Latest news with #ChurchofSatan
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
Ozzy didn't corrupt America's youth. He exposed the hypocrisy of their elders.
Ozzy Osbourne is dead, and some Christians may believe that the devil ushered him straight to the gates of hell. Few pop culture icons were as important, or as controversial, as Osbourne. The British-born rocker became the avatar of American culture wars more than a half-century ago by attempting to showcase the hypocrisy of modern religion. Osbourne launched his career in the late 1960s. Sensitive to cultural currents, he recognized what was happening not just in music, but also in religion and politics. He used it to build on the image of rock as subversive and countercultural. From the start, Osbourne understood how to bring attention to his art. Calling his band Black Sabbath sent a clear message. He aimed to subvert, not honor, Christianity. He integrated crosses, demonic imagery and symbols of the devil such as bats into his performances to highlight what he saw as the absurdity of organized religion. Osbourne sang lyrics in his first album about a 'figure in black' that directed him, and in another song, he took on the persona of Satan himself: 'My name is Lucifer, please take my hand.' In Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" album, released at the height of the Vietnam War, he sang 'War Pigs,' a song in which Satan laughed and spread his wings as political and military elites led the Western world to the doorstep of the apocalypse. Opinion: How faith becomes a weapon: 'If I can't understand it, it's not Christian' Such allusions to the demonic continued in album after album. Osbourne's career developed parallel to a new understanding of Satan. In the post-World War II era, the devil assumed a more prominent role in American life. Anton LaVey's founding of the Church of Satan in 1966 celebrated Satan as a symbol of rebellion, individualism and secular liberation. In other words, Satan was the opposite of everything anxious Cold War parents wanted to instill in their kids. Artists drew on this revamped Satan in their work. Films like "The Exorcist" (1973) and "The Omen" (1976) brought Satan − and fears of Satan's ability to inhabit human bodies − into the imaginations of millions of people. Osbourne made those themes central to his music. In the 1980s, while Osbourne was still releasing albums, fears of satanic ritual abuse swept across the United States. Christian conservatives fretted that Dungeons & Dragons, Ouija boards and horror films were gateways to demonic influence. High-profile cases like the McMartin preschool trial and the publication of memoirs about escaping satanic ritual abuse fueled widespread panic. Law enforcement agencies conducted seminars on occult crime, therapists uncovered repressed memories of ritual abuse and talk shows amplified claims of underground satanic cults. The panic revealed deep anxieties about child safety, cultural change and the perceived decline of Christian values in American society. Perhaps, parents and religious leaders wondered, was Osbourne driving kids into satanism? Perhaps his music was brainwashing the nation's youth? Conservative Christians − including evangelicals, Catholics and Latter-day Saints − believe in a cosmic battle between angels and demons that directly influences human affairs. They believe that unseen spiritual battles determine real-world outcomes, particularly in culture, politics and morality. Opinion: Kan-Kan Cinema is elevating Indy's cinema culture Many of them also believed they had to protect children from music like Osbourne's. This framework encouraged social conservatives to interpret issues like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and the de-Christianizing of culture as evidence of demonic influence, necessitating counteraction through prayer, activism and political engagement. Osbourne and the genre of hard rock that he helped to promote contributed to their fears. In their minds, Osbourne was encouraging youth to rebel. And he was. Osbourne's fans understood what the rock star was doing. They loved it. The more angry Osbourne could make their parents, and the more he could rile up moral crusaders, the better. And he agreed. Playing with the devil became a hallmark of his long career. Briggs: Born into Jim Crow, she lived to witness DEI debates From witch hunts in Salem to conspiracy theories driving QAnon, Americans have used Satan to facilitate a politics of fear. They have used him to justify persecution, fuel moral panics, shape political and cultural battles, and assess global crises and war. But there has always been another side to Satan, the one Osbourne captured. His devil wasn't the horned villain of Christian nightmares but a trickster, a rebel, a symbol of freedom from sanctimony. In Osbourne's hands, Satan gave a theatrical middle finger to hypocrisy and lifted up a mirror to a society obsessed with sin, and he laughed. His life reminds us that sometimes, dancing with the devil is really just refusing to march in lockstep with the saints.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Ozzy Osbourne taught kids to rebel by subverting Christianity
