Freedom of religion is guaranteed unless you aren’t free

Recent article "Convicted York killer sues to practice Satanism in prison" by Deborah Mcdermott, picked up by Boston Herald and AP, talks about a convict's attempts to practice Satanism with others while in prison and highlights the apparent struggle of authorities to find a "secular reason" to ban his practice.

"'Mr. Cookson seems to suggest the he can practice peacefully and, until someone gets hurt, you really can't ban him,' he said.

But Cookson said in court documents that he sees it differently, saying the commissioners 'failed to articulate, much less support with evidence, a secular reason why a meeting of Satanist inmates would pose a greater security risk than inmates of other faiths.'"

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• Tags:deborah mcdermott, freedom of religion, liberty, religion, satanism