A New York-based Satanic church has applied to put up a statue of a Baphometic idol in the Oklahoma state capitol next to an already erected Ten Commandments monument. "The monument has been designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma City and beyond," Satantic Temple spokesman Lucien Greaves told the Associated Press. Also, the statue is functional, serving as "a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation."

As impressive as this seven-foot statue would look standing next to the Ten Commandments, it's been designed largely to prove a point. After the Oklahoma Legislature agreed to allow the privately funded Ten Commandments monument in 2012, the Oklahoma chapter of the ACLU quickly sued to have it removed. That lawsuit remains unresolved, but in the meantime various other organizations have petitioned to erect monuments dedicated to their causes. Besides the Satanists, a Hindu group, an animal-rights group, and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster have all reached out.

The Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission has issued a moratorium on all new monuments pending a decision on the ACLU suit.

[Image via AP]