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January 7th, 2014
10:00 AM ET
Satanists unveil design for OK statehouse statueBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN) - Satanists have unveiled their design for a proposed statue at the Oklahoma state Capitol, including a place for people to sit on the devil's lap "for inspiration and contemplation." The New York-based Satanic Temple submitted its proposal to Oklahoma officials this month after applying for a spot on Capitol grounds late last year. The Satanists say their statue would "complement and contrast" with a Ten Commandments monument placed at the Capitol in Oklahoma City in 2012. The Satanists' proposed monument depicts Baphomet, a goat-headed pagan idol sitting on a 7-foot-tall throne inscribed with an inverted pentagram. In an artist's rendering provided by the Satanic Temple, smiling children look adoringly at the devilish figure. "The statue will serve as a beacon calling for compassion and empathy among all living creatures," Lucien Greaves, a spokesman for the Satanic Temple, said in a prepared 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.” According to its Indiegogo page, the Satanists have raised more than $16,000 toward their goal of $20,000 for the monument, which Greaves said would "be a historical marker commemorating the scapegoats, the marginalized, the demonized minority and the unjustly outcast.” The Temple of Satan is less a religious body organized around rituals and regular meetings than a roving band of political provocateurs, according to Greaves. They believe Satan is a "literary construct," the spokesman said, not an actual being with horns and hooves. READ MORE: Satanists want statue next to Ten Commandments The proposed statue includes quotations from poets Lord Byron and William Blake. “Prisons are built with stones of Law, Brothels with bricks of Religion” runs the Blake quotation. The 18th-century poet was a Christian, albeit one with a mystical bent and little use for traditional morality. The statue's main figure, Baphomet, has long been associated with Satan, Greaves said. In the 12th century, the Knights Templar, a group of Christian crusaders, were accused of worshiping Baphomet in their secretive rituals. "From the mythology created by these accusations against the Templars, we now have a symbol for Satan pictured as a goat-headed beast," Greaves said. Since the 1960s, a variation of the horned goat head has been the official symbol of the Church of Satan, which is not affiliated with the Temple of Satan. The head of the Church of Satan has told CNN he does not approve of the idea of a Satanist statue on public grounds. Oklahoma state Rep. Paul Wesselhoft told CNN that he doesn't think the Satanists' statue will be approved. “What will disqualify them has really nothing to do with Satan as such; it's that it has no historical significance for the state of Oklahoma,” he said. Trait Thompson, chairman of Oklahoma's Capitol Preservation Committee, said he has not received the Satanists' proposed design yet. He also said that no applications will be considered until a lawsuit over the Ten Commandments monument is settled. The American Civil Liberties Union has sued over Oklahoma's Ten Commandments monument, calling it an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion. After news broke of the Satanists' proposal, the state was flooded with requests from religious groups seeking to erect monuments to their own faith, including Hindus and Pastafarians, a satirical religion that "worships" the Flying Spaghetti Monster. An Oklahoma lawmaker told CNN that the Satanists' message wouldn't fly in the Bible Belt state, where nearly two-thirds of the population is Christian. "Any monument displayed on state property should reflect the values of Oklahoma or memorialize those who built or defended our freedom," Rep. Bob Cleveland said Tuesday. "In my opinion, this Satanist monument does not meet with the values of Oklahomans." soundoff (3,489 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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The Oklahoma State Capitol building and all of the buildings connected to the state government of Oklahoma is owned by the people of Oklahoma. Therefor statues, and any other decoration for that matter, should be agreed upon by the citizens of Oklahoma (a.k.a. Oklahoma voters). If our government officials put items that do not represent the beliefs of Oklahomans, even if it upsets specific groups in the rest of the country, then they will be judged by the people of Oklahoma and hopefully voted out. Those who wish to force their beliefs on Oklahomans should simply try to find another state. I hope our government officials hold their own and fight any intrusion on the sovereignty of our state.
ah,, kick Americans out.. I see.
Assimilate or die!
Someone needs a refresher course in basic civics...
Sam Holthe,
"Those who wish to force their beliefs on Oklahomans should simply try to find another state"
Amen. NO RELIGIOUS statues on state property.
In case you sat out of the history lessons, the State is beholden to the Federal Government. The Civil War resolved that issue.
Does everyone in Oklahoma believe in the same god? Did Oklahoma recede from the USA and thus is no longer under the Federal Constitution?
