Police are investigating a statue of the devil that was vandalized after it was placed near the Nativity site 48 hours earlier outside the New Hampshire State Capitol in Concord. Last weekend, the Satanic Temple unveiled a statue of the devil Baphomet at the New Hampshire State Capitol as part of its annual tradition of installing demonic displays near nativity scenes off government property. a live stream The ceremony was also streamed on Facebook.
A statue of Baphomet wearing a black robe, Found broken Halfway through Monday night, she held a bouquet of purple lilacs, New Hampshire's state flower, in her right hand, her eyes sparkling. It also featured a purple stole engraved with an inverted pentagon, a goat's head with the TST logo, and two inverted crosses.
Today's photo is of the holiday display at the Satanic Temple in Concord, New Hampshire 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/agk8n544cf
— OneOutOfFour (@OneOutof4) December 10, 2024
Meanwhile, on the statue's pedestal was a board listing the seven tenets of the Satanic Temple, and to its left was a black and white Satanic flag. christian post I will report it.
During the livestream, Orpheus Gaul, pastor of TST's New Hampshire and Vermont congregations, said the apple on the figure's left hand symbolizes “the quest for knowledge, resistance to arbitrary authority, and a commitment to self-determination.” He said that
Concord Police Deputy Chief John Thomas told the NH Journal that the ongoing investigation has ruled out at least one suspect.
“Santa wouldn't do that,” Thomas said. “Santa loves everyone.”
According to friendly atheiststate Rep. Ellen Reed (D-Newmarket), who organized the demon display at Substack, which is controlled by atheist Hemant Mehta, claimed that Christian symbols were left at the site.
According to reports new hampshire radiosomeone left a Santa hat, a cross, and a Christmas decoration on the statue.
Reed, an agnostic who previously introduced legislation to strip God from the state's oath and ban circumcision from state Medicaid coverage, became emotional as he picked up pieces of the statue and placed them in his car, according to the photo. It seemed like it was happening. Published by NH Journal.
Reed blamed religious figures for the vandalism, lamenting that those who vandalized the statues “cannot tolerate simple expressions of faith by groups that do not believe in the same way they believe.”
The city of Concord said last week that it approved a permit for the statue to “avoid litigation.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Mayor Byron Champlin expressed regret that the exhibit was even installed in the first place.
“My preference was to refuse the permit and accept the risk of threatened litigation,” he said. “I oppose this permit because I believe this request was made not to promote religious equity, but to advance anti-religious policies.”
TST co-founder Lucien Greaves told Mehta that the vandalism of satanic exhibits on government land has become “as much a holiday tradition as trampling your grandmother in the Black Friday crowd.” ” he said.
“They are attacking our property, threatening us on social media, vandalizing our displays, and deploring the violence they imagine they have perpetrated on us,” said Messner, whose real name is Douglas Messner. ) said.
“But hopefully, for some, our limited existence and patience will not affect religious freedom, our civil capacity, as we see fit. It will serve as an inspiration in showing us that the ability to believe or disbelieve is still alive and needs to be championed now more than ever at any other time in our lives.
Last year, Michael Cassidy, a U.S. Navy veteran and former candidate for the Mississippi House of Representatives, was charged with a felony hate crime for vandalizing a Satanic display at the Iowa State Capitol that featured Baphomet. After he was indicted, the charges were dropped in May. begged He was guilty of criminal mischief.
During an interview with christian post Last December, Cassidy doubled down on his actions, saying lawmakers were overcomplicating evil by claiming that Satanism on government property is protected by the U.S. Constitution.
“The people who drafted our Constitution would be shocked if they thought that championing Satan was consistent with their beliefs in enacting the laws that govern our country,” he said.
“People are starting to overcomplicate the truth, which is that God is great and should be respected, and the devil is evil and should not be respected,” he says. “I think people are confining themselves by trying to justify it, but it's actually much simpler than that.”
Photo courtesy: ©X/1 out of 4
