The Satanic Temple in Iowa has displayed a Satanic holiday exhibit at the Iowa Capitol, sparking outrage from religious groups and a fierce debate over free speech, but government officials assert that the display adhered to all regulations and was allowed to remain in the space.
Key Facts
The exhibit includes a statue resembling the pagan god Baphomet, featuring a mirrored goat’s head and electric candles, along with what the Satanic Temple describes as its “Seven Fundamental Principles,” including its belief in “freedom of offense.” The group has a long history of defending freedom of religion and expression in public spaces.
It is one of several displays installed in the Capitol to celebrate the holidays, including a traditional nativity scene and a display from a local atheist group.
The presence of the display has incited anger and has led to public prayers at the Iowa Capitol, including a service attended by Governor Kim Reynolds, with the state’s Republican delegation divided, as one legislator called for its removal while others defended it as a form of free expression.
State Policy and Responses
The state’s administrative services department approves all holiday displays, and although it provides guidelines, it does not discriminate “on the basis of religion,” according to Republican Representative and Pastor John Dunwell in a local television interview last week.
The Iowa Legislative Policy regarding displays is to “allow all displays or allow no display,” and the administrative services department told local TV station WHO that the Satanic Temple had applied and met all the display requirements.
In a statement, the Satanic Temple wrote that it is “proud” to participate in the festive celebrations at the Capitol and thanked government officials “for upholding the principle of religious freedom and ensuring that all religions have an equal opportunity to celebrate the holidays together in our beautiful Capitol.”
Critical Quote
Instead of calling for the removal of the exhibit, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, said, “In a free society, the best response to controversial speech is more speech, and I encourage all those of faith to join me in prayer at the Capitol and to acknowledge the nativity scene that will be displayed – the true reasons for the season.” She added that she found the Satanic Temple’s display “deeply offensive.”
Major Critics
Last week, Iowa Republican Representative Brad Sherman disagreed with local leaders who believe the state has no means to remove the display. In his newsletter on December 8, he wrote that the Iowa Constitution was founded on a belief in God. “It is a tortured and twisted interpretation of the law that grants Satan, who is universally understood to be an enemy of God, religious expression equal to God in a government institution that relies on God for continued blessings.”
Main Background
On its website, the Satanic Temple states that it does not worship or believe in Satan or the supernatural but advocates for religious freedom and believes that religion should be “separate from superstition.” Lucien Greaves, the founder of the temple, told local TV station KCCI that the display aims to represent the group’s belief in freedom of religion and expression. However, the imagery has provoked local outrage and national controversy on social media. Florida Governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis seized on the issue during a town hall meeting on Monday with CNN. He blamed his opponent, former President Donald Trump, who was previously leading in the polls, for this matter, noting that the IRS first approved the Satanic Temple’s designation as a religion in 2019 during his presidency. Despite the controversy, it seems Iowa lawmakers are poised to allow the display to remain in place. Dunwell, a Republican and state pastor, strongly defended the decision in a television interview, pointing out that although he finds the display “deeply offensive” and “evil,” he does not want the state to “evaluate and make decisions about religions.” This is not the first time the Satanic Temple has used satanic imagery in public forums to promote its beliefs – in 2018, the group made headlines after unveiling a statue of Baphomet at the Arkansas State Capitol in protest of a Ten Commandments monument that was on the grounds. That statue was not allowed to remain. Recently, the group attempted to combat abortion restrictions: in Texas, it challenged new abortion laws by filing a lawsuit claiming that the laws would prevent the religion from practicing its “rituals” of abortion, but this lawsuit was dismissed earlier this year.
What
It must be monitored
The Satanic Temple said it plans to keep the display up until December 15.
More Reading
For more information, see: Iowa demonstrates why the wall between church and state must stand
AP News: The Satanic Temple: U.S. tax services may have granted it tax-exempt church status
Follow me on Twitter. Send me a secure tip. James Farrell
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