GOP House Candidate Destroys Satanic Temple Display

December 14, 2023 Christianists, Republicans

Des Moines’ CBS affiliate reports:

The Satanic Temple of Iowa says a statue in its Iowa capitol display was destroyed “beyond repair.” The display made headlines this week when an Eastern Iowa state lawmaker called for the governor to remove it, calling the display “blasphemous.”

Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement saying, “In a free society, the best response to objectionable speech is more speech.”

The Satanic Temple said in a Facebook post, “We are proud to continue our holiday display for the next few days that we have been allotted. We ask that for safety, visitors travel together and use the 7 Tenets as a reminder for empathy, in the knowledge that justice is being pursued the correct way, through legal means.”

The right wing Republic Sentinel reports:

Michael Cassidy, a Christian and former military officer, tore down and beheaded a Satanist altar erected in the Iowa Capitol as the display provoked nationwide controversy, The Sentinel has exclusively learned. Cassidy said in comments exclusively provided to The Sentinel that he destroyed the shrine on Thursday in order to “awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government.”

Cassidy turned himself into police officers present in the Iowa Capitol, who confirmed that the Satanic Temple of Iowa desires to press charges. The Sentinel obtained a complaint and affidavit which said Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. “I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged,” Cassidy continued. “My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”

Cassidy ran for the US House in Mississippi last year, finishing 35 points behind incumbent GOP Rep. Michael Guest in the primary. Earlier this year he lost a bid for the Mississippi House.



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