The hypnotic, amoral spell of 'Longlegs'



2024 has been a good year for horror movies, with cinema-goers flocking to both art house provocations ("The Substance") and franchise reboots ("The First Omen").

But one film in particular stands out — for reasons that should disturb us.

The scary thing about Longlegs isn't so much his affectation or his methods but the sense that he's backed by a supernatural force that remains hidden to us.

Osgood Perkins' "Longlegs" is one of the year's notable success stories, grossing $125 million on less than a $10 million budget. What it lacked in marketing muscle it made up for in massive word-of-mouth excitement — much of it focused on a nearly unrecognizable Nicolas Cage's unhinged performance as the titular agent of evil.

'Se7en' meets 'Silence'

While "Longlegs" is extraordinarily effective, it isn't quite as original as its initial buzz suggested. It is set in the '90s, and much has been said of its obvious borrowings from two movies of that era. It gets its relentlessly gray, dread-soaked atmosphere from "Se7en" and its tense game of cat-and-mouse between a rookie female FBI agent and an enigmatic serial killer from "Silence of the Lambs."

To these familiar components "Longlegs" adds another classic horror trope. Longlegs kills on behalf of a greater, supernatural evil: Satan. And yet here the movie dispenses with the usual Hollywood trappings. There are no exorcisms or grotesque physical transformations — and it is perhaps for this reason that the movie has largely been left out of the discourse surrounding our culture's increasing fascination with the demonic.

"Longlegs" centers around an elaborate series of murders of entire families — each of which happens to include a 9-year-old girl born on the 14th of the month — somehow connected to it's titular character.

Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is an FBI agent attached to the case who has clairvoyant abilities, an analytical mind, and a childhood connection to the murderer that she doesn't fully understand.

NOTE: As "Longlegs" hit theaters in July and has been available to stream for almost three months, what follows will contain spoilers.

Initially, the police are stumped by the seemingly random killings, but Lee can see through the data and recognize a pattern that is innately satanic. This leads them down a bizarre path where they discover the killer's affection for dolls, his penchant for religious imagery, and his ability to possess people and objects in such a way that they do the bidding of his master.

Hide and seek

The scary thing about Longlegs isn't so much his affectation or his methods but the sense that he's backed by a supernatural force that remains hidden to us. Buried under over-the-top makeup and prosthetics, and playing in an altogether different register from his trademark brand of crazy, Cage seems to make Longlegs deliberately impenetrable.

What little glimpse we get of the inner man comes literally, as he smashes his face against an interrogation table, crushing his nose into a pulp, and praising Satan with his final breath.

This results in the film's curious religious subtext. Lee's mother is depicted as being extremely Christian and constantly asks her daughter if she keeps to her prayers or not. Lee is clearly informed about religious matters, enough to correct others on their factual errors and keep books on religion in her home, but she doesn't seem to be a practicing believer. She has clairvoyant powers, but when asked if she prays, she admits she never has.

Lee pursues the case relentlessly but with pronounced detachment and lack of emotion. Her quarry, meanwhile, is deeply invested in his evil quest.

Longlegs commits his murders by proxy, mesmerizing the family patriarch into a murderous trance, in which he will do the killer's bidding. His is the power of subversion, a creeping ability to possess good people and use them to advance evil, even after the source of that evil is functionally gone.

Controversially, his greatest weapon ends up being Lee’s mother, controlling her to spread his possession powers — completely overpowering her religious soul and puppetizing her in the disguise of a nun.

The story of "Longlegs" ends up being a depressing story of evil's omnipresent ability to spread beyond death and corrupt everything in its sight. The film's darkly ambiguous ending — in which the heroes lose everything while achieving a temporary stalemate at best — questions whether or not goodness can ever hope to defeat evil.

'No Country' for hope?

This bleak outlook very much brings to mind the infamous ending of "No Country for Old Men," where our hero has been killed off-screen before his final climactic dual, the sheriff has given up trying to fight evil, and innocents have been killed for no other reason than that the villain promised to do so.

"No Country for Old Men" leaves us to contemplate the malevolent Anton Chigurh still roaming the world, spreading evil while goodness sits down and surrenders to the reality of cosmic hopelessness and failure. “If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?” says the villain Chigurh (and also Vice President-elect Vance that one time).

