Wednesday, October 27, 2004
On His Satanic Majesty's Service
Another first for religious tolerance:
To paraphrase President Nixon, we're all Satanists now.
But Sophie Masson is not convinced:
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"The mother of the British Navy's first officially recognised Satanist says her Devil-worshipping son is a sweet and loving man who used to accompany her to church.They're just a misunderstood bunch, those Satanists, says the mom: "[U]nless you read into it, you think it's all death and horror... The church has 11 rules, rather like commandments. Most of these rules are perfectly acceptable and reasonable. For example, you do not hurt children or animals. There is a rule saying you can be sexually promiscuous and enjoy life, but most people in today's society do that anyway."
"Leading Hand Chris Cranmer, 24, a naval technician from Edinburgh, made history when he became the first British serviceman allowed to perform Satanic acts and rituals associated with the Church of Satan on board Royal Navy frigate HMS Cumberland."
To paraphrase President Nixon, we're all Satanists now.
But Sophie Masson is not convinced:
"The devil likes grim jokes, you see. Now somewhere in one of the navy's warships, a young Satanist with an emblematic name - Christopher means 'the bearer of Christ', 'Cranmer' was also the surname of a martyr of the Protestant Reformation - may well be earnestly expounding the scripture of the 'Satanic Bible', with its love of the strong and contempt for the vulnerable. It's not a comforting thought."Sadly, I'm sure that for those who already believe that Bush and Blair and Western armed forces are evil incarnate as they are, the presence of a Satanist in active service will almost come as a relief.
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