Religious Freedom: Not in America, Apparently
The Satanic Temple's Yuletide Display is Destroyed by a Christian Nationalist
It started as rather a feel-good story: the Iowa chapter of The Satanic Temple (an organization with many local branches focused on doing activism around religious freedom and reproductive rights) installed a Yuletide display in the Iowa capitol building. Other holiday displays were also erected there, including a nativity scene, and a banner for the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers. The Satanic Temple’s display consisted of an altar covered in candles and a large standing Baphomet figure with crimson robes and a head made of silver mirrors. Kinda cool!
Well, some folks loved it, but a lot of folks didn’t love it. A member of the Iowa House of Representatives, who is also a pastor, wrote a long statement on Twitter saying that, as a Christian, he found the display “offensive,” but as an elected official for the State of Iowa, he said “I don’t want the state evaluating and making determinations about religions. I am guided by the First Amendment of the US Constitution” which establishes a separation of church and state.
Other voices on social media were not quite so decorous. There were accusations of “devil worship” and “a tidal wave of evil” sweeping America, and many angry exhortations to remove the display. After several days, Michael Cassidy, a Christian army veteran, who ran for Congress in Mississippi as a Republican and lost, traveled to Iowa and vandalized the display, beheading the Baphomet sculpture.
Cassidy was arrested and has, naturally, started a “legal defense fund” to collect donations, which has already doubled its $20K goal. No doubt those who call this bigot a “hero” are the same ones who think Kyle Rittenhouse isn’t a murdering piece of trash.
Interestingly, Mr. Cassidy, during his unsuccessful campaign for Congress, called upon an “automatic” ten year jail sentence for people who destroy public statues. This seems to be a man who has not thought things through very carefully, and, as one often sees with Christian Nationalists, is also a disgusting hypocrite.
Let’s hope Mr. Cassidy receives the same treatment under the law that he thinks all vandals who destroy statues in public places should get. Maybe part of his sentence should also include an “automatic” requirement to study the First Amendment.
Happy Holidays, everyone. Thanks for reading and all your support. If you didn’t know, I’m running a Yuletide subscription special for the season. Wishing you all a lovely Midwinter season full of fellowship, cheer, and goodwill towards all.