I tell you what guys. If Oklahomans want a statue of satan in the state capitol then let it happen. If they don't then don't complain. Your tax dollars do not pay for Oklahoma property and the Oklahoma government. Your votes do not elect our representatives. To me, this is no different than someone from a foreign country putting up a statue of Hitler on the National Mall in Washington DC.
I imagine that someone in Oklahoma asked the group from New York to step in so that someone like you wouldn't find out who he or she is and burn their house down.
Gee. I guess the Dominionists weren't expecting this, were they?
Just keep all religious symbols out of government buildings. That would end this nonsense.
This is the whole reason why the wise destroyed idols in the first place. They divide people as humans cannot help themselves from competing for the sake/love of their finite idols. Remove all the idols(statues/monuments) and have Peace in what Is. For what Is.. Glorious as Is.. needs no further desecration by that which is created from man's ego.
idols were to be removed so that a master idol could win
Ooh, that would be more interesting to watch than American Idol.
Pantheon Idol, da da dumm dumm dadda da da
You understand this is not really about idols don't you?
Maybe you don't.
Religion is someone else's experience with God, spirituality is your own. The more we remove the zealots from this country and rid ourselves of this small minded stupidity the better off we will all be. I am from Oklahoma and had this argument with many people when the issue of the 10 Commandments being placed there was raised the first time. My word exactly were "Freedom to express your religion doesn't just mean Christians...it means you're opening up to ALL religious relics, ideas and thoughts, so if you want the 10 Commandments, be prepared for the Koran to be displayed somewhere too". Not the Koran I see but still my point I suppose was right after all....RELIGION IS DUMB and the people that blindly follow it are even dumber.
it's a positive thing to set up these monuments,, good for kids so they will begin seeing the silliness in religion. I'm all for it
"The Satanists' proposed monument depicts Baphomet, a goat-headed pagan idol"
Well are the Satanists or Pagans? Pagans are Polytheists – worship in multiple deities. Satanists are Monotheists – just the devil. Aside from using the Pentagram, they are two completely different belief systems.
Mercfan,
It seems you didn't notice the portion of the article where they described the Satanists, and explained that this religion does not worship Satan (or any diety it would seem), in fact they don't even think Satan is real. Saying they're monotheists might be a bit of a strecth
Technically, Satan isn't a God.
Anglels, demons, ifrits, cherubim, seraphim, etc. are all magical, supernatural creatures created by God but they aren't actually gods. Don't forget – the primary characteristic of Abraham's God is jealousy. He would never create anything that could pose a real challenge to His power.
Only by the Christian definition.
mercfan
Pagan simply means either no religion, or ANY religious belief that is not of the Abrahamic god.
The only things that are NOT pagan, is judeaism, Christianity and Islam....everything else is pagan by definition.
So how does a statue of Satan NOT reflect Oklahoma values?
How many citizens of that state would vote to keep this statue? One, two, or maybe three? What do you think?
No problem. Let's keep ALL religious symbols off government property.
Good thing the Cons t i t ution is there to protect the few from the tyranny of the majority.
How many residents of the Bible Belt do you think would have voted in favour of desegregation in the mid 20th century?
In Virgina, Judge Leon Bazile offically decreed that segregation is God's plan.
"Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, Malay, and red, and placed them on separate continents, and but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend the races to mix."
Did you know that interracial marriage was illegal in Alabama until the 21st century?
Even then, only 59% of the people voted to repeal anti-miscagenation laws.
Frankly, Oklahoma could do with a little more diversity. If they cannot erect this statue, they should take down what is already there
You really think that will happen???
If they ever placed this statue somewhere, I probably would visit it and deface it, regardless of the consequences!
So you admit to being a close-minded, intolerant pr*ck?
Good for you.
I bet your all powerful god will be thankful for your help..
Why does the Icon bother you?
Is your religion the sole one to be forced on the people of OK?
I guess everybody needs a hobby...
"Hear me, o hear me! All pay heed!" The Lord, the Lord God, has given unto you these fifteen [CRASH]...... Oy, ten, TEN commandments for all to obey!"
Just our luck.
I'll bet those other five would have been totally awesome.
11) Thou shalt not elect an actor president.
12) Thou shalt refrain from being an annoying tool to they neighbors.
13) Thou shalt eat more chicken
14) Thou shalt floss after eating
15) Bazinga!
Separation of church and state – include every last religion or keep them all distant. The mature thing to do would be the latter.
Don't the citizens of the state get a say in the matter?
No.
Federal law trumps state law every time, good try though.
Not real clear on what kind of government we have, are you? Here's a hint, it's not a democracy like you think.
