A Christian state senator who organized a prayer gathering against a satanic display in the Minnesota Capitol last week expressed the need for Christians to show love toward Satanists while standing firm against their beliefs. Nathan Wesenberg a Catholic Republican Minnesota state Sen. told The Christian Post that he was among the approximately 100 citizens and legislators who got together to pray and sing Christmas carols around the satanic display last week.
In a Facebook post, the Minnesota Satanists announced their first-ever holiday display in the state capital building. “Thanks to all the hard work from our Congregation, especially Calcifer, for helping us set up Minnesota Satanists’ first-ever holiday display at the state Capitol in Saint Paul! HAIL RELIGIOUS PLURALITY!!! HAIL SATAN!!!” the post read.
The negative reaction was swift. A Minnesota Republican, Pete Stauber, had this to say: “When you get a DFL [Democratic–Farmer-Labor Party] trifecta, you get a Satanic display at our state Capitol. During the holidays… what a disgrace. Only in Walz’s Minnesota.” Another representative made his thoughts known when he said ” “Is there anything Tim Walz won’t do to insult Minnesotans?”
The display was erected on Dec. 13 by a group called Minnesota Satanists. The display featured a phoenix, an inverted pentagram, and the text of “The Mass of the Phoenix,” a ritual that featured in the work of prominent English occultist Aleister Crowley. It also features a ritual text emblazoned with the words, “You are your god.”
Rumors went wild on social media last week that the phoenix display had been removed, but it was reinstalled after having been knocked over, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. The Satanic display, which was approved by the Minnesota Department of Administration, is slated to remain up in the rotunda of the state Capitol in St. Paul until Dec. 27.
Wesenberg told reporters “You see these things, and they keep popping up, and at the same time, Christianity is getting torn down, and we need to speak up and say, ‘This is not right.’“ He emphasized that the gathering last week was “not a protest.” After speaking with a pastor, he and others elected to engage in prayer, carol singing, and sharing the love of God at the site of the display.
He went on to say that Christians at the event attempted to show Satanists there the love that God has for them, which he said is absent in Satanism. “These people that do this, they don’t really love Satan,” he said. “We got to talk to them and let them know that God’s here for them, and we’re here for them.” He added “…you know, that’s what Christianity is: we love them. And let’s figure out what’s going on. Let’s talk with each other. We don’t hate you. We condemn Satan, but the people aren’t that,” he continued.
“People want to be loved, and we need to be together, and that’s what we need to do, is we love each other. We’ve come together to help each other,” he added. “That’s not what Satan does.”
The state senator said the opposition to the satanic display has been bipartisan. “I don’t think anyone agrees with this,” he said of his colleagues. “This isn’t Democrat or Republican. This is good and evil.” Gov. Tim Walz has not released a comment on this affair but there has been no endorsement from any of his Democratic compatriots. The statue remains up.