Karl Etters

Democrat staff writer

The Satanic Temple will be allowed to join several other holiday displays in the Florida Capitol this year, after previously being denied access.

This week, the applications of five groups vying for space for their holiday displays, some supporting religions, some the absence of religion and some just to make a point, were approved by the Department of Management Services.

The Satanic Temple sought the help of legal counsel at the educational, non-partisan Americans United for Separation of Church and State in getting their display into the Capitol. The Washington D.C.-based group threatened a lawsuit against the state on the Temple's behalf.

"Free speech is for everyone and all groups," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of AUSCS, in a statement. "State officials simply can't get into the business of deciding that some unpopular messages are 'offensive' and must be banned."

The Temple's diorama depicting an angel falling into a pit of fire and placards featuring two Bible verses was denied last year when DMS deemed it "grossly offensive."

It submitted the same display as last year and applied in October in the hopes of allowing DMS enough time to vet its display and to allow the Temple enough time to confront any objections or concerns.

"In a nation that respects religious liberty, viewpoint discrimination is simply intolerable," said Lucien Greaves, spokesman for the New York-based Satanic Tempe, in a statement. "For that reason, we feel our holiday display sends a very important, affirmative message that goes above and beyond that of superficial season's greetings."

The Florida Prayer Network and the International House of Prayer Tallahassee plan to erect a Nativity scene and artwork depicting a Nativity; the American Atheists intend to place a banner as does the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster will include for the second year a display depicting its deity — a googly-eyed blob of noodles grasping two meatballs, a paper mache dinosaur, a small book and a sign reading "Thus said the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. Jeremiah 10:2."

Although their displays have not been approved yet, the American Atheist banner will wish citizens a safe and happy holidays and Deerfield Beach blogger and political rabble-rouser Chaz Stevens is again looking to place a 6-foot pole of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans representing the fictitious holiday of Festivus in the public spaces in the Capitol's plaza level.

A DMS spokesman said in an email the agency is waiting for the Atheist group and Stevens to select a seven-day period to place their displays in the Capitol, "per DMS guidelines."

The Festivus pole is inspired by a 1997 episode of the TV show, "Seinfeld," in which character Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller) celebrated "Festivus" in response to the commercialism and stress associated with the holiday season.

The Festivus addition to the Capitol drew some chagrin last December from more traditional groups, because of the presence of beer cans in an area where children enter the building. A pole celebrating the holiday also made its way into the Wisconsin state capitol.

Stevens said the fanfare surrounding his addition last year was "surreal" as it gained national attention on The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and drew criticism from Fox News' Gretchen Carlson.

"Festivus was such good deal last year," Stevens said. "Given that great tradition, how can we not put the pole back this year? I'm hopeful and confident that my friends in Tallahassee will enable us to carry on the rich tradition of having the Festivus pole."

Stevens said he has also applied to have a Festivus pole in public buildings in Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach and Tamarac. He sold last year's Festivus pole on eBay for $547.

"There's no owner's manual for what I'm doing here," Stevens said. "It's a complete fiasco."

The flood of displays last year came after some groups took issue with the Nativity scenes being added in public buildings.

Pam Olsen, president of the Florida Prayer Network, said the idea is to wish everyone a Merry Christmas through Christianity, not to cause uproar over state-sponsored religion.

"There's a lot of state capitols besides ours that are having Nativity scenes," Olsen said. "It's not government sponsored religion, it's freedom of religion, which makes America great. Our heart is not to cause any contention; it's simply to say Merry Christmas. It's really important that people understand that."

When the Satanic Temple display was denied last year, Greaves wrote to DMS, "It is not our intention to offend. Like the Nativity scene, it presents an image from a Biblical story, which is shared with other religious traditions besides our own. In addition, a positive sentiment of 'Happy Holidays' is displayed."

Displays cannot impede traffic or block permanent installments like the Civil Rights and Veterans halls of fame. There are signs in the rotunda designating the area as a public space and stating that "The State of Florida does not endorse or sponsor the views expressed by persons or displays in this area."

AUSCS Senior Litigation Counsel Gregory Lipper said although the state has allowed the Satanic Temple access to the rotunda this year, DMS' policy against "offensive" displays still poses additional problems.

"Although we are pleased that the state has finally agreed to allow the Satanic Temple's display, our clients should not have been forced to find legal counsel and plan a lawsuit just to get access to an open forum," Lipper said. "The state can't give itself the authority to decide whether certain religious messages are 'offensive' — it needs to allow everyone's speech or no one's speech."