Beware the temptation to argue in favor of one. Are you in the majority in all important regards? An unchecked democracy can vote portions of the population into slavery, whittling away until it is just the very small group that manipulates the polls to their best advantage.
That State Capitol is government land. The First Amendment protects freedom of religion and in order to do that, the government cannot create laws promoting one religion over another. There are plenty of locations I can practice my faith – it doesn't have to be on government property. I will gladly consider that land religious neutral – in exchange for the government not telling me how and when to practice my faith anywhere else. That being said, that does not prevent me from saying a silent prayer if I was in a court room or attending state business in the building.
This may be the most intelligent comment on this topic I've seen posted.
I am a citizen of OK and I agree with the sentiment that either include all religions or none at all. The majority Christians (like myself) are not under attack. We must protect the voice of the minority. Personally, I would totally visit the Pastafarian statue. If the 10 Commandments statue can stay on government property, then so can the Satanic Temple statue can stay. I vote to approve it.
Live4HIm,
To a degree. If someone can come forward and prove that this poses a legitmate risk to the health and wellbeing of people who may be near it, than citizens certainly have the civic right to request to have it removed (or otherwise made safe). BUT, until someone successfully makes that case, if you present one religion, than all other religions have the right of equal respresentation, Even if there is just one follower.
Hope you say the same thing to all the churches, synagogues, and mosques that have ornate building, statues, and art work.
irrelevant comparison
They are not government buildings.
The Statue is of the Zodiac Capricorn, the goat. The Anglo-saxon people had this image for God of the Old Testament. Most people don't know this. There is a reason why there is so much animal sacrifice in the Torah. IHVH is both devil(right hand of God) and angel(left hand of the angel of the Lord).
Religion = Astrology = Kingdom of Heaven
Astro = Stars = Light = God
Logy = study of or words of
logy comes from a Greek word Logos, which means study of, or words of
Astrology = Study of God, or Words of God
Blah blah blah blah blah. None of it is real, that's the most important thing.
The war of religions: "Sorry, my Karma just ran over your Dogma."
What a joke! There is so much need in the world and these yahoos want to spend money on a satan statue. Give the money to the poor.
I thought the Christians should have had that issue taken care of. Instead they build monuments to their gods and enrich the pockets of charlatans like Rick Warren and Joel Osteen.
tell that to the vatican
Can't argue with you there. They are sitting on way too much money.
This should apply to all churches too.
Can't speak for all churches, but the Christian churches I have attended do give a lot of money around the world and in the US for care of the poor and homeless.
that's the leaders business,, they get their huge cut and lie about what they take..
Guess bragging is the christian way
So why didn't the group that erected the ten commandments statue give that money to the poor also? Religious groups could do a lot of good in the world, but instead they spend money on enormous churches on acres of grounds, monuments like this, etc.
catholic church has more prime property than any other business. All we all pay for the taxes they don't. Where is separation?
You could say the same to the people that built the 10 Commandment monument at the same spot...
Seriously folks, aren't there more important things to contemplate than this? How about a reality check, people?
Yeah, a reality check is that this world is going to hell in a hand-basket rather quickly.
http://www.cremationofcare.com/illu_bohemian_grove.htm
put it up and move on
Making a point about religion and government is appropriate.
Who cares about preserving the integrity of the US Consti/tution anyways.
Just enforce a national religion and call it a day.
A re-run of the Dark Ages then?
This is the BEST thing we could do for our children. We also need to add a muslim shrine too.
Kids will then more quickly identify with the nonsense in religion, beginning of deprogramming.
Your comment is so awesome I think we ought to put up a statue of YOU.
I've always advocated for sculptures of all religions to be displayed. In this case, however, the Satanists are simply trying to make a statement about the separation of church and state. I think it's rather well done and can't wait to see the arguments.
Much better than the festivus pole that was put up near the nativity here. It was a bunch of beer cans, on a stick. Looked shabby, and was a poor comparison to the elaborate and artistic nativity display. This statue though, could hold its own on an artistic basis and shows real effort. The pole was just a joke, but you can't say that of the statue.
Oxymoron, how can a Satanist have such disdain for the Bible, when its the very foundation of their religion? Satanist prove Satan exist, which proves the word of God is true, where else is SATAN mentioned! As for baphomet, Satanist obviously have quite the imagination! I mean come on, how do you know he exists, but have not read what he looks like in the same book (the Bible)! Satan is a fallen angel, full of lies, and he has plenty of son and daughters in this place we call home. Jesus kicked your Satan out of heaven, and he will KILL, DESTROY, turn to ashes this fallen angel in the end. Thanks Satanist for again proving the Bible to be true, in so many ways. Satan laughs at your statue, for he knows that if he had the choice, he would design a resemblance of himself as an Angel of Light, a great benefactor to this fallen world.............i marvel at your great ignorance.
