Justin A. Hinkley

Lansing State Journal

LANSING – This is a Christmas story you haven't heard — the one where Satanists save Christmas.

It's the story of how a proposed Christian Nativity scene at the Capitol appeared dead until a Satanist "Snaketivity" scene was proposed, and now the Capitol could host multiple scenes depicting the birth of Jesus.

It's the story of how a Satanist group from Detroit drew a state senator from Grand Ledge, a world-renown Christmas store from Frankenmuth, a church from East Lansing, and believers from around the state to rally behind their reason for the season.

"The Satanists have helped invigorate the Christmas spirit in a lot of people," John Truscott, a member of the Michigan State Capitol Commission, which OK's displays at the statehouse, said with tongue in cheek.

It isn't clear how the Satanists feel about this response. Jex Blackmore, an official with the Detroit chapter of the Satanic Temple, couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.

The story began last month, when the Capitol Commission received a request from an out-of-town group that wanted to erect a Nativity scene on the Capitol lawn. As Christmas neared, however, the Nativity appeared scrapped because the group making the request couldn't find local folks to put the display up and take it down each day, as required by Capitol rules.

But the Detroit Satanists had already taken notice, and on Monday the Capitol Commission announced the Snaketivity scene would come to the statehouse Dec. 21 to 23.

The Satanic Temple does not worship the Christian devil but is secular and aligned with atheists in opposing religious displays on public grounds. But that didn't stop the backlash as people took to Facebook to express their disgust and flooded Truscott's office with calls.

Then that disgust turned to action.

Monday evening, state Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge announced his willingness to manage a Nativity display, and on Tuesday morning the senator said he'd been cleared to do so. He was just trying to find a Nativity scene to put up.

Hundreds reached out from far and wide offering to help. Jones said Wednesday morning he'd received about 500 offers through social media. Truscott said he'd received "a lot of calls" — he had multiple messages waiting for him before start-of-business Wednesday — both from people expressing anger at the Satanist display and offering to help with the Nativity.

And, Truscott said, others had applied to put up their own Nativity display, meaning there could be more than one on the lawn alongside the Snaketivity. On Wednesday, the commission announced a man from Williamston had the OK to erect a Nativity from Friday through Christmas Day.

Then Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth got involved.

One of the megastore's employees attends St. John Church & Student Center in East Lansing. Bronner's will loan a three-piece Nativity scene to the church, which will give it to Jones to display at the Capitol, Bronner's spokeswoman Lori Libka said.

Libka said Bronner's had never before gotten involved in such an effort, but the company's president and CEO, Wayne Bronner, said it had to be done.

"We want to do it because Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ, there's no denying it," Bronner said Wednesday. "It's really sad, as I think back to when I was a child, these kinds of issues didn't come up."

Despite stepping into a political dispute, Bronner said he wasn't worried about backlash against his store, which typically capitalizes the CHRIST in Christmas on its signage. He said people know what Bronner's stands for and 40,000 people visited last weekend.

Officials at St. John could not be reached for comment.

With a Natvity secured, Jones said he'll have an "unveiling ceremony" at noon Friday at the Capitol, and the display will appear daily through Dec. 26.

Jones, who stressed he got involved as "citizen Jones" and not "in any fashion as a part of state government," said he didn't want the Satanists to win. Elsewhere, he'd seen the group's shock tactics cause public bodies to bar any religious displays so they didn't have to allow images of Satan.

"I say bah humbug to that," Jones said Wednesday. "We're not afraid of the snake. I'm sure Christ was not afraid of the snake."

If you go

• WHAT: State Sen. Rick Jones hosts unveiling ceremony for Nativity scene at the Capitol

• WHEN: Noon Friday

• WHERE: Capitol lawn

• INFO: Though he appreciates all the offers, Jones said he won't need any help putting up or tearing down the Nativity, but he said he welcomes supporters to sing carols, etc. as the display is erected for the first time.