Senate File 2210 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 2210
BY SALMON
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to Satanic displays or Satanic worship on
2 property of the state and its political subdivisions.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 27D.1 Satanic displays or the
2 practice of Satanism on state property.
3 1. The state or any political subdivision of the state shall
4 not recognize organizations or individuals who refer to Satan
5 as a deity, worship Satan, or who reference Satan or Satanism
6 as part of the organization’s or individual’s religious
7 practice as an establishment of religion.
8 2. Displays, symbols, or the practice of Satanic worship
9 shall not be allowed on public property, in public schools, on
10 property owned by public schools, or on any property owned by
11 the state or its political subdivisions.
12 3. Any act of Satanic practice or worship that involves
13 the ending of a life or the shedding of blood, whether the
14 sacrifice be an animal or human, is prohibited.
15 4. A violation of subsection 2 or 3 is a criminal offense
16 subject to prosecution under the laws of the state.
17 Sec. 2. PUBLIC DISPLAYS —— SATANISM —— LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS
18 AND PURPOSE.
19 1. The general assembly finds that the Constitution of the
20 State of Iowa acknowledges the supreme being to whom we owe
21 gratitude for blessings received and upon whom we depend for
22 future blessings.
23 2. The general assembly finds that there is a wide
24 range of differing views among its citizens regarding which
25 establishment of religion or religions represent the one
26 supreme being upon which we depend. Though a long line of
27 historical evidence exists showing that the values found in the
28 Judeo-Christian faith are fundamental to the foundations and
29 freedoms of the United States of America, the state of Iowa,
30 in accordance with the long-established history, heritage, and
31 tradition of the United States, does not grant favored status
32 to any establishment of religion as the official religion of
33 the state of Iowa.
34 3. The general assembly finds that good and evil exist. The
35 supreme being, upon whom we depend for continued blessings,
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1 personifies that which is good. Evil is personified in the
2 creature known as Satan. It is the duty of the government to
3 play an appropriate role in protecting the inhabitant residents
4 of Iowa from evil while encouraging and facilitating good. It
5 is legally and constitutionally inconsistent to afford Satan,
6 who is universally understood to be an enemy of God, religious
7 expression on public property by a state government that
8 depends upon God for continued blessings. Such a legal view
9 violates our state constitution and offends the God upon whom
10 we depend and undermines our well-being.
11 4. The general assembly finds that all people have freedom
12 of conscience. The state of Iowa does not recommend Satanic
13 practice in any form; however, the state of Iowa acknowledges
14 that individuals are free under the Constitution of the State
15 of Iowa to practice Satanic worship in their private thoughts
16 and on their private property in ways that do not violate any
17 Iowa law or harm or infringe on others.
18 EXPLANATION
19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
20 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
21 This bill relates to Satanic displays or Satanic worship on
22 property of the state and its political subdivisions.
23 The bill provides that the state or any political
24 subdivision of the state shall not recognize organizations or
25 individuals who refer to Satan as a deity, worship Satan, or
26 who reference Satan or Satanism as part of the organization’s
27 or individual’s religious practice as an establishment of
28 religion. Displays, symbols, or the practice of Satanic
29 worship shall not be allowed on public property, in public
30 schools, on property owned by public schools, or on any
31 property owned by the state or its political subdivisions. Any
32 act of Satanic practice or worship that involves the ending of
33 a life or the shedding of blood, whether the sacrifice be an
34 animal or human, is prohibited.
35 The bill provides that a violation of the bill is a criminal
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1 offense subject to prosecution under the laws of the state.
2 The bill makes legislative findings concerning the religion
3 and the practice of Satanism.
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