In Ozzy Osbourne's hands, Satan gave a middle finger to hypocrisy and fearmongering. The now-deceased rock star lifted up a mirror to a society obsessed with sin, and he laughed. Ozzy Osbourne is dead, and some Christians may believe that the devil ushered him straight to the gates of hell. Few pop culture icons were as important, or as controversial, as Osbourne. The British-born rocker became the avatar of American culture wars more than a half-century ago by attempting to showcase the hypocrisy of modern religion. Osbourne launched his career in the late 1960s. Sensitive to cultural currents, he recognized what was happening not just in music, but also in religion and politics. He used it to build on the image of rock as subversive and countercultural. Ozzy Osbourne saw society's fears and leaned into them From the start, Osbourne understood how to bring attention to his art. Calling his band Black Sabbath sent a clear message. He aimed to subvert, not honor, Christianity. He integrated crosses, demonic imagery and symbols of the devil such as bats into his performances to highlight what he saw as the absurdity of organized religion. Ozzy Osbourne tribute: Coldplay gives Ozzy Osbourne an emotional tribute at Nashville concert Osbourne sang lyrics in his first album about a 'figure in black' that directed him, and in another song, he took on the persona of Satan himself: 'My name is Lucifer, please take my hand.' In Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" album, released at the height of the Vietnam War, he sang 'War Pigs,' a song in which Satan laughed and spread his wings as political and military elites led the Western world to the doorstep of the apocalypse. Such allusions to the demonic continued in album after album. Osbourne's career developed parallel to a new understanding of Satan. In the post-World War II era, the devil assumed a more prominent role in American life. Anton LaVey's founding of the Church of Satan in 1966 celebrated Satan as a symbol of rebellion, individualism and secular liberation. In other words, Satan was the opposite of everything anxious Cold War parents wanted to instill in their kids. Artists drew on this revamped Satan in their work. Films like "The Exorcist" (1973) and "The Omen" (1976) brought Satan − and fears of Satan's ability to inhabit human bodies − into the imaginations of millions of people. Osbourne made those themes central to his music. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. In the 1980s, while Osbourne was still releasing albums, fears of satanic ritual abuse swept across the United States. Christian conservatives fretted that Dungeons & Dragons, Ouija boards and horror films were gateways to demonic influence. High-profile cases like the McMartin preschool trial and the publication of memoirs about escaping satanic ritual abuse fueled widespread panic. Law enforcement agencies conducted seminars on occult crime, therapists uncovered repressed memories of ritual abuse and talk shows amplified claims of underground satanic cults. The panic revealed deep anxieties about child safety, cultural change and the perceived decline of Christian values in American society. Perhaps, parents and religious leaders wondered, was Osbourne driving kids into satanism? Perhaps his music was brainwashing the nation's youth? Conservative Christians − including evangelicals, Catholics and Latter-day Saints − believe in a cosmic battle between angels and demons that directly influences human affairs. They believe that unseen spiritual battles determine real-world outcomes, particularly in culture, politics and morality. Many of them also believed they had to protect children from music like Osbourne's. This framework encouraged social conservatives to interpret issues like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and the de-Christianizing of culture as evidence of demonic influence, necessitating counteraction through prayer, activism and political engagement. Osbourne and the genre of hard rock that he helped to promote contributed to their fears. In their minds, Osbourne was encouraging youth to rebel. And he was. Life on a 'Crazy Train': A timeline of Ozzy Osbourne's odyssey Osbourne saw the devil as a symbol of rebellion Osbourne's fans understood