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Days after a satanic statue was erected in front of the New Hampshire State House it was torn down in an act of vandalism that many believe was justified.

The display in Concord – purportedly for the holidays – was put up by the Satanic Temple of Vermont and New Hampshire last Saturday, By Tuesday, it was in pieces. The city had reportedly sanctioned the demon statue to be allowed alongside a Christmas tree, nativity scene, and Bill of Rights displays citing First Amendment rights.

“The display depicted the pagan deity Baphomet and the Satanic Temple’s seven fundamental tenets. In one hand the figure held an apple to honor Isaac Newton and celebrate science and the pursuit of knowledge,” WMUR reported.

(Video Credit: WMUR)

“The display, consisting of a statue of the goat-headed demon Baphomet, a tablet displaying the Satanic Temple’s tenets, and a satanic version of the American flag, was found in three pieces,” Maine Wire reported. “The statue’s legs remained standing while the head and torso lay separate on the ground, and the tablet of tenets was shattered.”

Police are investigating but Concord Deputy Police Chief John Thomas told NHJournal that one person is not on the list of suspects.

“Santa wouldn’t do this,” Thomas quipped. “Santa loves everybody.”

The Concord Monitor noted that someone had left a Santa hat, a cross, and a Christmas ornament on the broken pieces.

Concord Mayor Byron Champlin condemned the vandalism in a post on Facebook.

“In our community, we should be able to air differences of opinion with civility. That’s how our democracy works. Violence, against individuals or property, is unacceptable. Period. A complaint has been filed, and Concord police are investigating. My hope is that the perpetrators of this act are apprehended and prosecuted,” he said.

The idea was the brainchild of Democrat State Rep. Ellen Read who admitted she “approached them as a person who cares about equal representation on public grounds for religions.”

But the mayor said he was not on board.

“I opposed the permit because I believe the request was made not in the interest of promoting religious equity, but in order to drive an anti-religious political agenda,” said Champlin who added that he would be looking to amend the city’s policies before next year’s holiday season rolls around.

“The First Amendment doesn’t mean anything unless we’re actually making it work,” Read said, claiming the display was not meant to demean anyone – despite no apparent connection between the Satanic Temple and Christmas or Hanukkah.

“The reaction seems so emotional, so knee-jerk, that the idea that a mannequin and a goat mask would create all of this animosity,” said a clueless Read who had to pick up the broken pieces of the display just days later.

The City of Concord issued a statement ahead of the green light for the statue to be added to the town’s holiday display.

“Under the First Amendment and to avoid litigation, the City needed to choose whether to ban all holiday displays installed by other groups, or otherwise, to allow it,” the statement reads. “After reviewing its legal options, the City ultimately decided to continue the policy of allowing unattended displays at City Plaza during this holiday season and to allow the statue. It is anticipated that the City Council will review next year whether permits for unattended holiday displays should be allowed at City Plaza.”

“The Satanic Temple are not Satanists,” New Hampshire Christian advocacy organization, Cornerstone, said in a statement. “They have no religious belief in any Satan figure. They are normal, atheist feminists who use Satanic imagery as a legal tactic, to fundraise through media exposure, and because offending Christian grandmothers brings a sense of meaning to their sad lives.”

Frieda Powers
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