A Satanic altar erected in the Iowa Capitol building has been torn down and beheaded by a Christian and former military officer.
According to The Sentinel, Michael Cassidy pushed over and decapitated the statue of Baphomet, which was placed in the building by members of the Satanic Temple of Iowa after receiving permission, and discarded the head of the statue into the trash.
Cassidy told the outlet that he destroyed the altar on Thursday to "awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government."
"The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment," Cassidy said. "Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water."
Cassidy turned himself in to officers who were present in the building, who confirmed that the Satanic Temple of Iowa seeks to press charges. Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.
“I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged,” Cassidy said. “My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”
Cassidy previously ran for Congress in Mississippi and served as a Navy pilot.
The display drew outrage, with Iowa Lawmaker saying, "I am calling for our governor to have this blasphemous display removed immediately based on the grounds that it is unconstitutional and offends God upon whom the State of Iowa depends for blessings."
"I am calling for clarifying legislation to be adopted in accordance with our State Constitution that prohibits satanic displays in our Capitol building and on all state owned property. I am calling for legislation to be adopted that makes it legal to display the Ten Commandments in our Capitol, in all buildings owned by the state, and in our public schools."
The display was permitted to be in the capital building for two weeks, and featured a mirrored, caped statue of Baphomet, complete with a black and red "holiday wreath" with a pentagram in the center.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
According to The Sentinel, Michael Cassidy pushed over and decapitated the statue of Baphomet, which was placed in the building by members of the Satanic Temple of Iowa after receiving permission, and discarded the head of the statue into the trash.
Cassidy told the outlet that he destroyed the altar on Thursday to "awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government."
"The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment," Cassidy said. "Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water."
Cassidy turned himself in to officers who were present in the building, who confirmed that the Satanic Temple of Iowa seeks to press charges. Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.
“I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged,” Cassidy said. “My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”
Cassidy previously ran for Congress in Mississippi and served as a Navy pilot.
The display drew outrage, with Iowa Lawmaker saying, "I am calling for our governor to have this blasphemous display removed immediately based on the grounds that it is unconstitutional and offends God upon whom the State of Iowa depends for blessings."
"I am calling for clarifying legislation to be adopted in accordance with our State Constitution that prohibits satanic displays in our Capitol building and on all state owned property. I am calling for legislation to be adopted that makes it legal to display the Ten Commandments in our Capitol, in all buildings owned by the state, and in our public schools."
The display was permitted to be in the capital building for two weeks, and featured a mirrored, caped statue of Baphomet, complete with a black and red "holiday wreath" with a pentagram in the center.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
