Bill Donohue comments on Satanists in Oklahoma City:
Today is a holy day in the Catholic calendar, the Feast of the Assumption. Satanists in Oklahoma City chose this day to offend Catholics by holding a “Black Mass” this evening, one that will include the desecration of a statue of the Virgin Mary.
This is not the first time that a Satanic ceremony has been held in Oklahoma City. A registered sex offender, Adam Daniels, pulled a similar stunt two years ago; he is leading the one today.
Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley handled the 2014 event responsibly; he’s doing so again now. He is asking the faithful not to give Daniels the media platform he is seeking; rather, the archbishop has encouraged Catholics to attend a Unity Prayer Service and Walk.
Archbishop Coakley asks why local officials are allowing this “abhorrent act” to take place. I join him in that quest.
Please spare me talk about freedom of speech. The First Amendment is not an end—it is a means to an end. But we have forgotten what the Founders envisioned. Speech must be free, they said, if the public is to choose how best to govern society. In other words, free speech meant political discourse, without which the good society could not be crafted. Free speech was defended because it served a noble end.
There is nothing noble about hate speech, and this includes intentionally insulting people of faith. That this offensive exercise will happen in an arena funded by the public, which includes many Catholics, makes this “Black Mass” all the more astounding.
The mayor and city council need to answer this question: What liberty is Daniels advancing, and why should it be sponsored by the public?
Contact Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett: Mayor@okc.gov
