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Faustian bargain: Black mass is on
By adamg on Mon, 05/12/2014 - 2:39pm
The Globe reports Harvard President Drew Faust will let the extension school host a black mass tonight despite protests from Cardinal Sean O'Malley.
UPDATE: The Crimson reports the club bringing the publicity-seeking New Yorkers up here for the demon-stration decided late Monday to move the event off campus. Where, however, is unknown. They originally said the Middle East, but the Middle East says nope, not here, bub.
UPDATE UPDATE: The Globe reports they called the whole thing off.
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Did you really just miss a
Did you really just miss a golden opportunity to use the term "Faustian bargain?"
The devil made me do it
Arrgh, how the hell did I miss that? I guess I was in limbo because I was so fixated on trying to get "Dr." in the headline, which I ultimately rejected because it was "Dr. Faustus," not "Dr. Faust." So thanks!
Congrats to Cardinal O'Malley
Congrats to Cardinal O'Malley for ensuring this non-event got infinitely more press than it otherwise would have if he had ignored it just like everyone else.
It's what the Church does
It's what the Church does best. Protecting your right to practice their religion.
Insert Muslim / Jew / Hindi and this board would be outraged
But when it comes to the Catholic faith, attacks are just fine. And Irish Catholics... They get the most digs.
Oh, really? Please present us
Oh, really? Please present us with the evidence you have proving this so.
How about the enlightened
How about the enlightened comment below labeling all Catholics as pedophiles?
What comment?
A comment that correctly labels the Catholic Church as an establishment that enabled and shielded pedophiles is entirely different from one that "labels Catholics as pedophiles."
How about this whole topic
All Catholics, regardless of politics or even social beliefs, share in the Mass as a common experience. "Non-practicing" or "lapsed" Catholics, were you to ask what they mean by that, would say that they don't go to Mass, showing the centrality of the practice. What would mocking this be?
Yawn
Yawn.
Sorry, but the Catholic Church does not own Massachusetts anymore. Losing special privileges to control government and university affairs is not bigotry or discrimination - that is equality.
Come on swirls
Are you really claiming that at some point in Massachusetts history the Roman Catholic Church had some kind of control over Harvard University? Did you write that seriously or sarcastically?
But sure, Catholics never had to deal with bigotry or discrimination in Massachusetts.
Banned in Boston
Conveniently ignore the undue influence of the church on government and civic life in Massachusetts in the 20th century, why don't you.
Didn't ignore it
I specifically commented on your claim that somehow the Archbishop of Boston controlled Harvard University. Or any non-Catholic university.
I would also claim that the Watch and Ward Society , the force behind "banned in Boston" had no connection to the Catholic Church any more than it was connected to any other branch of Christianity in the Commonwealth. But I'll see you that and raise you the Colonial Era Blue Laws. There was a fairly conservative brand of Christianity in Boston going back to, oh, 1630, and religious leaders were enforcing it long before Cheverus took up his role of Bishop of Boston.
That said, yes, when there were a lot of practicing Catholics, in the mid twentieth Century, Cardinal Cushing did exert a lot of moral authority over the goings on in Massachusetts. It lessened under Medeiros, and under Law, well, no comment.
I'll back Swirls on this one.
The Archdiocese of Boston had pretty near absolute authority over the secular government for much of the 20gth century.
Here's a place to start if you want to study it: http://www.newoxfordreview.org/reviews.jsp?did=1108-flaherty
To emphasize my point
How many Presidents of Harvard were appointed by the Bishop or Archbishop of Boston?
By the way, if you think the authority of government was absolute, you never studied theocracies or bishops in medieval Europe.
extension
this is the extension school we are talking about here... what's the big deal? maybe if it was the college or one of the grad schools but the extension school is just another anna maria or lesley in my eyes.. if they want to pay the 50k, let them do whatever the hell they want.
It costs...
around $40K (tuition only, BTW ) to get a BA from the Extension and tack on another $20K if you want to go for a Master Degree. While obviously not as expensive as the day school, I fail to get your point.
40k tuition
and another 10k-15k a year for housing (50-55k total, BTW)... I'm just sick and tired of running into kids around the city who say they go to Harvard college when they really DO NOT. my point is that there is a big difference between the harvard everyone knows about and the extension school. Dr F shouldn't have to deal with their shenanigans..
no shenanigans at Harvard College
So does that mean that you don't have a problem with Drew Faust having to field calls from angry social conservatives when Harvard College students do something they find objectionable, like, say, getting official recognition for a bondage sex discussion club? http://www.billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=3274
I ended up choosing not to go to my graduation ceremony when I got my degree from the extension school. I never mention where I went to school unless someone asks me a direct question. You've all made me feel like a poseur, an interloper, and a fraud.
