A first look at Oklahoma's proposed Satanist monument.

[afleitch]

http://www.vice.com/read/heres-the-first-look-at-the-new-satanic-monument-being-built-for-oklahomas-statehouse



'In January the Satanic Temple announced plans to erect a monument glorifying the Dark Lord on the front lawn of the Oklahoma Statehouse. An Indiegogo campaign was launched with what seemed like a somewhat lofty goal of $20,000, but by the time donations ended almost $30,000 had been raised. Now an artist trained in classical sculpture is toiling away in New York, crafting a Baphomet figure sitting beneath a pentagram and flanked by two children gazing upward in loyalty. When it is finished, it will be cast in bronze and, the Satanists hope, eventually displayed in Oklahoma.

The statue is a direct response to the state's installation of a Ten Commandments monument outside the Capitol in 2012. State Representative Mike Ritze paid for the controversial statue with his own money, and therefore it was considered a donation and OK to place on government property. Following that line of reasoning, the Satanic Temple submitted a formal application for their monument.'

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It's interesting. They have gone for the same homoerotic aesthetic qualities often found in images of Jesus, except with an interesting head. It is to be cast in bronze in part to deter vandals from attacking the statue without 'hurting themselves' (or perhaps encourage it who knows) I'm liking it

[politicus]

'In January the Satanic Temple announced plans to erect a monument glorifying the Dark Lord on the front lawn of the Oklahoma Statehouse. An Indiegogo campaign was launched with what seemed like a somewhat lofty goal of $20,000, but by the time donations ended almost $30,000 had been raised. Now an artist trained in classical sculpture is toiling away in New York, crafting a Baphomet figure sitting beneath a pentagram and flanked by two children gazing upward in loyalty. When it is finished, it will be cast in bronze and, the Satanists hope, eventually displayed in Oklahoma.

The statue is a direct response to the state's installation of a Ten Commandments monument outside the Capitol in 2012. State Representative Mike Ritze paid for the controversial statue with his own money, and therefore it was considered a donation and OK to place on government property. Following that line of reasoning, the Satanic Temple submitted a formal application for their monument.'

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It's interesting. They have gone for the same homoerotic aesthetic qualities often found in images of Jesus, except with an interesting head. It is to be cast in bronze in part to deter vandals from attacking the statue without 'hurting themselves' (or perhaps encourage it who knows) I'm liking it

Well, we all know Satan is gay...

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Interesting.

[Lief 🗽]

This is the only not terrible thing to come out of Oklahoma since the Flaming Lips.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The rendition of the little girl is much more amateurish than the other two figures, but this is still a work in progress so hopefully it will be corrected.

[DemPGH]

Well, interesting. That depiction of Baphomet looks like it belongs in a sci-fi series, I guess, but it is recognizable.

I learned something not long ago, and it is that Satanists don't worship the Devil in the sense that exists in movies, pop culture, or the imaginations of Christians. Rather, they recognize Satan as a literary figure who organized a needed rebellion. John Milton's Paradise Lost can be read that way.

Well, if we're to have the Ten Commandments and all of that, I say, good luck to them!

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Well, interesting. That depiction of Baphomet looks like it belongs in a sci-fi series, I guess, but it is recognizable.

I learned something not long ago, and it is that Satanists don't worship the Devil in the sense that exists in movies, pop culture, or the imaginations of Christians. Rather, they recognize Satan as a literary figure who organized a needed rebellion. John Milton's Paradise Lost can be read that way.

Well, if we're to have the Ten Commandments and all of that, I say, good luck to them!

I'm not familiar with that, but then again I'm not entirely familiar with Satanism.  However, most Satanists in the US tend to be of the 'LaVeyan' stripe, which does not embrace worship of a literal Devil or any imagery of such.

[memphis]

This thread needs some Bushie.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

This seems to be a mockery of both kitschy religious art and of Satanism rather than something I would think Satanists (at least of the LaVeyan variety) would be proud of.  Indeed, it seems to be a physical embodiment of the second and ninth^* of LaVey's Nine Satanic Sins that Satanists should avoid.

^*Pretentiousness and Lack of Aesthetics respectively

[Hatman 🍁]

This is very much awesome. What are the odds they'll actually put it up? Most likely it will force them to take down the 10 commandments. So much for freedom of religion.

[Likely Voter]

I would donate to have a Flying Spaghetti Monster statue added the menagerie of the OK statehouse.

[NerdyBohemian]

This is what happens when Christians want to put Jesus on state land. I hope they learn their lesson and the slippery slope which ensues when the state recognizes a religion and celebrates it.

[Cassius]

I think it would be greatly improved if it were made of wood...

[afleitch]

I think it would be greatly improved if it were made of wood...

I never had you down as someone who supports the destruction of religious iconography

[Cassius]

I think it would be greatly improved if it were made of wood...

I never had you down as someone who supports the destruction of religious iconography

I thought supporting the purification of heathen artefacts was among the things that I was better known for on this forum

[Oakvale]

Looks badass.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Looks badass.

FTFY  As I said before, the worst thing about the proposed monument is it's complete lack of esthetics.  I suppose Oklahoma should consider itself fortunate that this is supposed to be an outside display rather than an inside display.  If it were to be inside, I'm imagining a black velvet painting with fluorescent paint displayed under black light might have been the choice.

[Simfan34]

Aren't LaVeyans actually just atheists with an eye for subversive symbolism?

[DemPGH]

Well, interesting. That depiction of Baphomet looks like it belongs in a sci-fi series, I guess, but it is recognizable.

I learned something not long ago, and it is that Satanists don't worship the Devil in the sense that exists in movies, pop culture, or the imaginations of Christians. Rather, they recognize Satan as a literary figure who organized a needed rebellion. John Milton's Paradise Lost can be read that way.

Well, if we're to have the Ten Commandments and all of that, I say, good luck to them!

I'm not familiar with that, but then again I'm not entirely familiar with Satanism.  However, most Satanists in the US tend to be of the 'LaVeyan' stripe, which does not embrace worship of a literal Devil or any imagery of such.

I'm not familiar with the formal Philosophical history of it (who and what ideas come from since that gets into the finer points of it), but American Satanists are also mostly atheists. It would be interesting to research. In a nutshell, I think it's about self-liberation and maybe possibly if anything is worshipped, it is knowledge. I can't say for sure, but it makes sense to conclude that.

Now, there has been occult activity in the Catholic Church since the 11th and 12th centuries that I am aware of, which is one reason why they so vigorously punished the Templars and heretics and so on. How much of it exists today I'm not sure - I'd think it is certainly out there, but probably limited. There is certainly witchcraft and natural magic, which I know about from surveying the many pseudo-sciences that persist.

Aren't LaVeyans actually just atheists with an eye for subversive symbolism?

In a nutshell!

[Deus Naturae]

Based on what I've read on Wikipedia and the few conversations with LaVeyans I've met, it seems that LaVeyan Satanism is mostly about self-worship.

[afleitch]

There's also the assertion that Satan as a metaphorical figure, is an anti-hero. That works itself into the iconography.