But Chigurh is no satanist, he’s a determinist. He has a clear philosophy. Longlegs lacks that interior complexity; he is content to be a bodily conduit for spiritual evil. And that evil is ultimately stopped not by faith but by a bullet and an act of parricide, the betrayal of a daughter crushing her mother’s hollowed-out Christian affectations.

Unlike its close relatives like "The Exorcist" or "The Conjuring," "Longlegs" has no clear moral compass. It's not so much that evil triumphs at the end but that good seems to lack much in the way of conviction or energy. Lee goes through the motions, without seeming to understand why it matters; there's a sense that the evil she's fighting has long ago compromised her from within; that it's only a matter of time before she, too, gives up the fight.

Lee differs from Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling in one crucial respect: She is almost as alien to us as Longlegs is. We don't root for her as we do Starling; instead, we're invited to take a more neutral, almost hypnotic pleasure in Perkins' hopeless vision, as if the movie itself is one of Longlegs' sinister dolls.

To quote blogger Justin Bower, “In Longlegs's world, Satan always answers prayers while God—if he exists—is silently resigned, unable to contest the power of the Devil’s dollmaker.”

By not asking us to identify with the good, "Longlegs" lets us off the hook from pondering our own evil as well. Could that account for its massive popularity? A culture so resigned to its decline that the best it can do is enjoy the ride.

Satanic Temple opens abortion clinic in Virginia for its 'destruction ritual'



After helping kill over 100 unborn babies in New Mexico at an average cost of $91 per head, the Satanic Temple has expanded its abortion enterprise to Virginia.

The anti-Christian group, based in Massachusetts, announced on Saturday that it is now offering expectant mothers in the Old Dominion telehealth abortion services and possible travel assistance, noting that patients need only cover the cost of the abortifacient from its California-based partner pharmacy.

While co-founder Lucien Greaves and other proponents of the radical group deny actually worshipping demonic forces — indicating that theirs is effectively an atheistic leftist organization wearing the skin of a satanic cult that just happens to erect statues of Baphomet around Christmastime — the Virginia death dispensary, like the Temple's "Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic" in New Mexico, blurs the lines between role-play and the real thing.

'The ritual, which includes the abortion itself, spans the entirety of the pregnancy termination procedure.'

For women seeking to snuff out the life growing inside them, the Satanic Temple offers an "abortion ritual," which it describes as a "destructive ritual that serves as a protective rite."

The stated purpose of this death ritual is to "cast off notions of guilt, shame and mental discomfort" associated with the extermination of innocent life and to altogether affirm the choice.

"TST's abortion ritual can be performed to address definable concerns or to overcome unproductive feelings," says the ritual guideline. "The ritual, which includes the abortion itself, spans the entirety of the pregnancy termination procedure. There are steps to be performed before, during, and after the medical or surgical abortion."

The radical group makes repeated mention of individual rights and "scientific reasoning" on its site, suggesting that in the case of individual rights, "one's body is inviolable, subject to one's own will alone," and in the case of scientific reasoning that "beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world."

However, such statements amount to little more than a rhetorical smokescreen. After all, the Satanic Temple appears keen to overlook the rights of the unborn as well as the scientific reasoning concerning fetal pain, fetal cognitive function, and the separate genetic identity of the unborn child.

'The Satanic Temple's ultimate goal is to undermine Christ's kingdom.'

Erin Helian, the executive director of the Satanic Temple, told the Christian Post that the Virginia death dispensary — which deals in the kind of dangerous chemical abortion pills that effectively killed Amber Thurman in 2022 — was made possible in part by the funding of donors.

The Satanic Temple has been chasing after donations of $66.60 for its burgeoning abortion enterprise.

"As abortion rights continue to be a central issue in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, we remain steadfast in our mission to expand access and protect bodily autonomy," the radical group noted in a release. "We will not stop until we have made a lasting difference."

Helping American women abort their children is not the Satanic Temple's only preoccupation, although it has certainly made a habit of challenging pro-life legislation.

The radical group has also distributed satanic literature to children; publicly performed "unbaptisms"; held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra; promoted euthanasia and pornography; and erected demon statues on government property.

Blaze News' Kevin Ryan recently noted that despite its members' denial, the Satanic Temple's "devotion to Satan — a mythological character, they say — is unmistakable."

"If they were truly godless, they wouldn't fixate so obsessively on Christianity. The Satanic Temple's ultimate goal is to undermine Christ's kingdom," wrote Ryan.

