The Satanic Temple’s statue of Baphomet started off as a quirky Kickstarter project, but now exists as several very real nine-foot tall bronze statues. And while the original statue was set to be placed at the Oklahoma State capitol building as a protest against a Ten Commandments monument erected in 2012, those plans were nixed when the Supreme Court declared that all religious monuments in the capitol building were unconstitutional.
Now the Satanic Temple is looking to house Baphomet at another capitol building — this time targeting Arkansas — and have filed paperwork to make it so. From their press release:
In a letter sent via certified mail to Arkansas’ Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission, The Satanic Temple… formally requested permission to place their controversial “Baphomet” monument alongside a 10 Commandments monument at the Capitol in Little Rock. The request comes in reply to the approval of AR Senate Bill 939 which has allowed for a privately donated 10 Commandments monument to be placed at the Capitol…
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TST argues that if the State has opened the public grounds to private donations, they cannot engage in viewpoint discrimination and must reasonably allow for other donations of a similar nature…
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TST is prepared to pursue legal options if their application is rejected or ignored. “The Arkansas legislature unwittingly opened the door for our monument to be erected at Little Rock, while they clearly believed they could preference the 10 Commandments,” states TST spokesperson Lucien Greaves. “In fact, the law doesn’t work that way. The State either allows for an open forum available to private donors, or it does not. The Legislature doesn’t need to approve our monument, as the approval of the 10 Commandments already established the parameters by which monuments are allowed on Capitol Grounds. We clearly meet all their criteria with Baphomet.”
Oh, those Satanists! Using Arkansas’ own laws against it.
Satanists aren’t the first religious group to try and get a religious monument up at the Arkansas capitol building. Arkansas Hindus were denied the right to place a privately funded statue on the grounds based on a technicality. Unfortunately for Arkansas, the Satanists are much less pacifistic about stuff like this and are very willing to go to court.
Via Patheos