"While it is unfortunate that many people took personal offense at rituals for which they have little or no understanding of their context, what we find most disturbing have been the demands that the rituals and beliefs of marginalized members of society be silenced... It is gravely upsetting to us that some people feel vindicated on the basis that they have disingenuously mischaracterized our invited guests as being part of a hate group."The religious ritual was a satanic "black mass." The club, stung by criticism, moved from the on campus location — the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub in Memorial Hall — to a nearby restaurant — the Hong Kong.
The club emphasized in the 5 p.m. email that Harvard had not asked them to move the event....The link goes to The Harvard Crimson, where there are 1200+ comments. I'll copy 2. First:
“Harvard always demonstrated that it understood its responsibility to defend protected student speech. That was always made clear to us,” the club wrote in a second email.
Despicable club. These are not the rituals of beliefs of "marginalized" members of society. The Satanist Temple admits that they don't believe in Satan at all; they're atheists. A black mass is, by definition, a parody of the Catholic Mass. Let's see just how long Harvard would stand by "protected" student expression if the club had invited the Westboro Baptist Church to host a Qur'an burning, or a mockery of a same-sex wedding.And:
I can't help shake the feeling that if it were a cross burning, disgust and discomfort would turn into a rapid cancellation and the citing of speech codes.This is the old problem of free speech versus hate speech. The University should not be discriminating against religious speech and nonreligious speech or between different religions. And it shouldn't be discriminating between pro-religious speech and speech that mocks or criticizes religion.
Now, it looks like the club is portraying itself as misunderstood and victimized. That is, it doesn't seem to want to own any out-and-proud anti-religious speech. So it's not standing under the free speech banner. It's positioned itself under the hate speech banner and claiming to be the target of other people's hate. I guess that's what they teach at Harvard — where even the Satanists are vulnerable to words that wound.
ADDED: Maybe we should read the email from the club as a satire of academic fussing over hate speech. The overdone phrases "gravely upsetting" and "disingenuously mischaracterized" — coming from intelligent students — hint of an effort at humor. And, the idea of "silenc[ing]" "marginalized members of society" sounds a tad Onionesque.
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I can picture these kids laughing their asses off wondering how absurd they need to get before people stop taking them seriously.
"protected student speech"?
I would love them to be pulling a Harvard lampoon.
I honestly always assumed anyone talking about doing a "black mass" was well into the level of parody. That's like, right out of an episode of the X-Files; pseudo-scary, but safely contained in fantasy.
My impression is that the only reason hate speech laws are passed is to suppress free speech. You can have free speech or you can ban hate speech but you can't have both.
Perhaps it is true that free speech has its limits just like most other rights. Speech such as lying on a legal contract or yelling fire in a crowded theater when there is no fire are examples. Those exceptions were already well covered before "hate speech" came along.
It would appear that the hate speech laws were passed to suppress free speech which is not regulated under the traditional exceptions. Hate speech laws ban speech which expresses an honestly help opinion and is not an immediate danger to anyone else.
Hate speech laws are an attempt to crawl into another person's mind and to control their very thoughts. Hate speech laws are an assertion of ownership by the clique in power over everyone else. Although their targets may not realize it, they are already in a position just as onerous as slaves since they have lost agency over their own bodies and their own minds.
The rediculousness of today's colleges is beyond parody.
"they have disingenuously mischaracterized our invited guests as being part of a hate group."
Which if they were Tea Partiers would be fine, but they're not, they're Satanists, so it bothers us.
This is the Harvard Extension School, not Harvard College, doing this. So the students may be intelligent, but they are not students of Harvard College.
The hyper-salaried administrators at Harvard are overpaid just so they can react properly to this kind of thing, and follow the policy that has been enacted by previous administrators.
But I, also, can't help the feeling they're being played by the students, who are back in their dorms/apartments laughing hysterically.
"— to a nearby restaurant — the Hong Kong."
