Christians Take a Different Approach to 'Protesting' Satanic Black Mass
More than a thousand Christians gathered in Oklahoma City to pray against a satanic black mass this week.
The mass, which included the satanist ritual of the "consumption of Mary," was held by the local satanic church, called "The Church of Ahriman."
The black mass showed what happens at a satanist church on Sunday.
Adam Daniels, who lead the black mass, said attendance at ritual is usually low because people may be scared to attend. He said the Christian events held in response to his also keep attendance down.
"When you have the whole Roman legion out there, how likely are they to come and buy tickets?" he said.
Christians from Catholic, Methodist, Pentecostal, Baptist and Episcopal denominations united to present an alternative to the black mass.
"I came down here today to not really protest the satanic mass, but to represent my Father, Jesus Christ," said local resident Lyndon Price to Fox 25.
Brian McCall, also a resident said, "What the satanists are doing is a public offense to God and a public offense requires a public act of reparation and atonement.".
Christians held a prayer rally at the "Jesus Wept" statute and said their response to the black mass was not about protesting the satanists' right to gather and worship.
"We wanted to give people an opportunity to be away from that event, and have a peaceful place," explained Timothy Tardibono, president of the Family Policy Institute of Oklahoma.
"With the memorial obviously having so much meaning, we just thought it was a much better venue than being down there at the civic center with the police and the protesters," said Tardibono.
On online petition had been launched to cancel the black mass.
"Every black mass is a direct, deliberate and sinful act of hatred against God," the petition explains. "Often, a consecrated host is stolen from a Catholic Church and then used to desecrate, mock and insult the Catholic mass."
Some 154,600 people signed the petition.
A similar black mass was held in 2014.
