Threats force Satan statue unveiling to secret Detroit venue
By Corey Williams Associate Press | newsyahoo.com
FILE – This July 6, 2015 file photo provided by The Satanic Temple shows the sculpture an 8½-foot-tall bronze monument featuring Satan was cast from in New York. A group plans to unveil the 1½-ton Baphomet, which shows Satan with horns, hooves, wings and a beard flanked by two young children, at a private event in Detroit. The Satanic Temple says it advocates the separation of church and state. (The Satanic Temple via AP, File)
DETROIT (AP) — An 8½-foot-tall bronze monument featuring a goat-headed Satan will be unveiled at a secret, ticketed event in Detroit after the owner of a popular restaurant and entertainment complex backed out and opponents issued threats, organizers said.
The Satanic Temple, a group that advocates for the separation of church and state, will release the location of the unveiling on the day of the event, and details will be sent to ticketholders only, the group’s co-founder Lucien Greaves told The Associated Press Monday.
“Tickets are going to be pre-ordered to cut down on harassment … people threatening to burn the venue down,” Greaves said. “We’ve gotten those kinds of messages.”
“If people don’t want to come, they don’t need to come,” he added.
Greaves said he reported the threats to authorities. The AP left a message Monday seeking comment from Detroit police.
The statue was to have been unveiled July 25 at Bert’s Market Place in Detroit’s Eastern Market district, but Bert Dearing said he gave the group back it’s $3,000 rental fee when he learned who booked the place.
“Detroit is a very religious area,” Dearing said. “When I rented the place, I just thought it was a church. I didn’t know about the unveiling of a statue. We weren’t aware they were into devil worshipping.”
The Satanic Temple Detroit chapter founder Jex Blackmore has said the group doesn’t worship Satan but does promote individuality, compassion and views that differ from Christian and conservative beliefs.
The statue was designed and built at a cost of more than $100,000 and had been planned for the state Capitol in Oklahoma City until Oklahoma’s Supreme Court banned religious displays — including a monument of the Ten Commandments — on Capitol grounds.
Greaves said the statue will not remain in Detroit and that The Satanic Temple wants to erect it outside Arkansas’ Statehouse in Little Rock where a Ten Commandments monument also is planned.
Detroit was selected for the unveiling because The Satanic Temple in the city has a “strong congregation,” Greaves said. “We just have a good community over there.”
Blackmore said Detroit has more than 200 registered members.
The group erected a display in December outside Michigan’s state Capitol in Lansing. The “Snaketivity Scene” featured a snake offering a book called “Revolt of the Angels” as a gift. The snake was wrapped around the Satanic cross on the 3-feet-by-3-feet display. Like other religious displays, it was taken down each night.
Bishop Charles Ellis III, pastor of the 6,000-member Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, said he is not concerned about a statue depicting Satan being unveiled in the city because America “was built on freedom of speech and freedom of religion.”
“If we ask others to be tolerant of our religion, we are going to be asked to be tolerant of their religion as well,” Ellis said.
“Tolerable does not mean you have to practice what they practice or that you are condoning what they are practicing. I’m not saying I’m being accepting. I’m just saying I have no control over that.”
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16 Comments on “Threats force Satan statue unveiling to secret Detroit venue”
What????? You’re not condoning…….okay let me read his statement again….. o_O
What a joke, I remember reading in the word the children of Israel torn down false gods and idols. Seems the saints are relaxed these days .
I’m sorry but I don’t agree with you Bishop! We are not to be tolerent of things that are against God (Yahweh)! Today Christians do not have the freedom and rights as others we are the only ones being sued, gaged,and restricted because of our beliefs. Gideon can’t pass out bibles to school children but yet they are being educated on evolution, humanism, same sex marriage, and abortion. No one is being tolerant of Christians they are trying to silence us! The church doesn’t have power anymore so now we just haft to be “tolerent” of everything now! Man please!!! That’s a coward move. I’m not saying condemn these people but we serve the one true God we don’t haft to sit back and allow these pagans to corrupt our children into thinking that this nonsense is normal. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but principalities,against powers,against the evil rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places! Fight the power Bishop don’t tolerate it!
Only his hair-dresser knows for sure what the bishop is saying.
The other camp had the wits to keep the female chest off this thing, while our so-called rep seemed witless. They have everything from the flame,same as signs,to the hoofs, trying to make it someway acceptable without the female form. Most kids are spooked by Santa Claus, I doubt they would be looking up in admiration to this thing. Thanks to EX for this forum, and teaching us about these things and what they truly mean.
Dear Bishop Charles Ellis III you should be concern and you can do something about it! Where is your voice and cry of repentance for this nation? We have lost our voice because most of the church are asleep 🙁 We are to still cry aloud and spear not and lift up our voice like a trumpet Isaiah 58:1. This is not about rights, this is about righteousness before our God, our Creator.
I pray that as the fish god of the philistines, dagon, fell off it’s pedestal before the ARK of the Covenant, that this abominable statue would fall and shatter into dust! And a supernatural wind from GOD ALMIGHTY would scatter the pieces! “Let GOD Arise and Let HIS Enemies Be SCATTERED”!
I live in a suburb on the boarder of Detroit. Please pray for us!
Yes you do!!! You have the Power and Authority in Jesus, but then again your showcase in reality shows are more important Mr Ellis..SMH. at these preacher’s
Idol.demonic and evil.God bless exministries for keeping us informed about these things.
Bishop Ellis wants to be big time anyway. He wants tolerance. Detroit doesn’t want anything doing with Satan in the city. People believe in God not Satan. They knew it was going to be a huge protect. Get that statute out of here.
I totally disagree with the Detroit pastor who has a congregation of 6,000, and your not instructing your church to pray against this? Pastor, if you are who you say you are, that’s exactly what you should be doing. You don’t have control? Who do you serve? The God I serve has control over everything. To turn away and use the excuse you dont have any control, should bring you to repentance. To not stand up against this demonic agenda, is to agree with it. I’m sorry but that’s how I see it. I pray that you will seek the Lord Jesus Christ to lead you on what to do. I guarantee you it won’t be silence.
I see why their is no power in our churches the leaders are being bought and paid for. I am disgusted with some of these well known Pastor’s who say they have the voice of the nation. I am so glad they do not have my voice they are weak and and need to go back to the altar and get saved. I believe this is what happens when pastor’s become celebrities and think they are above God. I can’t believe that all it takes is giving a pastor a position on the council or board to get them to sell out and then their congregation is right behind them.
Hello, Let’s just get pass what Bishop is or is not doing. We are all obligated to stand in the gap and make up the hedge. He has stated his stance; so let’s move on. Let’s pray against what preys against us. Let’s not be another feather in the devils hat by coming against “The Bishop. Again another move on evil worsening with this whole statue mess. As someone already said, “Let GOD ARISE & HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED. Let us pray!
The reason everyone is so upset with Mr. Ellis is because he is a leader. If he as leader doesn’t know not to worship images of anything, then he should sit down. That’s basic stuff. If he is a follower of Christ he should keep the doctrine, all of it. The people on this forum know not to worship graven images. We are standing in the gap for those that don’t know by outing this man. I could have gave a better response, and I’m just a high-school grad. This cat went to a seminary. The rep of Satan spoke with clarity, this man, not so much. His stance should
be God’s stance. A bruise ego is easy to get over, nobody can get over the lake of fire.
My apologies to Mr. Ellis. He has a degree in accounting, and only a honorary doctorate from a bible college.