Spiros Defends the Satanists in Oklahoma

Part time philosopher and full-time gossip, Brian Leiter, links favorably to a post by "Spiros" defending Satanists.  "Spiros" is the anonymous pseudonym behind which some 'professional philosopher' (whatever that means) hides.  Actually, he doesn't so much defend the Satanists as he does encourage them to steal a consecrated host from a Roman Catholic church so that it can be desecrated at the black mass.

I reproduce his remarks below the fold:

Satanists Oppressed

What else is new...

Satanists are holding a public black mass in Oklahoma later in September, and the event is sold out.  However:

In order to comply with local laws, the group had to make a few changes to the ritual. Instead of using urine, participants plan to use vinegar. Instead having a naked woman on an altar, she'll be wearing lingerie. And instead of spitting on a consecrated host, they will spit on an unconsecrated one. 

 On the issue of the consecrated host, apparently "The group was reportedly in possession of a stolen consecrated host, causing the local archdiocese to sue."  But don't the assholes who insist that children who are in no way related to them call them "father" give those crackers away anyway?  Can something that is given away be stolen?  Maybe the Satanists simply acquired the consecrated host in the wrong way?

Someone local to this event: Please show up at church this Sunday, sit through the hilarious nonsense, and get those Satanists a consecrated host to spit on.  

I won't fully address this juvenile nonsense except to say a couple things: First, this sort of religious hating behavior is not unprecedented in the academic community.  I recall dirt-bag biologist PZ Myers encouraging similar behavior 6 years ago when I was finishing up my dissertation. Second, in spite of Spiros's churlish remarks, it is an interesting question from a purely philosophical and theological perspective whether this would be a case of stealing.  From the Roman Catholic point of view, the elements are transformed into the the substance of Jesus's body.  But you can't steal a person.  From the Lutheran angle, there's Jesus present in the host but the bread is also present.  On other Christian views there's just the bread and wine and Jesus is in some way spiritually present.  In fact, that's Spiros's own view (minus the spiritual presence).  So, given his atheism, there is merely bread and wine there.  And it belongs to the RC Church and is meant only to be given to Roman Catholics.  So, ignoramus that he is, he should think that he is encouraging stealing.