You may recall that, last month, Dan ran a piece about a group of Satan worshippers who want to build a statue of the devil outside the Oklahoma State Capitol. They announced that it would be about seven feet high and would include an interactive display designed for children. Apparently they - along with the ACLU - are outraged that a statue of the Ten Commandments was erected in 2012, and this is the Satanists oh-so-clever way of making the counter point.
Every major media outlet is reporting that these people are genuine, honest-to-badness, devil worshippers. Yes, they're out there, and I have no concrete evidence leading me to doubt the official story. Frankly, though, this whole thing reeks of a scam. It feels like a setup worthy of Candid Camera or Punk'd more than a true religious battle.
Maybe I feel that way because the Satanists hail from New York City and are travelling halfway across the country just to make a point. Perhaps it's because the statue in question has recently been unveiled, and I have a hard time believing that anyone could see something this goofy as a legitimate representation of something they actually worship. The bottom line is the whole scenario feels an awful lot like the kind of stunt a band of self-righteous atheists would cook up to make themselves feel like the "elevated intelligentsia" they like to believe they are.
Here's the mockup courtesy of KOCO 5 News. It looks like bad video game art from the 80's. What do you think? Is this legit, or are Christians being played?
