US man charged over damage to Satanic Temple display in Iowa

Paco Dennis

Paco Dennis

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This was a head turning headline. Especially at Christmas time. I guest the guy really wanted attention for his cause. For some people he was heroic and for others he is a criminal. What a strange creature we humans are.


BBC News
CBS An image of the display that was vandalized
CBS
A political candidate from Mississippi has been arrested after a controversial Satanic Temple display inside the Iowa Capitol was partially destroyed.

Michael Cassidy, 35, is a former US Navy pilot who recently lost a race for the Mississippi state legislature.

Mr Cassidy has been charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of a year in prison and a $2,560 (£1,996) fine.

The display was allowed in Iowa's state house under rules that permit religious installations. It has been criticised by many conservatives, including Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.

The display featured a depiction of a goat's head known as a Baphomet statue and a wreath adorned with a pentagram.

An appeal for legal funds posted by Mr Cassidy online had raised more than $40,000 by Friday evening.


On X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "My deepest hope is that Americans of all political persuasions can unite and agree that: 1. Jesus Christ is Lord 2. Satan is evil."

Mr Cassidy lost an election for the Mississippi state legislature last month. In 2022 he lost in a Republican primary for US Congress.

The Satanic Temple, founded in 2013, is recognised as a religion by the US government, and has ministers and congregations in America, Europe and Australia.

It concentrates its efforts on social action and describes itself as a "non-theistic religious organisation".

The mission statement on the group's website says it "has publicly confronted hate groups, fought for the abolition of corporal punishment in public schools, applied for equal representation when religious installations are placed on public property" and other activist work.

Its leader, Lucien Greaves, called the damage to the display "cowardice" in a statement to the BBC.


It is "sad and frightening" to see some "abandon" ideals of free expression and religious liberty "when only merely faced with benign imagery from a viewpoint that they assume they disagree with", he added.

The display has been damaged beyond repair, the Satanic Temple has said.

The group recently set up an after-school club in a school district in Tennessee, a move also criticised by religious conservatives.

US man charged over damage to Satanic Temple display in Iowa
 

Freedom of Religion means all religions or Freedom from Religion. Not surprised considering that man's background. You play, you pay, he has learned a lesson...hopefully. Certain people are so intolerant of others regarding beliefs, skin color, gender, etc. We see examples of that every single day.
 

In my 20's I was a born again Christian with a family and involved in a house church with about 20 members. I began to get interested in Astrology again ( learned a lot in my teens ). I was warned by some members that I was fooling around in Satan's world. As far as I was concerned the principles I was learning in Astrology were consistent with loving my neighbor as myself. So I continued but was not accepted by some people. I put an add in the newspaper that I did "Christian Astrology"! That did not go over well with more of the members. The intolerance itself was enough to push me away from Christianity. Now I don't care about what others believe as long as they show human respect to one another.
 
Paco Dennis said:
In my 20's I was a born again Christian with a family and involved in a house church with about 20 members. I began to get interested in Astrology again ( learned a lot in my teens ). I was warned by some members that I was fooling around in Satan's world. As far as I was concerned the principles I was learning in Astrology were consistent with loving my neighbor as myself. So I continued but was not accepted by some people. I put an add in the newspaper that I did "Christian Astrology"! That did not go over well with more of the members. The intolerance itself was enough to push me away from Christianity. Now I don't care about what others believe as long as they show human respect to one another.
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Well said.
 
MarciKS said:
Hmm...I don't see being tolerant of Satanists as a good thing. Kinda strange to hear that others might think tolerance should be expected of that. Especially when they are so intolerant of Christians. Interesting.
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And as good Christians we were told and taught to be tolerant of Muslims/Islam. How's that working out?
 
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Pepper said:
What you say is more scary than the existence of Satanists.
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That was spoken like a typical Christian, proving the point, they don't tolerate any non-Christians of any religion or no religion. Not very Christ-like, they remind us of that all the time.

There are a few Christians who do try to be like Jesus and love their neighbor regardless of faith, skin color, gender. How nice it would be if they followed the path of Jesus himself, instead of just using his name to hide behind.
 
Buckeye said:
And as good Christians we were told and taught to be tolerant of Muslims/Islam. How's that working out?
Click to expand...
I don't know...how is it working out? Are they satanists? Why would anyone want to tolerate a group of people who believe in hate and evil? I'm not purposing violence. I just don't believe in being accepting of them.
 
SeaBreeze said:
That was spoken like a typical Christian, proving the point, they don't tolerate any non-Christians of any religion or no religion. Not very Christ-like, they remind us of that all the time.

There are a few Christians who do try to be like Jesus and love their neighbor regardless of faith, skin color, gender. How nice it would be if they followed the path of Jesus himself, instead of just using his name to hide behind.
Click to expand...
that is not true. and very judgmental on your part. you seem to forget that christian's aren't perfect anymore than anyone else.
 
Paco Dennis said:
This was a head turning headline. Especially at Christmas time. I guest the guy really wanted attention for his cause. For some people he was heroic and for others he is a criminal. What a strange creature we humans are.


BBC News
CBS An image of the display that was vandalized
CBS
A political candidate from Mississippi has been arrested after a controversial Satanic Temple display inside the Iowa Capitol was partially destroyed.

Michael Cassidy, 35, is a former US Navy pilot who recently lost a race for the Mississippi state legislature.

Mr Cassidy has been charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of a year in prison and a $2,560 (£1,996) fine.

The display was allowed in Iowa's state house under rules that permit religious installations. It has been criticised by many conservatives, including Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.

The display featured a depiction of a goat's head known as a Baphomet statue and a wreath adorned with a pentagram.

An appeal for legal funds posted by Mr Cassidy online had raised more than $40,000 by Friday evening.


On X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "My deepest hope is that Americans of all political persuasions can unite and agree that: 1. Jesus Christ is Lord 2. Satan is evil."

Mr Cassidy lost an election for the Mississippi state legislature last month. In 2022 he lost in a Republican primary for US Congress.

The Satanic Temple, founded in 2013, is recognised as a religion by the US government, and has ministers and congregations in America, Europe and Australia.

It concentrates its efforts on social action and describes itself as a "non-theistic religious organisation".

The mission statement on the group's website says it "has publicly confronted hate groups, fought for the abolition of corporal punishment in public schools, applied for equal representation when religious installations are placed on public property" and other activist work.

Its leader, Lucien Greaves, called the damage to the display "cowardice" in a statement to the BBC.


It is "sad and frightening" to see some "abandon" ideals of free expression and religious liberty "when only merely faced with benign imagery from a viewpoint that they assume they disagree with", he added.

The display has been damaged beyond repair, the Satanic Temple has said.

The group recently set up an after-school club in a school district in Tennessee, a move also criticised by religious conservatives.

US man charged over damage to Satanic Temple display in Iowa
Click to expand...

Listening to a particular Presidential candidate recently, and reading about this incident, sends shivers down the spine. The US is in a very dangerous place right now.

It seems some peoples version of "freedom" is that everyone thinks as they do, and does what they do, like a Stepford Society. This guy won't go to jail, but he'll be fined.
 
In the SC courtroom is a Frieze of the 10 commandments, only to illustrate the jurisprudence of laws over time.
 
This headline just happened to occur during the Christmas season. You cannot tell me the media thrives on sensationalism and controversy. Anything to get a rise.
 

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