We guess we should know better than to look for nuanced religion reporting in the excitable New York Daily News, but we were drawn in by their report of a 20-year old self-proclaimed Satanist, Daniel Romano, who was allegedly beaten with a metal pipe and ice scraper by two “God-fearing thugs” in Queens. The attackers have been charged with a hate crime, though the attorney for one of the defendants ridiculed the charge as an abuse of hate crime law. Until the trial details are reported, though, what do we learn about the defendants’ and Romano’s religious beliefs from the Daily News? Romano does claim that he is studying to become a leader in the Church of Satan (though the local Church of Satan denies that he is a member at all), but the reporter focuses as much on his blue hair and black nailpolish, including a juicy appendix on how to spot “the devil’s trademarks.” As for the assailants, there’s no clue to their fear of god whatsoever, except the bewildering note that one is home-schooled due to claustrophobia. Well, that’s fear of something…