A spokesperson says the statue celebrates Satansits being welcomed as equals in the public sphere.

The Satanic Temple’s “snaketivity” monument installed on Michigan Capitol lawn will be substituted by a goat head with a haloed goat. The event will mark yet another sparring between the nativity set installed by Senator Rick Jones and Satanist displays. The haloed goat statue will be set up by the West Michigan Friends of the Satanic Temple. The group is based in Grand Rapids and has pitched in to represent Satanism during the 2018 holiday season.

The West Michigan group is a new one and has yet to be a substantiated temple chapter. They wanted to help The Satanic Temple (TST) in their snaketivity efforts in 2017 but were unable to track down a snake wrapped effigy, and hence took the decision to do their own thing in 2018. The new haloed goat head is named “Star of Reconciliation” and was designed by Technically Timeless LLC., a studio in New Hampshire. The statue represents Baphomet’s haloed head. A number of LED lights will shine up from the base of the statue.

The scheduled date of the installation of the haloed goat head is December 21, a day after the state legislature is anticipated to end its torturous lame duck period. The primary purpose of the Star of Reconciliation is to celebrate the rights of Satanists to state their faith publicly. Satanists claim that their beliefs value science, empathy, common sense, and individual freedom. Renard Seir, the spokesperson for West Michigan Friends of the Satanic Temple, said it is a celebration and a recognition that the state welcomed Satanists as equals, meaning the state has taken cognizance of Satanists' First Amendment rights. He added that the period is a happy one for Satanists as they could finally view their symbols in the public sphere.

@RepDaveTrott Satanic icons on display at Christmas in our capitol building in Lansing? This isn't how I chose to be represented. How about you @MichiganBests, @Local4News or @FOX2News? (West Michigan Friends of the Satanic Temple, Satanic “holiday display” at Capitol bld.) — B0B_B3AR (@B0B_B3AR) December 14, 2018

Senator Rick Jones, the Republican from Grand Ledge, and the one who started it all, has made a pledge to his constituents that he will set up the nativity scene on Capitol grounds as long as he is a member of the Senate. His term-limit is about to end, and he will leave his office at the end of the year. Jones hopes a Christian group may take up the effort to do the nativity scene in 2019 and beyond. Jones said that he kept what he promised, and many are extremely happy about it.

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