Cardinal Tobin Ignores Seton Hell & Satan-Not a Shocker

No, it wasn’t a spelling error. Just my pet name for another abysmal “Catholic” university.

I’ve been following this story for a while and catching up on the latest commentary on the issue, when I found this. I must say, Donny Levit follows the liberal playbook quite well, so kudos to him. That said, I must take this opportunity to point out a few little lies and misrepresentations that he uses, good little liberal he is.

Satanic Panic Redux: Christian Organization Calls to Shut Down Seton Hall’s ‘Demonic’ WSOU
Written By Donny Levit May 13, 2021

In the grand scheme of things, it’s a miniscule group.

Like the way he gives that little proverbial pat on the head to this group in an effort to minimize the effect they are having? In the grand scheme of things, Donny, it’s the Catholic Church. It’s also the same enemy She’s been fighting from day one: satan. I’m reasonably sure that most Catholics, unless they’re trying to promote the anti-Catholic, would be more than a tad bit offended that this is allowed on a Catholic campus.

An assortment of ultra-conservative Catholic protesters has called for the shutdown of Seton Hall University’s WSOU (89.5 FM), a radio station that has been a bastion of heavy metal music since its “hard rock format” began in 1986. According to the protesters, the station promotes “Satanism, political violence, anti-Christian hatred, and the occult.”

Without reading further, I have little doubt that this is going to be painted as “Footloose 2021”. Sorry, it’s not even remotely close. This isn’t a bunch of fundamentalists fighting evil rock music and the desire to dance to it. This isn’t even about hard rock, heavy metal or anything you’ll try to paint it to be. It’s about actual Satanic and/or pornographic music. Sorry, most pew-sitters who read the lyrics (and we’ll talk about those a bit later) and turn 50 shades of offended. And, no, it’s not the “ultra-conservatives” that want this thing gone, it’s anyone with a shred of decency. You know what a good reporter might do? I suppose you’d have to be a good one to know, but he’d take the lyrics  that are being complained about, read them to the average Catholic outside of Mass, and ask them what they think of them.

As reported by the Setonian – SHU’s student-run newspaper – the groups have staged multiple protests this spring as well as last fall, calling for the end to “satanic” heavy metal played on WSOU. On their Shut Down WSOU website, the group leads with: “We’re here to end the Satanic, anti-Christian and violently obscene broadcasting coming from Seton Hall University’s radio station, WSOU.

Good on the protestors! The patients have been running the asylum far too long. Everyone should bring three friends with them next time. And, while Donny likes to act like it ain’t no big thing and suggests that they’re largely ignored, even the NY Post covered it (who, BTW, literally used the “Footloose” reference), along with many other media outlets a little more prestigious than “The Village Green.” But keep on pushing the narrative, Donny. 

Describing its focus as “an organization of lay Catholic Americans concerned about the moral crisis shaking the remnants of Christian civilization,” the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) has been actively involved in the attempted shutdown of WSOU. The Southern Poverty Law Center called the group “virulently anti-LGBT.” TFP is working with another organization called The Lepanto Institute. Their website describes itself as being “dedicated to the defense of the Catholic Church against assaults from without as well as from within.”

Oooooh! The Southern Poverty Law center. OK, let’s all bow to their unbiased characterizations. According to them, if you promote authentic Catholic teaching on homosexuality, you’re an “anti-LGBT hate group.” Geez. Even the Minnesota Catholic Conference got that title. As a matter of fact, I’d consider it a success to make their list and am a little disappointed I have not yet made the cut.

“For more than seven decades, student-run WSOU has been home to a rich range of music, news, sports, academic, community service and faith-based programming, winning many awards for excellence and preparing hundreds of students for successful media careers,” wrote University spokesperson Laurie Pine, in response to an inquiry by the Village Green.  “WSOU’s advisory board comprised of WSOU students and alumni along with Seton Hall University clergy and administrators, meets regularly to review the station’s content and operating policies and standards. The goal is to ensure that WSOU continues to realize its mission as a vital asset to the both the campus community and its many loyal listeners locally and throughout the nation. Incorporating and integrating Catholic mission and ministry into WSOU’s wide-ranging and popular programming is always a priority.”

Nice spin, Laurie. Understand, nobody cares about the benign. Nobody ever cared about the news, sports, academics, rock, country music, techno, Christmas, or other formats that came before.  Did you see? I even helped you with a few extras there. We only care about the satanic play list. Anyone who approved that part of the programming, or probably just ignored it, is going to be held accountable. That includes Cardinal Tobin, who was alerted to the insanity and chose to pull his normal “I’m on a mental vacation and waiting for somebody to get me out of the mess I’ve created” routine. Seriously, we have a cardinal who really just waits to see what Cardinal Cupich does and takes a “What he said!” approach. He’d probably have a panic attack if he actually had to do anything of his own volition.

