"Religious Liberty" In Action: Satanic Temple to Erect First Ever Satanic Monument on Public Property
City
leaders in Belle Plaine, Minnesota have granted The Satanic Temple
permission to erect a satanic monument next to a Christian memorial.
The Veterans Memorial Park is used to honor fallen veterans of war.
The Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts is planning to erect a memorial in the park: a black cube, inscribed with inverted pentagrams and has an empty soldier's helmet on top of it.
City officials granted Satanists permission to erect the monument after controversy surrounding a Christian memorial at the park.
A two-foot steel war memorial called "Joe," which features a soldier kneeling before a cross in its tribute to soldiers, was on display as a memorial to the brave men and women who fought and died for their country.
According to The Gospel Herald, the atheist organization Freedom From Religion Foundation, demanded Belle Plaine remove the Christian statute in January.
City leaders, fearing a lawsuit, ordered the removal of the cross.
More than 100 residents rallied to restore the cross.
"Everyone understood this could happen, said Belle Plaine resident Andy Parrish, who led the charge to restore the cross.
"It's more annoying than it is offensive," he told The Star Tribune.
The city offered a compromise.
It decided to open the park as a "limited public forum" where anyone, including Satanists, is welcome to donate monuments on their own.
The cross was reinstalled in April and will share space with the satanic monument.
Both monuments will be placed in the newly created space where private citizens or groups can apply to put temporary monuments, as long as they honor veterans.
The Satanic monument is scheduled to be on display later this month.
The Veterans Memorial Park is used to honor fallen veterans of war.
The Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts is planning to erect a memorial in the park: a black cube, inscribed with inverted pentagrams and has an empty soldier's helmet on top of it.
City officials granted Satanists permission to erect the monument after controversy surrounding a Christian memorial at the park.
A two-foot steel war memorial called "Joe," which features a soldier kneeling before a cross in its tribute to soldiers, was on display as a memorial to the brave men and women who fought and died for their country.
According to The Gospel Herald, the atheist organization Freedom From Religion Foundation, demanded Belle Plaine remove the Christian statute in January.
City leaders, fearing a lawsuit, ordered the removal of the cross.
More than 100 residents rallied to restore the cross.
"Everyone understood this could happen, said Belle Plaine resident Andy Parrish, who led the charge to restore the cross.
"It's more annoying than it is offensive," he told The Star Tribune.
The city offered a compromise.
It decided to open the park as a "limited public forum" where anyone, including Satanists, is welcome to donate monuments on their own.
The cross was reinstalled in April and will share space with the satanic monument.
Both monuments will be placed in the newly created space where private citizens or groups can apply to put temporary monuments, as long as they honor veterans.
The Satanic monument is scheduled to be on display later this month.