Right on!
wow!! let's all interpret bible and god today. Too funny.
where you in Colorado smoking? heesh..!!!
Don't you mean "hash-heesh"?
You have a very poor grasp of theology and an even poorer grasp of grammar and spelling.
"Satanist" vs "Satanists" aside, you're right. But grammar is important...
You? Marveling at ignorance?? The one who believes in imaginary creatures (God, angels) and the Bible literally? THAT is really really rich. (dying of laughter). You might as well believe in the boogie monster or fairies.
I thought John Travolta was the boogie monster.
Don't know who you are, but this was adressed to the Satanists, who clearly believe in the Bibles teaching about Satan. So jab away, but don't play favorites.
If you think that's what Satanism actually is, you have no idea what Satanism actually is. You should probably learn a thing or two about a topic before you post on it.
Really? The Bibles not clear enough on who Satan is?!
6th grade reading comprehension would have helped you realize that the people who want to put up the statue are atheists that don't believe in any god or devil mythical figure... they are trying to make a point about separation of church and state dumbass
Your cursing is not becoming, obviously this hit a sore spot. With that being said, you can say in clear conscience that to be an atheist and call yourself a SATANIST is brilliant? Really? So since this name is a PLOY, why didn't Lavey name his son JESUS, i mean that would of put it over the top fo publicity? .....less cursing , more thinking!
you obviously have no idea what satanism is.....It is an idea, not a religion. They do not believe in god or the devil. they believe in themselves. They don't "pray" for someone to take care of their problems. They go out and solve their own issues. They treat people with respect that deserve it and don't bother wasting it on ungrateful people. They love just like everyone else. This is their symbol, just as that ridiculous cross and the "man" that has powers to rise from the dead is symbolic to alot of folks. And, yes, i have read the satanic bible.
Satanist use images (so called images) of what is deemed the be SATAN in different forms, as well as the name SATAN // Both of these are borrowed from religions // Sort of a paradox to have SATAN's (so called) image printed all over your literature, yet say its all a misunderstanding...........not to convincing an argument. I hate comics......signed: SuperMan
http://www.cremationofcare.com/illu_bohemian_grove.htm
Did you not already know that the Govt. and elite officials were not already involved in such pagan things? Alex Jones unveiled the truth in 2001. This is not a surprise, the globalists will continue to gauge the public for reactions for stuff like this.
You that don't believe in Christ, I hope for your-sake you are right!
Go to hell.
the poster is clearly under the influence of being brainwashed. It just isn't right that religions use fear on their sheep
LOL... you be stupid
ALEX JONES?? Bwahahahahahaha!
So what? Satan, Christ, a Tree, a Witch, a god with many heads, a snake in a tree.. who cares? These bible thumpers really believe their version of history is the ONLY one. I say we start with a statue of Hades and if they say there is no historical value to Oklahoma then lets put up a few totem poles and tell me THEY aren't historical. History did not start with their god or their religion. History was painted on the caves by man before they had words to explain death and why the rain fell or how the bear ate uncle Joe. Newsflash that puny thing called god or his make believe faith are no where in the REAL history books.
bible thumper are not putting up this statue of satan. Get the facts before you post.
That's not what was said. The post was saying the "bible-thumpers" wanted to block it
L4 H but – bible thumpers have a hard time with dinosaurs ! you know !
First Dinosaurs Identified from Saudi Arabia
Jan. 7, 2014 — Dinosaur fossils are exceptionally rare in the Arabian Peninsula. An international team of scientists from Uppsala University, Museum Victoria, Monash University, and the Saudi Geological Survey have now uncovered the first record of dinosaurs from Saudi Arabia.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140107092829.htm
And you have a problem with dino soft tissue.
NO you DO !
Read before you criticize what is written.
I did. Didn't you? No where in the article does the term 'bible thumpers' appear. So, this post went off on a wild tangent. And you didn't notice.
Sorry bro but you don't know what you are talking about.
I'm hoping they leave out the snake in the tree. I'm not a big fan of reptiles. On all other counts, I agree with you though
Is someone wanting to put up a statue of Hades as well?
Or–
please tell me I'm not going to have to explain Hades is NOT an equivalent to any Christian devil figure?