Christian veteran dismantles satanic altar set up in Iowa Capitol

A Christian military veteran dismantled the controversial satanic altar set up by members of the Satanic Temple inside the Iowa Capitol.

This Thursday, Michael Cassidy, a former Navy pilot who previously ran for Congress from Mississippi, entered the Iowa legislative building and destroyed the anti-Christian display that caused an intense political and religious debate in Iowa.

"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. 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," said the Christian veteran after destroying the altar to Baphomet.

After destroying the satanic representation, Cassidy turned himself in to the authorities and explained that he was outraged after seeing the "blasphemous statue" and acted.

"My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree," he stated.

The altar was approved

The satanic depiction was recently installed at the entrance to Congress as part of an exhibit that is open to anyone who completes an application process.

As explained by the Republican representative, Jon Dunwell, the Satanic Temple requested its exhibition in August, and after complying with the guidelines, it was approved with some modifications. "They wanted to use an actual goat head (I'm assuming a skull) and we're prohibited from doing so," he said, highlighting that the legislature does not allow discrimination based on religion or ideology.

Was the "blasphemous display" against the Iowa Constitution?

Following the installation of the altar, Williamsburg Republican Rep. Brad Sherman asked Gov. Kim Reynolds to remove the "blasphemous display."

"I am calling for our governor to have this blasphemous display removed immediately based on the grounds that it is unconstitutional and offends God upon whom the State of Iowa depends for blessings," Sherman said. But while Gov. Kim Reynolds called the altar "absolutely objectionable," she suggested her hands were tied by religious freedom.

"In a free society, the best response to objectionable speech is more speech," Reynolds said, inviting believers to gray before the Capitol.