source; blackchristiannews.com |
A Satanic group is looking to counterbalance the presence of a Ten Commandments display outside the Oklahoma state capitol with a monument of its own -- a so called "homage" to Satan.
The Satanic Temple, a New York City-based religious group, officially offered a monument to the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission, a committee that manages the capitol's grounds, according to a press release put out by the religious group.It is unclear what messages or symbols The Satanic Temple's display would include.
Spokesperson Lucien Greaves told Friendly Atheist blogger Hemant Mehta this week that the commission has already responded to the proposal, which the government received on Nov. 21."I can happily report that we have very recently heard back from the commission," Greaves said. "The representative was extremely polite and friendly and sent us the form needed to accompany the design for our proposed monument."
The government allowed the Ten Commandments display on the premises back in 2012 when it was donated by Mike Ritze, a representative in the state legislature. The American Civil Liberties Union has since taken aim at it and sued for its removal, as press release noted.Now, Satanists are hoping that their effort will help prove whether viewpoint discrimination is at play."By accepting our offer, the good people of Oklahoma City will have the opportunity to show that they espouse the basic freedoms spelled out in the Constitution," said Greaves. "We imagine that the ACLU would also embrace such a response."
If the monument is accepted, the press release proclaims that it would prove the commission doesn't discriminate. A rejection, of course, would likely only add fuel to the debate surrounding the Ten Commandments display
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