If you have been following the news, you’ve likely heard the Satanic Temple of Iowa erected a “religious display” in the Iowa state capitol next to the Christmas nativity scene.
Why Jon Dunwell Didn’t Fight It
Republican State Senator Jon Dunwell gave his reasons why he thought the display should be allowed, but he also, as a Christian, abhorred it as evil. He posted the following to his X account:
My Observations and Response as an Iowan, State Representative, and Pastor.
• My observation as a follower of Christ, I certainly find a display from the Satanic Temple objectionable. It stands in direct opposition to my faith and would be classified as evil. Not a new experience for me or my family. The Word of God continually warns about the dangers in our world. In fairness, many other religions or nonreligious people have the same perspective about Christianity.
https://twitter.com/jdunwell/status/1733191110858559506
I’m glad he considers this abhorrent and classifies it as evil. Obviously, aligning yourself with Satan means you are categorically siding with the evil one. Satan is defined by the holy Scriptures, so waving his banner is the same as standing against the God of the Bible.
Dunwell shoots his position in the foot, however, when he ends with, “In fairness, many other religions or nonreligious people have the same perspective about Christianity,” meaning other people think Christianity is evil. Why even say this? As an elected state official, he is trying to treat all sides of the religion question “fairly,” using bold words for his Christian friends while throwing a bone to unbelievers. Herein lies a gnarly root of our problem—Christians have bought into this pluralistic perspective (more on this later) so are unwilling to drive a strong stake into the sand and say, “Here I stand, and God help me.”
Dunwell continues…
• My observation as an Iowan and a State Representative, I don’t want the state evaluating and making determinations about religions. I am guided by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
https://twitter.com/jdunwell/status/1733191110858559506
Respectfully, he misunderstands the Constitution and the intent of our country’s founders. They would have had no trouble denouncing and blocking the atrocity which stands in the Iowa state capitol. Indeed, probably every founding father would have roundly condemned and vetoed this glaring glorification of evil. This is not about distinguishing among religions; it’s about distinguishing good from evil, and Iowa’s elected officials are obviously not up to that simple task. My ten-year-old would have done better.
He continues…
• My response as a follower of Christ…
o The display is an inanimate object that has no real power in and of itself. We have nothing to fear.
o Oppose the message of the display. It is not just another way to worship the same god. There are DIFFERENCES that need to be pointed out. The display glorifies the evil influence we oppose.
o The primary response required is prayer.
o The display itself is an invitation of the work we have yet to do. Iowa needs Jesus.
o The display provides a teaching example for our families of the difference between the person and work of Christ and that of Satan. (Love, light and sacrifice compared to a dark, foreboding creature).
o My faith is never imposed upon others, nor should it ever become a direct part of government. It is always a response to the person and work of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to mix the kingdoms! Government is a poor arbitrator of religion.
o Take full advantage of the opportunities to express our faith in appropriate displays and programs at the Capitol.
https://twitter.com/jdunwell/status/1733191110858559506
Much of what he says is good, but he fails badly to understand that Christ’s Kingdom has authority over his state government. He says he does not “want to mix the kingdoms,” but there is no separating the kingdoms. The “kingdom” of state government is intended to be subservient to the kingdom of Christ, and if you get that wrong, you don’t understand the nature of the true King nor the extent of His authority. Consider:
The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God. – Psalm 9.17
Arise, O Lord, Do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, That the nations may know themselves to be but men. – Psalm 9.19–20
The Lord is King forever and ever; The nations have perished out of His land. – Psalm 10.16
All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations. – Psalm 22.27–28
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! – Psalm 46.10
God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. – Psalm 47.8
Why Michal Cassidy Decapitated the Demon Goat
You probably also heard of Michael Cassidy’s mutilation of the same satanic temple’s goat god display on December 14, 2023. He BEHEADED the goat idol and threw the head in a dumpster! He then went directly to the police and fessed up to his actions. He is being “charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.”
Cassidy revealed his thoughts and what motivated him to act:
“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 told The Sentinel. “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. I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged. My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”
https://www.republicsentinel.com/articles/exclusive-christian-tears-down-and-beheads-satan-shrine-in-iowa-capitol
Bravo, Cassidy! He said, too, that 1 John 3.8 was in his mind: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
Some Christians, under the guise of “keeping an open mind,” are defending the Satanic Temple’s rights to belong alongside other religions. Cassidy seems to be the only person thinking properly here. Satanism champions straight-up evil. Satanism’s purpose is to mock Christianity and the one true God. Here is the text of a FaceBook post the Satanic Temple of Iowa shared on March 31:
“This is the Age of Sin. Reject the order of creation. Revel in the annihilation of Man as the image of God. Destroy. Plot designs of death. Disfigure the face of Man and Woman.”
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=256134080088024&set=a.207123821655717
They baldly proclaim their anti-life, anti-order, anti-God position. They stand against what is good; they stand for the evil one, even if they laugh when you tell them that. They lightly chuckle, “We don’t actually worship Satan. We just want to expose the hypocrisy of religion.” But, no, they actively seek destruction and death, and they will find it in the judgment of the Lord.
In the meantime, we should not only support men like Cassidy, but we should take a lesson from him. His actions reminded me of God’s word to Gideon:
“Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”
Judges 6.25–26
We should be about the business of tearing down idols and their altars. We should behead demon goats. We should act when we have the opportunity to tear down obvious works of the evil one. Speak out against them; condemn them. Our elected officials should be on the front lines of this, but if they will not, perhaps we will have to stand in the gap and act. We should act in wisdom and with care and with love for men’s souls—but we should act.
On December 17, 2023, the Temple posted this:
“We were thrilled to be part of the Iowa state capitol’s holiday display for the first time this year. Despite experiencing the destruction and beheading of our display on December 14th, our congregation united to rebuild, embodying the resilience and spirit of our community. As our time at the capitol concludes, we carry with us a sense of accomplishment and a renewed commitment to advocating for religious pluralism and freedom of speech.” The Satanic Temple Iowa
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=395351239499640&set=a.207123821655717
Religious Pluralism
The Satanic Temple of Iowa says it wants religious pluralism. Religious pluralism says all religions are equally good and should be equally accepted. Christians have gotten too comfortable with this lie, and we need serious and immediate reeducation. How can all religions be equal? They are not equal because they are not all true. Pluralism denies the existence of objective, eternal truth, and it is directly in opposition to Jesus Christ’s word that He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No man comes to the Father except by Him (John 14.6). There is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved (Acts 4.12).
Dear Christian, not everyone can or should be a Gideon or a Cassidy, but we can all appreciate these men and honor their courage and sacrifice. We can also do what we can where we are and, when the time comes, take courage and stand for the Lord. He is Lord of all the nations, ruling them with a rod of iron (Psalm 2). His authority is not separate from the authority of the state; He reigns over the State.
Keep praying for the spread of His kingdom and rule!
And let’s continue decapitating idols.
Amen. The sad reality is that the “Satanic Temple” is preying upon the suicidal lack of discernment of many modern Christians in the West. They are not a religious organization at all—although, like the hypocritical servants of Tash in Lewis’s “The Last Battle,” they will one day meet the demon they mockingly profess to serve. Only modern, post-Enlightenment Christians would be so foolish as to give space for such a blasphemous display. The sons of this age are more shrewd than the children of light. May God give his servants greater wisdom and discernment to uphold the Lordship of Christ in all spaces.
Amen, Brother. Thanks for those thoughts!