Satanists unveil statue for Oklahoma capitol

Curled from: http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/ogblog/440766/Satanists-unveil-statue-for-Oklahoma-capitol/

The New York based Satanic Temple is raising revenue from online crowdfunding on Indiegogo to erect a statue of their deity outside the Oklahoma State Capitol building, right beside an existing monument to the Christian Ten Commandments.

Yep, those are misspellings.

The proposed design would feature a 7-foot-tall statue of a goat-headed Baphomet figure sitting cross-legged on a stone slab, flanked by two smiling children. The monument would also include quotes from poets Lord Byron and William Blake.

“The monument has been designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma City and beyond," explained Satanic Temple spokesperson Lucian Greaves. "The statue will serve as a beacon calling for compassion and empathy among all living creatures. The statue will also have a functional purpose as a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation."

"people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan."

The organization claims the project is not just an elaborate prank, and points out they don't actually worship Satan, just the idea of free expression. Critics of that older monument say it marks a de facto endorsement of Christianity by the state government and therefore violates the US Constitution's "establishment clause" against a national religion. 

"By accepting our offer, the good people of Oklahoma City will have the opportunity to show that they espouse the basic freedoms spelled out in the Constitution," the group's Indiegogo project site clarifies.

It's not clear that the Satanic Temple will ever be able to get the chance to build the statue. After other groups — including PETA and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster — asked for their own displays, the Oklahoma City Capitol Preservation Commission placed a moratorium on new monuments at the statehouse.

"I think it is very offensive they would contemplate or even have this kind of conversation," said one Oklahoma lawmaker.

The Satanic Temple, though, is unswayed.

"The decision by Oklahoma to impose a moratorium on new requests for monuments at the state Capitol means little to us, and our course of action remains the same," wrote Greaves.

“Our monument celebrates an unwavering respect for the Constitutional values of religious freedom and free expression. Satanism is a fundamental component at the genesis of American liberty. Medieval witch-hunts taught us to adopt presumption of innocence, secular law, and a more substantive burden of proof.

“Today, we are rightly offended by the notion of blasphemy laws and divine fiats. Acknowledging wrongful persecutions has helped shape the legal system that preserves the sovereignty of our skeptics, heretics, and the misunderstood. It has shaped a proud culture of tolerance and free inquiry. This is to be a historical marker commemorating the scapegoats, the marginalized, the demonized minority, and the unjustly outcast.”

“We trust that this unique monument will also prove a favorite tourist attraction to Oklahoma’s Capitol for years to come."