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Eugene Daniels
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An exhibition from the Satanic Temple in Chicago, connected to the Christmas Nativity scene and the Menorah of Hanukkah, was placed in the Rotunda of the Statehouse. For some it's a big deal, for others it's just a small part of the holiday season, "he said.
The sculpture shows the forearm of a young woman, who extends an arm wrapped in a snake and a hand holding an apple. It is entitled "Knowledge is the greatest gift," as it is called in the exhibition, which is shown for the first time in its history in the rotunda of the State House. The arms and apple statue are about 18 inches long and the entire structure, including the base, is about 6 feet high and about 1.5 feet wide.
The Satanic Temple put a so-called "snake incantation scene" on Capitol Hill after learning that a nativity scene was to be erected in the statehouse rotunda to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. The temple is now applying to have Baphomet as the centerpiece of a Ten Commandments monument planned for the Capitol in Washington, D.C., in time for Christmas.
The exhibition was widely reported in the news, Mars said, and many people threatened to destroy it. The Satanic Temple had a similar experience last year when someone stole a goat - a tree with a head - from its Christmas tree in the park. In a press release on the group's Facebook page, member Daniel Walker wrote that there were people who took the ornaments out of admiration rather than hostility.
Satanists in the San Francisco Bay Area were among those whose handmade satanic Christmas ornaments were stolen. Although the groups of the Satanic Bay claim to be taking part in this event to show people that they are part of their local community, many are sceptical about the groups "participation.
According to ABC7 News, the organization made 140 handmade ornaments with pentagrams and upturned crosses for the trees. Hundreds of decorated Christmas trees were in a local park, and each tree in the park was sponsored by a different group. This year, one tree was sponsored by the Satanic Bay Area, but this year only one was stolen.
In the Rotunda of the Statehouse, an exhibition of the Satanic Temple of Chicago was placed, which was connected to the Christmas Nativity scene and the Menorah of Hanukkah. The sculpture shows the forearm of a young woman, who reaches out with her hand and holds an apple. "Knowledge is the greatest gift," the ad, which was shown for the first time in its history on the grounds of the Illinois State House, reads.
Santa Claus symbolizes indulgence and he is filled with a sense of self - of justice and love for happiness and good deeds. The Nazarenes have a pagan meaning of Christmas, a festival of plenty, a season of cold and emptiness. At that time, the Romans celebrated the orgiastic Saturnalia, but Santa came to signify indulgence.
Although the birth of Christ is not the center of the day, those of us who follow Satanism can enjoy it as best we can. Christmas is often pagan, but the holiday is considered a night in which worldly people try to get inside and touch the darkness that is the daily form of existence for satanists. Enjoy the richness of life and the company of people you value, because you are often the only ones who know where these traditions really come from.
Good food, good wine and gifts to the family are common themes that embody the enjoyment and richness of life at the moment. Some satanists choose not to celebrate at all because they are selfish and because people simply cannot enjoy the Christmas season. You don't want to get involved in a Christmas dispute with a satanist because you can be sure you will get some sweet festive revenge. I have spoken to him about it online but I fear I will have to leave it at that.
People tend to have the impression that satanists are only about sacrifices and drinking blood, though this could not be further from the truth. If you celebrate all occult things, many of them will enjoy it, but there are also those who might prefer something more diabolical.
The conflict over the nature of Satanism intensified within the satanic community after Lavey's death. On Halloween 1999 Karla founded the first satanic church, which promoted her mission to represent the teachings of the Satanic Temple founded by Anton La Vey through a website. The first Church of Satan, owned by John Dewey Avenue, was founded in 2002 and claims to be faithful to LaLeye's original teachings, though he admits to deviating from them later in life.