Satanic Monument Of Baphomet Unveiled By Detroit’s Satanic Temple, Attendees Asked To Sign Over Souls To The Devil

by Olivia Truffaut-WongJuly 28, 2015, 2:43 pmNews, News Feed >

A Satanic monument of Baphomet was unveiled on July 25, in Detroit at the Satanic Temple.

Satanic Monument Of Baphomet Unveiled

The Satanic monument, a statue of Baphomet, a satanic figure with a goat head, sitting on a throne surrounded by two young children, was unveiled at a highly anticipated event that drew in a crowd of around 700 – not including the 100 or so protestors. The unveiling event took place in an old warehouse in Detroit, but the location had been kept secret from the media for fear that protestors would ruin the event.

The event was so controversial that the Satanic Temple asked attendees to sign a contract transferring their soul to Satan in an attempt to ensure a supportive audience and weed out any possible protestors.

“I agree that by signing this document under any name, given or adopted, actual or pseudonymous, I am hereby avowing my soul to Satan…I do so knowing that He… or any of His representatives may choose to collect my eternal soul at any time, with or without notice. I understand that my signature or mark representing any name, real or made up, upon these papers constitutes a lasting and eternal contract that there will be no further negotiations on the matter of my eternal soul,” read the contract.

The stunning, 9-feet tall statue was unveiled without a hitch by two shirtless men who then proceeded to kiss in front of it as people in the audience reportedly chanted, “Hail Satan.”

Satanic Temple Statue Traveling To Arkansas

Jex Blackmore, an executive minister at the Satanic Temple in Detroit, said that the event and the statue were meant to serve as a reminder of the necessity for diversity in religion. “Baphomet contains binary elements symbolizing a reconciliation of opposites, emblematic of the willingness to embrace, and even celebrate differences,” Blackmore told Time.

Celebrating differences and fighting for religious freedom appear to be a few of the main beliefs of Satanic Temple followers. In fact, one of the guiding principles of the Satanic Temple reads, “The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo your own.”

The statue was originally planned to go to Oklahoma, next to a monument of the Ten Commandments on Oklahoma State Capitol grounds, but changed course after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered to remove the religious statue from the Capitol grounds.

“We firmly believe that all should have the freedom to practice their faith or lack thereof without harassment, that the majority does not have the right to define what’s acceptable for all and that we should support our neighbors despite our differences. The kind of slander and intolerance perpetuated by this vocal faction is precisely why we remain a proactive community and why our event will proceed as a celebration of free expression. Those who are offended simply need not attend,” Blackman explained before the event.

The statue will now travel to Arkansas, where Governor Asa Hutchinson has authorized a Ten Commandments monument near the state Capitol.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.