and shouted “Hail Satan!”
I don’t know about you, but this is not the sort of bone-chilling blood-curdling rite one might expect from “Satanists.” It seems more of a mockery of Christianity than anything else, and not a serious effort to “worship” a being known as “Satan.”
The protesting Christians appear blissfully unaware that, perhaps, a joke was being played on them:
Controversy arose in September when the public learned that the Satanist group had leased the Civic Center for the event.
At least two church groups obtained permits to hold prayer activities outside the building as the Satanist group gathered.
Velma Brandt, 58, of Edmond, said she was a local member of the national laypeople’s group America Needs Fatima. She and other members of the group, from places like Topeka, Kan., and Fort Worth, Texas, prayed the rosary at the time of the Satanists’ presentation.
“This is a Christian nation founded on Christian principles,” Brandt said.
“I think this (Satanist gathering) is sad.”
Yeah, that “Christian nation” bullshit again. All I can say to Ms Brandt — and the rest of her ilk — is, if you want this cold-hearted, cynical, god-hating agnostic heathen to become a Christian … well … you’re just going to have to make me. Go ahead. I dare you.
Unfortunately, that’s not the end of the whining that the Oklahoman reports:
Francis Slobodnik, a member of America Needs Fatima from Topeka, Kan., said he traveled to Oklahoma City to lift the city up in prayer.
“I’m a Roman Catholic, and my religious faith is most important to me. Lucifer is the exact opposite of God. God is good. Lucifer is evil,” Slobodnik said. “We were horrified about this, and we thought we needed to do something, to take a stand for God and for His right.”
I’m sure Slobodnik’s Catholicism is important to him. But I think that, before he goes stomping around and whining about the existence of “Satanists,” he’d best remember the old saying that “charity begins at home.” Before he protests others, he should be cleaning up the stinking amoral cesspool which is his own R.C. Church. And the same goes for the rest of the protestors … they should likewise be first protesting the messes which are their own churches. Once they’re all cleaned up, THEN they can go around railing about other people. After all, did not the founder of their own religion, Jesus Christ, himself say:
“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)
“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” (Luke 6:42)
Enough with the bellyaching and caterwauling that there are non-Christians in the world. Just get over it, you fucking crybabies!
Update: Almost 4 years after this, the Satanists are up to similar tricks again in Oklahoma City, and once again, Christians there are pitching a sanctimonious shitfit over it. Boo fucking hoo, little crybabies!
Hat tip: Wikimedia Commons.