Bill Donohue comments on a new coalition:
What do Americans United for Separation of Church and State have in common with Satanists? Everything—they’re on the same page. That’s why Barry Lynn of Americans United offered to represent the Satanic Temple in its quest to assault Christian sensibilities in Florida. The Devil worshipers sought, and the government agreed, to put a Satanist display next to a nativity scene in the Capitol rotunda later this month.
If I were advising Barry, I would counsel against this coalition. Why? Not because he is promoting hate speech at Christmastime—that doesn’t bother him—but because up until now he was at least able to fool some people into thinking that he is sincerely committed to the First Amendment. Now the mask is off.
Barry’s retort to critics, “Free speech is for everyone and all groups,” is lame. On the same day, December 3, that he announced his support for Satanism, the Michigan chapter of Americans United opposed a bill protecting the First Amendment right to freedom of religion. Case closed.
Anyone familiar with the history of Americans United knows that its support for Satanism is hardly a shocker. It was founded after World War II as an expressly anti-Catholic organization called Protestants and Other Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Its first director, Glenn L. Archer, said the Catholic Church was “more dangerous and clever than communism.” In all honesty, he lied—he believed that the Church was far worse. We know this because Archer loved Joseph Stalin: he defended the mass murderer even after Stalin launched the world’s first man-made famine; millions of Ukrainians were intentionally starved to death.
So now Barry has come full circle. From the anti-Catholic, pro-Stalinist origins of his organization, he has now laid anchor with Satanists.
Contact Barry: americansunited@au.org
