Satanists unveil design for Oklahoma Capitol monument
OKLAHOMA CITY — A
satanic group unveiled designs Monday for a 7-foot-tall statue of Satan
it wants to put at the Oklahoma state Capitol, where a Ten Commandments
monument was placed in 2012. The New York-based Satanic Temple formally
submitted its application to a panel that oversees the Capitol grounds,
including an artist’s rendering that depicts Satan as Baphomet, a
goat-headed figure with horns, wings and a long beard that’s often used
as a symbol of the occult. In the rendering, Satan is sitting in a
pentagram-adorned throne with smiling children next to him. ”The
monument has been designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma
City and beyond,” temple spokesman Lucien Greaves said in a statement.
“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.” The Satanic Temple maintains that the Oklahoma
Legislature’s decision to authorize a privately funded Ten Commandments
monument at the Capitol opened the door for its statue. The Ten
Commandments monument was placed on the north steps of the building in
2012, and the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has
sued to have it removed. Similar requests for monuments have been made
by a Hindu leader in Nevada, an animal rights group and the satirical
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
In
response, the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission recently placed a
moratorium on considering any new requests. ”Anybody can still make
their request, but we’ll hold off on considering them until the lawsuit
is adjudicated,” commission Chairman Trait Thompson said. The push by
the Satanic Temple has rankled elected leaders in this conservative
state known as the buckle of the Bible Belt, who say such a proposal
would never be approved by the commission. ”I think you’ve got to
remember where you are. This is Oklahoma, the middle of the heartland,”
said Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon. “I think we need to be tolerant of people
who think different than us, but this is Oklahoma, and that’s not going
to fly here.” While Greaves acknowledges the Satanic Temple’s effort is
in part to highlight what it says is hypocrisy of state leaders in
Oklahoma, he says the group is serious about having a monument placed
there. The group already has raised nearly half of the $20,000 it says
it needs to build the monument. ”We plan on moving forward one way or
another,” Greaves said. Another Oklahoma legislator, Rep. Earl Sears,
called the group’s effort “an insult to the good people of the
state.” ”I do not see Satanism as a religion, and they have no place at
the state Capitol,” said Sears, R-Bartlesville. On its website, the
Satanic Temple explains that it “seeks to separate Religion from
Superstition by acknowledging religious belief as a metaphorical
framework with which we construct a narrative context for our goals and
works. ”Satan stands as the ultimate icon for the selfless revolt
against tyranny, free & rational inquiry, and the responsible
pursuit of happiness,” the website says. MSN News
OKLAHOMA CITY — A
satanic group unveiled designs Monday for a 7-foot-tall statue of Satan
it wants to put at the Oklahoma state Capitol, where a Ten Commandments
monument was placed in 2012. The New York-based Satanic Temple formally
submitted its application to a panel that oversees the Capitol grounds,
including an artist’s rendering that depicts Satan as Baphomet, a
goat-headed figure with horns, wings and a long beard that’s often used
as a symbol of the occult. In the rendering, Satan is sitting in a
pentagram-adorned throne with smiling children next to him. ”The
monument has been designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma
City and beyond,” temple spokesman Lucien Greaves said in a statement.
“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.” The Satanic Temple maintains that the Oklahoma
Legislature’s decision to authorize a privately funded Ten Commandments
monument at the Capitol opened the door for its statue. The Ten
Commandments monument was placed on the north steps of the building in
2012, and the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has
sued to have it removed. Similar requests for monuments have been made
by a Hindu leader in Nevada, an animal rights group and the satirical
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
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