Team DailyPedia
Last Saturday, hundreds gathered outside an old industrial warehouse a few blocks from the Detroit River for a very exclusive event billed as the “largest public satanic ceremony” in history.
Just before midnight, the Satanic Temple in Detroit unveiled a 9-foot, 2,000-pound bronze statue of a goat-headed idol named Baphomet. According to Fox News, around 700 people attended the event consisting of members and non-members. Others came to celebrate, some out of curiosity, and a few to appreciate the art.
To avoid protesters, the non-theistic religious organization kept the venue details a secret until the last minute where VIP ticket holders received an email disclosing where the event will be held.
“Come dance with the Devil and experience history in the making.”
The crowd celebrated as dark punk bands played and DJs performed on stage beneath an upside-down crucifix. Prior to the revealing, the group’s officials delivered their messages while two men stood on each side of the statue holding candles.
At around 11:30 p.m., the cloth concealing the monument was taken down as supporters cheered, “Hail Satan.” The attendees rushed to pose for photos with the huge statue.
The Baphomet is similar to the previous design the group released – a winged creature with human body and a goat’s head. There were also two statues of kids, a boy and a girl on each side looking up in adoration at the occult icon.
Local Christians protested while the event was ongoing. Several people prayed, denouncing the Baphomet. A pastor at Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church also said, “The last thing we need in Detroit is having a welcome party for evil.”
The statue was initially arranged to be displayed at the Oklahoma state capitol. However, Oklahoma’s Supreme Court previously ruled that a monument of the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional because it prohibits the use of state property for the benefit of a religion, which meant this statue could not be allowed either.
The director of the Satanic Temple Detroit chapter, Jex Blackmore, said the statue would be transported to Arkansas where the governor signed a bill allowing a Ten Commandments monument on the state grounds. He also explained via Time that “Baphomet contains binary elements symbolizing a reconciliation of opposites, emblematic of the willingness to embrace, and even celebrate differences.”
Featured image via telegraph.co.uk
