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Satanic Temple to rally in Little Rock to defend Religious Freedom & 1st Amendment

Satanists to rally in Little Rock to defend Religious Freedom and the First Amendment to counter Arkansas State government's rejection of basic principles of American liberty.

SALEM, Mass. - The Satanic Temple’s infamous Baphomet statue will make an appearance at the Arkansas state Capitol on August 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. during “The Satanic Temple’s Rally for the First Amendment.” The rally is intended to bring together religious leaders of different faiths to discuss the importance of the First Amendment and its protection for religious pluralism as being essential to preserve American democracy.

According to The Satanic Temple’s spokesperson, Lucien Greaves, “Freedom of Religion means that the government must not be allowed to endorse one religion over another or inhibit any religious voices from access to public forums in favor of another. By installing a Ten Commandments monument on their capitol grounds while rejecting other privately donated monuments of religious significance, the Arkansas State government has flagrantly violated a founding Constitutional principle, for which we call upon the people to rally with us to defend.”

The appearance of the 7 and a half foot bronze statue on Capitol grounds has been a long time coming. In August 2015, Arkansas Legislature passed a bill introduced by State Senator Stanley “Jason” Rapert to install a Ten Commandments statue on State Capitol grounds. By rejecting The Satanic Temple’s subsequent offer to donate its statue of Baphomet on Capitol grounds, Arkansas violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment by endorsing one religion over others.

The Satanic Temple’s application was blocked by an emergency-session bill that requires all monuments have legislative sponsorship. While the bill prevented the Baphomet statue from being considered, ironically it only magnifies the degree to which the State legislators are endorsing one religion over others and thereby deliberately rejecting the U.S. Constitution.

In April, the Ten Commandments monument was installed in Little Rock and in July, The Satanic Temple filed a motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit opposing the Ten Commandments monument. The Satanic Temple is now seeking a court order to require the state to install the statue of Baphomet on the Capitol grounds.

Greaves explains, “This isn’t a rally of secularists versus people of faith, Satanists versus Christians, or outsiders versus Arkansas. This is a rally for all people who hold sacred the founding Constitutional principles of Religious Freedom and Free Expression that have fallen under assault by irresponsible politicians like Senator Rapert. We welcome people of all backgrounds and religious beliefs to stand with us.”

You can learn more about the campaign and help get Baphomet to the Arkansas Capitol ground by donating to the fundraiser, click here.

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