Such a dive--great place to drink though: Good hot Chinese appetizers, beer and scorpion bowls. It is rumored that W used to drink there when he was getting his MBA at Harvard--though the b-school is on the Boston side of the Charles.
I keep hoping that they successfully perform the black mass, and it turns out kinda like the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark
That would be funny.
I'd say this all played out as well as it could have. There's no need for hate speech law but a university doesn't have to host it either. And the Catholic response was to counter with more speech.
Meanwhile, the satirical response of the Satanic Temple group, doesn't really make the point that they think it does. They're trying to have it both ways- on the one hand, they pretend that they have no actual belief system (this is all purely educational, donchaknow?) )but on the other, they stage events meant to claim protected speech rights for speech that has no meaning other than mockery (they are behind the OK Satan monument as well.) again, nothing that should be illegal but the sham itself should be mocked.
For those readers envisioning a group of intelligent kids playing a prank here, you're misinformed. This is the work of Lucien Greaves, a Harvard graduate, not a current student. Though I'm sure some kids are going along for the ride.
This just serves to mask the more serious problem of cafeteria satanists. Everyone wants to be a satanist when it comes to raping a virgin at the black mass, but when it comes to murdering a baby at the anti-Xmas celebration, attendance is spotty. Satanists need to return to the stern religion of their forefathers and stop this dilettante play acting.
It's Harvard Extension School-anyone can go there.
I am tired of repeating this, but at least my kids have it down by heart: there is no hate speech, just speech.
_XC
Word is the moral universe of the Harvard Satanists was first informed by their love of heavy metal.
Maybe we should read the email from the club as a satire of academic fussing over hate speech. The overdone phrases...coming from intelligent students — hint of an effort at humor.
Then again, let's not forget the definition of sophomoric: "Of or pertaining to, befitting or resembling, characteristic of, a sophomore; hence, pretentious, bombastic, inflated in style or manner; immature, crude, superficial." (via the Oxford English Dictionary)
>" The University should not be discriminating against religious speech and nonreligious speech or between different religions. And it shouldn't be discriminating between pro-religious speech and speech that mocks or criticizes religion."
Yes, well, in a perfect world, what the University should and shouldn't be doing is always clear. Since THAT isn't the case, perhaps reality should intrude upon the commentary.
Perhaps the University should stop sanctioning and/or endorsing any student groups on campus. Let the University get on with their official function (teaching classes) and let the students organize whatever and however they choose.
A free speech free-for-all. A free religion free-for-all. A free assembly free-for-all. Enough with protected group status and all the other speech code and group membership dictates, i.e. Christian groups must admit non-believers. As it is, most universities are diversity in everything but thought--where conformity is mandated. Sad state of affairs.
"Harvard Extension School…"
Oh, well, then… I shouldn't have assume "intelligent."
They may be intelligent but they're not smart, or funny. Just childish. A year in Iran would teach them what funny, and hate speech, is all about. The world is a dumber place for having to entertain this crap for its fifteen minutes.
It's not religion. It has no moral dimension. However, it is faith-based. It is a cult.
Not that their believability was high before, but they hit bottom damned fast.
I recall reading about Black Masses when I was a kid - I think it was in LIFE Magazine. And one striking detail about the Black Mass was, it supposedly featured a naked woman at the altar.
Sexist, no?
Salem, baby, Salem.
ITYKWIM
@Matthew Sablan:
...pseudo-scary, but safely contained in fantasy.
Precisely like burning a Koran. Safe. Well within fantasy. scary to the Islamists.
Light one up. Watch and see how safe it really is.
As I remember it, the principal purpose behind the Black Mass was to create a kind of portal that would allow a once-banished Satan back into the natural world.
H.P. Lovecraft picked up on this theme with his idea that eons ago dark forces were expelled from space and time but, with the proper ritual, could be called back.
I know some Satanists. I've found them a harmless lot for the most part. Sheesh – it's getting warm tonight.
What's that smell? Like rotten eggs … getting stronger.
Haha. NICE costume what with the horns and tail.
Anyone know why I have this trident stuck in my butt?
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