Harumph!
I dare say, next thing those Extension Interlopers will be demanding grade inflation and legacy privileges, just like the REAL Harvard students.
Lovey, OH LOVEY it's almost as bad as those damned Elis winning the big game!
Don't be an ass
No point in belittling anybody's school. Your quip has nothing to do with this event.
As for Extension in particular, it's still freaking Harvard. You're not going to graduate if you can't cut it.
And she also plans to attend
And she also plans to attend the Holy Hour at St. Paul's...I somehow think she won't be receiving a very warm reception.
Don't be ridiculous
As a university president of a now secular institution, her job description does not require her to place the concerns of Catholic Cardinals above the religious freedom of other students.
I would dare to say that she is actually required to do quite the opposite.
Her job is to be attuned to the school and community
Letting the stupid farce take place is the freedom of speech (let's be honest, it's speech, not religion,) while condemning it and attending a protest meeting is being attuned to the feelings of the overall community.
She might not be required to do it, but unless she wants to be painted as tone-deaf as her predecessor, she will do it.
Who defines what is a religion?
Obviously Cardinal O'Malley thinks he does. I guess you do too?
I support religions
First, I have an issue with a religious movement based on opposition to another religion. Second, following on from the first, a religious ceremony aimed at mocking another religion cannot really be deemed a religious ceremony.
Again, the belief and following of Satan, okay, sure. Having some kind of show mocking Catholicism, that's more free speech than anything else.
His letter to the school...
http://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2014/statement-on-black-mass
FYI: Drew Faust is a woman.
FYI: Drew Faust is a woman.
you'll have to forgive him
Anon the Catholic isn't used to seeing women in power.
Satanic Ritual
I don't see what the big deal is as long as the Devil Worshipers make sure they don't molest any kids and conspire to cover it up or anything like that.
It's a sad state of affairs
It's a sad state of affairs when a Cardinal can't simply pick up the phone and have something like this squashed.
The bigger question will the newly sainted John Paul II be able to intercede? Will he have the same super-powers as non-fast tracked Saints?
I'm Agnostic and dislike the organized religions
for the most part. However, I don't see the point of 'sticking it to them' by doing this childish and very offensive black mass. It's troll-like.
Black Mass moved off-campus
The Crimson reports it's been moved off campus:
The article originally said the new venue is The Middle East, but the club's Twitter feed is retweeting news sources saying it's not taking place there.
Satanic Mass Moved off campus
Pedophiles 1, Satanists 0
The Saters are profoundly Catholic.
While they have a sense of humor and the sophistication one might expect from survivors of civil war in Beirut, they wouldn't want some stinker like this cluttering up their place.
They were willing to put up with G G Allin when Billy foisted him on them but they are always anxious to avoid antagonizing people.
And their various relatives would be appalled.The Maronite carrot chopping grandma unit hated the old punk rock crowd. They'd be spinning in their peaceful rest over this sorta thing.
I always thought satan thumpers were as ridiculous as the rest of the desert sky god crowd only strawberry.
Did you run this...
.. through some sort of online James Joycerizer before posting? ;~}
Naah, I've been scribbling for years.
Joyce would be a bit more impossible.
"He Larved ond he larved ondt he merde such a nauces,
The Gracehoper feared he would mixplace his fauces.
I forgive you grondt ondt, said the Gracehoper weeping,
For the sukes of the sakes your are safe in whose keeping..."
Finnegans Wake.
I worked for Nabil for two years. I used to meet the carrot chopping grandmas daily as they chatted among themselves in Arabic about the world going to hell in a hand basket.
Finnegan's Wake
(Joycerizer with the Ulysses filter rather than the FW one?)
Taken a page at a time -- FW is fascinating and often funny. But I can't imagine reading this all the way through.
The world has _always_ been going to hell in a hand basket. ;~}
why not have it at Oberon?
This seems to be basically a form of hipster performance art, which would fit that venue well.
"not here, bub"
as in Beelzebub?
What year is this?
Why is this even a thing? And is a so-called "black mass" such a rarity that it causes this uproar? Don't these things go on on a regular basis somewhere or other?, Or do they just arise every 40 years or so, causing people who have nothing else to do to get into a snit? Another non-issue.