Move over, Christmas tree and Menorah. Make room for Satan.
The Satanic Temple earned a spot in the Illinois Capitol rotunda holiday display in December, where it erected a 4 1/2-foot-tall sculpture depicting its own religious message. The sculpture features an extended forearm of a young woman wrapped in a coiled snake, apple in hand, called “Knowledge is the Greatest Gift.”
According to its creators, the sculpture represents the biblical story of Adam and Eve, who eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden – against God’s orders and at the devil’s insistence.
“We see Satan as a hero in that story, of course, spreading knowledge,” explains Satanic Temple chapter leader and spokesman Lex Manticore. “It’s the greatest individual pursuit of bettering yourself, and we believe that you should basically act with the best scientific understanding of the world when you make decisions.”
Despite objections from religious groups, First Amendment protections mean state officials had no choice but to allow the display to remain alongside traditional holiday decorations.
Manticore seeks to downplay tired stereotypes about Satanists, describing how members don’t actually believe in deities or the supernatural. “Not only do we not worship a literal Satan, but we don’t believe one actually exists. Satan for us is a metaphor. … Throughout literary history, (it’s) been used as a character that represents rebellion in the face of religious tyranny,” he says...READ MORE + SEE VIDEO
