Satan to arrive at Illinois State Capitol

In Illinois, Satan is on his way, with lots of malice in his sleigh.

A group calling itself “The Satanic Temple” has gotten permission for a third year to put a Satanic display alongside other religious displays in the Illinois state capitol. They say they are celebrating the “satanic holiday” of Sol Invictus, reports the State Journal-Register.

The display is clearly hostile, however, ridiculing Christians and their beliefs with a model of Baphomet, a “Satanic deity,” depicted as a baby a la the baby Jesus, but grotesque and ugly and designed by Albuquerque-based horror artist Chris P. Andres.

Why do they need to denigrate Christians?

Because the group conducts advocacy for reproductive rights (abortion), “pluralism,” and the separation of church and state as a tax-exempt religious organization, representatives piously say.

“This year’s tradition marks a greater urgency in the Baphomet’s message of harmony and reconciliation,” announced The Satanic Temple in a press release.

The Father of Lies.

In addition to putting displays in capitol buildings in several states, The Satanic Temple’s advocacy includes using religious freedom laws to demand exemption from abortion restrictions on religious grounds and hosting after-school programs as an alternative to similar Christian initiatives, which it apparently finds odious.

In 2019, the group installed “Knowledge is the Greatest Gift” in the state capitol. It depicted the forearm of Eve from the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden alongside an apple … and a serpent.