Yes, this is a statue to Baphomet, an occult/satanic demon/devil man/goat whatsit/thingamajig. No, it is not actually being worshipped. Yes, it's a snarky free speech thing.
I feel more comfortable with the kids next to Baphomet than next to the priests in many Christian statues.(via Facebook)
First things first, yes, the organization that paid for this statue and has been working hard to get it displayed is really named The Satanic Temple. Yes, this statue was really unveiled in Detroit this weekend in front about 700 people. No, it wasn't on state grounds (though they would have preferred that), just placed in an old industrial building. Yes, supporters yelled "Hail, Satan!" when it was unveiled. Yes, about 50 Christians turned out to protest and pray (at what turned out to be a decoy location).
Yes, to avoid disturbances within the event, the Temple made attendees sign over their souls. This was actually was a measure to keep out devout Christians
because so many threats of violence had been made:
These guys probably also think the Holy Hand Grenade is real.(via Patheos)
So, what is this thing? Basically, a big political prank.
The fact that Satan is right there in the name of the church should be your first clue that this isn't quite as serious as it seems, because people who really worship evil tend to do it in secret (or so I gather). What is The Satanic Temple? Think of it like the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but one that more aggressively trolls Christians (they once held a gay marriage on top of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps's grave). It is dedicated not to Satan, but to waging an as-annoying-to-Christians-as-possible legal war for the strict separation of church and state.
In particular, whenever there's a 10 Commandments monument on state grounds or any kind of Christmas display, The Satanic Temple will argue that the Constitution demands they be given equal representation. That's how this statue came to be. In January of 2014, the Temple raised $20,000 on Indiegogo to construct it and place it next to the 10 Commandments monument on the Oklahoma State Capitol grounds. That did not happen, in part because Oklahoma's lawmakers reacted to the OK Supreme Court's decision that the Commandments display was unconstitutional by threatening to impeach the justices and change their state constitution.
Related: Michigan's Capitol Building will have a sweet-ass Satanic display next to its nativity scene.
See, according to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and various Supreme Court decisions around it, the government is not supposed to give any kind of endorsement or favor to any one religion. This is why if your town puts up a Christmas tree or a creche, they may have to match it with a big menorah and symbols from other religions. If the government is going to celebrate one religion, it has to be willing to celebrate them all. That's how the Satanic Temple successfully got one of their displays put up in Michigan's state capitol next to the nativity scene.
Besides the fact that it's an abomination of nature, I can't actually see anything Baphomet is doing wrong in this picture.(via Facebook)
They've also hijacked the pro-Christian Hobby Lobby decision to give women a way around "informed consent" laws (laws that demand women receive a prescribed lecture from their doctor before seeking an abortion or birth control), by printing a waiver stating that it's against their religion to let others' religions enter their health care decisions.
Related: How the 'Hobby Lobby' decision paved the way for Satanists to save women's rights.
So, what does this have to do with Detroit? Well, it's where the "Temple" started, space is cheap, and it's a convenient place to stash Baphomet until they can realize their dream of moving him to the state capitol grounds of Arkansas, where the governor just signed a bill authorizing a new 10 Commandments monument. Which may or may not happen, but they got a lot of press, so their plan is more or less working, so far.
What is not happening is Detroit being taken over by cultists. Cultists are organized and very good at collecting dues. Detroit should be so lucky.