SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A display from a Satanic Temple has been placed in the Illinois Statehouse alongside a Nativity scene to mark Christmas and a menorah for Hanukkah.
The State Journal-Register reports that the display from the Satanic Temple-Chicago is a sculpture called “Knowledge is the Greatest Gift” and depicts the forearm of a woman who is holding an apple.
The group’s application for the display says the organization is non-theistic and aims to “encourage benevolence and empathy among all people.”
Secretary of State Spokesman Dave Druker says the Satanic group has the same rights as other religious organizations to have the display in the rotunda.
The state can’t censor the contents of the display if they’re not funded by taxpayer dollars because the Capitol rotunda is a public place.