BY: KAROUN CHAHINIAN
Hundreds of people gathered near the Detroit River around midnight on Saturday to watch the unveiling of the highly controversial Satanic Baphomet sculpture.
Chants of “hail Satan” rang through the night as an approximate crowd of 700 went to witness what is said to be the “largest public satanic ceremony in history.”
The bronze-winged Baphomet sculpture weighed around one ton and was nine feet tall with the head of a monstrous goat and body of a man. It sat cross legged on a throne with two bronze statues of a girl and boy looking up at him with awe. Hundreds of satanists gathered around to pose for pictures or just to take in its immensity.
The bronze winged Baphomet sculpture weighed around one ton and was nine feet tall with the head of a monstrous goat and body of a man.
Photo by:christianpost.com
Hundreds of satanists gathered around to pose for pictures or just to take in its immensity.
Photo by: Matt Anderson
Photo by: Matt Anderson
Photo by: Matt Anderson
After the Satanic organization’s futile attempt to place the colossal statue beside a Ten Commandments monument on the Oklahoma State Capitol grounds in 2012, they decided to surprise the public with its unveiling in Detroit, which was announced at 11:30 pm EST when emailed details to ticket holders were sent out.
Upset by religious paraphernalia on state property, the Satanic Organization’s complaints resulted in the Oklahoma Supreme Court to open up a case to determine whether or not the monument should be taken down due to it violating a section of the Constitution, which bans the use of state property for the benefit of religion. Before any decisions are made, Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin said the statue will stay in its place.
Before any decisions are made, Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin said the statue will stay in its place.
Photo by: Matt Anderson
Photo by:Chris Switzer
A similar controversy is now being sparked in Arkansas, according to Jex Blackmore, the director of the Satanic Temple Detroit Chapter, where members of his temple are currently attempting to transport the statue to that southern state due to the governor signing a bill authorizing the placement of another Ten Commandments monument on the State Capitol’s grounds.
If everyone does have the religious freedom to possess their own unique world views, is it fair to only celebrate one or two religions through spiritual monuments on public ground?
Photo by: Matt Anderson
This grand unveiling in Detroit sparks an important conversation about the line between religious freedom and simply strong-arming subjective beliefs into a communal space. If everyone does have the religious freedom to possess their own unique world views, is it fair to only celebrate one or two religions through spiritual monuments on public ground?
Sources: blogs.wsj.com, theguardian.com, christianpost.com, news.vice.com, foxnews.com, mlive.com