"The Satanic Temple and other movements that promote abortion rights in the name of autonomy are in fact beholden to an anti-freedom," added Ryan. "Christians know that Satan cannot create life — he only destroys. He may offer seductive ideas cloaked in equality or liberty, but his goal is always to eradicate the value of human life, which stands at the core of God's creation."

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This year’s ‘Burning Man’ was full-on pagan worship



Burning Man is a week-long event that describes itself as being focused on “community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance” that’s held annually out West in the desert.

The event centers around the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy that is referred to as the “Man," and Allie Beth Stuckey is calling it what it is: pagan worship.

“It’s about self-expression, self-reliance, self-discovery, self-fulfillment, self-liberation, and even self-worship,” Stuckey says. “Ultimately, that’s what all paganism is.”

“It’s no surprise that this event has grown in popularity over the years. It really is just a celebration of the carnal celebration of sex, drugs, perversion,” she continues, noting that attendees adopt “new names,” lay their burdens on the wooden effigy, and eliminate monetary transactions on the philosophy of shared resources when they enter the event.

“This is like an upside-down world of Christianity, that when we come into Christianity, we also become new creations, and we take on an easy yoke and a light burden when we follow the way of Christ, and we cast all of our cares upon the Lord because he cares for us,” Stuckey explains.

“This is a cheap and pagan imitation of that because it is pretending to offer its attendees freedom, while really attaching them and bounding them to the heavy burden and slavery of sin,” she adds.

Burning Man holds sessions that you can participate in like a rope-bondage suspension, orgies, marriages, crafting, and getting branded.

“You can get branded, you know, like a cow,” Stuckey says, shocked. “These people so badly want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, they want to be marked for something more, they want something indelible on them and even in their hearts and souls.”

“And they are looking for all of that in the wrong place, of course, which is exactly what Satan does,” she adds.


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Judge upholds hate crime charges against Navy veteran who toppled satanic statue — but a jury will have the final word



A Christian Navy veteran toppled a satanic statue at the Iowa Capitol just before Christmas. A Democratic prosecutor subsequently slapped him with hate crime charges. This week, a judge ensured that the charges would stick.

While the Satanic Temple and the Democratic prosecutor might like to see Michael Cassidy ultimately locked up, his fate will be determined by a jury — a jury likely to contain at least a handful of sympathetic, God-fearing Americans.

"We believe that the jury will have the opportunity to consider all of the facts in this case, including Mr. Cassidy's military service and motivation," Davis Younts, Cassidy's lawyer, told Blaze News. "He was compelled by his faith to act to protect others."

'Enemy of humanity'

The Satanic Temple is an anti-Christian leftist organization that has performed public "unbaptisms"; advocated for mothers to kill their unborn babies by way of its "religious abortion ritual"; agitated to prevent chaplaincy in Florida schools; disseminated satanic literature to kids; held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra; and pushed the LGBT agenda.

In recent years, the ST has also erected multiple demonic statutes across the country on public property. Ahead of Christmas 2023, the Satanic Temple raised one such statue — a ram-headed Baphomet statue holding a red pentacle — along with a satanic altar on the first floor of the Iowa Capitol.

We have reached the point where our Capitols are removing Jefferson while monuments to Satan are erected.\n\nRealize where we are.
— (@)

There was plenty of impotent rage in the face of the seemingly intentional Christmastime affront to both Christians and Muslims. After all, Blaze News previously reported that Baphomet possibly originated as a slight against the Muslim faith.

UCLA professor Zrinka Stahuljak indicated "Baphomet" was originally a French corruption of the name Mohamed. British historian Peter Partner suggested further that the Knights Templar, who reclaimed territory previously occupied by Islamic forces, were accused by inquisitors of worshiping Baphomet as part of what was likely a 14th-century smear.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) called the demonic altar "objectionable" but encouraged critics to engage in prayer at the state Capitol.

State Rep. Jon Dunwell (R), a Christian pastor, outlined why this was the optimal response, noting that the Satanic Temple successfully "petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification."

Lucien Greaves, co-founder of the ST, noted, "I would hope that even people who disagree with the symbolism behind our values, whether they know what those values [are] or not, would at least appreciate that it's certainly a greater evil to allow the government to pick and choose between forms of religious expression."

Younts, Cassidy's lawyer, told Blaze News, "The reality is that the Satanic Temple of Iowa chose a symbol of hatred, lies, death, and destruction in an effort to mock religious displays during the Christmas season. It would have been reasonable and appropriate for the State of Iowa to deny their application, the same way we would hope an application to display obscene material or a statue honoring Adolf Hitler would be denied."

