Satanic Sculpture Installed At Illinois Statehouse, Just In Time For The Holidays

[Achilles]

Satanic Sculpture Installed At Illinois Statehouse, Just In Time For The Holidays

December 4, 20185:46 PM ET
Laurel Wamsley

In the Illinois Capitol rotunda this month, several traditions are being celebrated. There's a Nativity scene for Christmas, a menorah for Hanukkah, and then something a little different: an arm holding an apple, with a snake coiled around it.

It's a gift from the Chicago branch of The Satanic Temple. Called "Snaketivity," the work also has a sign that reads "Knowledge Is The Greatest Gift."

Nearby stands a sign in which the state offers a civics lesson — and explains it didn't have much of a choice:

"The State of Illinois is required by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to allow temporary, public displays in the state capitol so long as these displays are not paid for by taxpayer dollars. Because the first floor of the Capitol Rotunda is a public place, state officials cannot legally censor the content of speech or displays. The United States Supreme Court has held that public officials may legally impose reasonable time, place and manner restrictions regarding displays and speeches, but no regulation can be based on the content of the speech."

Illinois Secretary of State spokesman Dave Druker told The State Journal-Record the temple has the same rights as religious organizations. "This recognizes that."

The Satanic Temple calls itself a "non-theistic organization" in its application to install the display.

In a GoFundMe campaign to raise $1,500 for the display, the group explains its mission: "The Satanic Temple—Chicago will no longer allow one religious perspective to dominate the discourse in the Illinois State Capitol rotunda during the holiday season. ... Please consider what you may do to help us bring Satan to Springfield!"

The group has installed similar displays in other states in recent years. A more snake-prominent version of the display has been a part of the holiday scene on the lawn of the Michigan Capitol. Outside the Arkansas State Capitol in August, the temple presented a statue of a goat-headed creature named Baphomet, flanked by two children looking up at him, to protest a display of the Ten Commandments.

Despite its name, many of the Satanic Temple's activities demonstrate a particular concern for fighting — or at least revealing — the influence of religion in public life. And satanic sculptures have so far been an effective legal strategy for making its case.

On its website, the Satanic Temple explains that its mission "is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will."

The temple has also taken steps to protect its trademarks, especially against depictions that present its symbols as actually nefarious. Last month, the temple settled a lawsuit with Warner Bros. and Netflix, after a reboot of the teen witch show Sabrina used a copy of the goat-headed statue in an episode. The temple argued the statue "not only infringed on its copyright, but damaged its reputation by portraying the statue as evil," The New York Times reported.



The Journal-Register notes other symbols that have been placed in the Illinois Capitol rotunda. Currently on display is a statement from the Freedom From Religion Foundation marking the winter solstice and asserting that "Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

In 2008, a Springfield man got permission to install a Festivus pole at the statehouse, inspired by the holiday celebrated by the Costanzas on Seinfeld. A sign explained that the traditional airing of grievances would start early that year.


https://www.npr.org/2018/12/04/67342...r-the-holidays

[Laura19]

Guess they didn't read the rest of Genesis to see what that knowledge brought....death, disease, and much unhappiness

[Earl Sinclair]

Infringed its copyright / trademark???? Goat-headed statues have been around for a couple thousand years!


Earl

[Miradus]

This is one of those "Are you SURE this isn't the Onion?" articles. I had to look several times.

A state government has erected a statue to Satan. No Bohemian Grove shadow play there. No gray area. Nope. Here's our statue honoring Satan.

[Hoppalong]

Isn't it nice that here in the USA we have Freedom of religion, One has the Freedom to worship anyone, anything and yes even satan. After all we have No National religion we are not a Christian nation because of that. Christ Like ya maybe but that is all. You can go out and worship a fence post if that is what you want to do. LOL

[Miradus]

Upon reflection, this is a great thing.

[Pastor Guest]

Isn't it nice that here in the USA we have Freedom of religion, One has the Freedom to worship anyone, anything and yes even satan. After all we have No National religion we are not a Christian nation because of that. Christ Like ya maybe but that is all. You can go out and worship a fence post if that is what you want to do. LOL

God gives us that freedom now. Be careful though, how you use it, because you will not always have that freedom and we all will give account to God. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

Also, shall not God hold to account those who set idols, lies and false religion before the people? Revelation chapter 13, verse 10a, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity...".

[Green Man]

This is one of those "Are you SURE this isn't the Onion?" articles. I had to look several times.

A state government has erected a statue to Satan. No Bohemian Grove shadow play there. No gray area. Nope. Here's our statue honoring Satan.

Nope, private funds paid for the statue.

"The State of Illinois is required by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to allow temporary, public displays in the state capitol so long as these displays are not paid for by taxpayer dollars. Because the first floor of the Capitol Rotunda is a public place, state officials cannot legally censor the content of speech or displays. The United States Supreme Court has held that public officials may legally impose reasonable time, place and manner restrictions regarding displays and speeches, but no regulation can be based on the content of the speech."

I hope you feel better now.

[Miradus]

You mistake me for someone else, dude.

I'm not arguing that they have the RIGHT to do it.

I'm amazed they did.

[Miradus]

Let's dialog this out a bit. Maybe that'll explain my position.

It doesn't amaze me much that there's a group of organized Satan worshippers somewhere. It doesn't amaze me so much that they have some resources to get a statue built. Maybe the guy who carved the statue is one of them.

But there's a lot of non-Satan worshippers who had to be involved in this.

Some guy hauled that thing in a truck. Did he say, "What's in the back? Oh, it's a statue of Satan. Just an average day here at Joe's Hauling Services."

Some guys unloaded it. Did they say, "What the heck is this weird thing? Looks like a statue to Satan. I'm not touching it."

The janitor walked by with a mop bucket and said, "That's new. Is that a statue to Satan? What's going on in this building? Are we all openly worshipping Satan now? Explains the mess in the bathrooms."

A whole lot of people were involved with this thing beyond just the folks who pulled it together. And a lot more have to give it the pass in order to go about their day.

I'm not the most religious person out there. I'm certainly not canonically religious as many of you are, and at best I'd say I'm more spiritual than religious sometimes. And I certainly don't get involved in discussion trying to figure out what the mark of the beast might actually be ...

... but if I have to go get my driver's license renewed at a building with a giant statue of Satan outside I'm probably going to say, "F this, I'm going to drive illegally."

Let's say someone is completely non-religious and believes all the Bible is nothing more than allegory. Well then Satan is allegorical for everything bad in humanity, right? And suddenly that allegory is represented with a goat-headed statue outside of your government building. What does that say about the government?