what the rock star was doing. They loved it. The more angry Osbourne could make their parents, and the more he could rile up moral crusaders, the better. And he agreed. Playing with the devil became a hallmark of his long career. From witch hunts in Salem to conspiracy theories driving QAnon, Americans have used Satan to facilitate a politics of fear. They have used him to justify persecution, fuel moral panics, shape political and cultural battles, and assess global crises and war. But there has always been another side to Satan, the one Osbourne captured. His devil wasn't the horned villain of Christian nightmares but a trickster, a rebel, a symbol of freedom from sanctimony. In Osbourne's hands, Satan gave a theatrical middle finger to hypocrisy and lifted up a mirror to a society obsessed with sin, and he laughed. His life reminds us that sometimes, dancing with the devil is really just refusing to march in lockstep with the saints. Matthew Avery Sutton is the author of the forthcoming "Chosen Land: How Christianity Made America and Americans Remade Christianity." He is the chair of the history department and the Claudius O. and Mary Johnson Distinguished Professor at Washington State University. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kansas satanists plan new protest, won't face charges in Catholic clash at Statehouse
Law enforcement officers inside the Kansas Capitol rotunda tackle and detain Michael Stewart, president of the Satanic Grotto organization, for violating a permit that limited protests to the exterior of the building. Hundreds of Catholics conducted a counter-protest in opposition of Satanic Grotto's presence in Topeka. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Members of the Kansas satanist group appear to be off the hook for criminal charges that stemmed from a highly anticipated, hotly criticized black mass demonstration at the Statehouse that resulted in clashes with Catholics and, ultimately, their arrests. Shawnee County prosecutors decided Wednesday not to pursue charges against Michael Stewart, leader of the Satanic Grotto, and two other group members. After the court hearing, Stewart returned to the Statehouse to discuss the details of his next protest with law enforcement. Attracting nationwide attention, Stewart's satanic protest in March drew ire from elected and religious officials. Hundreds gathered at the Statehouse in Topeka on March 28, some in support of the satanic organization, which is a nonprofit not affiliated with the Church of Satan, and others in vehement opposition. About 11:30 a.m., following speeches, prayers, chants and sign-waving on the lawn of the Statehouse in Topeka, Stewart entered the building to perform a satanic ceremony, called the black mass, which can involve desecrating a host. Across the street, a Catholic mass and prayer service took place, where archbishop of Kansas City Joseph Naumann lambasted nonbelievers. Naumann also tried to sue Stewart before the protests, falsely accusing him of stealing a consecrated host. Stewart had a permit to demonstrate outside on Statehouse grounds and was warned as he entered the building that any protest would violate that permit. He walked to the first-floor rotunda, accompanied by supporters, reporters and watchful counter-protestors and began a dedication to Satan. A man and woman with young children interrupted him, physically intervening. Stewart turned away, and then a counter-protestor, Marcus Schroeder, attempted twice to grab papers from Stewart's hands. On Schroeder's second reach, Stewart punched him twice in the face before a law enforcement officer took his legs out from underneath him. Stewart and two supporters were booked in jail and charged with unlawful gathering. Stewart faced an additional charge of disorderly conduct. At a hearing Wednesday, county prosecutors said they don't plan to pursue charges at this time, Stewart told Kansas Reflector. However, the statute of limitations lasts five years. A call to the Shawnee County District Attorney's Office seeking confirmation of the charges was not immediately returned Wednesday. After the hearing, Stewart traveled a few blocks to the Capitol building, where he talked about plans for a nighttime protest in August with a law enforcement officer to preemptively soothe any concerns. Planned for early August, Stewart envisions the 'Witches Hour Protest' taking place from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the Statehouse's south lawn. He plans to extend the invitation to Wiccans, pagans and 'any kind of witchy inclined hippie we can find.' 'We're happy that we're able to get back at it,' Stewart said. He added the members of the grotto have been 'restless,' as they awaited their fate.
