The Pagans Are Acting Like Pagans Again

Scrolling through Facebook the other morning I came across this picture and read that the Satanic Temple of Iowa had put up a display of Baphomet (Lucifer) to celebrate this year’s Christmas holiday. My first knee-jerk reaction to the blasphemous statue was: “The pagans are acting like pagans again,” which was a popular soundbite during the radio program, Talk the Walk on Minnesota’s (AM 980 KKMS) that Todd Friel hosted before transitioning to Wretched Radio. Christians would call to the radio station to complain about what the world was doing and Todd would jokingly play this soundbite. For many who called in it was rather annoying, but Friel was gently pointing out that the world is going to do what it does regardless of what we think about it. Pagans are going to pagan; why are we shocked when they do? They don’t have the Spirit of the Living God residing within them. They are the god of their own thoughts, imaginations and desires. They rule themselves. Why should we expect any more than that?

And we should not be surprised because this is not the first time this organization has done an anti-Christian holiday display:

• Satanic Temple’s Holiday Tree in Wisconsin
• Satanic Temple’s Holiday Display at the Illinois Capitol
• Satanic Statue at Illinois State House.
• and who could forget, “Baby Baphomet” in a mock nativity scene inside the Illinois Capitol

I honestly wasn’t going to respond to the Baphomet display at the Iowa Capitol, which is literally two blocks away from the church that I attend. But one of our congregants texted me and asked what we were going to do to stop it. My knee-jerk reaction was, “This was a first-amendment issue, and churches do a lot at the capitol along with Iowa Right to Life. If we demand that the Satanic Temple of Iowa remove their display, then we will be refused to access to the capitol for the many other Christian events like Bible reading, prayer, Christian displays throughout the year. In my opinion this is exactly what they want to happen.” But as I sat and thought about this more and more, I have some views of my own, though which may or not be popular with my audience.

First Amendment Issue

First, the government has given Iowans the right to have freedom of speech inside the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol. We have had the privilege of participating in Christian events, protests, and prayer here with churches throughout the state. My wife and I participated in Right to Life events, prayer events, and even the reading of God’s Word out loud in the State House and pray over elected officials.

Would we want the government to tell us “No” to the putting up of a nativity scene, wreaths or a Christmas tree at the Capitol? What about the events, prayer vigils, and religious groups banned from the property? Imagine if all Christian influence was eliminated from the Capitol including all government buildings how dark they would be?

In my hometown where I grew up in New Jersey, this very thing happened. For decades to the right of the Rescue Squad on public property a nativity scene was proudly displayed along with Santa, his reindeer, and a Christmas tree to celebrate Christmas; a Menorah to celebrate Hanukkah, and a sign welcoming the new year. Then someone who recently moved to the United States complained that their religion was left out and the others were ‘offensive.’ Instead of accommodating another holiday, the Town Council decided to remove the holiday scene altogether. People were enraged, but it was too late. The damage was done, and the town was changed forever.

A Good Reminder

With all that is going on in the world, we have the constant reminder that evil does exist and demonic forces are at play in the world. We see the atrocities of what happened to innocent people in Israel when Hamas invaded, butchering, raping, and murdering people in horrific ways. Because of the news and social media, we have become desensitized to what is really happening on a spiritual level until it reaches our doorstep. The conservative review — The Iowa Standard, said it best:

“This display should serve as a reminder. A reminder that there is “another side” in the battle being waged at the political and spiritual level in our cities, our state and our nation. A reminder that there are two very different forces in this world.

Sometimes I think Christians forget this, somehow. I think we’re just comfortable enough that we lose sight of it just enough to grow complacent. Theologically we know it’s there and present, but we don’t dwell on it because of that comfort. For the most part, it isn’t something put in front of us daily at a personal level.

Until we are reminded. Well, many of us are not reminded. And when we are reminded, it serves as a jolt.”

“Satanic Temple of Iowa display at Capitol upsets many, but don’t lose sight of what it also reveals and the opportunities it provides.” The Iowa Standard 4 Dec. 2023. 6 Dec. 2023.

It is a good reminder that the forces of hell that labor to thwart the will and plans of God are ever present in our government, schools, and even our churches. We have become complacent in our everyday activities, especially during the Christmas season. We don’t stop to think of the spiritual aspects of the holiday anymore, passing out tracts, or sharing Jesus with the lost.

What Are YOU Doing About It?

