Satanists Get OK for Holiday Display at Florida Capitol

The baby Jesus, a Hanukkah menorah and a scene from the fiery pits of hell might not seem like they have much in common, but they’ll all be on display this holiday season at the Florida Capitol.

While the state’s Department of Management Services initially called the Satanic Temple’s holiday display “grossly offensive,” it’s since reconsidered that stance, the Palm Beach Post reports. The New York-based temple brought in some legal help from Americans United for Separation of Church and State to push its right to put up a display for the holiday season in the Capitol building, the paper reported.

It seems the temple’s display was rejected last year, but its officials refused to take no for an answer this time around. Lucien Greaves, spokesman for the temple, told the Orlando Sentinel that the lawyers seemed to make all the difference this year.

“We hope that, this holiday season, everybody can put their religious differences aside and respect that the celebratory spirit of responsible hedonism is available to all,” the paper quoted Greaves as saying.

See Also:

• Satanic Activity Books Coming to a School Near You?
• The Devil’s in Detroit: Fiery Fuss Over Separate of (Satan’s) Church and State

The Satanic Temple made national headlines earlier this year when it challenged the Orange County School District’s decision to allow a group to hand out Bibles to students by saying it wanted to pass out its own religious pamphlets and coloring books.

The holiday display, which portrays an angel falling into hell, will appear in the state Capitol beginning Dec. 22. A “Festivus” pole created from Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans may also be included in this year’s Tallahassee display, the Post reported.

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