"The idol was displayed as either a sincere attempt to worship Satan, the enemy of humanity, and promote lies, death, and destruction, or it was placed in an intentional effort to show hatred for and mock the Christian faith and traditional American values," added Younts.

Baphomet takes a tumble

After liking a post by Blaze News columnist Auron MacIntyre, which said, "Periodic reminder that the religious right were correct about everything," Cassidy, of Lauderdale, Mississippi, entered the Iowa Capitol on Dec. 14, 2023, and decapitated the Baphomet statue.

"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," Cassidy, a former F/A-18 Hornet pilot who served on the USS George Washington, said in an interview with the Sentinel.

"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 continued. "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."

Cassidy was originally charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. However, Polk County Democratic Attorney Kimberly Graham's office enhanced the charge to third-degree criminal mischief on the basis of Cassidy's statements both to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property due to its anti-Christian nature — or what prosecutors referred to as "the victim's religion."

The Sentinel suggested that Graham, a failed U.S. Senate candidate, might have a bias against conservatives, highlighting the $300,000 of in-kind campaign support she reportedly received from the George Soros-funded Justice and Public Safety PAC.

Cassidy's legal team, which similarly suspects the charging decision was the result of anti-conservative bias, recently attempted to axe the hate crime charges. However, on Tuesday, an Iowa judge denied the motion.

Younts told Blaze News, "The judge ruled against our motion to dismiss even though the DA's office could not produce a single example in Iowa or across the United States where a similar statute had been used to justify charging a hate crime where the 'victim' was an organization rather than an individual."

Jury selection is expected to begin Monday. Cassidy reportedly faces as many as five years in prison.

"Our message is simple — America was founded by men and women whose primary source for the Constitution and our system of government was the Bible and traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs," said Younts. "Because of the religious beliefs and influences of our founders, America has experienced a profound history of religious freedom and prosperity. Our society will continue to collapse into chaos and tyranny if we abandon those beliefs and biblical principles that made our nation possible."


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FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Makes False Claim About Satanic Build-A-Bear

A series of images shared on Facebook purport to show a satanic bear that is available to make at Build-A-Bear. Verdict: False No such bear appears on Build-A-Bear’s website. Politifact labeled the claim as false via an April 9 article. Fact Check: Build-A-Bear is planning to open “at least 50 new stores by the end […]

FACT CHECK: Image Of Satanic Happy Meal Is AI-Generated

An image shared on X purports to show a satanic Happy Meal sold by the fast food restaurant chain McDonald’s. New McDonald’s Happy Meal Your kids will LoVe It pic.twitter.com/Vl9Kfmzdrr — 🅰🅼🅴🆁🅸🅲🅰 🆁🅴🅰🅻 (@AmericaReal3) March 27, 2024 Verdict: False A content detection scan using the website, “Hive Moderation” reveals the image has been generated with artificial […]

Naval officer who decapitated Iowa demon statue charged with HATE CRIME?



Former Mississippi political candidate and naval officer Michael Cassidy is facing felony hate crime charges for decapitating a satanic statue in Iowa.

The co-founder of the Satanic Temple that put the statue up claimed putting the statue in a public forum was an expression of religious freedom. Cassidy drove to Iowa to see it for himself and felt so strongly that it shouldn’t be there that he proceeded to destroy the statue.

In the charges against Cassidy, prosecutors cited a violation of individual rights under Iowa’s hate crime statute. In addition, they say evidence suggests Cassidy destroyed the statue due to the victim’s religion.

“I fail to see the victim here,” Sara Gonzales says. “Is the victim the statue? The victim is the person who created this beautiful statue that nobody wanted?”

The creators of the statue are claiming the cost to replace it is between $750 and $1,500.

“Our dark gods are cheap these days,” Chad Prather jokes.

Though he’s facing legal repercussions, Cassidy is now being hailed as a hero by many on the right — and the proof is in the GiveSendGo campaign that has raised over $105,000 for his legal defense.

While Gonzales is happy he’s being helped, she doesn’t find it comforting that Cassidy now has to take on the law.

“It’s just depressing because it’s like, well, they finally stood up and did something and what are the thanks? That they get thrown into prison? Who the hell is going to stand up next time?” Gonzales says.


