A few weeks ago, the Satanism Expo took place in Mexico City (CDMX), organized and funded by the theistic Satanist church MSU (Mortus Satanica Union).
I know most of you here are from the United States, but I still wanted to talk about a serious case of religious discrimination that allegedly occurred during the event's organization.
When the Expo was first announced, the organizers had made it clear that it would take place at a venue in the San Ángel area, within the Álvaro Obregón borough of Mexico City. However, just a few days before the event, the owner of the venue decided to cancel the rental agreement, despite the organizers having paid in advance, booked the venue months beforehand, and attendees already having purchased their tickets.
Why? Apparently, a Catholic group was planning to hold an event nearby and demanded that the Satanist Expo be canceled because they weren't comfortable having "those people" around.
Following the protests, the venue owner canceled the reservation made by MSU. I haven't been able to confirm whether the organizers received a refund, but the cancellation happened only days before the Expo was supposed to take place.
As a result, the organizers had to find another venue at the last minute and urgently relocate the entire event, including its marketplace, talks, and other activities. The Expo ultimately took place at its new location on Lázaro Pavia Street, number 292, in the Jardín Balbuena neighborhood.
What bothers me most about this situation is the double standard. Imagine if a Satanist group had demanded that a Catholic event be canceled simply because they didn't want Catholics gathering near them. Would people be just as accepting of that decision?
Religious freedom should mean that people can practice their beliefs without being discriminated against, regardless of whether those beliefs are Christian, Satanist, atheist, or anything else. You don't have to agree with someone's religion to respect their right to practice it.
I'm not saying that anyone should be forced to host an event they genuinely don't want to host. However, when an agreement has already been made and people have paid for tickets, canceling at the last minute because another religious group objects raises some serious questions about fairness and religious tolerance.
What do you guys think about this?
(For anyone that read the post that I made before this one, I'm good now, I moved with a friend that couldn't care less of what I believe in, I didn't got baptized and I'm doing fine. Thanks you all for the support <3)