What Event Is Commemorated On Easter Sunday?

Governor Rallies Believers To Combat Unholy Spectacle

Republican Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds addressed the controversial satanic display at the Iowa State Capitol, erected by The Satanic Temple Iowa, which has stirred calls for its removal. The display features an altar to Baphomet, a silver ram’s head on a red-caped mannequin holding an inverted pentagram wreath, surrounded by candles and flowers. It includes the seven “Fundamental Tenets” of The Satanic Temple, an organization granted non-profit status by the IRS in 2019 with a mission to promote benevolence, empathy, rejection of tyrannical authority, advocacy for common sense, opposition to injustice, and pursuit of noble endeavors.

Governor Reynolds expressed her objection to the display in a statement on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of free speech. She encouraged people of faith to join her in prayer over the Capitol, highlighting the nativity scene as the true reason for the season. In a tweet, she shared a photo of herself praying in the Capitol rotunda during a ceremony near the Nativity scene and Christmas tree, juxtaposed with the satanic display.

The satanic exhibit has ignited debates on social media and among Republican state lawmakers, exploring the boundaries of free speech and religious expression on government property. Representative Jon Dunwell, a Republican and Christian pastor, acknowledged finding the display objectionable but emphasized that it is not the government’s role to regulate religious matters, advocating for the preservation of free speech rights.

Conversely, Representative Brad Sherman, also a Republican and pastor, contended that the display violates the 1857 Iowa Constitution, which recognizes the state’s dedication to God. Sherman called for Governor Reynolds to remove the statue from the Capitol and proposed legislation to prohibit satanic displays on government property.

The Satanic Temple Iowa responded with a statement expressing pride in participating in Capitol festivities and explaining that their display reflects their core beliefs, emphasizing bodily autonomy, rejection of arbitrary authority, acknowledgment of fallibility, and inspiration for nobility in thought and action. They thanked Capitol staff and law enforcement for upholding religious freedom principles and ensuring equal opportunities for all religions to celebrate the holidays in the Capitol.