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Christian Navy veteran charged with hate crime for beheading demon statue at Iowa Capitol



Hundreds of statues of historical and religious significance have been toppled throughout the United States in recent years. Rather than stop the iconoclasts responsible, government officials have in many cases rewarded them — at least when they were not themselves directly responsible.

However, it became clear this week that the powers that be still hold some things sacred: abortion clinics and satanic idols.

Within hours of a federal court finding six more pro-life activists guilty of peacefully demonstrating inside an infamous late-term abortion clinic, Christian Navy veteran Michael Cassidy was charged with a hate crime Tuesday for toppling a satanic statute last year at the Iowa Capitol.

The Polk County Attorney's Office indicated that Cassidy's admission that he "destroyed the property because of the victim's religion" prompted the decision to increase Cassidy's previous misdemeanor charge to a class D felony.

What's the background?

The Satanic Temple is an anti-Christian leftist group that has distributed satanic literature to kids; championed the LGBT agenda; worked ardently to ensure that mothers can have their unborn babies legally killed by way of their "religious abortion ritual"; performed public "unbaptisms"; erected multiple statues of demons on public property; and held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra.

Blaze News previously reported that weeks ahead of Christmas, the Satanic Temple installed a demonic altar on the first floor of the Iowa Capitol along with caped figure of what appeared to be a ram-headed Baphomet holding a red pentacle.

Baphomet has long been associated with devil worship and the occult; however, it appears to have originated as a slight against the Muslim faith.

UCLA professor Zrinka Stahuljak indicated "Baphomet" was originally a French corruption of the name Mohamed. British historian Peter Partner suggested further that the Knights Templar, who successfully reclaimed territory previously occupied by Islamic forces, were accused by inquisitors of worshiping Baphomet as part of what appears to have been a 14th-century smear.

Lucien Greaves, the co-founder of the Satanic Temple, claimed the demon statue was not intended to be insulting despite its anti-Islamic significance and the installation's exhibition of the anti-Christian group's "seven fundamental tenets," including "the freedom to offend."

— (@)

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) faced significant pressure to have the statue taken down. While Reynolds acknowledged the demonic altar was "objectionable," she invited critics to join her in prayer at the state Capitol rather than in destruction.

State Rep. Jon Dunwell (R), a Christian pastor, outlined why this was the optimal response, noting that the Satanic Temple successfully "petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification."

Dunwell said the display "glorifies the evil influence we oppose" but was nevertheless lawful.

Satanic Temple co-founder Greaves stated, "I would hope that even people who disagree with the symbolism behind our values, whether they know what those values [are] or not, would at least appreciate that it's certainly a greater evil to allow the government to pick and choose between forms of religious expression."

Beheading Baphomet

Although a prayerful man, Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale, Mississippi, apparently figured it wouldn't hurt to also smash the demonic display.

After liking a post by Blaze News columnist Auron MacIntyre, which stated, "Periodic reminder that the religious right were correct about everything," Cassidy marched into the Iowa Capitol on Dec. 14, 2023, and decapitated the Baphomet statue.

Adding insult to symbolic injury, he tossed the ram head into a garbage can.

"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," Cassidy said in an interview with the Sentinel.

— (@)

Cassidy, a former F/A-18 Hornet pilot who served on the USS George Washington, turned himself in to police following the beheading without incident. He was subsequently charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

"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."

The Satanic Temple Iowa said in a statement, "This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair. ... [J]ustice is being pursued the correct way, through legal means. Solve et Coagula! Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!"

No good deed goes unpunished

The Polk County Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that on the basis of Cassidy's statements both to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property due to its anti-Christian nature — or what prosecutors referred to as "the victim's religion" — they had enhanced his original charge to "third-degree criminal mischief in violation of individual rights, a class D felony, according to Iowa Code Section 729A.2."

The attorney's office indicated that the cost to replace or repair the demonic installation was between $750 and $1,500.

The Des Moines Register indicated the radical group alternatively estimated the cost of replacing the statue was $3,000.

The attorney's office also underscored that prosecutors seek "fair and just resolutions of all cases, as we continue to apply the law equally to all, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, or economic status."

Casidy faces arraignment on Feb. 15. He has raised over $85,700 for his legal defense so far.

The Register noted that the Navy veteran's attorney, Sara Pasquale, declined Tuesday to comment on the new charge.

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Devout Christian destroys satanic idol at Iowa Capitol. Appreciative donors fund his legal defense inside 3 hours.