The Principles That Guide WSOU Programming are posted on their website, and specifically address the nature of WSOU’s music selections: “Our guidelines are also informed by experience and the knowledge that to those unaccustomed to loud rock formats, WSOU’s music might sound scary and that the very nature of hard rock music might strike some as anti-religious. In fact, all songs on WSOU are screened for content to ensure that lyrics do not undermine the mission and values of Seton Hall University or the Catholic Church.”

Whoa! I’m terrified to see what your mission and value statements read if the lyrics go along with them.   Again, this isn’t people who are “unaccustomed to loud rock formats.” What a joke. We’re not talking centarians. (That’s 100+ year-olds, dear advisory board).

And, BTW, if you’re ensuring that the lyrics do not undermine the mission and values of Seton Hall, why in heaven’s name does this nice disclaimer pop up when you open this page? https://www.wsou.net/Music-Selection-Guidelines-Review-Findings.cfm#.YKiOk6hKhGM

The programming heard on WSOU does not represent the opinions and beliefs of Seton Hall University or its employees and students. WSOU’s music and talk programming is presented as entertainment and is not intended to promote any specific lifestyle, belief, political affiliation, or other personal practice.

Explain that, Ms. Pine!

The lyrics are literally so bad I won’t post them, and I’m not exactly faint of heart. READ THEM YOURSELF, but preferably after dousing yourself with exorcism water!  https://shutdownwsou.com/evidence/ 
We’re not talking “loud rock format”, we’re talking “Let’s hope the lyricist gets to confession yesterday because it’s not looking too good for him/her right now.” It hardly takes a “militant Catholic” to be offended and downright scared that this level of evil and debauchery would be allowed to be broadcast from a Catholic university. In fact, it should fail FCC standards all around, but those were kicked to the curb a long time ago.

The Lepanto Institute has also covered all of this. Again, graphic warning, but it shows how undeniably satanic this is. https://www.lepantoin.org/catholic-radio-station-attached-to-archdiocese-of-newark-promotes-satanism-violence/

In addition to placing blame on WSOU and the university, the Setonian reported that some fliers held during the protest “blamed WSOU’s broadcasting on former Archbishop of Newark Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after the Church found him guilty of sexual abuse.”

To put the recent protests outside of Seton Hall, it helps to revisit the historical context of those seeking to censor “heavy metal,” “loud rock” and other musical selections played on WSOU.

So? This was indeed allowed under McCarrick. Evil does beget evil. Also, you’re trying way too hard to paint this as the “Get off my lawn crowd.” Way too hard. The groups protesting this dumpster fire are hardly limited to those who listen to Gregorian Chant all day. It’s rather odd you can’t figure out the difference between, say, Stryper and Whitechapel. Let’s not be children here. We’re not talking “Penny Lane.” We’re talking songs of rape, murder, torture, necromancy, blasphemy and a whole lot more. Sound Catholic to anyone?

<snipping irrelevant and minimizing Tipper Gore facts for brevity>

The PMRC may also serve as a cultural bellwether for the timeframe as conspiratorial fears of organized or global Satanic cults began to take shape, referred to as a “satanic panic.” Aja Romano of Vox offers a compelling argument that “the collective fears that consumed the US in the 1980s and ’90s are still alive and well — all the way through QAnon and beyond.

“Satanic Panic was characterized at its peak by fearful media depictions of godless teenagers and the deviant music and media they consumed. This, in turn, led to a number of high-profile criminal cases that were heavily influenced by all the social hysteria. Most people associate the Satanic Panic with so-called “satanic ritual abuse,” a rash of false allegations made against day care centers in the ’80s, and with the case of the West Memphis Three in the ’90s, in which three teenagers whose wrongful conviction on homicide charges was based on little more than suspicion over their goth lifestyles.” – Aja Romano

Umm, would Aja Romano actually read the lyrics I linked to and say they weren’t satanic? “Nothing to see here, people! No such thing as satanic music. It’s all made up, just like satan himself!” This, again, is irrelevant to what’s going on at Seton Hall.

“You can’t understate how important WSOU was for underground heavy metal in the late 80s and 90s,” says Maplewood resident Mark Strigl, host of the @talkingmetal podcast for over fifteen years. When Strigl started his show, podcasting was in its nascent stages. He continued to expand his music media experience after working at both MTV and VH1. And over the years, he has hosted many of the heavy metal performers that WSOU has played.

Strigl recalls how far the station could reach. “They would crank that signal up on FM radio, so you could hear it all over. I could hear it in Princeton, I could hear it in Trenton, and it has so much clout,” he says. “It definitely was known throughout the tri-state area as the heavy metal mecca. Promoters would go there, PR people would go there, and it was a sought-after place to have your record on rotation.”

Hello?! Anyone remember this is supposedly a Catholic school? He might has well of said “You can’t imagine how important Seton Hall was to the satanic scene of the 80’s and 90’s!” I couldn’t give a flying fig about how important they were to promoters. Not really the point, but “underground metal?” Why, pray tell, was it underground? Hmmm???? Let me help. It’s just that bad.

