Satanic Temple To Apply For Holiday Display In Fla. Capitol

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) - Once more, the Satanic Temple is trying to spread its version of holiday cheer at the Florida Capitol.

The group announced on Wednesday "in a gesture of seasonal spirit and good will" they will again apply to use the same diorama for the Capitol's first-floor rotunda that was rejected a year ago for being "grossly offensive."

"We feel our holiday display sends a very important, affirmative message that goes above and beyond that of superficial season's greetings," temple spokesperson Lucien Greaves said in a release."It's a message of religious freedom, and church-state separation expressed in the state's neutrality."

Ben Wolf, a spokesman for the Department of Management Services, said in an email Wednesday that the agency has yet to receive the application.

The Department of Management Services limits the height of displays based on where they are located in the rotunda. This is because displays are prohibited from blocking permanent memorials such as the Civil Rights and Veterans halls of fame. There are also rules against

In May the department decided to maintain its first-come, first-served basis when allotting display spaces. The decision came after a number of diverse exhibits dotted the Capitol rotunda during the 2013 holiday season.

The often irreverent displays, which included a pole made of empty beer cans to mark the sitcom-created Festivus holiday and a shredded pile of paper that was supposed to resemble the deity of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, came in response to the state approving a pair of Christian nativity scenes for the Capitol.

The Satanic Temple had proposed a diorama of an angel falling into hell bannered with the phrase "Happy holidays from the Satanic Temple."

"The News Service of Florida contributed to this report."

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