Happy Holidays, Iowa Bans a Holiday Display in the Capitol


For most of my life I have lived either in Iowa or North Dakota next to Minnesota. Now I can reflect on the differences between Minnesota and where I now live, Iowa. The stark difference showed up this week, a week when holiday displays appeared in state Capitols around the country.

A decade or two ago, some Christians got the idea they should merge government and religion by hosting Christain displays in their state capitols. A monied Christian paid for professionally produced manger scenes. This, I suppose they thought, would reinforce the false notion this is a Christian country. 

In a few years, the Freedom From Religion Foundation produced a cardboard parody of the manger scene for display in state capitols and offered it to locals in all states. This parody is set up and displayed across the country. I've gone to this capitol building a few minutes from where I live several years for the annual ribbon cutting. I'm sure many in politics do not like our scene but permission to display it has never been denied.

Things have changed, however, and atheist groups more aggressive than our local group have appeared. One is the Satanic Temple. Where schools allow Christian student clubs the Temple has started Satan clubs. When empty church buildings have come up for sale the Satan group has bought some and put their statue of Satan where the cross used to be.

In recent years the Satanic Temple has started putting up cheap displays of Satan in Capitols during the holiday season. The displays have accomplished what the Satan group wanted, an emotional display of hatred. It has produced fear. Last year a whacko traveled from Mississippi to Iowa to destroy the Satanic Temple display. There were charges filed.

In Minnesota this year the Governor welcomed the Satanic display along with the Christian one and perhaps others. Let's celebrate diversity, said Governor Waltz. Not so in Iowa. Somewhere in the bureaucracy that runs such things a decision was made the Satanic display was "unsafe." Governor Kim Reynolds said children come to the Capitol and might be harmed by looking at a image of Satan and it must be denied. 

Apparently Gov. Reynolds has never heard of non Christian parents taking their children to the Capitol and being attracted to a display of a religion that had killed their ancestors. I'll take Governor Waltz over the Iowa Governor any day.    

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