village voice > news > Sympathy for the Devil by Kristen Lombardi

A lot of Pagans are ambivalent about this story. We spend a lot of time trying to explain to people that we are not Satanists, so it's understandable that some of us hesitate to jump on the bandwagon when a Satanists civil rights are violated. The young man in question was allegedly beaten on the head with a metal pipe because of his religious beliefs. The Prosecutor in Queens is very correctly charging the attackers with a hate crime. This is a very important case for minority religions of every stripe.

The victim, Daniel, is a LaVey Satanist, more accurately referred to as an Atheist Auto-Deist. He doesn't worship a devil, or an entity named Lucifer - though he's fond the symbolism in connection with his band. This type of "Satanist" sees the self as the ultimate source of power. Not a unique position, if you think about it. It's a darker spin on Zen Buddhism, with some Pagan symbols (unfortunately for us Pagans) thrown in for style and effect. Anyway, it IS a religion and it ISN'T a reason to split a guy's skull open.

Every non-Christian, every Pagan, every Muslim, every Atheist, and even the Mormons and the Seventh Day Adventists should be supporting the case to prosecute Daniel's attackers, because this touches us all. The case is being opposed by Libertarians who feel that hate crime legislation is a step toward prosecuting "thought crimes". I vehemently disagree.

Hate crime legislation is the mark of a civil society that won't tolerate violence against those who differ from the mainstream. It doesn't address thoughts, only actions. One cannot be charged with a hate crime for their thoughts. It requires action to invoke the statutes- usually violence directed at someone who may be a completely unknown person motivated by a perception that s/he differs in some way. One's very existence shouldn't make him/her a target.

To wantonly victimize someone who is black, or gay, or a different kind of Christian, or a woman, or wearing a pentagram, or head scarf or blue hair is the most obscene kind of human interaction. There's no personal interest at stake, no passion or indignity, nothing to be gained, only blind and often misguided hatred. It's not unusual for hate crimes to miss their mark - for a straight man to be gay bashed for walking the wrong street, for a Korean to be killed by someone intending to intimidate the Japanese. Lack of discernment is the least fault of a hate monger.

The most basic function of government is to protect its citizens from oppression and violence. We are trying to have a civilization here, aren't we?