This goes back to my friend’s text to me about this display and asking what the church is doing about it being it is literally on our front door. Like my pastor always says, when someone comes to him and says we should do this or that, he responds by saying, ‘You do it. If you have the ambition, the desire, and the heart to accomplish this task, then by all means…go for it. You’ll have our support. Take ownership of it and lead others into it.’

“If you don’t like it, take ownership of it and change it.”

Did you know that the Satanic Temple around the United States is hard at work promoting after school programs in public schools which are student led, adult supervised functions that are open to all students to promote godless humanistic ideologies? No? Well, because of this display, you do now. What if Christian churches picked a school in their area to work with other like-minded churches to create an afterschool program to teach the youth about God, Jesus, and loving others as themselves? What if Christians got together and stood on public sidewalks like the Gideon’s and passed out Bibles, Gospels of John, and tracts to the youth that are leaving the building? What Christian Churches fed local school students breakfast before class and sat down with them on a personal level and shared the gospel inside the school? What if Christians took a few hours and went to the mall or grocery store and shared the gospel with a mom or gave a tract to a teen working at the cookie stand? Think you could change the world through that one tract? You bet you can!

Or…did I sense an emphatic, ‘no?’

I have been a part of all those things I mentioned above — and more. Living proof that it can be done; though I may not have started the programs, I was a part of them, and realized it works if we take the time, suck up our fear, and push through. We didn’t kick God out of government or schools. He is in there alive and well. We are His mouthpiece; we just need to open our mouths.

An Open Door

What have you or your church done this Christmas season at the capitol to promote your God?

That stung, didn’t it? I know; I felt it too.

Trust me, I don’t like seeing the Satanic Temple’s display in my state Capitol as much as the next Christian. But God has a way of taking what is evil and using it for good, doesn’t He? We should take the advice of Joseph and declare that what they meant for evil, God meant for good, in order to bring it about to save many people (Genesis 50:20). We should be like Paul when he stumbled upon the idol worship the Areopagus of Athens in Acts 17. Did Paul throw a fit and complain about it? He didn’t gather a prayer vigil against it. And he didn’t destroy it with a sledgehammer either. Paul used them to proclaim the One, True, Living God whom he served (Acts 17:23). Though he didn’t change the minds and hearts of everyone, some did (Acts 17:34).

How do we do this?

So how do we practically apply Acts 17? We need to use what is in front of us (the statue) and let it serve as a tool to share the gospel with those around it, and with those asking about it from the news. Though there is not much to go on when it comes to the statue itself, like the statue Paul was described, it’s what is written below it is far more important. In Acts 17:23 Paul noticed the inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. To us, we notice the SEVEN TENNANTS OF SATANISM.

1. One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
2. The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
3. One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
4. The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one’s own.
5. Beliefs should conform to one’s best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one’s beliefs.
6. People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one’s best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
7. Every tenant is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

Can you see how we as Christians can bridge the gap between Christianity and Satanism by using this statue and display? Can you see how we can proclaim God, His Word, will, purpose, love, compassion, and humanity in the form of Jesus Christ? We use the senses that God blessed us with to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste the world around us to find ways to springboard into conversation about the One who made it all for Himself (Colossians 1:15-18).

We Have So Much More in Christ

In Christ we have so much more than those who are willful slaves of unrighteousness. We worship a God who not only created us, but loves us unconditionally; that when we were yet still in our sin, God sent His one and only Son into the world to become like us, to live a sinless life, and die a horrible death so that we can be reconciled and spend eternity with Him forever (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8). Jesus continually even now makes intercession for us (Romans 8:34) and has not left us alone, but gave us His Holy Spirit as a friend and helper to lead us in our everyday life (John 14-16). God’s goodness and mercy can fill all the books ever made and then some. Would Satan ever die for anyone?

Since we have all this in Christ, we should share the gift of God’s Son with those who are without Him, remembering that they are slaves of unrighteousness and of the evil one, Lucifer. Though many worship him, they worship themselves even more. We should have true compassion in which they are wanting from us, and share the truth of God’s Word with them so that they would be free indeed and escape the devil having been taken captive by him to do his will.

“But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

2 Timothy 2:23-26 NKJV

With that, we should not take a back seat in hopes of being unscathed from the world till either we pass away or the Lord comes back; but we should in some way challenge the world and engage in some way. Evangelist Mark Cahil said it best: “If you do not engage the culture, trust me, the culture will engage you, be sure of that.” They have, and it is our duty, and privilege as children of God to share truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

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