Catholic Georgetown Un. Hosted Satanic Group


Watching the world change on the big screen of life is a gift that keeps on giving. About six weeks ago a student group which invites a variety of presenters hosted an event with a Satanic group, the Satanic Temple. The Satanic Temple does not actually believe in the existence of a Satan or a God and is atheist. It does object to religion in government and in other public spaces. The Satan part is satire. Another of its positions is a belief the abortion is a religious ritual and should be a right protected under religious freedom. 

The link author, a graduate of Georgetown University writes it is wrong the Georgetown administrators to allow the Satanic Temple on campus. His reasoning is that the administration has turned down various requests to organize an abortion rights group on campus and turned down a presentation by an abortion rights group. He quotes Pope Benedict's edict that Catholic universities cannot advance views contrary to Catholic beliefs.

The Satanic Temple, however, is way ahead of religions and religious operatives like the administration at Georgetown. It can point to any number of other religious groups who have had a voice at Georgetown. These groups have, no doubt, explained their religious rituals which are far afield from Catholicism. Now comes abortion as a religious right, how can they turn that down?  

The Catholic rule is the Bishop of the diocese that includes a Catholic University has authority over that university. Pope Benedict issued an edict that forbids anti Catholic ideas from being presented in universities that carry the Catholic brand. Washington DC's head Catholic is Archbishop Wilton Daniel Gregory. What did he have to say about the visit of Satanic Temple to Georgetown University? Nothing.

Archbishop Gregory has an academic background and this may explain his silence. He, like any other rational thoughtful person, knows Satanic Temple has the right to call itself a religion. There is no agreed upon criteria as to what is and is not a "legitimate" religion. Religion, measured in terms of how many religions exist, is a growth industry. 

I hope the students and faculty at Georgetown had a good time hosing the Satanic Temple. The Temple will, in time, have success in its quest to make abortion a protected religious ritual. 

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