Satan's Comeback

The  Devil in Detroit

You can't make this up. Barring a last minute court injunction, a group that calls itself The Satanic Temple was set to unveil a statue of its spiritual leader yesterday morning (7/25/2015) in the city of Detroit of all places.

Like all greedy religious organizations that seek to profit from their message, the Temple decided to charge admission to those who wanted to view the monstrosity. From the Detroit News: The event, open to prepaid ticket holders only, is advertised as the largest public satanic ceremony in history. According to the Satanic Temple, the 1-ton, nearly 9-foot-tall bronze idol will be unveiled only in Detroit. Ultimately, the group hopes to have it placed permanently next to a sculpture of the Ten Commandments monument now in place near a state courthouse in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, or outside Arkansas’ Statehouse in Little Rock, where a Ten Commandments monument also is planned. 

Many Detroit area churches protested the display and sought to get the ceremony banned. When they failed to block the event, some churches planned to host their own activities to counter the unveiling of the devilish sculpture. 

Jex Blackmore, Satanic Temple Detroit chapter founder, claims that unlike the Church of Satan that was founded in the 1960s by Anton Szandor LaVey, his group doesn't worship Satan but does promote individuality, compassion and views that differ from Christian and conservative beliefs. Blackmore also claims that the group has about 100 chapters across the United States. 

Blackmore's claim is akin to former President Bill Clinton's claim that he never smoked marijuana even though he held a lit dooby between his lips. Clinton's bizarre reasoning? He claims that he never inhaled the pot. 

I don't know how sincere Blackmore is, but there are plenty of ways to promote "individuality, compassion and views different from Christian and conservative beliefs" other than touting a statue of the most reviled and cursed being in all of God's creation. 

Satan represents the ultimate in rebellion against God's established authority. He's a liar and a deceiver who Jesus Christ called "a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) He's also called "the god of this age (who) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:4)

I don't know whether the members of the Satanic Temple believe that Satan's a real being or they merely view him as a "symbol of evil" as many people do today. A Barna Research poll conducted about six years ago (2009) revealed that only 27 percent of Americans actually believe in the existence of a real devil.

The Bible identifies Satan as a real being rather than a metaphor for rebellion. In fact, when Christ spoke about Satan, He spoke about a real diabolical being and not a symbol of evil. 

Why should that make any difference? Because those who are intentionally and unintentionally ignorant of the devil will see no danger in Satan's diabolical practices such as the occult, necromancy, witchcraft, spiritism, voodoo, shamanism, sorcery, magic and eastern mysticism. Those types of practices are not only sinful, they're also dangerous because they open spiritual doors to demonic spirits that are under Satan's authority. They can lead people to demonic oppression, possession, insanity, suicide, and ultimately eternal damnation. 

Sadly, biblical prophecy reveals that the whole world will eventually worship the devil before Christ returns. (Revelation 13) When a monstrosity such as that statue of Satan can so effortlessly be put on display in a city such as Detroit that once had a vibrant Christian population, then the end is near indeed.