These articles fail to point out the reason the Iowa Capitol has a satanic display is because it also has a christian display.
The Satanic Temple exists only to proposition the government to allow the Temple to do similar things they allow christians to do. They don't proposition the government to do anything unless a christian group has done it first. If what they're doing upsets you--that's the point. The idea is to show how the government shouldn't be allowing any form of religious displays or religious arguments.
Also, it gets pointed out all the time, but members of the Satanic Temple don't actually worship satan. Their name and symbols are simply meant to offend christians.
Forcing the prosecutors to drop the hate crime is a huge victory for Cassidy and for religious freedom.
Dude is going get a small fine, no jail time, and the charge is being expunged. Now had it been a satanist beheading a Jesus statue, would things have gone this same way?
"... we were able to back the prosecutors into a corner ...Forcing the prosecutors to drop the hate crime is a huge victory for Cassidy and for religious freedom"
It's funny how taking a plea bargain equates to "forcing the prosecutors" and then claiming it is a victory for religious freedom.
Hate crime? What kind of a crime can someone commit absent of all motivated by ill will or hate? There is no universal recognition of such a thing exists. The absence of violent does equate to a peaceful environment.