Keep in mind that the station and the university haven’t always shared a tranquil relationship. In 2001, the station was threatened with a format change by SHU that would end heavy metal completely. Eventually, a deal was struck and the station would play what was called “modern eclectic rock” — heavy metal included. That said, WSOU has always been known for spinning up-and-coming bands that would later make it big, such as Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Korn, and Newark’s own My Chemical Romance.

In his many years of interviewing heavy metal and hard rock artists, Strigl points out that he has interviewed musicians who have a variety of styles, philosophies, artistic approaches, and religious persuasions. “Heavy metal is a genre, and the bands are very diverse in their beliefs. A lot of these people are Christians. They are Catholics and they’re Jewish, they’re atheist, and they’re Muslims. You could say politically and ethnically diverse, too” he says. “I think WSOU has always had some respect for the institution they come from […] I think this group that’s protesting sounds like they’re, completely lost, misled, and probably don’t even know what they’re protesting.”

CATHOLIC SCHOOL. It doesn’t exist to pump “diverse beliefs.” It’s not there to promote Judaism, atheism, Islam or Democratism.  It exists to teach Catholicism. The people protesting know exactly what they’re protesting. Let’s just throw the challenge out. Restrict the playlist to nothing but these metal bands and see what happens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_metal_artists  But we all know that would never happen. I imagine this is why many groups protesting this radio station are calling for a full shut down. All the attempts to reform, a supposed advisory board, and a school mission statement have all failed to stop the demonic from oozing back into the playlist. Think that bone wasn’t thrown to the protesting laity? Think again. It has and more than once. Nobody will trust Seton Hall nor Cardinal Tobin to protect the laity short of a shut down. They’ve heard it all before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weDACQToBSY
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/21/nyregion/on-campus-the-day-the-music-died.html

At a recent protest, signs asked for passers-by to “honk to protect our children” for fear that the songs could persuade them to engage in anti-Catholic and satanic rituals. In an interview with News 12, Shutdown WSOU founder Richard Smaglick said that, “It’s so bad that this Catholic university is airing Satanism to what they call a target audience of 12-year-olds in the largest media market in North America and that needs to end.”

I know this is a revolutionary thought, but satan shouldn’t be given a platform anywhere other than to expose him. How hateful I am. This doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Satanic anything is no bueno. Not only should WSOU be shut off tomorrow, the campus should be exorcised. I listen to all kinds of music. There is quite a bit you can do with various genres and still keep it Catholic. That apparently can’t happen at WSOU because they’re “so diverse in their beliefs.”

“Look, here we are more than 30 years later and they’re trying to go after a Catholic institution for playing a form of music that that really is not as dangerous as it once was viewed,” says Strigl. “My kids hear heavy metal and they laugh because it’s old people music.”

Wow! That says it all. Satanic music isn’t as “dangerous as it was once viewed.” Thanks, Strigl. You just threw out one of the tricks of satan. “Satan isn’t that dangerous.” Please. And, Strigl, if it’s funny and out of touch to the youngsters, why is it being played at all on a college radio station?  Oops.

So when it comes to purported “satanic music,” is there any that a listener truly should be scared about? Culture writer and journalist AJ Romano certainly thinks so. “The real fear is that, tomorrow, someone could decide the demonic influence is you.”

Wow! Kind of shocked Donny never got to the “Footloose” reference. I totally thought that was coming, but I guess he didn’t want to copy the Post. Cheers to him for working in the Nazi reference, though, via AJ. Totally should have seen that coming because, of course, anyone anti-satan must be a Christian Nazi read to throw you into a concentration camp. Really? Can you guys find a new schtick? 

So just to sum this whole fight up…Yes, there is satanic dung being played on Seton Hall’s radio station. No, it’s not just loud music that apparently frightens the old people. (Groan.) Seton Hall and Cardinal Tobin are somehow trying to ignore it, justify it, and/or are just fine with it. There’s a whole contingent that wants to portray everyone as fine with it and those who are not are just old fogies. This lie simply isn’t going to fly anymore. Last time I checked, most Catholic exorcists think satan a bad thing and advise against having anything to do with him. As a bonus, they also frown on the occult, new ageism and any subsidiary activities of satan. If they don’t, they might need to get some continuing education. Many thanks to those who actually believe satan exists and are fighting him, though.

Finally? Cardinal Tobin – please do your job! I mean the one Christ gave to you, in case you couldn’t figure that out. This, as usual, should be a no-brainer. The role of the haphazard cardinal is getting quite old to the faithful.

Want to help out this group of dedicated Catholics? Join them! Please take the time to contact the below:

His Excellency Archbishop Christophe Pierre
3339 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC  20008-3610
nuntiususa@nuntiususa.org

Cardinal Joseph Tobin
171 Clifton Avenue
P.O. Box 9500
Newark, NJ 07104

(Surprise, surprise, no email address because he really doesn’t want you to contact him.)

Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D.
Office of the President
Seton Hall University
Presidents Hall
South Orange, NJ 07079 USA
president@shu.edu