Justin A. Hinkley

Lansing State Journal

LANSING – A Christian Nativity scene at the Capitol is out, but a Satanist group from Detroit will erect its own "holiday display" at the statehouse.

The display, which depicts a snake wrapped around the Satanic cross and presenting a book as a holiday gift, will be featured on the northeast lawn at the Capitol Dec. 21 to 23, said Jex Blackmore, a member of the Detroit chapter of the Satanic Temple. The cross reads, "The greatest gift is knowledge."

The group is calling the display its "Snaketivity Scene."

"Encouraging families to have important discussions and to learn from each other and to spend the holidays promoting knowledge ... is just something we think is important," Blackmore, whose phone number begins with the digits 666, said today.

John Truscott, a member of the Michigan State Capitol Commission, which approved the display, said the commission had to OK it because members were "constrained by the Constitution" and must "recognize everybody's First Amendment rights."

"Personally, I think this is absolutely repulsive and I'm very frustrated by it," Truscott added. "I don't appreciate a group trying to hijack a Christian holiday."

Blackmore said her group requested the display after the Capitol Commission last month received a request for a Christian Nativity scene to be displayed at the Capitol.

With lame-duck lawmakers debating a controversial religious freedom bill, Blackmore said the Satanist display "provides some poignant commentary about the diversity of beliefs represented by Michigan citizens."

The Nativity scene, meanwhile, has been scrapped. Truscott said it was approved but that the out-of-state person backing it couldn't find someone to put up and tear down the display each day. Capitol rules forbid permanent displays.

Truscott said the person behind the Nativity scene, who hasn't been named, is still trying to find someone to manage the display. State Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge said in a statement today he had reached out to Truscott and offered to raise and tear down the Nativity each day.

Blackmore said she has the local personnel to put up and tear down the display.

Blackmore said she didn't know how many Michigan Satanists there are, but her group's Facebook page had been "liked" 3,333 times as of this afternoon and Blackmore said there are 50 individuals regularly involved in the Detroit chapter.

The Satanic Temple, a loosely organized national group, doesn't actually worship the Christian devil. It is a secular organization closely aligned with atheist groups in protesting religious displays on public grounds, most notably in its ongoing campaign to have a Satanic display accompany a display of the Ten Commandments at the Oklahoma statehouse. The group also made headlines last month when it wanted to distribute Satanist coloring books to schools in Orange County, Fla. because kids had been given Bibles.

The group's mission, according to its website, "is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will."

Truscott said today the Commission hadn't heard any more from the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom from Religion Foundation, which said last month it wanted its own display at the Capitol after hearing of the proposed Nativity.