by Geoffrey Grinder, Now The End Begins:

In the Illinois Capitol rotunda this month, several traditions are being celebrated. There’s a Nativity scene for Christmas, a menorah for Hanukkah, and then something a little different: an arm holding an apple, with a snake coiled around it.

One of the hallmarks of the Obama administration was the dramatic rise in activity by groups like the Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple. For some reason, they just felt comfortable enough from 2008 to 2016 to slither out of their pit and begin promoting their nonsense.

“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5 (KJV)

I think watching President Obama support taxpayer-funded abortion, same-sex marriage, attacks on Christian bakers, and the executions at Benghazi they began to feel right at home.

Satanic Sculpture Installed At Illinois Statehouse, Just In Time For The Holidays

FROM NPR: It’s a gift from the Chicago branch of The Satanic Temple. Called “Snaketivity,” the work also has a sign that reads “Knowledge Is The Greatest Gift.” Nearby stands a sign in which the state offers a civics lesson — and explains it didn’t have much of a choice:

“The State of Illinois is required by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to allow temporary, public displays in the state capitol so long as these displays are not paid for by taxpayer dollars. Because the first floor of the Capitol Rotunda is a public place, state officials cannot legally censor the content of speech or displays. The United States Supreme Court has held that public officials may legally impose reasonable time, place and manner restrictions regarding displays and speeches, but no regulation can be based on the content of the speech.”

Illinois Secretary of State spokesman Dave Druker told The State Journal-Record the temple has the same rights as religious organizations. “This recognizes that.”

The Satanic Temple calls itself a “non-theistic organization” in its application to install the display.

In a GoFundMe campaign to raise $1,500 for the display, the group explains its mission: “The Satanic Temple—Chicago will no longer allow one religious perspective to dominate the discourse in the Illinois State Capitol rotunda during the holiday season. … Please consider what you may do to help us bring Satan to Springfield!”

The group has installed similar displays in other states in recent years. A more snake-prominent version of the display has been a part of the holiday scene on the lawn of the Michigan Capitol. Outside the Arkansas State Capitol in August, the temple presented a statue of a goat-headed creature named Baphomet, flanked by two children looking up at him, to protest a display of the Ten Commandments.

Despite its name, many of the Satanic Temple’s activities demonstrate a particular concern for fighting — or at least revealing — the influence of religion in public life. And satanic sculptures have so far been an effective legal strategy for making its case.

ON ITS WEBSITE, THE SATANIC TEMPLE EXPLAINS THAT ITS MISSION “IS TO ENCOURAGE BENEVOLENCE AND EMPATHY AMONG ALL PEOPLE, REJECT TYRANNICAL AUTHORITY, ADVOCATE PRACTICAL COMMON SENSE AND JUSTICE, AND BE DIRECTED BY THE HUMAN CONSCIENCE TO UNDERTAKE NOBLE PURSUITS GUIDED BY THE INDIVIDUAL WILL.”

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