Satanic Temple Display Toppled In New Hampshire

A statue of the pagan deity Baphomet, erected by the Satanic Temple (TST) at the New Hampshire State House, was destroyed in what appears to be a case of vandalism. The incident, which occurred soon after the statue’s unveiling on Saturday, has stirred controversy and renewed debates surrounding religious freedom and the limits of public displays in government spaces.

The Baphomet statue, a symbol often associated with Satanism and the broader Satanic Temple movement, was placed at the New Hampshire State House in an effort claimed to represent the country’s “pluralistic society.” It was positioned near a Nativity scene, which has been a traditional holiday display at the State House. The monument was unveiled with support from State Rep. Ellen Read, a Democrat from Newmarket, who advocated for the inclusion of “diverse religious expressions” in public spaces.

Rep. Read has long been a supporter of the Satanic Temple, and encouraged TST’s participation as what she calls a broader effort to ensure that all religious viewpoints are represented in public spaces, especially when it comes to holiday displays.

“I’ve just been a long-time supporter of TST in terms of their beliefs and the work that they do,” Read explained. “I’m local, so I helped with the permitting process, and I was there for the unveiling.”

The vandalism occurred sometime between Sunday morning and Monday afternoon, after the statue had been displayed for just one day. Photographs of the aftermath show the statue’s legs still standing, but the head and torso of the Baphomet figure had been toppled. The tablet listing the Satanic Temple’s seven tenets, which had been displayed alongside the statue, was also damaged, with pieces missing and text obscured.

Local police are currently investigating the incident, but as of now, no suspects have been identified. Rep. Read expressed disappointment at the destruction of the statue, which she viewed as a symbol of freedom of expression and religious diversity.

“The display was meant to represent our pluralistic society, and there was nothing inherently offensive about it,” she said, though she is not a Christian, so it’s unclear why she thinks she would understand what Christians would find offensive. “There were accusations that it meant to denigrate Christians, but there was nothing about it that was denigrating Christians. If you don’t want to allow it for all religions, then you don’t have to allow religious displays.”

The Satanic Temple’s involvement in the display came after they applied for and received a permit from the city of Concord, the state capital. The permit was granted to avoid potential legal challenges, as the city had already allowed other religious displays, including the Nativity scene. The TST, known for its advocacy for the separation of church and state, used this precedent to argue that if religious symbols were to be displayed on public property, they should be allowed to include representations of all belief systems.

However, the display was controversial, with critics arguing that it was not intended to promote religious equity but rather to push an anti-religious political agenda. Concord Mayor Byron Champlin publicly opposed the display and criticized the decision to grant the permit. He also expressed frustration with what he described as “legal extortion” in the form of potential litigation over the inclusion of the Satanic Temple’s display.

Rep. Read emphasized that the display was meant to be inclusive, not divisive. “If you allow one religious group to put up a display, you have to allow others,” she said. “If we’re going to respect the diversity of our society, we need to make space for all religious viewpoints, not just the ones that are comfortable to some.”

Many Christians and conservative groups have a hard time believing TST’s defenses of “free religious expression” are in good faith, and suspect that Satanists are exploiting the Constitution to undermine and antagonize the country’s most popular religion.