A Christian Navy veteran toppled a satanic statue at the Iowa Capitol after finding others were keen only to virtually signal their displeasure.

Unlike many of the leftists who toppled hundreds of historic statues across the nation amidst the BLM riots, former Mississippi congressional candidate Michael Cassidy immediately assumed responsibility for his actions and turned himself into the authorities. He now faces likely legal action from the Satanic Temple.

Conservatives appreciative of the effort have, however, made sure that Cassidy has what he needs for the legal battles ahead, topping off his legal defense fund inside three hours.

What's the background?

The Satanic Temple is an atheistic leftist organization that has sought to ensure that women can legally have their unborn children killed by way of their "religious abortion ritual"; held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra; distributed satanic literature to children; publicly performed "unbaptisms"; and erected statues of Baphomet on public property in multiple states.

Blaze News previously indicated that the temple, formerly included on Fox News' internal list of charities eligible for donation matches, also runs an online clinic out of New Mexico that distributes abortion drugs, which the group has dubbed "Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic."

Last week, the Satanic Temple of Iowa installed an altar on the first floor of the Iowa Capitol along with a caped figure of what appears to be ram-headed Baphomet holding a red pentacle. USA Today indicated that the installation included a display of the anti-Christian organization's "seven fundamental tenets," including "the freedom to offend."

While ostensibly intended to antagonize Christians ahead of Christmas, Lucien Greaves, co-founder of the Satanic Temple, claimed that the statue was not intended to be insulting.

— (@)

The initial response

Various lawmakers called on Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) to remove the installation.

State Rep. Brad Sherman (R), a pastor, noted in a newsletter that the preamble of the state constitution expressly states there is "One Supreme God"; that blessings over the state come from that "Supreme Being"; that "we must depend upon the One Supreme God if we want to enjoy continued blessings."

"It is a tortured and twisted interpretation of law that affords Satan, who is universally understood to be the enemy of God, religious expression equal to God in an institution of government that depends upon God for continued blessings," wrote Sherman.

"If we claim to believe in the One Supreme Being, the God of all creation, we cannot claim an exemption from obedience to Him in things relating to civil government."

State Rep. Jon Dunwell (R), also a pastor, alternatively explained why the statue was permissible in a post on X: "Currently, access for displays at the Capitol are open to anyone through an application process. Though there are some guidelines, they do not discriminate on the basis of religion or ideology. Displays are permitted to be displayed for two weeks."

Dunwell added, "The Satanic Temple petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification. They wanted to use an actual goat head (I'm assuming a skull) and we're [sic] prohibited from doing so."

Dunwell acknowledged that the display "glorifies the evil influence we oppose" but defended it on legal grounds, suggesting the "primary response required is prayer."

Gov. Reynolds called the display "objectionable" and encouraged "all those of faith to join [her] today in praying over the Capitol."

Satanic Temple co-founder Greaves stated, "I would hope that even people who disagree with the symbolism behind our values, whether they know what those values [are] or not, would at least appreciate that it's certainly a greater evil to allow the government to pick and choose between forms of religious expression."

Baphomet beheaded

Within hours of liking a post by Blaze News columnist Auron MacIntyre, which stated, "Periodic reminder that the religious right were correct about everything," Cassidy headed to the state Capitol and decapitated the Baphomet statue. The former Navy officer then took the ram head and chucked it into a garbage can.

— (@)

Cassidy, a former F/A-18 Hornet pilot who did a tour on the USS George Washington, told the Sentinel his intention was to "awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government."

"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," said Cassidy. "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."

— (@)

After dismantling the controversial statue, the veteran turned himself in to police without incident. He was ultimately charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.

The Satanic Temple Iowa said in a Thursday statement, "This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair. ... [J]ustice is being pursued the correct way, through legal means. Solve et Coagula! Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!"

Greaves called Cassidy a "coward" and claimed the statue toppling was a "Hate Crime."

As Cassidy was charged and faces likely legal action from the leftist group, the Sentinel started a GiveSendGo campaign to raise $20,000 for the veteran's legal defense. The money was raised in less than three hours.

Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk indicated that his organization had pledged $10,000 to the fund, stating, "We stand with Satan Slayer, @VoteCassidy." Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh was among the others who also chipped in, donating $1,000.

