Church Cancels Divinity Destroyed Benefit Show

New Jersey progressive death metal band, Divinity Destroyed, post an update on their website regarding the cancelation of a youth group benefit show:
"As many of you may have heard (or seen) by now, this Friday's show at St. Mary's Parish Center may very well be cancelled. Click here to gain some insight.

Friday's show was organized by Brianna Taylor, a 13 year-old girl with cerebral palsy, and Tara Frelund. Ten days before the show date, two priests were informed that one of the bands performing was called Divinity Destroyed and had "pornography" and "Satanic" subject matter on their website. They immediately pulled the plug.

Despite the pleadings of Brianna, Tara, and other youth group members who scheduled, booked, and organized the event, their decision stood. Mark even met with the two priests, successfully clarifying every misconception and misunderstanding over the period of an hour.

The show remained cancelled.

They didn't like our name. They didn't like our sense of humor. They found other bands we're playing with disagreeable. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But unfortunately, their opinion was enough to abruptly cancel an event they had little to do with.

By shutting the show down, they literally prevented thousands of dollars from reaching the Sunshine Foundation, a non-profit organization that strives to help handicapped kids like Brianna.

This, we would not stand for. Not even for our sake but for the simple principle that these men of the cloth are doing the complete opposite of what they should be. They are rejecting the youth that look up to them and denying help to those in dire need of it.

We fear the show may ultimately remain cancelled. But people need to know the truth. Good can still come of this situation. It made the front page of the Asbury Park Press, just about every radio station in Jersey spent time on it, and we'll be damned if this appalling act of ignorance and hypocrisy goes unnoticed.

What can you do? Sign this petition and pass it on to as many people as humanly possible.

People may not like us...our name, our image, our music...but this simply isn't right."