Satanic Temple wants to erect 'good taste' display next to Ten Commandments
The New York-based Satanic Temple wants to donate a “good taste” monument to be placed next to a Ten Commandments display by Oklahoma’s Statehouse.
The Satanic Temple sent a letter to Oklahoma’s Capitol Preservation Commission proposing a display that is “an homage to the historic/literary Satan,” the Associated Press reports. Christian News also reported on the proposal.
Temple spokesperson Lucien Greaves said one potential design is a pentagram and another is an interactive display for children. The monument would be “in good taste and consistent with community standards,” according to Greaves’ letter.
A Republican state representative paid for the Ten Commandments monument. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma filed a suit on behalf of a Baptist minister this summer that contends the Ten Commandments monument is a violation of the establishment clause.
Vice.com says Greaves was previously known as Doug Mesner, who studied false memories related to ritual abuse. Asked if the Satanic Temple was a satanic or satirical group, Greaves replied, “That is a common question. I say why can’t it be both?” Greaves said the group’s “presence as civic-minded socially responsible Satanists serves to satirize the ludicrous superstitious fears that the word Satan tends to evoke.”
Hat tip to How Appealing.
