mississippi state flag-min
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The Satanic Temple wants new Mississippi flag to say “In Satan We Trust”

Up until now, Mississippi was the last state to still fly a flag featuring a Confederate emblem. Following the backlash, state lawmakers voted to create a new flag for the Southern state. Now, The Satanic Temple is giving its input on the new flag’s design.

The Satanic Temple wants the new Mississippi flag to include the phrase “In Satan We Trust” instead of “In God We Trust.”

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At the end of June, Mississippi citizens and artists including Faith Hill and Paramore‘s Hayley Williams urged lawmakers to change the state’s flag. On June 29, the bill was passed to remove the Confederate symbol from the flag.

The legislation cleared the state House in a 91-23 vote and the Senate in a 37-14 vote. The passing of the bill comes weeks after lawmakers debated changing the flag amid the ongoing BLM protests across the country.

Back in 2001, the state voted on changing the flag. However, 64 percent of Mississippi citizens voted in a pubic referendum to not change the flag. The flag was first adopted in 1894 and has red, white and blue stripes with the Confederate battle emblem in the corner.

The new bill establishes a commission to develop a new Mississippi flag without the Confederate emblem that includes the phrase “In God We Trust.” Mississippi voters will vote on a new design this November.

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Now, the Satanic Temple is revealing what it believes the state flag should look like. Instead of including “In God We Trust,” the Satanic Temple wants “In Satan We Trust” to be on the flag.

“Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and other elected officials have advocated for adding, ‘In God We Trust’ to [the] Mississippi flag as a replacement for the Confederate battle emblem,” the statement reads.

The Satanic Temple further states that it believes the removal of the Confederate emblem is a “positive step.” However, it also believes that the phrase “In God We Trust” excludes various groups who have other religious affiliations or belief systems. However, if the Mississippi flag needs to include a religious phrase then it should pertain to Satan.

“Fitch said, ‘The addition of ‘In God We Trust’ … is the perfect way to demonstrate who we are,'” the statement continues. “The Satanic Temple responded to this proposal by sending a letter to Fitch, noting that while removing the Confederate emblem is a positive step, the proposal shifts exclusion of one group to another. However, if the updated Mississippi flag must include a religious phrase, it should be ‘In Satan We Trust.’”

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The Satanic Temple ends its statement by saying that it will pursue legal action if Mississippi decides to add religious phrasing on the state flag.

“TST reasoned that our values, as expressed by our Seven Tenets, are more consistent with the Mississippian mission,” the statement says. “We informed the Attorney General that we would pursue legal action if Mississippi insists on placing an exclusionary religious phrase on its flag.”

Currently, new designs for the Mississippi flag must be submitted no later than Sept. 14. State voters will begin choosing the new flag’s design in a statewide vote on Nov. 3.

What do you think the new Mississippi state flag should look like? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.