The Satanic Temple approached the matter a bit differently. In December, the group applied for its own plot of land, right next to the Ten Commandments, upon which it hopes to erect a Satanic statue. The Temple unveiled its design last month: a 7-foot monolith depicting Baphomet (a goat-headed pagan idol in a cloak) seated on a throne, with an adoring child gazing up at him from each side. There’s even space for young visitors to climb up and to sit on the devil’s lap themselves.

The Satanists aren’t the only group trying to stake out a presence on the capitol lawn. The Universal Society of Hinduism has expressed an interest in placing a statue of Lord Hanuman, a popular deity with the face of a monkey, near the spot where the Ten Commandments monument now sits. But as uncomfortable as the Hindu proposal might make some Christian lawmakers, the Satanic Temple’s plan clearly brings the issue to a whole other level. It also raises a question: Are these devil-worshippers for real?

With its colorful name and accessible membership plan, the Satanic Temple resembles the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which formed in 2005 to contest the teaching of Intelligent Design in Kansas. In 2008, “Pastafarian” artists erected a statue of the Flying Spaghetti Monster on a courthouse lawn in Crossville, Tennessee, next to a display of Jesus carrying a cross. (Both statues were later taken down.) Like the Satanic Temple, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster allows members to sign up online, even offering the opportunity to become an ordained minister for $20.

The spokesperson for the Satanic Temple is a shadowy Internet figure called Douglas Mesner, who goes by Lucien Greaves in professional satanic contexts. (His cell phone number contains the digits 666.) Although he claims to have a fervent disregard for media attention and answers questions in a semi-hushed, monotone voice, Mesner widely and adamantly pushes his firebrand agenda. He’s written for the Skeptical Inquirer, a site published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, which aims to debunk paranormal activities and “fringe science.” He also had a blog on an online forum called Atheist Nexus.

His writings hardly seem like the work of an occultist. In fact, in a June 2013 Daily Kos article, Mesner wrote about the convicted murderer Sean Sellers, who claimed during his trial that he had been possessed by the devil. Mesner scoffed at the idea of Satan as a “supernatural” power, writing, “It’s magical thinking, no more enlightened than a belief in the spiritual corruption of the left-handed.”