These guys are pretty clearly just stirring the pot – I very much doubt the statue ever gets built; but the Satanic Church has released a sketch of a proposed monument they want to put on the grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol building. They want “equal time” with the Ten Commandments monument that is on the grounds.
But, this is the sort of risk a government has to grapple with when it invites religious expression on its property. Some of the unpopular religions might show up.
In addition to representing the Satanic religion, the monument “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,” said Satanic Temple spokesperson Lucien Greaves.
This seems to be part of a phenomenon we frequently see in the south. The “Christians” are often superficially cultural Christians, rigid, abrasive, judgmental and nasty, which seems to have resulted in a sort of countercultural reaction like this, which seems frequent in the South. Then everyone gets outraged, refusing to understand that this is an opportunity to learn something about themselves, and the beat goes on. During the Christmas season, the atheists decided to put a big red “A”, next to the creche and a menorah on the Daley Plaza in Chicago. I’m sure there was some of the reaction you see in the south, but it led to a lot of LOL, and reminiscing about a big red “A” meaning adultery. So what are people in Oklahoma City and the South in general going to learn from this about themselves and tolerance and being human? What will they learn about the fact that religion (or lack of) and the state are separate, and that the Constitution was not created to be read in your local church? Nothing to speak of, but they will get huffy and hateful. “O, what fools these mortals be!”
It’s hard to fight for religious freedom for religions that you aren’t a part of, or even religions you don’t agree with. But it’s been done. That’s what the country was founded on. The Founders didn’t try to find some mish-mash of Christianity that would make everyone happy, they just simply left religion out of government.
I just don’t understand why more people don’t, when presented with the choices of “no religion in government” or “all religion in government”, choose the latter.
I find it curious that THIS post only got three comments and the marriage equality one received over 50… but maybe that’s because it got promoted on statewide fb pages?