From: Christeos Pir Area: Night Side To: All 16 Oct 94 11:50:22 Subject: News article UpdReq Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. From the Washington Post, Saturday, 10/15/94 ev... JUDGE ORDERS U.S. PRISON TO ALLOW SATANIC RITUALS Denver -- A judge has ordered a federal prison near Denver to allow an inmate to perform Satanic rituals. U.S. District Judge Edward W. Nottingham based his decision on First Amendment concerns. The prison's effort to keep inmate Robert James Howard Jr. from performing his rituals "appears to have been based on the content of the plaintiff's beliefs -- an unacceptable criteria according to the Supreme Court," the judge wrote. The rituals Howard wants to perform do not involve bloodletting or violence, the judge noted. He added that Howard is asking for "the same privileges granted to every other religious group." At a hearing last year, Howard said, "We go through the rituals to, you know, like going to a shrink, it helps us deal with life." The warden testified that the items Howard requires for his rituals --candles and black robes, for example-- could create safety and security hazards. "The problem," the judge responded in his decision, "is that many of the other religious groups regularly use these very same --allegedly very dangerous-- implements." He said his ruling "does not require prison officials to accommodate every form of Satanism, nor does it necessarily require them to allow each inmate to become a religion unto himself." Howard, 24, is serving a 10-year sentence for kidnapping and auto theft. Love is the law, love under will. - Christeos Pir ... O Urizen! Creator of men! mistaken Demon of heaven! 201434369420143436942014343694201434369420143436942014343694718