Cassidy later quoted scripture online, tweeting, "1 Peter 5:8 KJV Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

Satanic Temple Sets Up Display in Iowa State Houseyoutu.be

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Republican lawmaker blasts museum for featuring satanic tree at Christmas festival: 'Upside-down cultural propaganda'



The National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, is getting into the Christmas spirit with hot chocolate, holiday sing-alongs, and a train ride dressed up as the titular railway from "The Polar Express" for children. The museum also figured it's the season to greet families with a satanic monument and an LGBT propaganda stand.

A Republican congressman has joined some locals in blasting the museum, calling its inclusion of exhibits celebrating the devil and child sex changes "offensive, upside-down cultural propaganda."

The museum is currently celebrating its annual Festival of Trees event, which runs from Nov. 16 until Dec. 31. The festival has been around since 2007 and is reportedly one of the museum's biggest fundraisers.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette indicated that there is nothing explicitly Christian about 60 of the 66 trees featured this year. However, two of the trees are outright hostile to Christianity and the beliefs of its adherents.

The Wisconsin chapter of the Satanic Temple successfully entered its red-lit tree into the festival. The tree is adorned with Luciferian symbols and topped with a red pentacle. In addition to upside-down crosses, there is an ornament that says, "HAIL SANTA."

At the base of the tree is what appears to be a coiled snake along with an icon of the demon Baphomet, depicted with uncovered breasts.

The Satanic Temple is an atheistic leftist organization that has sought to ensure that women can legally have their unborn children killed by way of their "religious abortion ritual"; distributed satanic literature to children; publicly performed "unbaptisms"; held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra; and erected statues of Baphomet on government property.

Blaze News previously indicated that the temple also runs an online clinic out of New Mexico that distributes abortion drugs, which the group has dubbed "Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic."

Jacqueline Frank, the CEO of the museum, told the Press-Gazette that upon receiving the satanists' application to sponsor and decorate a tree, "There was no hesitation. We're not a religious organization. We focus on trains."

"And honestly, the Christmas tree is used by so many different secular and religious organizations. All we're doing is putting up decoration in that room," said Frank.

While the museum has a rule against decorations promoting violence, sexual content, and drug abuse, Frank evidently figured the depiction of a demon with breasts exposed was all right for a museum welcoming families with young children.

Frank underscored that she was proud to include the anti-Christian activist group's tree and would "absolutely" have the organization back next year.

The other leftist tree featured at Frank's festival was decorated by the radical Bay Area Council on Gender Diversity.

The BACGD is an activist group that advocates on behalf of transvestites and provides a drop-in opportunity for gender-dysphoric minors from the greater Green Bay area.

The transvestite activists' tree is decorated with numerous so-called transgender flag along with agitprop ornaments. One ornament read, "Protect Trans Kids." Another stated, "Drag queen." Other ornaments reportedly affirmed gender dysphoria and transvestism.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," "It's impossible to overstate how offensive this is to Christians. It would be, in quite a literal sense, the same thing as waving a Hamas flag inside of a synagogue."

"Conservatives are often accused of launching a culture war or focusing or fixating on cultural issues. But here is a perfect example of how that's not what's happening. What's happening is we're just trying to defend basic traditions or defend our children in the midst of these basic traditions from the encroachment of woke ideology or offensive, upside-down cultural propaganda," said Gallagher.

"The shame of it is ... every year the National Railroad Museum does something very interesting and cool and fun for kids, which is they do a big screening of 'Polar Express' and you're surrounded by all the trains, and it's a cool, fun thing to take your kids to," continued Gallagher. "But now ... I don't want my kids to be surrounded by satanic trees."

Matt Batzel, executive director of the conservative grassroots outfit American Majority, tweeted, "Outrageous! National Railroad Museum features a Satanic worship tree."

Pasor Luke Farwell of De Pere, Wisconsin, told Fox News Digital that when he questioned the museum over the the satanic tree, he was met with rhetoric about "inclusivity."

"It seemed a little bizarre to me that someone, based on that, would think it was appropriate to have a Satanic Temple Christmas tree — or tree, I should say. I won't dignify it by calling it a Christmas tree," said Farwell.

Farwell suggested that Christians aren't afforded the kind of latitude they are expected to show radical leftists when it comes to the public expression and profession of their deeply held views. The pastor also noted that the leftists may have a legal right to advance their viewpoints but ought to understand that "Christians find these things to be offensive or definitely targeting them in terms of belittling their faith or how they celebrate the holidays."

The pastor appealed to an insight from C.S. Lewis in closing, quoting the Christian writer as saying, "There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan."

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