Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds weighs in on state Capitol's satanic display amid backlash: 'Absolutely objectionable'
'Good will always prevail,' Gov. Kim Reynolds says
Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a statement regarding a controversial satanic display in the Iowa state Capitol that some have called on her to remove.
The Satanic Temple Iowa has sparked backlash for erecting an altar to Baphomet in the Iowa state Capitol weeks before Christmas. The display, which is scheduled to remain up for two weeks until Friday, depicts a silver ram’s head on a red-caped mannequin holding an inverted pentagram wreath.
The figure is surrounded by candles and flowers, and the altar itself features the seven "Fundamental Tenets" of The Satanic Temple. The organization, which achieved non-profit status from the IRS in 2019, says its purpose "is to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits," according to its website.
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“Like many Iowans, I find the Satanic Temple’s display in the Capitol absolutely objectionable," Reynolds said in a Tuesday statement. "In a free society, the best response to objectionable speech is more speech, and I encourage all those of faith to join me today in praying over the Capitol and recognizing the nativity scene that will be on display — the true reason for the season."
Read: Satanic display in Iowa state Capitol stirs debate
Reynolds also tweeted a picture of herself praying in the state Capitol rotunda during a Tuesday ceremony in front of a Nativity scene and Christmas tree, just feet away from the satanic display.
"Today, faithful Iowans gathered in the Capitol rotunda to display the Nativity and pray for peace," she wrote. "Free speech is a right afforded to all. But how we use it matters. Today’s event is proof that in the battle between good and evil, good will always prevail."
Today, faithful Iowans gathered in the Capitol rotunda to display the Nativity and pray for peace.
— Gov. Kim Reynolds (@IAGovernor) December 12, 2023
Free speech is a right afforded to all. But how we use it matters.
Today’s event is proof that in the battle between good and evil, good will always prevail. pic.twitter.com/phD9KYmXHY
The display has prompted intense debate on social media and even between Republican state lawmakers regarding the limits of free speech and religious expression on government property.
Iowa state Rep. Jon Dunwell, a Republican and Christian pastor, posted a viral thread on X last weekend explaining that while he personally finds the altar "objectionable" and "classified as evil," he does not believe it to be the government's place to arbitrate religion.
"For me, I would rather have an evil, blasphemous display or no display at all than have the state dictate what they think is appropriate," Dunwell told The Christian Post in an interview earlier this week.
"I am nervous about government interfering with religious expression, even religious expression I may disagree with," he said, and dismissed the altar as "an inanimate object" that Christians shouldn't be afraid of.
Iowa state Rep. Brad Sherman, another Republican and pastor, differed from Dunwell, arguing in a newsletter last week that the display violates the 1857 Iowa Constitution, which set the state apart unto God, confessed its dependence on him, and invoked his blessing.
Sherman maintained that any legal interpretation affording Satan and God the same religious expression on Iowa state property is "twisted and tortured," and he urged Reynolds to have the statue removed from the Capitol. He also called for legislation banning satanic displays from government property altogether.
The Satanic Temple Iowa said in a statement released Monday that they are "proud to participate in the festivities at our Capitol this holiday season."
"Our display features the 7 Tenets, a set of seven core beliefs that members see as their guideposts for our deeply held beliefs; advocating for bodily autonomy, a rejection of arbitrary authority, recognizing our own fallibility, and inspiring nobility in thought and action which we hope enlightens the viewer to our beliefs and inspires one to reflect upon their own approach to the world."
TST Iowa thanked Capitol staff and law enforcement for "holding fast to the principle of religious freedom and ensuring all religions have an equal opportunity to celebrate the holidays together in our beautiful Capitol."
