Christians held a concert in Indiana's Capitol. A similar request by Satanists was rejected.
Discover more from Friendly Atheist
Christians held a concert in Indiana's Capitol. A similar request by Satanists was rejected.
The Satanic Temple says it will sue if Indiana doesn't grant it the same accommodations that preacher Sean Feucht received
This newsletter is free, but it’s only able to sustain itself due to the support I receive from a small percentage of regular readers. Would you please consider becoming one of those supporters? You can use the button below to subscribe to Substack or use my usual Patreon page!
On May 7, Christian Nationalist Sean Feucht, a worship leader who held COVID super-spreader concerts during the height of the pandemic, visited Indiana’s Statehouse as part of his “Kingdom to the Capitol” tour. For about 90 minutes, Feucht, his colleagues, and several Indiana Republicans held court in the Statehouse, praying and singing.
It was a giant Christian rally in the most public building in the state. Feucht even welcomed Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch (who’s currently running for governor) as the “woman who’s responsible for letting us come in here.”
Now a group of Satanists are demanding equal treatment.
It turns out members of The Satanic Temple have their own worship band: Satanic Planet. TST co-founder and spokesperson Lucien Greaves is one of the members. About a month ago, the group announced that it planned to follow in Feucht’s footsteps. Literally. The band was going on tour… in the same public buildings where Feucht went. That included the Indiana Statehouse.
According to Satanic Planet frontperson Lucien Greaves, “Feucht is openly a theocrat who courts the attention of politicians and seeks to proselytize through his performances. He has his opinions, and we have ours, but one thing the government can not do is preference his viewpoint over ours by giving him exclusive access to perform a concert on the Capitol grounds. That stage is every bit as much ours as it is his, so, in the name of pluralism and religious liberty, there are some state capitols that are likely soon to be hosting Satanic Planet shows.”
…
The band is hoping to raise the funds to perform at the state capitols that Feucht has played through a crowdfunding campaign. According to Greaves, “We will not be able to sell tickets to the capitol grounds, we will surely draw protests, the stage and sound will likely be difficult, and the cost will not be insignificant. That said, however, we can not stand by idly as theocratic extremists are given such an elevated public platform to spread their divisive message without reminding everybody that that stage is equally theirs as well. Feucht seeks to use the stage to announce a theocratic stranglehold over the United States government, and we seek to rectify that by re-establishing pluralism.”
If Satanic Planet’s request to perform is denied, the fundraiser will be put towards the legal battle that will follow.
The Indiana permit was requested for August 12. The band was ready to go. They even created a logo inspired by Feucht:
More importantly, they filled out a permit application that was virtually identical to the one submitted by Turning Point USA, which sponsored Feucht’s concert.
And yet the Satanists’ request was denied by the Indiana Department of Administration, as explained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle:
“Unfortunately, the type of event you are requesting is not permitted in the Statehouse. We allow ceremonies and speaking presentation type events,” IDOA Director Tracy L. Jones wrote in one email. Jones also cited a use policy for the building.
That document says that music — “by electronic transmittal or by performing artists” — is allowed during a “private event reservation.” But, it adds, the agency “expect(s) the historical nature of the building to be honored.” That means dancing and “‘party” entertainment aren’t allowed.
It also says that the building and grounds “shall not be used for any unlawful purpose … or support for an ideological or political methodology being offered to the general public.” And it gives preference to events sponsored by elected officials and agencies.
Greaves said his team asked the agency on June 12 to categorize the event as it saw fit, saying that the band wanted to perform “on whatever terms Sean Feucht was allowed to play.” Greaves said he hadn’t heard back.
Video of Feucht’s concert shows plenty of people dancing at his Indiana event.
Indiana officials attempted to rationalize their actions by saying that Feucht’s permit application was actually for an outdoor rally. They were only allowed inside, with Crouch’s help, “because of anticipated inclement weather.” But that still means Feucht’s Christian group was allowed to hold a 90-minute worship rally inside the Statehouse.
The Satanists won’t settle for anything less.
On Wednesday night, the Satanists’ lawyer wrote back to IDOA Director Tracy L. Jones. He called out the apparent hypocrisy and vowed to sue if the state didn’t relent:
Feucht's public performance in this public facility removes all doubt that ceremonious activity is a historically permissible use of the facility... The Let Us Burn tour is ceremonious activity, fully protected by the First Amendment with equal force as the Let Us Worship tour.
By this letter, my clients demand that you approve their grounds use application. If the applied-for date is unavailable, please let me know and provide available dates and I will help facilitate a time.
Please acquiesce by July 21, 2023, or litigation will commence.
Greaves told me yesterday that he’s also planning to file paperwork to perform at the U.S. Capitol. Feucht played there for a week earlier this year, where he was joined by Rep. Lauren Boebert. (The whole thing led to rumors they were dating, which both deny.)
The lawsuits ultimately write themselves. The Satanists aren’t asking for special treatment; they just want whatever deals Feucht got from the same government entities. It looks like whatever money The Satanic Temple is raising for the tour will, predictably, go towards litigation.
It’s too bad. I would have loved to see the reaction from MAGA politicians walking through the halls of the state legislature as a bunch of Satanists sing lyrics like, “Half demented / false recollected / A fictitious past / is resurrected / Satan we’ve grown / Cruel / benevolent / The infidel hierophant.”
Christians held a concert in Indiana's Capitol. A similar request by Satanists was rejected.
Never let anyone try to tell you Christian privilege and entitlement isn't a real thing. It absolutely is. Shame on Indiana for allowing this. It is NEVER the job of our secular government to backstop anybody's religion. Mixing religion and government is the same terrible idea it has always been.
I'm sure SCOTUS will say that Satanic rallies are different because, "Fuck you."