You usually expect such stories to manifest in the “red states”, not in true-blue New York. But Adirondack Community College (part of the State University of New York) is up in arms over a school-supported Pagan Pride Day event.

“After scrambling to reconsider their decision to sponsor a daylong “Pagan Pride” festival this weekend, student leaders at an upstate public college decided last night to support the festival despite outrage from Catholics who complained to trustees of the State University of New York system that the event ridicules Christianity and Jesus Christ. The activists say the pagan festival…constitutes hate speech that few would tolerate if other groups were being disrespected.”

William Donohue from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights goes so far as to publicly regret the fact that Christians don’t erupt into violence at perceived insults!

“Everyone knows that you couldn’t even show a picture of Mohammed without them closing down an event like this – and that’s because radical Muslims will kill you.”

You can almost hear the envy in his voice. Maybe Donohue is getting tired of living in a secular society bound by laws that prevent the lynching of Pagans. Donohue isn’t the only one pouring out bile upon the Pagans, SUNY trustee Candace de Russy* had this to say about the situation.

“Standards for campus activities in my view cannot sink much lower into the slime. It would be a very encouraging sign if the student leaders led the way in reconsidering such a loathsome event.”

So what prompted such an uproar over a tiny amount of money for a small Pagan gathering? A concerted campaign of misinformation by Donohue and his conservative Catholic cronies. Last year one of the presenters were John and Lillee Allee. John Allee is a confirmed Satanist and runs the First Church of Satan web site. Even though Lillee Allee is a Witch and not a Satanist, and despite the fact that their talk wasn’t on Satanism that mere whiff of sulfur was enough to trigger this modern-day Witch hunt.

While student leaders did reconsider granting the funds to this years event, the earlier decision was affirmed. This lead a spokesman for the college to opine that the students would “be responsible for taking the heat.” I’m not sure if he means the “heat” of “hell” or if the students will be blamed if enraged Christian activists egged on by Donohue decide to start trouble.

* Dr. Candace de Russy is also a member of neoconservative outfits The Democracy Project and the Committee on the Present Danger. In addition, she is an editor of the ultra-conservative Catholic magazine Crisis, so it is little wonder she backs William Donohue. It is possible that she may have been the one to tip him off to the event.

Tags: Paganism