Satan to get Monument in Oklahoma

If you need a reason to understand why religion must stay out of the government, let me give you a good one. In 2012, Oklahoma allowed the placement of a Ten Commandments monument. Now, the Satanic Temple has formally submitted its application to place its own monument on the Oklahoma capital grounds. The Yahoo.com news article   describes the monument as“depicts Satan as Baphomet, a goat-headed figure with horns, wings and a long beard that's often used as a symbol of the occult. In the rendering, Satan is sitting in a pentagram-adorned throne with smiling children next to him.”

Keep in mind that the Satanic Temple is not asking for any public money to place their monument. They already have half of the money needed. What they are wanting is their right to also place a monument where another religion has already placed one. A Hindu leader in Nevada and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster have also submitted their applications for the same right. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has already won the right in a Florida case.

Yet, we can see that Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon does not intend to allow any other belief other than those that match his belief to place a monument. His statement in the article clearly sums this up "’I think we need to be tolerant of people who think different than us, but this is Oklahoma, and that's not going to fly here.’" He contradicts himself in the same sentence. He is clearly showing a partiality to one religion and intolerance towards another in the discharging of his duties. Would he allow a monument to the Virgin Mary, or one of the Saints? Would he allow the Hindu monument and deny the Satanic Temple? Or, does he get to pick and choose whose religion is acceptable and whose is not? Do you see the problem here?

I believe in a highly secular government and I think that this helps point out why it should be. To do otherwise invites the oppression and hate that is inherent in all religions. It also needlessly distracts the political process and prevents progress on the smallest of issues, which in the end hurts us all.