Michael Cassidy, a Christian and former military officer, tore down and beheaded the Satan altar in the Iowa Capitol on Thursday.
The altar to Baphomet was installed by the Satanic Temple and featured a goat's head on a red-caped mannequin holding an inverted pentagram wreath.
The Satanic display was erected near the Nativity and was scheduled to stay in place for two weeks.
Cassidy toppled and decapitated the statue before discarding the head in a trash can.
Speaking to The Sentinel, Cassidy said he had beheaded the statue in order to “awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government.”
“The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment,” Cassidy said. “Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water.” BREAKING: @RepubSentinel can reveal that Michael Cassidy, a Christian and former military officer, tore down and beheaded the Satan altar in the Iowa Capitol:https://t.co/rIYIdZOzee pic.twitter.com/tZDsmKM5Pm
— The Sentinel (@RepubSentinel) December 14, 2023
The Sentinel reports:Cassidy turned himself into police officers present in the Iowa Capitol, who confirmed that the Satanic Temple of Iowa desires to press charges. The Sentinel obtained a complaint and affidavit which said Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.
“I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged,” Cassidy continued. “My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”
Cassidy will be represented by Davis Younts, an attorney and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who served in the JAG Corps, according to the report.
“My client was motivated by his faith to peacefully protest a display that is a direct affront to God,” Younts told The Sentinel. “When others, including elected leaders, were unwilling to act, he peacefully removed the display. It is my hope that the citation will be dismissed when my client’s actions are understood and that he will not face prosecution because of his faith.”
The display had been causing controversy nationwide and sparked a debate about religious expression on government property.
Iowa state Rep. Jon Dunwell, a Republican and Christian pastor, posted on X that "access for displays at the Capitol are open to anyone through an application process. Though there are some guidelines, they do not discriminate on the basis of religion or ideology."
"The Satanic Temple petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification. They wanted to use an actual goat head (I’m assuming a skull) and we’re prohibited from doing so," Rep. Dunwell wrote. "The Iowa Legislature can set the rules and standards for any display. The current operating principle has been to either allow all displays or none. The Legislature has the power to change it if they deem necessary." As many of you have become aware, last week a display was erected at the Iowa Capitol by the Satanic Temple of Iowa. As I have responded to concerns from Iowans about the display, I wanted to share with you how the display came to be and my response.
How did it happen?
• The… pic.twitter.com/8ODJXCxu9Y
— Rep. Jon Dunwell (@jdunwell) December 8, 2023
Dunwell added, "my observation as a follower of Christ, I certainly find a display from the Satanic Temple objectionable. It stands in direct opposition to my faith and would be classified as evil. Not a new experience for me or my family. The Word of God continually warns about the dangers in our world. In fairness, many other religions or nonreligious people have the same perspective about Christianity."
"My observation as an Iowan and a State Representative, I don’t want the state evaluating and making determinations about religions. I am guided by the First Amendment of the US Constitution," he continued.
