News By James Plafke Dec. 16, 2013 1:41 pm
Last year, the Oklahoman government signed off on the construction of a large religious monument depicting the Ten Commandments that was to be placed on the grounds of the state’s capitol building. If you’re of the mindset that church should be separated from state, celebrating our country’s Judeo-Christian heritage — as Rep. Bobby Cleveland put it — is not best achieved by plopping a monument to the Ten Commandments on the grounds of a government building. Oklahoma may not be representing your secular beliefs with this endeavor, but you have an unlikely representative in this battle: The Satanic Temple.
The Satanists aren’t fighting your secular battle by opposing the construction of the monument, but are fighting fire with fire — and we all know that Hell is more rife with fire than a single burning bush. Instead, they’ve launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to construct a monument to Satan on those very same grounds of the capitol. After all, Judaism and Christianity aren’t the only religions, and if the statues are being built in the name of religious freedom, other religious have the right to be equally free.
The Ten Commandments monument was built using private funds, which was more or less why it was allowed — as it was not technically funded by the government. This is why the Satanic Temple took to the crowdfunding platform, as it wouldn’t be secularly funded if the Temple members funded it themselves.
Of course, the Oklahoma government does not want to erect a monument to Satan on the capitol grounds, however metal it may be. Brady Henderson, legal director of the ACLU’s Oklahoma chapter, thinks that the government will be in for a surprise. Should the campaign reach its funding goals, the organization feels that the monument should not be blocked from construction just because it represents a different religious viewpoint, as that’s religious persecution, and this will begin a heated legal battle. Satanic Temple spokesman Lucien Greaves is playing fair, however, and notes that the statue would be in accordance with community standards, and will be in good taste.
So, the Satanic Temple isn’t trying to separate church and state, but may perhaps force the state’s hand in removing the Ten Commandments monument, because it’s not fair to other religions.
If you want to stick it to the man, want to see your satanist ideals represented in a state in which you probably don’t live, or just want to help fund the most metal monument that will ever be constructed on government grounds, you can toss Satan a few bucks over on the Indiegogo campaign.
Now read:*Geek.com’s 2013 holiday gift guide
More...
The Satanists aren’t fighting your secular battle by opposing the construction of the monument, but are fighting fire with fire — and we all know that Hell is more rife with fire than a single burning bush. Instead, they’ve launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to construct a monument to Satan on those very same grounds of the capitol. After all, Judaism and Christianity aren’t the only religions, and if the statues are being built in the name of religious freedom, other religious have the right to be equally free.
The Ten Commandments monument was built using private funds, which was more or less why it was allowed — as it was not technically funded by the government. This is why the Satanic Temple took to the crowdfunding platform, as it wouldn’t be secularly funded if the Temple members funded it themselves.
Of course, the Oklahoma government does not want to erect a monument to Satan on the capitol grounds, however metal it may be. Brady Henderson, legal director of the ACLU’s Oklahoma chapter, thinks that the government will be in for a surprise. Should the campaign reach its funding goals, the organization feels that the monument should not be blocked from construction just because it represents a different religious viewpoint, as that’s religious persecution, and this will begin a heated legal battle. Satanic Temple spokesman Lucien Greaves is playing fair, however, and notes that the statue would be in accordance with community standards, and will be in good taste.
So, the Satanic Temple isn’t trying to separate church and state, but may perhaps force the state’s hand in removing the Ten Commandments monument, because it’s not fair to other religions.
If you want to stick it to the man, want to see your satanist ideals represented in a state in which you probably don’t live, or just want to help fund the most metal monument that will ever be constructed on government grounds, you can toss Satan a few bucks over on the Indiegogo campaign.
Now read:*Geek.com’s 2013 holiday gift guide
More...
