Hiss the season

And if you’re reading this before 11 p.m. today (Dec. 23), you can go see it for yourself.

The first volley was fired weeks ago, but it wasn’t returned until last week, when it was learned that because no one had committed to removing and replacing the proposed Christian nativity scene, it could not be permitted by the Capitol, nor, as such, displayed there.

However, the Detroit chapter of The Satanic Temple, those clever devils, had already crossed all their t’s, and dotted their i’s, and committed to installing and removing their holiday display daily, just like the rules require. And it seems their tidy efforts served to “invigorate the Christmas spirit,” according to John Truscott of the Michigan Capitol Commission, referring in a statement to the number of subsequent applications the Commission received for nativity scenes upon releasing the controversial news.

State Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, fresh off the final night of the lame-duck session, happily saved the Christian day, installing the nativity scene (donated by Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth) at noon Friday, accompanied by a group of about 50 carolers and supporters. He has vowed to install and remove the scene daily through the day after Christmas.

But just who are these particular Satanists, and do they really worship a “dark lord?” Do they really hate Christmas,and live to offend Christians with their “Snaketivity” scene?

“Our national organization is an LLC,” according to Jex Blackmore, executive director of the Detroit Chapter, after she and several other members installed the display early Sunday morning. “A part of the reason is because we’re not seeking tax exempt status. That’s something that we actually really oppose, and have taken an ethical stance against, because we don’t believe churches should receive tax exemption.”

So, they’re not technically a church. And the point of their display isn’t to mock Christians. “We’d like it to lead to legislators really considering the fact that there’s a diversity of voices here,” she said.

“We also hope that it inspires other groups and other people who feel [un] represented to challenge a system that is perhaps biased, and we encourage people to do that any way they can to participate in the political process.”

The “Snaketivity, complete with solar lighting and measuring in at about 3 feet by 3 feet, features a red and black snake and a bit of evergreen draped about a Satanic cross, lit at the top with a goat’s head in an inverted pentagram. The snake, a symbol of enlightenment, offers a book, Revolt of the Angels, and the holiday message on the inverted cross tells observers, “The greatest gift is knowledge.”

The Satanic Temple is not about rituals, or worshipping any sort of deity. Its mission is “to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people,” according to its website. “In addition,” the statement continues, “we embrace practical common sense and justice.”

So how is this Satanic? Isn’t Satan evil?

"We come from a history of modern Satanism that is secular, non-theistic, and isn’t the first kind of non-theist religion that exists,” Blackmore said, citing Buddhism and Hinduism that have non-theistic forms.

If they’re encouraging benevolence, empathy and justice, why do they use imagery and trappings that evoke such strong reactions in the general public?

“Because we come from a lineage of people who are misrepresented, outcast or demonized by being called Satanist, which is a term that’s often used to control and oppress groups of people that oppose the state. Being part of a so-called Christian nation, we believe it’s important that not only the Christian voice is heard. So we support secularism; we support separation of church and state because we see how … theocratic legislation is very dangerous.”

The language is integral to breaking stereotypes too. “Words are so important in our political process,” Blackmore continued later over coffee. “When you think about [the Satanic concept] … part of our history really comes from that language. So when we call someone evil or Satanic we’re saying that their morals don’t align with ours, so therefore, they’re bad. And that’s a problem.”

Not to be confused with the Church of Satan, organized by Anton LaVey in 1966, the Satanic Temple is a relative newcomer to the satanic landscape. One of its earliest actions was a Satanic “rally” in support of Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s approval of state bill SB-98 permitting student-led prayer in public schools in 2013. The Temple’s founder, Lucien Greaves, staged the rally on the Florida state house steps and hailed Scott for opening public schools to open religious practice for all.

Arguably, the Temple’s most notable action was fomented in Oklahoma. In response to the installation of a permanent Ten Commandments statue on the state’s Capitol grounds in 2013, the Temple commissioned a statue of Baphomet, an ancient idol featuring a goat’s head and legs, human arms and torso, and angel wings. The ACLU lost its suit challenging the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments statue in August 2013 and has since filed an appeal. Baphomet remains under construction and permits for any donated statues for the Oklahoma Capitol are being held until the ACLU case is settled.

Blackmore, 32, came to Satanism as a teenager, “driven there by the church and its culture of shame,” she said.

In addition to being the executive director of the Detroit chapter, which has 25 to 50 active participants, she serves on the Temple’s executive ministry. Part of that job involves overseeing other chapters (10 in the U.S. and two overseas), as well as vetting potential organizers and members for new chapters.

The Temple will be keeping an eye on any further action taken by the Michigan Legislature on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as well as developments on amending the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.