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Satanic Temple challenges Ten Commandments monument with scary statue

The disturbing statue is a goat-headed winged creature with two children looking up at it.
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The Satanic Temple challenges the Ten Commandments monument with a scary statue.

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On Thursday, August 16, 2018, the group had a rally and mounted a goat-headed winged creature called a statue of Baphomet at the State Capitol building in Arkansas.

This eight and a half foot bronze monument had two children looking up at it.

Satanic Temple fights for religious freedom for all

According to the organization, the figure is not about idolizing Satan but a protest against the Ten Commandments monument installed at the Capitol last year.

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During his speech, Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves said, "We have as little interest in forcing our beliefs and symbols upon you as we do in having the beliefs of others forced upon us."

"What we are asking for is only that the public square … remain an area where free speech, religious liberty, and equality under the law be respected by the holders of public office who swore to uphold those values," he told the crowd at the rally.

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Satanic Arkansas co-founder Ivy Forrester added: "If you're going to have one religious monument up then it should be open to others, and if you don't agree with that then let's just not have any at all."

Reacting to the statue, Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert, who sponsored the 2015 bill that made way for the Ten Commandments monument, told THV11 that while he is all for free speech,  "It will be a very cold day in hell before an offensive statue will be forced upon us to be permanently erected on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol."

The statue stayed briefly and was later removed.

Fast Facts on Satanic Temple

Despite the name and statue, this organization insists that they do not worship Satan.

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On its website, The Satanic Temple describes itself as a group whose mission it 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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